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Post by VWH1414 on Feb 4, 2020 20:22:12 GMT
The 324 is probably the most interesting on the SD routes around my area - 288/303 are pretty dull and boring, and also quick to ride. If you have a fast DE on the motorway section near Brent Cross then its amazing - DE1019/1025 flew down there recently - some other sections of the route can also see some good pace. Can't wait to sample a DEL on there. I agree with the 210 - not done the full route and most journeys on it consist of going from Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Golders Green (And vice versa), but the rest of it from what I've seen looks great. I also like the route because of the current variety (Batch wise that is) - TE829/905-907/1083-1092/1094/1432 & TEH917-919/1455 can all usually be found on the route, with the occasional MMC TEH (Which I hope to catch on the route at some point) - Currently I'm trying to tick off all of the conventional (And non 15 reg MMC) DDs at W - So far I've managed to get TE829*/906**/1084/1085/1092/1094/1432 & TEH918/1455. With the 139 I think Volvo will disagree with you on that one  With the 32 I agree scenery isn't great - although parts of the route such as Colindale aren't too bad, useful route though, but another factor that can ruin it is how busy it can get. Also I wonder if there is any routes straighter than the 32? The only turns really are when it turns of Edgware High Street and again around Kilburn Park - Other than that, thats about it. * - Though this was when it was at EW ** - Managed to bump into this 3 times now That bit of the 210 you use is the most boring bit of it I’d say lol. Yes I’m sure Volvo does disagree with me on the 139, but there you go each to their own. With the reasons he’s given for despising the route I can totally understand why he does. I think the 32 is the straightest in London as well, there’s not any bends in the road at all. And yes it’s incredibly boring. The 149 can’t even be included as arrow straight, because London Bridge-bound it has to navigate the one-way A10 at Rectory Road. And yes I got off the 303 in Colindale, really nice Area, very modern and it’s been spruced up really well. Oh my point about the 210 being nice wasn't about that bit - That bit just happens to be the bit I use most commonly as its the fastest link between Brent Cross and GG. The 32 has 2 turns on the whole route - Edgware High Street and in Kilburn where it turns off to go to Kilburn Park - So is almost definitely the straightest route. Colindale/Grahame Park since regeneration has certainly become very modern (Though there is parts of the old Grahame Park Estate hidden in amongst the modern part e.g. Quakers Course). Hopefully Burnt Oak is next, as the area is very rundown, they seem to slowly be working their way down the Edgware Road towards Burnt Oak though. |
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Post by rmz19 on Feb 4, 2020 20:46:09 GMT
The 324 is probably the most interesting on the SD routes around my area - 288/303 are pretty dull and boring, and also quick to ride. If you have a fast DE on the motorway section near Brent Cross then its amazing - DE1019/1025 flew down there recently - some other sections of the route can also see some good pace. Can't wait to sample a DEL on there. I agree with the 210 - not done the full route and most journeys on it consist of going from Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Golders Green (And vice versa), but the rest of it from what I've seen looks great. I also like the route because of the current variety (Batch wise that is) - TE829/905-907/1083-1092/1094/1432 & TEH917-919/1455 can all usually be found on the route, with the occasional MMC TEH (Which I hope to catch on the route at some point) - Currently I'm trying to tick off all of the conventional (And non 15 reg MMC) DDs at W - So far I've managed to get TE829*/906**/1084/1085/1092/1094/1432 & TEH918/1455. With the 139 I think Volvo will disagree with you on that one With the 32 I agree scenery isn't great - although parts of the route such as Colindale aren't too bad, useful route though, but another factor that can ruin it is how busy it can get. Also I wonder if there is any routes straighter than the 32? The only turns really are when it turns of Edgware High Street and again around Kilburn Park - Other than that, thats about it. * - Though this was when it was at EW ** - Managed to bump into this 3 times now That bit of the 210 you use is the most boring bit of it I’d say lol. Actually the Golders Green - Brent Cross bit of the 210 isn't that bad. The most boring part is Finsbury Park - Hornsey Rise. Where it gets really interesting is Hornsey Rise - Golders Green where it feels like you're in a suburban part of London  |
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Post by george on Feb 4, 2020 22:27:18 GMT
