🚲 The best way to cycle from Woodford to Stratford

You can cycle from Woodford in north east London to Stratford in east London, entirely on quiet streets and protected cycle lanes.
The route is 9.7km long (6 miles) and makes use of protected cycle lanes on Woodford New Road and Great Eastern Road, as well as quiet streets in various LTNs in Waltham Forest and Newham.
If you find this video useful or you just enjoy watching it please remember to subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon so you're alerted to new videos, as I try to post new ones like it every week.
And if you like what the channel is doing, you can also contribute to the London Cycle Routes Patreon below. It really helps keep the channel going:
/ londoncycleroutes
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:
www.komoot.com...
And you can find a viewer-created and maintained map of all the London Cycle Routes videos here:
www.google.com...
I also highly recommend the Safe Cycle London map for route planning, which is compiled by @SafeCycleLDN on twitter:
www.google.com...

[@DavidGraeberWasRight]

invaluable channel articulating the hands-down best way to get around London. Never give up comrade!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thank you!! Great username btw 👍

[@rogerkearns8094]

I lived near Whipps Cross from the mid-nineteen-forties to the sixties and I knew some of these roads very well. It's interesting to see the changes, thank you.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Wow it must have changed quite a bit since then!

[@rogerkearns8094]

@@Londoncycleroutes Some of it, I recognise. ;)

[@stephensaines7100]

I was just about to comment on that stretch along Whipps Cross Road. I always view these vids as if I'm cycling them myself, and our host cycles as I do, with an attitude of sharing with others, and consideration, even going at a good pace (but not too fast as to not to be able to react to the unexpected), and to look-up the details of the area, I consulted Mr Google. It seems that there's a more inboard of the park path paralleling the one along the A114. As someone ex-London, albeit with a deep primal longing to spend time there again, I'd choose the path along Hollow Pond purely for the visual delight...*if* that path is cycling allowed. Answer anyone? As always, I'm seeing the parts of London by bike that I missed in my various sojourns back in London, last one some fifteen years or so back. These vids present me with a side of London that 'changes everything' on my considered livability there again.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

@@stephensaines7100 good question about the path - from open cycle map it doesn't look like the bit right next to the bond is allowed, but there is a bridleway that loops around the back of the pond from where the first crossing is, and back to the road just past the cafe for anyone who doesn't mind a detour. I don't think it's surfaced though so your mileage may vary (literally)

[@fireflower6974]

This is a really handy route - I tried it out this afternoon! A couple of suggested simplifications: 1/ At the Green Man Interchange why not go straight onto Bushwood (via the Bush Rd cycle path segment) . This saves you a number of traffic lights and turns and congested rds . Bushwood is usually quiet and 2/ You could consider staying on Manbey Grove near Stratford instead of turning left into Manbey Rd. It becomes Grove Crescent Rd and leads into the cycle path on Great Eastern. It was very quiet this afternoon and saves some traffic lights and turns. Not sure if it is always as quiet.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yes that’s a very sensible suggestion on Bush Rd, I think I probably got lost in the underpasses haha. Re Manbey Grove I think that’s the official C-route and also makes sense for this one. I’m used to using the Morrisons path as this way makes sense when you’re connecting to C2/Stratford high street- but going to Great Eastern as in this video you might as well continue on Manbey as you suggest!

[@avinashbhogun]

Avoiding the Central Line is a win in my opinion.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yes an added benefit!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yes an underrated benefit!

[@alexbevins]

the Snaresbrook road junction you mentioned has never been fully delivered, and is quite dangerous to cross. I've had drivers beep as they turned across my path due to the confusion. I asked waltham forest about it in an FOI and they sent a feasibility study looking at installing proper lights of some sort/closing the side road the cycle lane crosses. Nothing committed/built yet. Great video as always!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thanks that’s interesting - it’s very weird to half build the junction in one direction and not the other! well done for FOIing. I guess the closing the side road option being there but politically difficult had stopped them from just putting in some lights

[@fireflower6974]

This is a really handy route - I tried it out this afternoon! A couple of suggested simplifications: 1/ At the Green Man Interchange why not go straight onto Bush Rd. This saves you a number of traffic lights and turns and congested rds . Bush Rd is usually quiet and 2/ You could consider staying on Manbey Grove near Stratford instead of turning left into Manbey Rd. It becomes Grove Crescent Rd and leads into the cycle path on Great Eastern. It was very quiet this afternoon and saves some traffic lights and turns. Not sure if it is always as quiet.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

good advice, especially on Green Man! I think the Manbey Grove way you suggest is actually the official route and probably makes more sense in this context. I'm used to going this way as I would usually continue down Stratford High Street instead. cheers for watching!

