Err, if I was one for hyperbole I would have chose the subject line
without my tongue being firmly in my cheek, possibly 'Problem with TfL
Journey Planner' might have been less attention grabbing subject line.
Still ...

I think the TfL Journey Planner, http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk is quite
useful, if you take the advanced options you'll find some options to help
you plan cycle routes - an effort in the right direction I think.

It has some flaws though. When trying to plan a route to take me from
Bard Road, W10 to Bowes Road, W3, the route suggested would take me along
the A40(M) - not a problem in itself, I've, err, done that stretch of
moterway on my bicycle before - the real problem being getting my bike up
to the elevated section without absailing equipment. In the end I did
decide on a route of my own, around Shepherds Bush Green - probably not
any safer though.

There is a small part of my conspiratorial mind that makes me think it
might be part of a wider plan though.

What says you all?

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 23:57:32 +0100, Colin wrote:

There is a small part of my conspiratorial mind that makes me think it
might be part of a wider plan though.

What says you all?

I'd say that cycle routes are very subjective as there are many
factors that can make them good or bad to any given individual
cyclist, and as such they're best planned with a map and experience.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

Neil Williams wrote:
I'd say that cycle routes are very subjective as there are many
factors that can make them good or bad to any given individual
cyclist, and as such they're best planned with a map and experience.

I'd also say that the lie of the land comes into it, which an A-Z won't
show hills; my route to work has a cycle path most of the way, but ends
up going up and down hill far more than taking the main road, which is
mostly flat.

--
Simon Hewison

Neil Williams ) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying :

I'd say that cycle routes are very subjective as there are many
factors that can make them good or bad to any given individual
cyclist, and as such they're best planned with a map and experience.

I think it's fairly reasonable for them to set the software to exclude the
A40(M) from a cycling route, though...

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 09:19:26 +0000, Adrian wrote:


I think it's fairly reasonable for them to set the software to exclude the
A40(M) from a cycling route, though...

No A40(M) or any other M's in London (except the biggies 3,4, 11, 25 etc).
There should be signs on the on-ramps prohibiting cyclists,
horses and carts and small-capacity mopeds though.
I'll agree that having them on a journey planner is a bit daft.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005, Neil Williams wrote:

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 23:57:32 +0100, Colin wrote:

There is a small part of my conspiratorial mind that makes me think it
might be part of a wider plan though.

What says you all?

I'd say that cycle routes are very subjective as there are many factors
that can make them good or bad to any given individual cyclist, and as
such they're best planned with a map and experience.

To some extent. Certainly, people have different likes and dislikes for
their routes, but i think there's a reasonable amount of agreement about
what makes a good route. The problem is that the mapping sites don't
incorporate that - they just find the shortest route over the roads,
possibly avoiding classes of roads which they think are scary for
cyclists.

An idea i've been kicking around for a while is to start a website - a
sort of 'cyclist's rutter' - collecting people's tried and tested routes,
broken up into routes between key nodal points, so that someone wanting to
get from A to B can come along and pick out route components which will
help them. This would beat just using a map, since it would incorporate
human judgement on the routes. The routes could also be annotated with
comments, pictures, directions, whatever, which would make them more
useful.

tom

--
The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. -- Voltaire

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:13:12 +0100, Tom Anderson wrote:


An idea i've been kicking around for a while is to start a website - a
sort of 'cyclist's rutter' - collecting people's tried and tested routes,
broken up into routes between key nodal points, so that someone wanting to
get from A to B can come along and pick out route components which will
help them.
I've kicked about ideas for a London cyclists Wiki.
A Wiki would be ideal for your idea here.

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005, John Hearns wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:13:12 +0100, Tom Anderson wrote:

An idea i've been kicking around for a while is to start a website - a
sort of 'cyclist's rutter' - collecting people's tried and tested
routes, broken up into routes between key nodal points, so that someone
wanting to get from A to B can come along and pick out route components
which will help them.

I've kicked about ideas for a London cyclists Wiki.
A Wiki would be ideal for your idea here.

I think you could be right there. Bide your time, my friend, for soon our
plans will come to fruition ...

tom

--
Batman always wins

you can't absail (or even abseil) _up_ , you have to prusik ;-)

but ITYF there is a cycleable route between the two involving neither
of the above, done it myself ( a while ago though)

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 16:31:05 -0700, MartinM wrote:

you can't absail (or even abseil) _up_ , you have to prusik ;-)

I suspected that absailing was a one-way persuit ;-)


but ITYF there is a cycleable route between the two involving neither
of the above, done it myself ( a while ago though)

Over the railway line? I work in Bard Road, know, or thought I knew, the
Westway Sports Centre area, and can think of nothing that goes over the
railway line at that point.

Can you remember any clues?