First of all thanks to @vwh1414 and vjaska for both your recommendations the 324 looks especially interesting I do understand why you say that and even a few months ago I used to really dislike these routes for the same reasons you have given you have given but I recently started using them and to be honest they aren't bad. For me boring routes are high street routes that are completely straight for example a local route to me the 337 in my opinion a very boring route, the only thing that makes it interesting is that AF are very good at mixing different types on the routes. I actuay don't do routes end to end a lot to be honest out of those ones I've mentioned the only one I did end to end was the 322 which I don't think you can those two destinations are that close. It really depends what kind of routes you like are those the best routes? No not at all but neither are they the worst. Ha lol I think K5 is where a draw the line 😂 although will go on it to complete all the Kingston routes. Actually now you mention it I did actually quite like the 324, from what I did of it anyway from Queensbury Morrison’s to Stanmore, which is just under half of it. Will definitely do more of it when the MMCs are out in full swing, they’re great buses and good buses always helps me like a route more. I wouldn’t say it’s the most round-the-houses routes in the world though, it has just enough of it to keep it interesting and not too much to be boring. Another total exception is the H2, love that route but that goes without saying it’s because there’s no other like it. Also helps because again it’s short  For me the must-dos are the 135, 139, 210, 247, 412, C3, C10, H12. Also maybe slightly biased but obviously the 131 too also a surprise one I’d recommend is the 272. Love going under the spectacularly low Fishers Lane bridge, and Emlyn Road can be quite tense, a combo of a very narrow road with lots of parked cars, very long DLEs and lots of oncoming traffic lol Absolute must-avoids from me are the 32, 112, 228, 287, 297. Obviously the K5 too so much so I am deliberately not doing even though I’ve never done it before looool With you on the 135 great route, done the 210 between Finsbury park to Hampstead Heath I really like the bit around Hampstead. For the C3 it's good but wouldn't be anywhere near a top 10 for me. Have heard a lot of people saying the 32 is bad so for that reason I've neved done it. |
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Post by DE20106 on Feb 4, 2020 22:28:59 GMT
First of all thanks to @vwh1414 and vjaska for both your recommendations the 324 looks especially interesting I do understand why you say that and even a few months ago I used to really dislike these routes for the same reasons you have given you have given but I recently started using them and to be honest they aren't bad. For me boring routes are high street routes that are completely straight for example a local route to me the 337 in my opinion a very boring route, the only thing that makes it interesting is that AF are very good at mixing different types on the routes. I actuay don't do routes end to end a lot to be honest out of those ones I've mentioned the only one I did end to end was the 322 which I don't think you can those two destinations are that close. It really depends what kind of routes you like are those the best routes? No not at all but neither are they the worst. Ha lol I think K5 is where a draw the line 😂 although will go on it to complete all the Kingston routes. Having used the 324 a lot over the following months I have taken great liking to the route, imo its interesting with its contrasts between the areas it serves  . Also if you want to tag me, use the old name vp500 as when you change name the @ stays the same . Just felt like freshening up the name since VP500 is no more, and I've used the name for 3 years now, so decided to use a bus that is currently active in London that I keep bumping into. Was wondering what was behind the name change  when I saw VWH1414 I thought ‘who on Earth is that’ lol, at first I wondered if it was a member who’d logged in again after years of inaction. Then I viewed your profile and saw username of vp500 then the penny dropped |
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Post by YY13VKP on Feb 4, 2020 22:38:29 GMT
Wasn't sure where to put this question but this seemed like an appropriate thread. So I've doing a few what I call "around the houses" type routes with recently the ones that have Hail and Ride section and I actually quite like these kind of routes, so can anyone recommended any good ones? I've been on the K1,G1,322 and 424 so still a lot of others to do, I do understand why some people really don't like these routes but I find them nice and quirky. 359 would be my recommendation, especially around the Monks Hill estate. You could also do the 455 too, as whilst this runs between Purley and Wallington which can be done in 15 minutes on the 127, the 455 does this in an hour and goes via Croydon, Purley Way, Beddington and Roundshaw. These two routes are the best I've done for going around the houses. The H2 and H3 are also lovely routes to do which go around the Hampstead Garden Suburb |
