A5

[Markymark]

I've done a few 20 mile rides but want to do a 50 mile one. Where I want to go to means traveling north up the A5 from St Albans to nr Lieghton Buzzard. I've gained a lot of experience riding in busy rush hour in central London but nothing like this.

Can anyone let me know if this stretch of the A5 is ok to ride on a Saturday morning?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PpPete]

Long straight stretches .... traffic potentially at 60 - 70 mph (or more if empty)

safer to thread your way through the lanes past Whipsnade - would be my guess, but then someone more local may have better knowledge ?

 

[rollinstok]

Can I ask if theres a specific reason to go nr Leighton Buzzard ?
I'm sure its perfectly feasible to do 50 miles away from a busy A road
Rush hour traffic is travelling between very slow and standstill
The A5 will be completely different

 

[mcr]

It's probably better then than on a weekday, but it's always fairly busy with lorry traffic - and passing you at 60mph rather than at the more sedate central London speeds. It's also, being on the line of a Roman road, a bit of a switchback, going up and over every hill rather than round it (nice downhill north out of Dunstable, though). As a local (LB end), I try to avoid it if I can - there are plenty more attractive routes across the northern Chilterns, eg via Whipsnade (though probably not on a bank holiday weekend!).

 

[Markymark]

Thanks for that, I thought I might be busy - I'll look at a mopre cross-country route.

 

[biggs682]

should be quite a few side roads along the a5 road , i dont enjoy riding on main roads and avoid where poss

 

[Camrider]

Unless you have to A roads should be avoided, they are just no fun and its more like torture than touring.

A quick play with Mapometer and I found this route but there should be plenty of options to make a circular route and avoid the vast majority of A road riding

 

[slowmotion]

I would avoid it. I don't even like driving on the A5 in a white van.