Tom Anderson wrote:
On Thu, 2 Sep 2004, Dave Arquati wrote:


Tom Anderson wrote:


On Thu, 2 Sep 2004, Dave Arquati wrote:
(snip)
I don't fancy cycling between two lanes of traffic; I get worried enough
cycling in London full stop, which is why I generally don't! I did,
however, experience a variety of cycling environments on a trip from
South Kensington to Canary Wharf and back.

I went via the parks, then Westminster Bridge, cycle route near the
South Bank, London Bridge, Aldgate (where I took a wrong turn and ended
up going round the one-way system, which scared the living daylights out
of me),

Do you mean the big gyratory system thing, which you have to go through to
get from the Whitechapel road to the City? I've been through that a few
times - it's not the best cycling environment, granted. Still, i'd say
it's better than the one at Old Street!

I think that's the one. The route advised to cyclists is (from
Leadenhall St) via Jewry St & Vine St to Crosswall, then eastbound via
Goodmans Yard or westbound via Portsoken St, using toucan crossings at
the subsequent Prescot St junction to reach an on-pavement cycle path
which takes you into Royal Mint St (which was a pleasant route to Canary
Wharf from a traffic point of view).

Unfortunately I didn't approach from the right direction, and since I
had never cycled there before, and ended up on the gyratory, which
seemed to have about six lanes of fast traffic going left where I wanted
to go right! In the end I managed to get to the pavement and walked my
bike round the rest. I joined the "official" route at Goodmans Yard.

then down to the Wapping ornamental canal, Shadwell, the riverside,
Narrow St and then took another wrong turn to end up walking around West
India Quay DLR with the bike and some difficulty.

Came back via a more direct route along Cable St (partly contraflow
cycle lane, partly on-pavement cycle lane), through the City to Fleet St
(got lost again around Fenchurch St & later was following motor vehicle
signs and almost ended up on the Victoria Embankment which I didn't want
to),


Welcome to the club! I usually have a really hard time getting from the
City onto High Holborn, or in fact getting across the city in any
direction; i'm glad it's so small! I once, coming out of Smithfield and
aiming for work (UCL, Eustonish) ended up going down the Farringdon Road,
and by the time i realised, didn't really have any choice except to carry
on over Blackfriars Bridge (this was after the accident, i think), head
along the south bank and go back over Waterloo bridge, then up through the
west end to work. This was all because i'd agreed to go and pick something
up from Charterhouse Square for a friend; the same friend, in fact, who i
had to traverse Old Street and Aldgate to go and visit. She doesn't live
in London any more, which, frankly, is something of a relief!


then straight along to Trafalgar Square. I wasn't brave enough to
cycle across the Square; afterwards I went up The Mall, Constitution
Hill and back along the South Carriage Drive.

The experience was generally very good (although it was a Sunday!) and
would have encouraged me to cycle more in London. Unfortunately right
after finishing the ride, my bike got nicked, so that put me off
again...


That must have been rather irritating. Still, an old saying about falling
off horses springs to mind!

I try hard enough not to fall off my bike, let alone worrying about
falling off horses!


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London