Do any of you lot commute along the Harrow Rd or use it a lot?

I am considering options for my best route to my new job (BBC White City) and am thinking about going along Harrow Rd from Euston Rd and then dropping down ladbroke Grove and across to Scrubs Lane.

I've never actually ridden that way before and it looks as if the A40 / Harrow Rd junction might be a bit of a deathtrap. Not that I mind busy junctions that much.

The obvious route for me (from Russel Square) is to go through Fitzrovia and then Marylebone High St to lancaster gate and then Notting Hill, Shep's Bush etc. Thing is, I always ride that way and am a bit bored of it. Also there are annoying roadworks up Wood Lane from Shepherds Bush which mean an annoying detour.

Right, I'm waffling and certainly running the risk of being told to piss off to bikeradar (where I would be advised to cycle along the canal or some stupid cycle path through hyde Park. I'd probably get some advice on caps to wear and recipes to cook as well. Hang on a minute, that sounds familiar...)

Anyway, any info / abuse gratefully received.

piss off to bikeradar

The coolest bit is I didn't even have to type that.. copy and paste gold! :)

Harrow Road is cycling Sarlacc - i don't see many on it (I drop to white city from Crouch End, via Camden, Swiss, Kilburn, lil venice, Harrow Road etc)

It's got fuck loads of lorrys, the main route for all north and north west london busses and the home to 78% of all Blue stickered Previas. 60% of the cars are driven without license and insurance, with 98% of those having beaded seat covers.

in the last year I have yet to complete a journey along it without having to swerve around a car pulling out from the side roads, and the road surface is so shit you envy the hoardes of full suspension drug pusher rides bumping around on the pavements.

Still i take it religously cause it's fast as fuck. the second fastest is past notting hill but for me that's a shit to get to and in the summer far too much skirt to not be wearing blinkers.
and all the bits in the middle are full or junctions, bumps and flat capped pricks, but a nice route home pissed as there are plenty of stops.

There you go: what the A to Z didn't tell you

i do
it is the same route you said matt or similar

http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/srchkey/n1+5sd

I go under the two [underbridges] depending of my state of mind

via notting hill / shepherds bush is a pain because the traffic doesn't flow nicely

pm MA3K he told me a good route (which I can't remeber) out that way that he used when he was a courier and making drops off at the BBC.

Also Mike may be able to help as he works up by Perivale

been over the flyover a few times on my bike. That was pretty scary

i go be over FO in a million times

@Tikastefano - That your surly chained up outside BC?

Give it a month and you would have figured out the best route, to be honest you are spoilt for choice. i dropped down past Victoria and did the embankment run straight into the roundabout by Shep bush in one huge sprint last week. against the flow of traffic its pretty quick and direct.

:O

Law breaker.....

yes
i have been doing it for years, before I worked at ladbroke grove. can't think of a better route as i live in hackney
what is law breaker
do u work at BBC too?

I think this is a good route:
OUT http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2250726
IN http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2250705
You can also go down the canal or up Kensington Park road but I think this is the quickest way that avoids all the really bad traffic and the hills around Holland Park.

Nice suggestions guys, I'll try 'em all out and then pick my fave. Also, it's great to have a load of routes to suit the mood, stops you getting bored.

Tika, are you saying that you go over the A40 flyover to get there. That seems pretty crazy to me, but maybe I should HTFU?

no i said I wouldn't go.
I go under in the way in

who went once is mikec

we need to do the pub crawl in the canal that i did with roxy and mike

now that sounds like a good idea.

See you at West drinks tomorrow night maybe? Pretty close from here :-)

send me a pm if you are going. i ve never been

I've ridden that a few times. It's NOT pleasant and I was moving fucking fast to get it over and done with. I used to ride shit like that all the time.. I'm gonna die if I ever go home to highway commuting :S

@ hippy
I don't go over it i go under and turn left into royal oak. i hate it though

I know, but I was responding to mashton asking about going over it.
I prefer fUxbridge Rd anyway.

sorry

Fly Over . . . On a bike . . . that's mentalist!! Go under every time!

Right, it's sunny, and there seem to be a few of us sitting on the forum wasting time.
Anyone want to meet for a beer somewhere?? Westies on the river? Lad Grove somewhere, Wateway on the canal! Anyone??

(can you tell I'm a a loose end today? ;)

chickentika: no worries.. just don't let it happen again or god will kill a hipster..

I'm working.. well I was working.. I just disconnected in disgust having fixed fuck all.
FUcking computers!

Um.. gf will be back soon with food and I really need to sort out Circuit of Kent details if I'm gonna do it. So, um, next time? :)

Drinking on my own again then! (is that wrong??)

No.

(I hope)

Drinking on my own again then! (is that wrong??)
-----------------------------------------------------------
i am one this kind too...

and hippy
hope to meet you soon. i do my best to get home in one piece as i have a little boy on a wooden bike waiting for me every day. me no hipster yet! sorry you are working , at least is money! kk

you can always pop onto the canal as well that runs parallel to harrow road and get off by scrubs lane. you can ride all the way up harrow road to scrubs but its pretty bumber to bumber in the morning around there and cars pulling out all over.

Harrow road is a piss of piss loads of road space no dumb arse cycle lanes use the underpass down on the Paddington basin & good tunes to listen to in the cars passing by

went from edgware rd onto Harrow road towards Kensal Rise. Was excellent. Fast as you can over the bridges/ under the underpass.

this was at 21.00 though, NOT commute hours! x