The Wrexham Wedding Wander

[iLB]

Thanks in part to my inner demons and one Steve Abraham I have decided to see what happens if I try to ride 217 miles in a day, on my own... https://andrewcater.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/the-wrexham-wedding-wander/

Here is my approximate route for the moment...

If the cycling sages on here might advise on any roads that would be best avoided, and any particularly good coffee and food stops that might exist along my path I would be very grateful for the suggestions.

ORP > Streatham> Denham > Aylesbury> MARSH GIBBON!> Banbury> Ettington > Stratford upon Avon> Feckenham > Bridgnorth> Shrewsbury > Ellesmere > WREX

TIA

 

[mikeee]

Best wishes for your ride, I'm certain you'll breeze it!!! (Statement based on previous experience of rides with Andy but may not necessarily be up to date)

 

[young Ed]

good luck buddy, make sure you have plenty of training and food/drink and it shouldn't be impossible! when abouts are you going to do it?
Cheers Ed

 

[srw]

If I'm not very much mistaken, your map takes you round the M25 and up the A41. That might not be the best route...

To get to Aylesbury:
From Streatham, get to somewhere around HPC. Go up the Edgeware Road until you hit the Marylebone Flyover. Fly under it and get to the A404. Follow the A404 all the way to Amersham except that it's shorter and nicer to go through Pinner Village centre rather than using the A404 bypass.

You've now found the gentlest route up to the top of the Chilterns. Apart from a short lash down the very steep Batchworth Hill (make sure of good brakes - there's a roundabout at the bottom) you've been going up draggy hills just about all the way from central London.

From Amersham, find Copperkins Lane, go out past Hyde Heath, left and right to South Heath, straight on to the Lee. Out the back of the Lee you can either go left immediately, which takes you straight down to the A413 (which is a bit narrow and fast at the wrong time of day), or else you can go straight on and follow the lanes to St Leonards. It's mainly flattish to this point Turn left there, and follow the road down to the bottom of the hill, past the Aston Hill MTB park and the entrance to Wendover Woods. Then left to Wendover, right to Aylesbury.

Through Aylesbury, follow the A41 towards Bicester. Just after you leave Aylesbury and before you get to AVP railway station, turn right through the new estate towards Quainton. Once past Quainton the laney route to Marsh Gibbon is obvious. From there, I'm afraid you're on your own!

 

[iLB]

If I'm not very much mistaken, your map takes you round the M25 and up the A41. That might not be the best route...

Indeed! Google maps being the quick and dirty way to get a rough representation, but since they reduced the number of "destinations" you can add to ten makes it rather less helpful. I have tapped into a long forgotten post by @dellzeqq, when he wrote up a ride to Birmingham maybe five years ago, to guide me through the Missendens and such places.

Any coffee shop recommendations?

 

[srw]

Amersham-on-the-Hill town centre (Sycamore Road) has a Costa, a Starbucks, a Harris and Hoole, an independent coffee shop and at least two places closer to the greasy spoon end of things, as well as a Wimpy. From there (at least the route I've suggested) there's nothing until Wendover and Aylesbury. Quainton has two pubs.

Incidentally, @dellzeqq may well have gone along the A413. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone else.

 

[Turbo Rider]

Please, please update on how you get on...I want to try something similar at some point - Croydon to Newtown (Mid Wales - be interesting to see how you get on with it).

Oh and best of luck

 

[mikeee]

Limited local route knowledge but for outright speed try M25, M1, M6 and M54?

 

[StuAff]

Best wishes for your ride, I'm certain you'll breeze it!!! (Statement based on previous experience of rides with Andy but may not necessarily be up to date)

^^That. I've been there, done that in terms of mileage, (Strava link, report) and if I can do it I know you can, probably rather more easily! At the risk of telling you stuff you already know, I'd suggest allowing a bit more time than you need (I certainly needed it, and I think it's been mandatory for Mousketeering..), have bailout options prepared, and be very careful about your routing. Good luck!

 

[subaqua]

Limited local route knowledge but for outright speed try M25, M1, M6 and M54?

Aye cos as soon as you get on there on a bicycle the black rats will have it in the back of a range rover or simleeaaar and whizz you up the motorway. Defeats the point of riding it though

 

[iLB]

Nice to pop back in here and read the "you'll breeze it comments"... I'm hoping for rather less of a breeze (meteorologically speaking) this time next week.

Detailed route planning going on today, it's a long way though huh.

 

[iLB]

Put some tasty new tyres on the bike in the workshop after work. Free speed.

The most unfeasible weather conditions are arising to give me an easterly tail wind.

I will be eating a lot over the next 24 hours.

 

[Aperitif]

Bonne route, Andy. May your Catering arrangements work well.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Beans - lots of beans. The more wind assistance you can get, both internally and externally generated, the better.

Good luck.

 

[ianrauk]

Marsh Gibbon reached...... and in hid own words. 'It's dreamy so far'