Commuting along Waterworks Road

[Slvr32gtr]

To anyone who commutes along Waterworks Rd inbound in the morning, I tip my cap to you.

I had to come along there at 7:15am on the way back from doing Nebo this morning and it was bloody scary! The T2 section wasnt too bad but once it finishes, there is no room in the left lane to cycle along close to the kerb and have cars pass you safely. This of course led to so many close calls that I felt lucky to make it through alive.

I will definitely have to find a better way back from Nebo if i do it through the week. Possibly turn right up Payne Rd and tack a Gap Creek Loop in for the journey back.

[Purt]

Take up the whole lane, just ride in the middle of it. You will get beeped a few times but it's a lot safer than riding in the gutter.

[Slvr32gtr]

Take up the whole lane, just ride in the middle of it. You will get beeped a few times but it's a lot safer than riding in the gutter.

Yeah might be the go, however, I would rather just avoid that road in future. I was sitting around the 1/4 to 1/3 of the way into the lane and still had cars pushing right up passed my rear wheel and squeezing me.

I dont mind riding in traffic when there is some room, but battling that rush hour crew along Waterworks is definitely not a safe feeling for me.

I have to blast northbound through the city and valley around the same time most mornings to get home after rides and have never had any issues. The wider lanes and parking lane make it a breeze to cruise through with traffic safely.

[BrisVegas]

Couldn't agree more. I've ridden back inbound on Waterworks mid-morning after riding Nebo and found it heaps scarier than the mountain descent.

I've not ridden it, but I wouldn't like to have to ride along Jubilee Tce from Ashgrove to Enoggera and further either. Just too narrow and busy.

[brett.hooker]

Agree... Only for the light traffic times for me... As a south-sider now living in ashgrove I can't offer any advice... Will be watching replies though; much to learn...

[mattyg]

From the golf course on why not just take the Enoggera Ck bike path?

[Slvr32gtr]

From the golf course on why not just take the Enoggera Ck bike path?

I wasnt aware of it! Just checked it out though, definitely looks like a better option to get home after Nebo next time.

Cheers for the heads up.

[InTheWoods]

Most of my moron motorist videos ... are from Waterworks road...

I usually take the shared path/footpath/backstreet way during weekday peak hours (7-8:30), although not always. When I don't, I will get grief 1 in 2 trips. If on the road, you have to really boldly claim your lane (right wheel track). You *will* get repeated close shaves if you don't, and its tricky because the lane width is continually varying from just about wide enough to share to definitely not wide enough to share. The widened section of footpath from the gap village to the golf course is not great either as there are a lot of blind driveways due to masonry walls, so you need to take it easy, plus peds and bus stops. The footpath after the golf course inbound is useless so if you aren't going to use the road take the bit that goes behind the golf course, it is ok but slower and its got a fast downhill blind corner, is usually covered in leaf litter, and depressed bush turkeys often try to commit suicide by running out in front of you. When its raining there is often deep pools of water at the bottom, and washed out dirt and gravel piles.

We're so lucky on the west side...

It would be such a good route for a decent on road bike lane but when they widened the road out in the gap section a couple of years ago they didn't take advantage of it then.

[elantra]

Most of my moron motorist videos ... are from Waterworks road...

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. so if you aren't going to use the road take the bit that goes behind the golf course, it is ok but slower and its got a fast downhill blind corner, is usually covered in leaf litter, and depressed bush turkeys often try to commit suicide by running out in front of you. When its raining there is often deep pools of water at the bottom, and washed out dirt and gravel piles..........................................................

All so true but you forgot to mention the Water-dragon lizards that live at the bottom of the hill at end of Grand Parade.
A few yrs ago a friend of mine got one caught in his front wheel and suffered an endo as a result.
When he came to with a broken collar-bone he said that he saw the lizard limping off into the bush...

Actually i almost always take the bikepath despite the turkeys and lizards and so forth.
Judicious use of brakes can control for those hazards - mostly.

[InTheWoods]

Judicious use of brakes can control for those hazards - mostly.

Agreed obviously But some of those turkeys come out of nowhere. Or you ring your bell and they jump right out in front of you

I've often wondered what would happen if I hit a cane toad while cornering in there at night (there's a lot of toads). Will it take me down, or will I just get a bump bump...

[mattyg]

Cane toads are slippery little suckers I've found except for the really big ones, which are bumpy

[ratix]

Anyone know how busy Waterworks Road is during weekends (daytime)? Planning on a trip to Nebo sometime.

[brett.hooker]

Haha... Good timing... Will tell you later this afternoon.. Was just about to head up Nebo myself...
The early morning weekend rides I have done on the weekend have been quiet on waterworks rd. Saturday 9am was a bit busier with weekend shopping and finally stuff traffic, but was still comfortable taking the left hand lane...

