London Superloop Challenge

Looking at people doing the Superloop Challenge

He did it in 7 hours 33 mins
He did it in 9 hours 16 mins
Geoff did it in exactly 9 hours

I reckon if one went for the 1st bus on a Saturday morning, one could avoid all the traffic

SL7 Dingwall Road / East Croydon Station - Heathrow Central Bus Station
04:14 - 05:27

SL9 Heathrow Central Bus Station - Harrow Bus Station (Stop E)
05:55 - 06:37

SL10 Harrow Bus Station (Stop E) - North Finchley Bus Station (Stop S)
06:45 - 07:25

SL1 North Finchley Bus Station - Walthamstow Bus Station
07:30 - 08:05

SL2 Walthamstow Bus Station (Stop E) - North Woolwich Ferry (Stop Z)
08:15 - 09:18

Walk through tunnel under river 15 mins

472 Woolwich Ferry - Central Way Thamesmead Town
09:47 - 10:04

SL3 Thamesmead Town Centre (Stop A) - Bromley North Station
10:32 - 11:34

SL5 Bromley North Station (Stop D) - East Croydon
11:44 - 12:18

So, all done and dusted almost within the morning! I guess there's even the chance of an earlier bus from Thamesmead, and thus earlier from Bromley through to journey's end at Croydon. I think you're absolutely right that you have to start at Croydon to take advantage of the earlier running of the SL7 compared to the other routes. As a matter of interest, how long would it take anti-clockwise starting with the first bus from Heathrow on the SL7 on a Saturday? If you or someone else with the time and inclination.... I'd offer myself but I'm unclear as to the practicalities between Thamesmead and North Woolwich.

That looks as if it coud be done in nine hours. If I did it I'd much prefer to use the Woolwich Ferry rather than walking through the scary tunnel, especially since the north side lift has been out of order for months and will remain so for the foreseeable future, but on Saturdays the ferry only operates half hourly, and only between 1030 and 1700.

Using bustimes, and allowing 15 minutes at each change point to accommodate PNBs and whatever, I got this:

SL7 Heathrow Central - East Croydon 0540-0659
SL5 East Croydon - Bromley North 0718-0743
SL3 Bromley North - Thamesmead (Carlyle Road) 0800-0846
472 Thamesmead (Carlyle Road) - Woolwich Ferry 0901-0919

Allow half an hour for the tunnel

SL2 North Woolwich - Walthamstow Central 0951-1109
SL1 Walthamstow Central - North Finchley 1128-1211
SL10 North Finchley - Harrow 1224-1323
SL9 Harrow - Heathrow Central 1339-1438

Here's a link to a YouTube video that shows someone completing the Superloop challenge in 6 hrs 53 mins!

I did it in 7 hours 42 mins on Easter Sunday starting at Heathrow and going anti clockwise, via the ferry. To be fair, the only hint of traffic was at Ilford and Barking. I had to wait 12 mins at East Croydon and 20 mins for the ferry but the rest was plain sailing and very short connections.

I done all bar the Croydon to Heathrow section few weeks. Totally forgot that the superloop starts from Thamesmead and not Woolwich. The Woolwich ferry was off so used the foot tunnel.

I started the day at Heathrow expecting to get the first bus to Croydon but this didnt show. I went in the direction of Harrow instead.