[@CatnipMasterRace]

I think the upside of the parking on these narrow roads is that it forces cars to drive slowly and carefully - so if they were to remove some of the parking I think they should replace it with things that keep the road that narrow.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yeah that’s a very good point actually

[@DJRossK]

Would love if you could do this for Romford to Stratford!

[@Londoncycleroutes]

I would love to do this, for now I think there isn't really a great way but hopefully in the future... I will make an note

[@henreereeman8529]

Great video as always! Just to say I really appreciate when you say what railway line you cross, as it does help me get a better feel for where you are, and it is cool to see the places trains go through that you don't usually see

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Thank you! Yeah I was often surprised when I first started making these videos where I would come across lines so I started noting it

[@stephensaines7100]

Ditto! It's akin to a jigsaw puzzle, where (the Central Line, for instance) is on a piece of the puzzle, and now once on the board in the right place, the other pieces fall in beside it.

[@stephensaines7100]

Note to add: I made the above comment before it was pointed out in the vid @08:00. Absolutely agreed!

[@straitty]

At Green Man interchange take the right turn after you took to pop onto the correct side of the High Road Leytonstone avoiding 2 pelican crossings to cross back to O'Neils O'Pub

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yeah that’s a good tip actually! Better way to do it!

[@mykola_kanyuk]

Idea for future video - do a night ride across central London

[@edhateley]

Please do Forest Hill to Westminster!

[@vkd3562]

Big Ben to Richmond Park.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

I’ve got Westminster to Richmond park already - have a look at the map of routes linked below! It’s a bit old though I wonder if it could do with an update

[@stephensaines7100]

@11:46 / 18:01...the discussion on 'double-sided parking and narrow RoW as a result'. As an effectively North American cyclist (even with British roots and family there) something that occurs to me as how Brits are allowed to park facing in both directions. One of the alarms that gets tingled for me watching these vids is the extra alertness and needed 'mental modelling' for drivers pulling out of a parking space in either direction, not just one, as in North Am, one can only park in the direction that their adjacent lane travels in. For a one-way road, obviously both sides of parking, if allowed, would be facing the same direction. So here's the point: If Brits were allowed only to park as North Ams (and perhaps other regions) are allowed, the same amount of parking spaces would remain existing, but *effectively* the safety of cyclists and other drivers would be increased by virtue of the 'possible scenarios' of events being reduced. In other words, if you're in the left lane of a two lane bidirectional street w/ parking both sides (as in the UK), a vehicle merging into your lane from parking has to be moving in the same direction. Ostensibly, as well as being more predictable (Hmmmm: 'Less unpredictable', shid happens constantly), the chances of that vehicle coming straight at you are greatly reduced. Comments on this please, I might be missing something. Even though the overall cycling risks wouldn't be greatly reduced, they would be at least somewhat. The inconvenience for some drivers? They have to go around the block to park in the 'right direction'. A very small cost to pay. I've just Googled on the topic, it's well discussed, and as much as KZbin will strip large quotes or links, here's a quip from one site that summates the situation very well: (as per 'Why do North Ams park in the direction of the adjacent lane) [They want something closer to uniformity because uniformity processes traffic better. This is why you see some aisles that seem really narrow: they’re seriously trying to force you to do it one way. Reason: traffic flows better when there’s less chaos.] I'll research this further later, and post more.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

That’s really interesting, I had no idea that was a rule. I also recently learned about NYC’s alternate side rule which would solve some issues here with double parking! (But probably never fly)

[@stephensaines7100]

@@Londoncycleroutes Just checking back here before I've had a chance to delve further, and one immediate aspect (you've touch on it with NYC) is how much the municipal jurisdiction in *any of our nations* can add on top of federal/national and/or state/provincial legislation. Parking is usually one of those powers granted to the municipal level, and one assumes, *how* one is parked. Many jurisdictions are stymied by the demand for easier cycleways and the opposing demand to leave the number of parking spaces in-situ. Changing how those vehicles are parked (as per all facing the adjacent lane's direction) could be a viable solution rendering safer cycling and driving, and thus much easier for local councils to impose.