[InTheWoods]

Ok well here's one way NOT to do it.

1. 6:20pm and still busy-ish... check
2. its dark... check
3. wet roads... check
4. deep aero wheels... oh yeah
5. dark clothes... check
6. reflectors... whats?
7. lights... nope

[elantra]

To anyone who commutes along Waterworks Rd inbound in the morning, I tip my cap to you.

I had to come along there at 7:15am on the way back from doing Nebo this morning and it was bloody scary! The T2 section wasnt too bad but once it finishes, there is no room in the left lane to cycle along close to the kerb and have cars pass you safely. This of course led to so many close calls that I felt lucky to make it through alive.

I will definitely have to find a better way back from Nebo if i do it through the week. Possibly turn right up Payne Rd and tack a Gap Creek Loop in for the journey back.

Not really a practical alternative (most of the time) but there is an "alternative" track from Paten Rd (Near Payne Rd, The Gap) to Bardon.
Between the sealed roads at either end there is approx 1.3 km of rough dirt.
It is only suitable to be used with MTB.
I did it on a roady this morning, but had to walk at least 100 metres of it.
It splits into 2 tracks, and the upper track is in better condition.




... I guess that is what we would call "claiming the lane "

[ratix]

Went along there this morning (~8AM), traffic was fairly light!

[BrisVegas]

I drove in along Waterworks Rd this morning as I was checking out a unit to buy in Ashgrove. I actually thought it was pretty good today at 8:30 ish but then i remembered it's school holidays. I'll have to check out that track through from Bardon to The Gap. The Gap's another place I'm looking to buy/rent, but wasn't sure how to get to town other than down Waterworks Rd.

[InTheWoods]

I drove in along Waterworks Rd this morning as I was checking out a unit to buy in Ashgrove. I actually thought it was pretty good today at 8:30 ish but then i remembered it's school holidays. I'll have to check out that track through from Bardon to The Gap. The Gap's another place I'm looking to buy/rent, but wasn't sure how to get to town other than down Waterworks Rd.

Yeh I was thinking it was awesome at 7am this morning then finally realised it was school hols.

BrisVegas you can get in by using the footpath for a bit (its quite wide, but you have to keep an eye on the driveways), and then take the path that goes up behind the golf course and backroads in.

[RonK]

The bad news is that the T2 lane is likely to be removed.

[InTheWoods]

The bad news is that the T2 lane is likely to be removed.

Oh since when? I hadn't heard that.

Half the vehicles in it during peak hour still only have 1 occupant in them anyway

[newbris]

A lot of The Gap/Bardon/Ashgrove/Red Hill residents probably use the bike tracks that run along the creeks rather than waterworks rd.

If living on the northern side of waterworks you ride along enoggera creek past Marist Brothers, Banks St Reserve etc until you hit the bridge at Ashgrove Ave. You cross Enoggera Rd there and re-join the enoggera creek bike way and then take the large bridge across enoggera creek to the back streets of Herston, through Victoria Park, across the green bridge at Yorks Hollow, onto the bikeway that runs behind Brisbane Grammar and directly into Roma St Parklands. Almost all bikepath right into the city so not too shabby and a very pleasant ride.

If you live on the Paddington side of Waterworks you most likely take the Ithaca bike path past the Ithaca TAFE, Broncos, through Woolcock Park and on to Glen Rosa Rd. From there you can either turn left and then right onto Todd and make your way to Tennis Ave and back onto the bikeway or turn right, onto Praed and Bancroft out onto Kelvin Grove Rd. From here you can either:
a) cross at the lights and go down Bishop St and cross the little wooden bridge to join the enoggera creek bikeway (bridge "still" closed atm from Jan storm)
b) turn left onto the Kelvin Grove/Enoggera Rd footpath and head up to the lights at Davidson St to cross over and join the enoggera creek bikeway.
c) turn right into Kelvin Grove Rd with the minimal Windsor Rd traffic and then either left into Herston Rd or quickly up the hill and left at the lights into Lorimer Tce.

Another totally different option is crossing from Ashgrove through Red Hill and riding in via the Latrobe Tce, Paddington route for a change of scenery. And yet another option is riding down the relatively light trafficed Ashgrove Ave from Waterworks across Enoggera Rd to the enoggera creek bikeway.

[newbris]

The bad news is that the T2 lane is likely to be removed.

If I'm remembering correctly that would be a disaster for the bus service and bad for the cars. A (UQ?) study showed the car traffic would actually slow down if they removed the T2 lane.