Anyone fancy riding out to Birmingham from London on Monday 1 July?

[Davywalnuts]

I'll cycle back as far as Fringford.

Ohhh, half way, cool cool.

I think I need to see the whole route, then see if I can work out my route back, via Fringford and then will possibly commit.

 

[Davywalnuts]

I'll cycle back as far as Fringford.

Curiously, just checking my routes, I already had a route planned from Kim's 'Stones' ride from Banbury, that it seems went through Fringford... Seems its meant to be.... http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2178540

 

[Flying Dodo]

Curiously, just checking my routes, I already had a route planned from Kim's 'Stones' ride from Banbury, that it seems went through Fringford... Seems its meant to be.... http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2178540

Except you don't want to go through Aylesbury, nor cycle on the A41 for long!

 

[EltonFrog]

Except you don't want to go through Aylesbury, nor cycle on the A41 for long!

True, Aylesbury is a dull place and the A41 is a long and boring road.

 

[Davywalnuts]

Ahhh, no, long, boring and speedy is fine for me. These slow B roads do my head in...

 

[Flying Dodo]

Apart from a very short stretch, we are NOT going on the A41!

In the end, Kim's route swings too far to the west for approaching into Birmingham, which would add on extra miles. As it is, it ends up being 133 miles, as shown here.

 

[EltonFrog]

Looks like a good route.

 

[lilolee]

FD, your route to Banbury still looks good. Then Gaydon to Warwick, loop to Shirley and then into Brum. Not routed it, but that looks about right from a quick overview.

Edited to say quick got cyclestreets to map this http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2687600

Mind you, I'll probably just be bailing at Banbury anyway.

 

[lilolee]

FD, just spotted your route. Looks OK, may bail at Stratford instead

 

[Flying Dodo]

I'll play around with some little tweaks to shave a few miles off, such as going north of (or through) Brackley, and then Lee's suggestion to Gaydon towards Warwick (on the B4100), which I had looked at last night, but need to work out what happens crossing the dreadful A46 just south of the M40 at J15. There may be a cycle path in a tunnel underneath...........

 

[lilolee]

Both OSM and Bing Maps illustrate an underpass, as does Streetmap, but not a clearly. Google maps is out of date and still show them working on the roundabout.

 

[Wobblers]

I'll play around with some little tweaks to shave a few miles off, such as going north of (or through) Brackley, and then Lee's suggestion to Gaydon towards Warwick (on the B4100), which I had looked at last night, but need to work out what happens crossing the dreadful A46 just south of the M40 at J15. There may be a cycle path in a tunnel underneath...........

From the online OS maps, it looks like the road crosses the A46 on a bridge. I'm a bit more worried the crossing of the A4540 inner ring road at Bordersley Station - it looks like the route goes the wrong way up a slip road onto the ring road. Perhaps diverting onto the canal tow path might be better (though admittedly I don't know what the condition of the path is at that point, or how conveniently you can get onto and off it)?

 

[Wobblers]

[QUOTE 2504288, member: 1314"]Where do those meeting me and Davy en route want to meet, and at what times would you like to meet us? Then we'll leave HPC at the appropriate time.[/quote]

It depends on where you're planning on having lunch. I'd probably be cycling out from Brum to meet you, so meeting up at a spot where I can stuff my face have lunch seems like a good idea.

 

[Flying Dodo]

From the online OS maps, it looks like the road crosses the A46 on a bridge. I'm a bit more worried the crossing of the A4540 inner ring road at Bordersley Station - it looks like the route goes the wrong way up a slip road onto the ring road. Perhaps diverting onto the canal tow path might be better (though admittedly I don't know what the condition of the path is at that point, or how conveniently you can get onto and off it)?

After searching through various DfT documents, it seems there is a bike tunnel. Of course Sustrans don't have any mention of it..........

Re approaching Bordersley Station, Sampson Road North is 2 way until just before the junction with the A4540. At that point we divert right (following a designated Cycle route) onto the footpath, along a bit and cross the A4540 at a pedestrian crossing.

 

[Flying Dodo]

After I'd moved the route away from Banbury!

You haven't said what time you'll be setting off from HPC, but if it's 8 - 9 am, I'm assuming you'll want to eat more like the 50-60 mile mark, seeing as Banbury is about 84 miles from HPC. It will take you time to get out of London - it's 20 miles of mean urban streets before you escape Hillingdon to get to the green stuff. I've eaten at the The Lion in Waddesdon which does enormous fish & chips. Or if you're OK with a late lunch, how about Carl's local in Fringford?