Menai to Sydney CBD Commute Route

[matpro76]

Looking to start commuting from Menai via Alfords point road to Clarence St in the Sydney CBD, circa 30klms. Probably leaving Menai around 6am or earlier and returning from the city 5pm or earlier.

Anyone riding similar and can suggest a good route or routes to avoid at that time?

[jgon286]

I commute from Heathcote to Maroubra two to three times a week. But I've also ridden to Revesby to and from Heathcote. Bangor bypass can be a little hair-raising going in the direction you are headed. I was against the traffic when I went - westbound am and eastbound pm, and I saw the traffic going the other way in the morning was quite heavy. This might only be an issue when you hit the bridge itself though as the shoulder really narrows as you descend. Once you start to climb then it opens up again. The volume of City bound traffic might be the problem though. I guess you could go the old way along those bends but that would be some impressive climbing coming up from Bangor! I don't know how else you could do it.

What you could do is drive to Sutherland and leave the car there then ride the rest of the way. It's much safer in my opinion. If you're a first-time commuter let me know if you want some more detailed directions. I had a colleague email me his bikely path but still needed an extra 20 minutes the first time I did it with all my wrong turns. A one point I was heading towards Kurnell!

Once you get to Sutherland then take the back streets through Kirrawee to The Kingsway, then Sylvania rd to Port Hacking rd. along Sylvania waters to Taren Point Bridge and to Napoleon st past Ramsgate then Brighton and to the bike track at Bay st. Follow that until it spits you out on Coward st to Mascot and then left to Bourke st then on to the city.

A shorter trek for me is staging from Gymea and from Yowie Bay depending on the family schedule. I usually leave home around 6.45 to get to work by 8.15 at the latest. In the afternoons I go from 3.30 and arrive home about 5. Good luck.

[wardie]

I ride from Kirrawee into the city via Capt Cook bridge, Chuter Ave, Bestic St bike path, Qantas Drive, Mascot etc. I wouldn't go via Alfrod's Pt road.

Happy to show you one day if you like.

[barefoot]

You poor bugger.

I used to (infrequently) commute from Padstow Heights (just off Alfords Pt Rd, just over the river from you) to UNSW, sometimes diverting via the city if I needed to go there.

That was up until I left Sydney, in 1997. The roads were unpleasant then, 15+ years ago, and on recent visits, I haven't seen any sign of them improving. Sure, you have the M5 tunnel now, but I doubt that's made a big difference to the hell of Stony Creek Road.

I used to just take Henry Lawson Dve, Stony Creek Rd, and then pick which side of the airport I wanted to go. The tunnel under the runway was an option in those days, because there was an emergency lane which has since been reclaimed as a traffic lane and filled with the outfall of the M5 sewer. I wouldn't ride there in peak hour now :-/. The other side... Princes Hwy... ugh. It was okay closer to the city, through Newtown, where it was like riding through a car park, but the narrow busy bit through Tempe/Sydenham... yuck.

I so don't miss Sydney. When I got to Melbourne, I accidentally rode a few roads that no sane Melbourne cyclist would go near, and they were no worse than the best parts of my Sydney commute.

One positive thing though, having cut my teeth as a Sydney cyclist... it certainly taught me to stand my ground and demand my place on the road. It takes a lot to intimidate me.

tim

[wardie]

The way I go is fine. Back streets until the bike path at Bestic St, then another bike path along Qantas drive, back street through Mascot until you reach the bike path on Bourke St. You then join the road for about 1km through Zetland, then onto the bike path for the rest of the way up Bourke St to Taylor Square.

[barefoot]

The way I go is fine. Back streets ... bike path ... another bike path ... back street ... bike path ... then onto the bike path...

Sounds like they have started making Sydney slightly less unpleasant in the 15+ years I've been gone.

The only bike path I had the option of using was a <1m wide ribbon of root-buckled asphalt along the East side of Anzac Parade past the showgrounds. That was on my multi-modal commute route (ride to Padstow station, train to Central, ride to UNSW). It was useless, so I rode the road instead.

tim

[jgon286]

I ride from Kirrawee into the city via Capt Cook bridge, Chuter Ave, Bestic St bike path, Qantas Drive, Mascot etc. I wouldn't go via Alfrod's Pt road.

Happy to show you one day if you like.

Yep, same route. It's quite good once you get to Sutherland. It's getting quite busy now that spring has sprung!

I don't know how else you would get to Sutherland from Menai though if not along the Bangor Bypass. That's why I suggested driving to Sutherland and then going from there. Survival is paramount for me. I would forgo the extra 5k's and the climbing distance just to make sure I stayed safe.

[wardie]

I ride from Kirrawee into the city via Capt Cook bridge, Chuter Ave, Bestic St bike path, Qantas Drive, Mascot etc. I wouldn't go via Alfrod's Pt road.

Happy to show you one day if you like.

Yep, same route. It's quite good once you get to Sutherland. It's getting quite busy now that spring has sprung!

I don't know how else you would get to Sutherland from Menai though if not along the Bangor Bypass. That's why I suggested driving to Sutherland and then going from there. Survival is paramount for me. I would forgo the extra 5k's and the climbing distance just to make sure I stayed safe.

You could go the back way to Bangor (old road) and then take the path that runs on the underside of the bridge and up the hill, through the back streets of Sutherland Nth to the cemetry and then through Sutherland onto Flora St.

[matpro76]

Thanks all for your contributions. I did a test ride on Sunday most of the way into the City, Alford's point Road wasn't a problem, but then again it wasn't really peak hour. Looks like I'll be able to get into work on the bike in the same of less time that it takes me on the bus/train!

http://www.strava.com/activities/84001418

[JohnJoyner]

Thanks all for your contributions. I did a test ride on Sunday most of the way into the City, Alford's point Road wasn't a problem, but then again it wasn't really peak hour. Looks like I'll be able to get into work on the bike in the same of less time that it takes me on the bus/train!

http://www.strava.com/activities/84001418

I live in Beverly Hills, have lived in Narwee, Panania & Revesby. Commuted to CBD from all. I have now actually added a long commute once a week into my route.
I ride from Beverly Hills, away from city, through Padstow, climb Alfords Point Bridge, towards Sutherland through Menai, Jennali, Oatley, Mortdale...
The link is below, you could follow my route from Menai into the city, or reverse it... Either way, it's a pretty good route. No real major roads & a lot of bike paths.
http://www.strava.com/activities/81575846

[jgon286]

Thanks all for your contributions. I did a test ride on Sunday most of the way into the City, Alford's point Road wasn't a problem, but then again it wasn't really peak hour. Looks like I'll be able to get into work on the bike in the same of less time that it takes me on the bus/train!

http://www.strava.com/activities/84001418

Nothing better than whiz zing past the stationary cars on the way to work and getting there in more or less the same time! Good luck!