Sandton to Parktown

[ycowley]

Can anyone tell me whether it is safe to commute from Sandton Drive to the top of Oxford Road (Parktown) during the week?

 

Would you take the back roads, and if so, which ones, or stay on Rivonia / Oxford Road all the way up (seems crazy with the number of cars in the morning)

[Schnavel]

I definitely wouldn't stay on the main roads...

 

What time would you be doing your commute?

[mudda]

I haven't cycled that way .. but advice is ...

 

Stay off main roads at all times and try find back roads .. the commute may be longer and it will be safer ..

 

find the route with the least amount of cars ...

[kosmonooit]

You could weave through back roads to the west of Oxford most of the way from Sandton, tricky bit would be going up the hill to Parktown, there's only Oxford, that's where a pavement warrior mtb might be useful. Also crossing any of these busy roads presents it own potentially lethal  challenge, best done in two stages where there is an island, when traffic is clear, forget about using traffic lights, then mean nothing to most.

[Patchelicious]

Could you not go along the Spruit?

[RocknRolla]

Oxford is a no-no due to bridge rehabilitation construction taking place at the moment, the underpass is treacherous for vehicles ans suicide for bicycles.

 

You can gamble on Jan smuts, but honestly, I would hit the spr8 from the pick n pay all the wat to emerentia and make your way into parktown from there.

 

 

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[Patchelicious]

Oxford is a no-no due to bridge rehabilitation construction taking place at the moment, the underpass is treacherous for vehicles ans suicide for bicycles.

 

You can gamble on Jan smuts, but honestly, I would hit the spr8 from the pick n pay all the wat to emerentia and make your way into parktown from there.

 

 

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I sometimes ride back from Dunkeld after early morning rides, and Jan Smuts is not something you want to gamble with, I would avoid it at all costs.

 

PnP spruit is what I was thinking...

[Imploder]

Rivonia -> Melville -> Cradock -> Bath -> Saxonwold -> (Past the Shebeen   ) -> Erswold

 

There is a spruit route to Emmerentia, but I'm not familiar with that one.

[RocknRolla]

Problem with the back roads ( specially the general shebeen area) are that the taxis use them as an alternative to the congested main routes. They do not take it easy down these roads, and it's scary, even in a car.

 

 

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[kosmonooit]

The Spruit is way too west, Parktown is up by the Jhb hospital

 

My route advice: say starting at Sandton City, getting across to the pavement adjacent to the USA Consulate is the first challenge, not even pedestrian crossing at the slip roads on that intersection. then the pavement all the way up the hill on Rivonia Road to Summer Palace, onto Melville Road to Dunkeld, Cradock to Saxonwold, Bath, Saxonwold drive, various other 'wolds, up Daraway, cross the Oxford, then up the hill, that's the only tricky bit, the rest of the route is fine, taxis don't use those roads.

[ycowley]

I definitely wouldn't stay on the main roads...

 

What time would you be doing your commute?

8am from Sandton to Parktown and about 13h00 from Parktown back to Sandton

[ycowley]

The Spruit is way too west, Parktown is up by the Jhb hospital

 

My route advice: say starting at Sandton City, getting across to the pavement adjacent to the USA Consulate is the first challenge, not even pedestrian crossing at the slip roads on that intersection. then the pavement all the way up the hill on Rivonia Road to Summer Palace, onto Melville Road to Dunkeld, Cradock to Saxonwold, Bath, Saxonwold drive, various other 'wolds, up Daraway, cross the Oxford, then up the hill, that's the only tricky bit, the rest of the route is fine, taxis don't use those roads.

Thanks

[Schnavel]

The Spruit is way too west, Parktown is up by the Jhb hospital

 

My route advice: say starting at Sandton City, getting across to the pavement adjacent to the USA Consulate is the first challenge, not even pedestrian crossing at the slip roads on that intersection. then the pavement all the way up the hill on Rivonia Road to Summer Palace, onto Melville Road to Dunkeld, Cradock to Saxonwold, Bath, Saxonwold drive, various other 'wolds, up Daraway, cross the Oxford, then up the hill, that's the only tricky bit, the rest of the route is fine, taxis don't use those roads.

 

This would definitely be your best bet to cut through Dunkeld & Saxonwold. However, I would try a slightly different route through to Melville road:

 

I would take West past the Gautrain station and Radisson Blue to the circle on Wierda Road East, turn left and then right onto Pretoria Road. Then follow Pretoria onto Forrest, onto 5th and then onto Boundary Road. Cross Oxford at at robots and then turn left onto Melville and then through Dunkeld and Saxonwold as mentioned by Kosmonooit above