Does the forrest highway really save time?

[brucester2]

Hello,

I am trying to figure out if the new kwinana extension and forrest highway makes sense to a cyclist going from perth to busselton.

I measured on google earth from safety bay road to peppermeint grove road along the mandurah hwy at 79km.

The kwinana extension and forrest highway is 72kms. So it only takes off 7kms.

It makes sense to cars that save time with the congestion at mandurah and traffic lights plus the speed limits, but those things dont really concern a cyclist.

So is it worth going the new way?

The old way has better scenery. Fair enough the fwy has a smoother pathway and is safer keeping you away from traffic, but is there any other reason too use it as it is practically the same distance.

Thanks

[rolandp]

Never ridden the Mandurah original route, but haven ridden the new shared path, would suggest that it would be the safer and quicker way to go. It is dull (views of freeway), but given the distance you are talking about (300 odd kms to Bussleton), you may appreciate the slightly shorter way.

[chuckchunder]

as doobey says "there ain't nothin' to see on the interstate 'cept interstate"

i'd take the freeway to about safety bay or paganoni rd and then cross to mandurah rd/fremantle rd into mandurah itself. there are paths along the ocean from madora bay right into the city centre, but it adds minor distance and they are not signposted so you can end up taking a more "scenic" route. then i'd go down the old coast rd through bunbury to busselton. i'll be riding this through to donnelly river next thursday.

heres a couple of audax routes that go through that way -
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/A400-beginning
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/PAP-2010-day-2

and my tentative route for thursday -
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/117701


cheers

glen

[just4tehhalibut]

The old way is shorter but hilly, cooler, has better scenery and eateries. Only problem is the traffic, lack of shoulders on the road going through the Boganvillea part of town and crossing the main road. Oh yes, and the bogans. And you can't use the bypass bridge except by deviating to the cyclepath underneath, so you get the same sort of hiccup in the travels as around the Forrest Hwy bridges at Yunderup.

I use the Forrest for heading south to get out of Dodge, not that it is faster, just more comfortable and safer in that direction. And I come back north on the Old for a bit of a taste of the local culture, no hurry.

[casual_cyclist]

The old way has better scenery. Fair enough the fwy has a smoother pathway and is safer keeping you away from traffic, but is there any other reason too use it as it is practically the same distance.

Personally, I don't like the sound of cars and trucks whizzing past at high speeds and there are lots on Forrest Hwy. I have ridden short sections of it and was very glad to turn off onto a less busy road.

Personally, I would ride the coast even if it were a lot further simply because of less traffic and spectacular views.