Advice on a 70 mile route

[Amheirchion]

Hey, I wasn't sure where to post this but as it's a stupid idea it can class as a stupid post.

I'm needing to get home for family reasons next week and it's a fair ride for me. I put it into cycle streets and it spat out the three routes as normal, this (link to the route in GPSies) is the balanced route, which to me looks the most sensible. It runs from Northampton to Kidderminster going through Kenilworth near enough.

Could anyone with any experience of the areas it passes through take a look and let me know if it seems reasonable and if they're fairly decent roads for cycling?

I was originally planning on leaving Monday, camping over night and finishing Tuesday, giving me two ~35 mile rides that I'd be more confident in being able to do. As I need to go out and do a short phase 1 survey for a current assignment on the Monday afternoon though, this plan was scuppered.

To date the most I've done in a day is 30 miles, which was a 24 mile ride with a local mountain bike club plus 3 miles there and back to the start point. I was tired afterwards but not dead, so I'm not completely worried about the distance, but still wary as I'd hoped to build up a bit more before doing this kind of distance. One thing I have found though is that generally after about 10 miles my arms and shoulders ache, which I believe to be caused by too much weight on the handlebars, so I'm going to look at fitting myself to the bike a bit better after lecture tomorrow.

 

[Amheirchion]

Nobody has any knowledge of the route? I'm mainly just looking to see that I'm not going to end up on known death roads with 70mph traffic.

 

[HLaB]

I know knowledge of the route whatso ever, I think you should be OK with a cycle streets generated balanced route though. My general rules are to avoid the obvious Motorways (blue on OS); mostly avoid primary (green on OS) and choose yellow/ orange roads; depending what bike I'm on I also avoid unclassified roads (white on OS) as these are often poorly surfaced but will also be the quietest. Some folk also choose routes that avoid hills, I don't really worry about that though.

Edit I can't see at first glance anything really worrying on that route. It crosses a few A road which quite often can't be avoided however just be vigilant at roundabouts on them or crossing the ones with slip roads. Good luck :-)

 

[david1701]

I've been told Bar ends are good for giving you other options of where to put your hands/arm position, its a quick cheap mod I need to do

 

[upsidedown]

The part from Solihull West to Kidderminster i know very well. Nothing too major, just a few rural commuter roads that can be a bit fast, keep your wits about you and you'll be fine.
Around the Maypole roundabout in Birmingham can be a bit lively if you hit it at the wrong time.
If it's not going too great there's a direct train service to Kidderminster on the London-Midland line that you can pick up at Dorridge (Knowle), Widney Manor or Shirley, only costs three or four quid off-peak and they're empty during the day.
If you get lost the only road i would strongly urge you to avoid is the A491 Hagley bypass; it's an un-policed, speed camera-free 2 laned autobahn.

Good luck, you go through some lovely places, Belbroughton and Clent are very nice.

 

[Tigerbiten]

I only know out as far as Daventry.
The route that far is probably the one I'd pick.
After that your outside my range.

Luck ...........

 

[Amheirchion]

Cheers HLaB and upsidedown, that has put my mind a bit more at rest. Also thanks for the reminder on the trains, I'd forgotten about those stops. Hopefully I won't need them, but a back-up plan never hurts.
I have bar ends at the moment david, and do find them useful. That will be play time for tomorrow adjust the fit, and go for a ride to test it and to test out my new camelbak.

 

[Amheirchion]

Good to know, thank you Tigerbiten.

 

[ColinJ]

You'll be passing the Abbey Fields and castle in Kenilworth - they are worth a look if you fancy a rest on the way.

I was born in Kenilworth and lived there until I was 7. I loved the Abbey Fields.

 

[Amheirchion]

That looks good for a lunch break, cheers.

 

[aberal]

Regardless of where the route is and what it entails, if you can split it up into 4 roughly equal rides of breakfast-coffee, coffee-lunch, lunch-afternoon tea, afternoon tea-finish, which in your case would be roughly 4 rides of around 9 miles per ride (twice)...then it should be a doddle. Easy peasy. Relax and enjoy.

 

[Amheirchion]

Dunno about the coffee, but tea breaks sound like a good idea.

 

[Tigerbiten]

The only other thing I'd add is don't set off too fast.
I've found on rides like this if you take it easy for the first hour or so, nice steady pace, don't attack hills, change down early, etc, etc.
That way you pick up a nice rhythm/cadence and you can keep it for longer.
Go out to fast/hard and you'll be dead for the second half of the ride.

Luck .........

 

[TVC]

The route is just a little outside my area, but I think you should be OK for 70 miles in one go, if as others have suggested you stop for a good lunch. A very easy 35 in the morning followed by a pasta lunch and a slice of cheescake at a pub to refuel should allow for a fairly straightforward 35 in the afternoon.

Is there anyone at the finish who could be put on standby to pick you up if you run out of steam in the second half?

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[Amheirchion]

My Dad offered to pick me up on Tuesday if I wanted, I gave him a much needed laugh when I told him I was okay, I'd be cycling it.
If I do kill myself cycling it, I have a few family members over there that could fetch me if needed. So no worries there.

I was thinking of a fairly early start time, so lunch may be closer to brunch but yes, I'll quite happily stop at a pub for some grub. Would it be cheeky to have a swift half at the same time?