You can cycle from Hillingdon in west London to Southall, entirely on quiet streets and protected cycle lanes.
The route is 9.7km long (8.3 miles) and makes use of cycle paths along Western Avenue and Parkway, as well as quiet streets on the approach to Southall near Spikes Bridge.
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You can see a digital map of the route and download a GPS/GPX file to use on whatever device or app you want here:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1418628971?ref=wtd&share_token=aEXBLwaE6qDVF3sG6q8PTHutCjomQG25XJ76bP5qvOLRQLTVtu
And you can find a viewer-created and maintained map of all the London Cycle Routes videos here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1h9Hxm57fPvZmcuSXajM_Wu0G0s6f_bs&ll=51.505213496092054%2C-0.1285238120117249&z=12
I also highly recommend the Safe Cycle London map for route planning, which is compiled by @SafeCycleLDN on twitter:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XlpvN9R-Wg7qZHyezO8y-eVlftr4e0WX&hl=en&ll=51.516975804561284%2C-0.21828576419061996&z=11
24 Comments
Have you considered Uxbridge?
Great route, thought at first you would of gone up Long Lane and then along the Uxbridge Road as there is a cycle lane along there?
Haven't had a chance to watch this yet, it's on my 'absolute must' list tonight. I was born in Southall, emigrated to Canada from there in 1958. Needless to say, many things have changed in the interim. Visiting the street of my birth, Elmfield Rd, we (my uncle and I, both visiting 'the old haunts') were invited in to the house of my birth. Lovely folks, it was an incredibly gracious offer. I declined in all good manners, as it would have been too overpowering for the memories.
More comment later when I have an opportunity to watch this episode.
Reports are coming in that West Drayton is tracking a Poppins squadron broadcasting The Ride of the Valkyries coming in from Swansea, ballasted by bottles of sugar.
Great video as always! One small thing, unless the road is specifically pronounced differently (I don't know the area), 'Kittiwake Road' is said 'Kitty-wake' after the seabird!
Such a nice route, I actually enjoy bein next to traffic, yet segregated from it
🤙🏼👌🏼👌🏼🤙🏼
Interesting cycle route great video would love to see a route from Hillingdon to Uxbridge
There are some wonderful restaurants in Southall which I imagine would be an ideal post-cycle reward!
I’d also very much recommend enjoying some of the in season mangoes sold on Southall high street to reward any folks cycling there in ~late June!
What sets these videos apart is the expert and informative commentary given, very impressive. I'm from NZ and have only been to London once in my life and will probably never have cause to cycle along the routes but really enjoy watching the videos all the same.
vegetation management is definitely needed there
Just watching this now. "White Hart Roundabout"…I had to Google that, albeit nothing shows re cycling, but many hits on driving side of things. Good thing you go under it!
OK, at end of ride. Being very young when I'd left Southall, I had presumed King Street to be the 'centre of the Universe'…lol…of Southall. It had never crossed my mind that an alternate reality existed the other side of the tracks! "The Broadway".
I have some digging to do on Google maps.
Great video. I was braced to re-enter the world as I knew it on King Street (just off of it actually, right by an area that was still bombed out post WWII, between the tracks and Featherstone Rd. Perhaps you could find a route to feature from Southall via the Three Bridges to Brentford? It might be wishful thinking on my part.
A similar cycle route (shared path) on North Western Avenue that connects Stanmore/Edgware with Watford. Again not the most pleasant route in terms of scenery or breathing in traffic fumes, but gets me to where I want to go and good exercise, away from traffic. Only time that I come into contact with them is at junctions, so just need to be mindful. One of roads I need to cross leads to the M1 and crossing it can be a little disconcerting at busy time especially if vehicles travel fast at 60 mph and don’t signal.
I done this route before and I Found it very interesting. you can also use these routes to get to the Grand Union Canal or Heathrow and perhaps even Surrey.
Thank you so much for this video! I moved from Central London to Uxbridge in Hillingdon last year and I've been looking for more cycle-friendly itineraries around here.
As for your question, Uxbridge is a big population center and commercial district in Hillingdon, so would love to see your suggestions for routes in/out of Uxbridge. I believe there's some quiet streets from Uxbridge town centre down towards Brunel University but I'm not too sure where to go from there.
Is Southall like the little India of London? Saw many in traditional Indian dresses.
The parkway was part of the Ringway project ie intended to be urban motorways the oldest bit is Bulls Bridge to A4 which dates from 1969 the rest are late 90’s for most part. Not absolutely sure about white hart that might be 1969 ish as well. Note that they built on the planned route around Hayes so when fair amount of housing was demolished for that section.
great video as always. would love to see how you cycle through hammersmith roundabout
great video. would love to see how you cycle through hammersmith roundabout
Possible new video for you: from the newish Meridian Water station to Alexandra (Palace) Park following LCN56 from Northumberland Park west wards and then the Penstock path under the East Coast mainline. Some fascinating older bits of LCN from I guess the 1980s.
Great video! 👍
"Spine" routes along major carriageways are much needed and an excellent way to speed up cycle journeys!
Love this route, cheers for sharing 🙂
I used to use that cycle lane along western avenue to get to school in the late 2000’s. You’ll be surprised how much cycle traffic went down there, even then.
These are very old cycle lanes, haven’t changed at all!
The more I watch, the more I am amazed these cycle ways have had no updates.
Those areas are pretty rough though, so I would be cautious.
Excellent video! Would you be able to do Southall to Heathrow Cycle Hub (Runway Cycling)?
I work at Heathrow and I struggle to find a good route that's not too busy.
Hi. RAF Northolt that you referred to for the Polish War Memorial is still in use and a runway is just to the left where there is a group of road lights, that you show, that are a lot lower than normal, plus with landing lights as well.