Are there any quiet roads left in England?

[Flying Dodo]

Wrong! There are whole swathes of Surrey that are low traffic.

I wasn't saying those were the only low traffic spots, just giving some examples!

 

[John the Monkey]

I would like to do some cycling in the Midlands, being originally from Birmingham, but there are so many motorway link roads, dual carriageways and huge roundabouts everywhere, that I am struggling to find anywhere where you could do a nice peaceful 20-30 miler there. One of my old school friends from Brum actually comes down here to Gloucester with hs wife to do his cycling, as the lanes around here are so much quieter, and he just can't face the roads near his home.

If you can get over to Crewe, the local part of the Cheshire cycleway is well signed & pretty pleasant - NCN 5 isn't bad either, although there are some weird choices with the routing at times; RCN70 (the Cheshire Cycleway) is mostly on road bike rideable surfaces.

 

[snorri]

Many times,

OK. One cycle tour took me to Paris and along the north coast, I've had no inclination to return on a bike.

 

[Soltydog]

Over here in rural East Yorkshire it can be very quiet on some roads. On my commute I can sometimes do the first/last 10 miles or so without seeing a car, but my shifts probably help with that Not telling you the quiet roads though, they are mine

 

[User482]

Watching the TdF on tele, I was simply staggered by the number of people at the roadsides. Obviously, cycling is very popular and the tour captured the imagination but clearly it indicates also that there is a big population.

A lot of those roads are very quiet except when the world's biggest bike race is passing through...even the bridleways around Cragg Vale were busy on Sunday, and they're usually deserted.

 

[stephec]

Over here in rural East Yorkshire it can be very quiet on some roads. On my commute I can sometimes do the first/last 10 miles or so without seeing a car, but my shifts probably help with that Not telling you the quiet roads though, they are mine

I reckon they're somewhere near Hornsea.

 

[Soltydog]

I reckon they're somewhere near Hornsea.

Just to the East of Hornsea

 

[stephec]

Just to the East of Hornsea

To the east, won't you get a bit wet?

 

[alans]

I would like to do some cycling in the Midlands, being originally from Birmingham, but there are so many motorway link roads, dual carriageways and huge roundabouts everywhere, that I am struggling to find anywhere where you could do a nice peaceful 20-30 miler there. QUOTE]

In some instances the proliferation of M-ways,dual carriageways & the like has been of benefit in that the new roads reduce the volume of traffic on what were previously main roads.eg:-

The new A50 east/west from M6 to M1 makes the old A50 (reclassified hereabouts to A522 & even a cycle route east of Uttoxeter) largely a local-traffic route

The extensive development of the A30 in Cornwall makes the old A30 & other roads which were previously prime routes much more cycle friendly.

For truly quiet main roads try the west coast of highland Scotland. "A" roads on a map with passing places,called country lanes elsewhere,are a novelty.

Road development is a two edged sword that cuts both sides.

 

[alans]

If you wish to escape the Birmingham conurbation is the canal network an option via use of the towpaths?

 

[Fnaar]

Northumberland roads are terribly busy...

 

[welsh dragon]

If you wish to escape the Birmingham conurbation is the canal network an option via use of the towpaths?

They have done a lot of work on the canals in the centre of brum, but once you get out of the city centre, you have to be careful, not because of the canal paths but because of the people you may meet. Saying that though, just use your common sense and you'll be fine.

 

[stephec]

What about the Worcester and Redditch areas, plenty of back roads round there?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Plenty of quiet roads in Surrey, Sussex, especlially East sussex and Hampshire. They just tend not to be classified as A- and B- roads. Generally if it is yellow on an OS map it is worth thinking about and the narrower it is shown the better.

 

[Archie_tect]

On the Keelman's Row near Jarrow running along the Tyne late last year I disturbed some very intense negotiations between a group of teenage yobs and what appeared to be a couple of drug dealers and their minders in a Range Rover with massive alloy wheels and the windows blacked out... I didn't hang about and rode as hard as I could to make sure I wasn't followed... they must have thought the place would be deserted as it started to get dark on a Friday afternoon. Got my adrenalin going!