50 mile route from somewhere outside london

[rugby bloke]

A nice 50 mile route from Wellingborough - Plus a nice little cafe at Harrold Country Park. Unfortunately it does mean having to go both ways on the train though. The bonus is that most of these roads are really quite:

 

[vickster]

A nice 50 mile route from Wellingborough - Plus a nice little cafe at Harrold Country Park. Unfortunately it does mean having to go both ways on the train though. The bonus is that most of these roads are really quite:
View attachment 474703

Quite...what?
Or quiet?

 

[rugby bloke]

Quite...what?
Or quiet?

Whoops ... Quiet - that makes more sense and is more relevant !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

From Cambridge you can take the busway to St Ives, cafe stop, then return back to Cambridge. For hills head south into the Chalk Escarpment. A loop via Saffron Walden will come to approx 50 miles.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you get the train to Hitchin then join and follow the Chilterns Cycleway to Tring that'll get you approx 50 miles of hills. Train back from Tring.

 

[derrick]

How about heading out to Bishops Stratford in Hertfordshire? From there you can follow the River Stort tow path back and nearer London you pick up the Grand Union Canal which will take you back into the city.
Or as @derrick suggests go to Hertford and follow the River Lea back to the Grand Union. Zero roads both routes.

View attachment 474696

Stay well away from rivers, stick to the lovely country lanes. From Hertford station you can cut across to Essex, or straight up to Cambridge and back to Hertford station about 70 miles. Rivers are for pootles not training rides.

 

[wonderloaf]

You could always try heading west from Waterloo to the other side of Basingstoke to stations such as Overton, Micheldever, Whitchurch. At Overton you're in the Test Valley and there are loads of quiet country roads going south towards Alresford and Alton or you can go north towards Kingsclere for a bit of climbing and excellent views across the Hampshire countryside.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Aren't there climbs on London to Paris? If so, shouldn't you be including ones of similar gradient/length in your training as presumably your London commute is pretty flat?

Fairly flat till you reach the Seine

 

[vickster]

Fairly flat till you reach the Seine

Must be the odd incline between London and Dover?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Must be the odd incline between London and Dover?

Yes but nothing to shout about.

 

[vickster]

Yes but nothing to shout about.

I don’t think the OP has climbed very many hills commuting from Greenwich to Hammersmith (iirc)

 

[Bhitucyclist]

Lots of good suggestions. I will try some of them during weekends
Looked at the route to wolverton... there is a straight road from edgewere to watford... then it diverts to a canal path .even if i go till watford will be a good ride. I dont like the canal paths... they dont have a fence and are quite narrow at places. Feel a bit scared of falling into the water. I know i know you all must be laughing !!!
Will try the country road suggestions .. each of the weekends.

 

[Bhitucyclist]

Fairly flat till you reach the Seine

I do some lumpy rides at the crystal palace area... but must admit i am not fan of any hilly rides.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I do some lumpy rides at the crystal palace area... but must admit i am not fan of any hilly rides.

The thing with hills us to just go ride them. Ignore average speeds, in fact riding them without any knowledge of your speed is a good way of tackling them. They will get easier and the hills you dreaded will no longer be dreaded.

 

[Legs]

Take the Piccadilly line to Cockfosters and head out into the lanes of 'Little Switzerland' around Essendon, Bayford, Brickendon etc etc