I'm doing a tube biathlon tomorrow!

[Rhys1995]

Anyone who reads this between now and 23:59 - I am doing a Z1 challenge for the first time on my own tomorrow! I have picked a station at random from the Z1 network to start for tomorrow, watch this space... I'm also doing my second DLR challenge, here we come!

[Rhys1995]

And to make sure I'm not cheating, I have my 'secret' starting station for the Z1 tomorrow but I am obviously doing no forward planning

[tractakid]

If you want to emulate Z1, draw a random station 45 minutes before you start. Use the 45 minutes to plan your route.

Or, alternatively, start at the best location, and try and beat the record!

[Rhys1995]

If you want to emulate Z1, draw a random station 45 minutes before you start. Use the 45 minutes to plan your route.

Or, alternatively, start at the best location, and try and beat the record!

Cheers for the advice, basically how I plan to do the day is simple - DLR first. Get lunch afterwards, get NR back to my starting point and plan what I can on the train down to my starting station may do an update on Facebook but we'll see.

[Going Underground]

Good luck this sounds like a fun double header

[Rhys1995]

Hey all!

I would have done this earlier but stuff happened yesterday but here is Rhysie's official write-up! Yay.

So! The day began with a DLR challenge, and well its one to forget in all honesty. My route was Tower Gateway Shadwell Bank Shadwell Beckton Gallions Reach run to KGV Woolwich Arsenal Canning Town Stratford International Stratford Canary Wharf Lewisham

My overall time was 2.27.45, ergh. I had no less than a 6 minute wait at Shadwell for a Beckton train as the train I was supposed to get at Bank had already sodded off without me on it. Including the run I had a 14 minute change between Gallions Reach and KGV, when I got to KGV there was a 7 minute wait! And I got lost in Canning Town and missed a 0m change, meaning I had to wait 10 minutes. Nightmare.

So after a pitstop in Tesco in Lewisham I bought myself back up and headed off to Central London for my Z1 challenge. I had been given Green Park as a starting station chosen by my stepdad of all people. Once the doors closed on the train to head to Green Park I started planning my route and this is my final route...

Green Park Stockwell London Bridge Waterloo Lambeth North Paddington Edgware Road Earl's Court Aldgate East Aldgate Baker Street Bond Street Queensway Bank Euston Leicester Square Russell Square Knightsbridge

And if you really want to know (of course you do!), here's how it went..

I hopped onto the Vic Line and made my way down to Stockwell taking out Pimlico and Vauxhall. I threw myself off the train and off I went to the Northern Line, getting a 3m changeover. Onto London Bridge and it was then I realised how big the station is as I managed to get a 90s changeover onto the Jubilee. Then it was a hop across to Waterloo, (with a bucket of Vindaloo), and I hope to never have to change at Waterloo again especially going from the Jubilee to the Bakerloo, but still managed to get a 2m (including run time) changeover. Thankfully there was a train pulling in as I pulled onto the platform so on I hopped down to Lambeth North, and got a 0m change which was nice. Onto Paddington and this was pretty straightforward, and got a 1m change onto the Circle line to Edgware Road (incredible!). Edgware Road wasn't too bad as I had a 3m changeover (approx.) as we had to let two Hammersmith trains through (ergh!). Down to Earl's Court when I was greeted by 'severe delays on the District Line', eek! But I still got a 1m change, however this joy was short lived as we were greeted by countless red signals, and to make it even better the train I was on had to terminate at Mansion House at the last minute, and so I had another 90 seconds added on for a wait for an Upminster train. After the troubles of the District Line I got to Aldgate East and made a 4m change to Aldgate and onto Baker Street. I got to Baker Street as the Circle Line got minor delays due to the effect of the District Line so I was lucky in some way, got myself to Bond Street and changed for Queensway which threw up a 2m wait at Queensway. Onto Bank and the Northern Line which went well, with another 2m wait. Onto Euston, and I openly admit I got lost trying to find the Charing Cross branch, meaning I probably visited every platform under Euston, ergh. Probably lost 4m in itself while doing it. The rest of the changes to Knightsbridge were straightforward.

My overall time for my first Z1 was 3.19.27

[The Raven]

That's an impressive Z1 time with all the double backs required. Didn't fancy a Queensway to Bayswater run? Also, going down to Stockwell, interesting......

[tractakid]

Doesn't sound like you visited Paddington H+C? If it was a 1 minute change...

[Iain]

Coming from Lambeth North too so Bakerloo to Circle - both within the same Paddington

[tractakid]

Coming from Lambeth North too so Bakerloo to Circle - both within the same Paddington

Depends which Circle he's talking about. Circle line serves both parts!

[tubeguru]

Onto Paddington and this was pretty straightforward, and got a 1m change onto the Circle line to Edgware Road (incredible!).

Incredible indeed. Impossible, I would venture, given the distance required to run between the two.

[Iain]

Ok true - not within a minute though