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Post by VWH1414 on Feb 4, 2020 22:44:14 GMT
Having used the 324 a lot over the following months I have taken great liking to the route, imo its interesting with its contrasts between the areas it serves . Also if you want to tag me, use the old name vp500 as when you change name the @ stays the same . Just felt like freshening up the name since VP500 is no more, and I've used the name for 3 years now, so decided to use a bus that is currently active in London that I keep bumping into. Was wondering what was behind the name change when I saw VWH1414 I thought ‘who on Earth is that’ lol, at first I wondered if it was a member who’d logged in again after years of inaction. Then I viewed your profile and saw username of vp500 then the penny dropped If you see a username or pfp that has anything to do with AC and the 302 then its probably me . I get the privilege of using one of the forgotten/less talked about routes on the forum . Thought I would retire the old name though - VP500 has long been scrapped so decided to go with one of the buses from what is probably my most used batch of buses in London at the moment - the 62 reg VWHs at AC - Of which there is a trend in ones I seem to commonly get on - VWH1360/1364/1412-1414/1419 all being good contenders for this. In the end I chose VWH1414 as at the end of last year I managed to get on this 2-3 times each week - And the original reason I chose VP500 was for a similar reason - it always turned up for me. This year I haven't got on the bus much (Probably 1-2 times so far) and it looks to have possibly gone for refurb - having not been used in nearly a week. I will probably end up getting on it a lot when it comes back though - Pretty nice bus, the AC 62 regs are probably my favourite Volvo B5LH G2 batch - the only thing they needed was a refurb - which they are now getting . Perhaps not the most interesting post - but a bit of a backstory behind the name change . |
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Post by vjaska on Feb 4, 2020 22:59:13 GMT
That bit of the 210 you use is the most boring bit of it I’d say lol. Yes I’m sure Volvo does disagree with me on the 139, but there you go each to their own. With the reasons he’s given for despising the route I can totally understand why he does. I think the 32 is the straightest in London as well, there’s not any bends in the road at all. And yes it’s incredibly boring. The 149 can’t even be included as arrow straight, because London Bridge-bound it has to navigate the one-way A10 at Rectory Road. And yes I got off the 303 in Colindale, really nice Area, very modern and it’s been spruced up really well. Oh my point about the 210 being nice wasn't about that bit - That bit just happens to be the bit I use most commonly as its the fastest link between Brent Cross and GG. The 32 has 2 turns on the whole route - Edgware High Street and in Kilburn where it turns off to go to Kilburn Park - So is almost definitely the straightest route. Colindale/Grahame Park since regeneration has certainly become very modern (Though there is parts of the old Grahame Park Estate hidden in amongst the modern part e.g. Quakers Course). Hopefully Burnt Oak is next, as the area is very rundown, they seem to slowly be working their way down the Edgware Road towards Burnt Oak though. The 32 has an advantage in that the A5 is a former Roman Road which are renowned for being built very straight Would you class a bus that sticks to the same road but which largely doesn't bend as straight? The 109 largely does this along the A23 apart from the Croydon area and at Brixton although the non straight part in Brixton is after the last stop. |
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Post by DE20106 on Feb 4, 2020 23:07:03 GMT
