A5 cycleability (London - Stafford)

I've done the A5 a couple of times on a motor bike and even then its
not pleasent, lots of Lorries useing it instead of the motorway and for
cheep cafe stops

Andy Furnell <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Guys/Gals/miscellaneous others,

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a journey up to Stafford to see the in laws in a couple
of weeks' time and am currently plotting out my route. The shortest
journey seems to take in large amounts of the A5/Watling Street.. Is
this a particularly cycleable road or should I be have another hunt
around for a few more of those quaint little B roads? Given that the A5
seems to run parallel with various motorways for most of its route it
should be relatively quiet, but it would be good to hear any first hand
experiences beforehand if anyone's got any.

Quoted message said:

Many thanks,

Quoted message said:

Andy

I live about 400 metres from the A5 and my partner spent most of
yesterday at a CRIM (cycle route implementation meeting) looking at
alternatives to it between Kilburn and Edgware.

LCN+ Route 5 was supposed to use the A5, but parts are horrible, with no
realistic hope of redemption.[1]

In this area, the road is lined with pavement parkers, service roads &
car dealerships and furnished with aggressive drivers who have no
appreciation of a cyclist's needs. Bus lanes can be helpful, but some
bus drivers are not. Traffic lights and Pelican crossings abound.

Crossing the North Circular (A406) at Staples Corner is a challenge. If
you have the guts, you can go over the flyover. Otherwise you may mix
with M1 traffic on the roundabout or use the dreadful shared-use
pavement.

South of Staples Corner, the culture is a little more cycle-friendly.

The A5 is a good route if you are confident, assertive and fit.

Otherwise it's a death trap.

[1] Watling Street constitutes the boundary between the London Boroughs
of Barnet and Camden on the east and Brent and Harrow on the west. Both
sides are in Barnet at West Hendon. Barnet is notoriously anti-cyclist,
whereas Camden is pro-cycling. Facilities elsewhere in Brent and Harrow
have made it to 'Facility of the Month'...

PS, Watford Gap Service Station, on the M1 is rather good if you neeed a
bog etc cos I could find nothing around Rugby when I needed it and I was
doing a similar trip...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

In article <[email hidden]>, Helen Deborah

Vecht () said:

Crossing the North Circular (A406) at Staples Corner is a challenge. If
you have the guts, you can go over the flyover. Otherwise you may mix
with M1 traffic on the roundabout or use the dreadful shared-use
pavement.

I used to go over the flyover when the A5 formed the backbone of my
commute. Didn't find it to be a problem...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
I thought I saw his name on a jar of marmalade the other day, but when I
looked more closely, I saw it read 'thick cut'.

Dave Larrington <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Helen Deborah

Vecht () said:

Crossing the North Circular (A406) at Staples Corner is a challenge. If
you have the guts, you can go over the flyover. Otherwise you may mix
with M1 traffic on the roundabout or use the dreadful shared-use
pavement.

Quoted message said:

I used to go over the flyover when the A5 formed the backbone of my
commute. Didn't find it to be a problem...

I've done it, but my David doesn't dare. I used to take the top on the
A406 on my commute...

(Wot's why I wrote 'if you have the guts'😉

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

Andy Furnell said:

Guys/Gals/miscellaneous others,

I'm planning a journey up to Stafford to see the in laws in a couple
of weeks' time and am currently plotting out my route. The shortest
journey seems to take in large amounts of the A5/Watling Street.. Is
this a particularly cycleable road or should I be have another hunt
around for a few more of those quaint little B roads? Given that the A5
seems to run parallel with various motorways for most of its route it
should be relatively quiet, but it would be good to hear any first hand
experiences beforehand if anyone's got any.

Far northern end not too bad, but risky bits include around
Cannock/Bridgtown (by the way - good bike shop at the latter!!) where
traffic is heavy and carriageways narrow, as well as a few nasty
roundabouts (junctions with A460 at Longford, A34 near Bridgtown, and
going further east with the A461 at Muckley Corner and with the A38 a
bit further on from Muckley, probably also any interchange with the M6
Toll, but haven't been along some bits since the new m'way was built).
If you want a reasonable run through to Stafford without any of the
major lumps & bumps of Cannock Chase, the A34 from Cannock isn't too
bad as main roads go (and the Chetwynd Arms at Brocton is recommended
if a lunch stop is needed!).

David Belcher

Andy Furnell <[email hidden]> writed in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Guys/Gals/miscellaneous others,

I'm planning a journey up to Stafford to see the in laws in a couple
of weeks' time and am currently plotting out my route. The shortest
journey seems to take in large amounts of the A5/Watling Street.. Is
this a particularly cycleable road or should I be have another hunt
around for a few more of those quaint little B roads? Given that the A5
seems to run parallel with various motorways for most of its route it
should be relatively quiet, but it would be good to hear any first hand
experiences beforehand if anyone's got any.

It might depend.....
I'm fairly familiar with the bits between Magna Park (Lutterworth) south
to St Albans.
It can be OK for almost all of this stretch* as long as you avoid the
times when the lorries are on the move (generally early morning), even
then, as a general rule the lorry drivers tend to be fairly considerate.
As regards geneal traffic levels it can be very quiet during Saturday and
Sunday evenings in my experience. Most of this stretch* is single
carriageway, and can be 'rolling' rather than hilly.
*The main exception is the length through Milton Keynes - this is
'almost' motorway, it is treated as such by many motorists. It is
avoidable by a bit of careful map reading and using the 'old road'
through MK and into the next village south (forgotten the name, at the
top of a bl**dy great hill, pretty church, useful shop), where you can
re-join the real A5.
Naturally the road tends to get busier the closer you get to London, and
certainly the stretch between Whipsnade and the M1 junction can be pretty
unpleasant.
There are a reasonable selection of pubs, little chefs and shops on your
way. Towcester is a useful place with Jacks Hill Cafe being an old-style
transport cafe, or close by there's a Tesco. Dunstable has the usual
selection of shops pubs etc.

Although it's not on my regular stamping ground, the section around
Hinckley can be very busy; the section between Atherstone (use the 'old
road'😉 and the M42 again is unpleasant IMO.

Regards

Mike - Leicester

Mike the Unshavable said:

*The main exception is the length through Milton Keynes - this is
'almost' motorway, it is treated as such by many motorists.

Very nasty road, that for some reason is marked out for cyclists with a
lane down the side(very muddy) and right angle turns across the junctions
(to get past the traffic joining at 70+ MPH)

Quoted message said:

It is
avoidable by a bit of careful map reading and using the 'old road'
through MK and into the next village south (forgotten the name, at the
top of a bl**dy great hill, pretty church, useful shop), where you can
re-join the real A5.

I assume the old road is watling street, that would bypass nearly all of
the duel carridgeway, leaving just the section below the 4146/a5 island.

Steve