Tuesday 11 March 2008

Road sense Sally: Know your route


To sail through the streets with confidence and style it's important to know where your going. There is nothing glamorous about getting lost, stressed out and finding yourself in a dodgy industrial estate in Wandsworth.
If you are just starting out stick to routes you know to begin with. When you feel ready to venture further a field arm yourself with the relevant maps.

If you go to TFL's website you can order printed maps of various areas in London with suggested routes for cycling... and they're completely FREE of charge.

Also try TFL's online journey planner. Enter your starting point and your destination and it will mark out a route on either cycle routes or quieter roads.

If your not in London try Sustrans interactive mapping for details of your nearest cycle route anywhere in the UK.

5 comments:

jane said...

Those sites are good but the one I use all the time is

http://cyclemaps.net/

which has 2 London options - fastest route (generally = scary big roads!) and cycle path route. I use this site every time I need to plan a new route and it is generally very, very good. It has, a couple of times, tried to send me the wrong way up a wrong way street though and I'm in the minority of cyclists who would never be happy to do this!

Caz said...

Hi Jane - Thanks or this, just had a look at site. I like the no frills style and that it gives you the two options. Will put it up on the blog. Thanks and keep in touch

Mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike said...

I'd caution relying on Sustrans maps, they do not enforce standards and have put in some pretty dreadful routes in the past few years. Better to spend a Sunday afternoon exploring a route before using it for Monday's commute.

Mama Bridal said...

Agreed. Half the people falling off bikes are usually looking the wrong way trying to find out where they have been!