Was wondering what was behind the name change when I saw VWH1414 I thought ‘who on Earth is that’ lol, at first I wondered if it was a member who’d logged in again after years of inaction. Then I viewed your profile and saw username of vp500 then the penny dropped If you see a username or pfp that has anything to do with AC and the 302 then its probably me . I get the privilege of using one of the forgotten/less talked about routes on the forum . Thought I would retire the old name though - VP500 has long been scrapped so decided to go with one of the buses from what is probably my most used batch of buses in London at the moment - the 62 reg VWHs at AC - Of which there is a trend in ones I seem to commonly get on - VWH1360/1364/1412-1414/1419 all being good contenders for this. In the end I chose VWH1414 as at the end of last year I managed to get on this 2-3 times each week - And the original reason I chose VP500 was for a similar reason - it always turned up for me. This year I haven't got on the bus much (Probably 1-2 times so far) and it looks to have possibly gone for refurb - having not been used in nearly a week. I will probably end up getting on it a lot when it comes back though - Pretty nice bus, the AC 62 regs are probably my favourite Volvo B5LH G2 batch - the only thing they needed was a refurb - which they are now getting . Perhaps not the most interesting post - but a bit of a backstory behind the name change . Nah I think it’s really interesting love reading nuggets of personal information like that, I also like being associated with one of the less run-of-the-mill, less talked about routes. I love banging on about why the 131 and C10 are my two favourite routes as there are very personable reasons behind it. Same with EastLondoner with the 62, busoccultation with the 462/179, vjaska with the 355, george with the 33/337 and Mr. S with the infamous 123. The 302 is always a route I’ll be able pertain to you now |
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Post by Volvo on Feb 5, 2020 0:20:21 GMT
The 324 is probably the most interesting on the SD routes around my area - 288/303 are pretty dull and boring, and also quick to ride. If you have a fast DE on the motorway section near Brent Cross then its amazing - DE1019/1025 flew down there recently - some other sections of the route can also see some good pace. Can't wait to sample a DEL on there. I agree with the 210 - not done the full route and most journeys on it consist of going from Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Golders Green (And vice versa), but the rest of it from what I've seen looks great. I also like the route because of the current variety (Batch wise that is) - TE829/905-907/1083-1092/1094/1432 & TEH917-919/1455 can all usually be found on the route, with the occasional MMC TEH (Which I hope to catch on the route at some point) - Currently I'm trying to tick off all of the conventional (And non 15 reg MMC) DDs at W - So far I've managed to get TE829*/906**/1084/1085/1092/1094/1432 & TEH918/1455. With the 139 I think Volvo will disagree with you on that one With the 32 I agree scenery isn't great - although parts of the route such as Colindale aren't too bad, useful route though, but another factor that can ruin it is how busy it can get. Also I wonder if there is any routes straighter than the 32? The only turns really are when it turns of Edgware High Street and again around Kilburn Park - Other than that, thats about it. * - Though this was when it was at EW ** - Managed to bump into this 3 times now That bit of the 210 you use is the most boring bit of it I’d say lol. Yes I’m sure Volvo does disagree with me on the 139, but there you go each to their own. With the reasons he’s given for despising the route I can totally understand why he does. I think the 32 is the straightest in London as well, there’s not any bends in the road at all. And yes it’s incredibly boring. The 149 can’t even be included as arrow straight, because London Bridge-bound it has to navigate the one-way A10 at Rectory Road. And yes I got off the 303 in Colindale, really nice Area, very modern and it’s been spruced up really well. I am going to be pedantic here regarding the 32, it isn't that straight as it actually turns off the A5 at both ends of the route. |
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Post by rmz19 on Feb 5, 2020 1:15:37 GMT
There are a few routes in particular that I would like to do/do again. The 247 is a route I'm fond of because of the amazing scenery through Hainault, which used to be enjoyable when some Tridents were thrashed along Romford Road It's been years since I used the route so looking forward to using it again. The 331 is another route I would like to do again due to the unique rural venture through Harefield and Denham, again a route I haven't done in ages so it's a must. The 215 is a route I would like to try out. Traversing along the suburban run up to the Lee Valley Campsite looks intriguing, but something tells me this might not be wise as it seems to be in the middle of nowhere  I was meaning to do the 216 for a while now but haven't had the chance. The route is definitely one of my priorities as it seems like an enjoyable route with a unique routing to and from Staines compared to the other routes i.e. 117, 203 and 290. I maybe wrong about that though so shall see. I'm quite fond of the 422 because of the contrast of sceneries throughout its routing. From the modern Greenwich Peninsula with views of Canary Wharf, through the somewhat 'villagy' northern Blackheath/southern Charlton, to the urban Woolwich