661-Pete wrote:I'm not too familiar with cycling around London, but I have found this: if you get off the main through routes you will often discover a network of much quieter back streets with almost no traffic, if you know your way you can often thread your way through those in relative safety. Progress will be slower and the distance greater because you'll constantly be making right and left turns, but you can often pick a route from start to finish with very little traffic.
At least that's what I found in the West End. It may be different in other parts of London.
Those who want to make quick progress are also those who are more likely to be able to handle heavy traffic, so they'll probably stick to the main roads. I've done that too - though it's not much fun! And far more dangerous. The CS network may indeed save lives.
The problem with trying to use the quieter back roads instead of the more direct and more major routes is that you need a lot of local knowledge. These routes are not signposted. You usually need to find linking paths between roads, and more importantly, where to avoid because you cannot get through! Few people will have sufficiently detailed knowledge beyond their immediate area (and I suspect the numbers of people people who know their immediate area well is reducing). It is also much more difficult to navigate a complicated route. Most maps are only reliable for roads, and are poor at showing paths, making planning a route difficult - although things are improving with the internet (and smart-phones which you can use when you get lost).
Many people are put of cycling because the only routes they know are the ones that they drive, and they are unwilling to cycle these routes because they are hostile for cycling (large roundabouts, fast dual carriageways, heavy traffic, complex junctions). There may be quieter routes - but you have to be willing to explore areas you don't know, which will mean (temporarily) getting lost the first few times. And there is a risk you might not find a suitable route - or at least, not the first try to two, and so end up on roads you are trying to avoid. This might not be a problem for experienced cyclists, but may be too much of a risk for the less experienced or less confident to even try. You also have to have the time to explore - you're not going to try a new uncertain route when trying to get to work on time.