[@Kirk720]

Most people in the UK do not realise at night you are not supposed to park facing the traffic 🙄

[@stephensaines7100]

@@Kirk720 Wow! If that is the case, and even if not realised by many, it sets a precedent for the law to be refined the extra step to make it for 24hrs a day. And indeed, this subject is discussed online further, and here's the law: [Rule 248 You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.] Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24

[@a1white]

11:41 double parking has made this very narrow. I imagine the refuse lorry struggles to get down here, as would a fire engine

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yep a fair point

[@pcongre]

11:56 not only 'should councils remove parking when having too much on a street obstructs the flow of traffic' but the goal should be to emulate cities like paris or amsterdam and have a plan for how much parking spaces we are going to stop subsidising/get rid of each term - a widened sidewalk with greenery for example is so much better than to keep privatising public space like we did in the 20th c

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yes agree, an overall plan a good idea!

[@toastehh09]

Disagree, as someone who lives in one of these areas. It's one thing to build new developments without parking and quite another to strip it wholesale from people who have acclimatised to relying on it. You are also arbitrarily removing something they paid £10k+ for in the price of their house, and forcing them to dispose of a car that cost thousands or tens of thousands more. Ordinary people cannot just get this money back! All this from a local council elected with 41% turnout and zero journalistic attention or accountability. I am all for LTNs and for a general policy that you should not be driving into London. However this wholesale attitude of 'just take away everyone's car bish bosh simple' is churlish. It deliberately ignores how an ordinary British lifestyle actually works outside of grad scheme renters.

[@stephensaines7100]

@@toastehh09 There is a balance/trade-off necessary to benefit the greater good. To properly discuss your point would take too long in this string, but your point does lend itself to backlash to the detriment of all.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

@@toastehh09 tend to agree with your overall point about the policy not always being simple!

[@pcongre]

@@toastehh09 carcoholism treatment involves a shock at some point, yes - in that sense, there will never be a "good time" in which people's habits or prior misjudgements won't be affected - just like there wasn't in Tokyo, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Singapore, Paris, Hongkong, Barcelona... in any city introducing scientifically proven solutions instead of what people seem to feel is right, in short

[@CyclingSteve]

Newham is a terrible borough for cycling, lots of long one-way streets narrowed by double sided parking, big 30mph roads with speeding the norm, every cycleway has years of phased consultation, the only good east-west route (The Greenway) has a dangerous diversion over a narrow bridge for the next 18 months and the council seem fine with that. Don't get me started on the un-signalled dual-carriageway pedestrian crossings in Becton or the deathwish you need to cycle to the ferry from the east of the borough.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Not saying there isn’t a lot to do but in terms of schemes planned they’re well up there - the Romford Rd scheme is the best Cycleway any borough has planned full stop, they’re gradually getting on with an LTN programme, lots of stuff being built around Stratford, the lanes being constructed from North Woolwich into Canning Town are also as good any any borough has done. And that’s despite not being particularly central

[@adamlubkowski1107]

@@Londoncycleroutes I travel between Stratford and Leyton on a daily basis, and is not nice. They dug up around Maryland recently, narrowed the car lanes and put no bike provision at all :-( Got bit better after LTN went in you and can cycle thru back streets. Lets hope they start on Leyton road soon.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

@@adamlubkowski1107 ​​⁠yeah Leyton Rd will be a gamechanger for that route I reckon. Main difficulty in route planning atm is the railways crossing everything and there only being a few roads that cross them which currently don’t have cycle provision on them (but hopefully will soon)

[@kawsarShirazul]

Yh, also the areas around Upton Park and East Ham are horrendous for cycling. Hoping that the Romford Road cycle lane fixes that a bit

[@ringzer]

Newham are rolling out borough wide 20mph soon

[@mclogged2280]

You should also check out the new cycle lanes in Silvertown way and North Woolwich Road in newham. Currently installing segregated cycle lanes from Canning Town station to Connaught Bridge, near City Airport.

[@Londoncycleroutes]

I’ve been down there, they’re shaping up really nicely! When they’re finished I’ll definitely be making some videos with them

[@a1white]

It’s a shame about the Neighbouring borough of Tower Hamlets 🙁

[@Londoncycleroutes]

Yeah they are useless. The administration recently lost its majority on the council so I’m wondering if they’ll even follow through on their threat to remove the existing LTNs