then along the suburban back roads to Bexleyheath. The 422 is certainly a 'chameleon' of a route. In close proximity to the 422 is Blackheath itself, a vastly scenic open space that is breathtaking during the sunset and twilight hours. So a ride on the many routes through there i.e. the 53/54/89/108/202/380/386 is a must. I have great memories of the 269. During the summer months journies on the route were great due to the green and leafy nature of its routing. I think I'll wait until Spring/Summer to start using the route again! The 464 is a nice and rural little route that has a few twisty and hilly roads. It's a shame the trees block an otherwise great view of the countryside. However I enjoyed it the one time I used it (didn't enjoy the wait for it to arrive though!). I think I'll time my journey better the next time I use the route to avoid an awkward wait. The 166 is definitely one of favourite routes. The twisty and hilly roads through Chipstead, the remote feel of Woodmansterne, the great village of Banstead and the rural Epsom Downs are what make the route special. Can't wait to use the route in spring I haven't experienced many cross-boundary routes as of yet, which surprises me as they're potentially the most scenic routes in London and as can be told I'm a sucker for scenic routes The cross-boundary routes in my bucket list are the 81, 298, 405 and 465. |
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Post by rmz19 on Feb 5, 2020 2:52:31 GMT
That bit of the 210 you use is the most boring bit of it I’d say lol. Yes I’m sure Volvo does disagree with me on the 139, but there you go each to their own. With the reasons he’s given for despising the route I can totally understand why he does. I think the 32 is the straightest in London as well, there’s not any bends in the road at all. And yes it’s incredibly boring. The 149 can’t even be included as arrow straight, because London Bridge-bound it has to navigate the one-way A10 at Rectory Road. And yes I got off the 303 in Colindale, really nice Area, very modern and it’s been spruced up really well. The 32 has 2 turns on the whole route - Edgware High Street and in Kilburn where it turns off to go to Kilburn Park - So is almost definitely the straightest route. The 116 is also a very straight route with only two small deviations at both ends. The H91 is pretty straight too save for the slight deviation at Gunnersbury. The 32, 116, 149 (save for the s/b chicane) and H91 are probably the four straightest routes in London. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2020 8:36:20 GMT
Mz19 re 215
215 is quite a nice route, not really in the middle of nowhere, I've done it a few times. Once at the campsite there's a little walk you can do back along the Sewardstone Road to pick up the 379, or a longer walk back to Chingford via Daws Hill and Bury Road and Sewardstonebury.
For a real ride to the middle of nowhere I'd suggest the 375. I'd love to do that again but it's a real pain, every 90 minutes only and it really leaves you in a dull country lane with nowt to do. However there's a nice pub nearby, The Rabbits, to kill time until the next bus back.
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Post by londonboy71 on Feb 5, 2020 9:16:33 GMT
Mz19 re 215 215 is quite a nice route, not really in the middle of nowhere, I've done it a few times. Once at the campsite there's a little walk you can do back along the Sewardstone Road to pick up the 379, or a longer walk back to Chingford via Bury Lane and Sewardstonebury. For a real ride to the middle of nowhere I'd suggest the 375. I'd love to do that again but it's a real pain, every 90 minutes only and it really leaves you in a dull country lane with nowt to do. However there's a nice pub nearby, The Rabbits, to kill time until the next bus back. |
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Post by londonboy71 on Feb 5, 2020 9:18:55 GMT
465 Kingston to Dorking very scenic
331 Uxbridge to Ruislip
505 Chingford to Harlow
How can any route that goes thru an estate be interesting?
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Post by george on Feb 5, 2020 9:29:49 GMT
465 Kingston to Dorking very scenic 331 Uxbridge to Ruislip 505 Chingford to Harlow How can any route that goes thru an estate be interesting? My favourite routes are scenic routes I find routes that have lots of twists and turns far more interesting than those that just go down a high street like the 16 which in my opinion isn't interesting but that's just my opinion others may really like that route. Also not all those kind of routes go through estates. |
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when I saw VWH1414 I thought ‘who on Earth is that’ lol, at first I wondered if it was a member who’d logged in again after years of inaction. Then I viewed your profile and saw username of vp500 then the penny dropped 
