Around the coast ???

[dollshousegirl]

Hi all

it has been an idea of mine for dome time to cycle aroundthe coast of the uk

is it something that anybody on here has done??
Any tips or ideas for fitness training, items needed, tips for the journey

I plan to take my time and enjoy the places, people, scIenary etc

 

[Soltydog]

THIS GUY did a ride around lighthouses, which I wouldc imagine wouldbe similar to your plans, maybe worth getting in touch with him.

 

[Arch]

Great idea!

With regard to fitness and training: just get out and ride. The more you ride, the fitter you are. Simples!

Once you're able to do three or four days in succession, at maybe 40-50 miles a day, then you can do any distance, broken down into similar days. So a few short tours to start off is an excellent idea - build up the daily distance, and you'll soon reach a level where the only limit you have is how long you can take off for. For trips over more than a week you'll want to build in rest days - and if you're camping, then the odd 'night off' in a hotel or B and B.

Also, when route planning, don't be too wedded to sticking right to the coast, if the coast road is busy or horrible. A pootle inland could be much more enjoyable.

Good luck!

 

[Hilldodger]

Here's some inspiration for you Tall Bike Tour Britain

We made the bikes and still have them if you fancy a challenge!

Another friend of ours is doing it a bit at a time, every September he spends another two weeks doing a bit more, picking up the route where he left off. Sounds like a great way to do it.

 

[dollshousegirl]

wow .. thanks guys for the really positive encouragement..

hilldodger, you really did it on those bikes !! wow

how much equipment did you take, i am wondering whether i can load stuff in panniers and racks and little bags and bits attached to the bikes, or i am debating with my self whether to get a bike trailer.

i am having my first dry run in two weeks, going to camp out and do lots of cycling on the east coast

arch.. thanks for the advice on training.... so true and so simplz as you say, it is early days for me yet tho.... i did 20 miles the other day and i did get back home thinking could i do that and another 20 tomorrow?............ so onwards and upwards

 

[Arch]

how much equipment did you take, i am wondering whether i can load stuff in panniers and racks and little bags and bits attached to the bikes, or i am debating with my self whether to get a bike trailer.

I'm a pannier person myself. If you have panniers already, see how you get on. If you pack well, and don't take too much stuff you don't need, you should get what you need in panniers ok. I can get light camping stuff (a weekends-worth) in just two small rear panniers, with bedroll on the top of the rack, and stuff in a barbag as well.

The thing against a trailer that I can think of (apart from the cost if you have to buy one, but already have panniers), is that on some off-road routes there are narrow barriers designed to let a bike through that can be awkward with a trailer. On the other hand, you can off-load a trailerload of stuff in one go and leave the bike free of luggage, as opposed to takng all your bags off one by one. But there's not much in it. See how you get on with bags.

 

[Hilldodger]

wow .. thanks guys for the really positive encouragement..

hilldodger, you really did it on those bikes !! wow

how much equipment did you take, i am wondering whether i can load stuff in panniers and racks and little bags and bits attached to the bikes, or i am debating with my self whether to get a bike trailer.

i am having my first dry run in two weeks, going to camp out and do lots of cycling on the east coast

arch.. thanks for the advice on training.... so true and so simplz as you say, it is early days for me yet tho.... i did 20 miles the other day and i did get back home thinking could i do that and another 20 tomorrow?............ so onwards and upwards

Alas it wasn't me but Will and Ed Stevens. Another friend rode around Ireland on one of our other Tall Bikes.

 

[rich p]

The only problem I have with these sort of routes is that if you're a purist about it you may end up riding on some busy roads. It may be more enjoyable if you're prepared to tweak it, to do it in spirit but stick to nicer roads.

 

[andym]

i am having my first dry run in two weeks, going to camp out and do lots of cycling on the east coast

arch.. thanks for the advice on training.... so true and so simple as you say, it is early days for me yet tho.... i did 20 miles the other day and i did get back home thinking could i do that and another 20 tomorrow?............ so onwards and upwards

The east coast is a very good place to start - there's a lovely signposted route run along the coast of Suffolk starting at Old Felixstowe (called something like Suffolk Coastal Route believe it or not). Ditto north Norfolk going through Hunstanton/Wells-next-the-Sea.

South-east is also relatively straightforward: there's an NCN route running (IIRC) from Brighton via St Leonard's-on-Sea and east (if you have a reasonably sturdy bike you could even do some of the more scenic stretches of the South Downs Way). there's a relatively straightforward route along the kent coast going via Dover, Deal, Sandwich and then to Margate (called something like the Viking Trail) and a great stretch going towards Reculver, Herne Bay and Whitstable.

The south-coast east of Brighton could be initially a bit tricker in that you need to get past Portsmouth and southampton but once past there you have the Purbecks and the Jurassic Coast - but beware, this is where things really get hilly and the more you want to visit every little bay the hillier it gets.

Great national cycle network route along the Severn Estuary.

 

[ASC1951]

THIS GUY did a ride around lighthouses....

What a brilliant concept. I do like the idea of an arbitrary list and then seeing where it takes you. Twenty years ago I broke my ankle and had a rehabilitation project to walk to every trig point in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, in groups of three. It's an area I know very well, but I still ended up with some great walks which I would never have done if I had just picked what looked like a good outing.

It's going to take you a while, DHG. Several years, if employment has to interfere with it, so you'll have plenty of time to get it just right. Or are you just going to ride off one summer evening for the full Life Changing Experience?

 

[dollshousegirl]

ASC1951 yes it will prob be in a few years two at the least ... who knows whats round the corner, we have to have enough money so i can take off from my job for 6 months or so.... or i could get redundancy in 6 months !!!

i kinda like the idea of riding off one summer evening for the life changing experience too.

i do not plan to be too rigid, i like the seaside, i like seaside towns, i do not mind taking a detour in land to take the quieter lanes.

i am fairly flexible in terms of my ideas for doing it.. but know i need to plan well for equipment and stuff

i have been looking at solar powered phone chargers too as i really don't wanna be out of touch with people !!! lol !! gotta update family and friends via facebook !!! haven't I?

 

[SMD]

I thought about doing this round the coast ride a while back, but on my motorbike !
I even worked out a route so I'll find it and let you know approx mileage

 

[Fandango]

I am doing this in sections, when work and family allows, usually 7-14 days at a time, camping with the odd B&B. I am 49 and pretty unfit, so you don't have to be Lance Armstrong if you are not bothered how long it will take. I have done anything from 20 to 60 miles a day heavily loaded with front and rear panniers. I started from Southampton and have worked my way to half way across Hadrians Wall, so about half way, in a total of about 5 weeks cycling - might do Scotland afterwards, England and Wales for starters. I recently did the Yorkshire section and this was very painful hill wise, I could hardly push the bike up some of them, never mind ride, but if you don't mind pushing up the steeper hills it is generally OK. Because of this I am considering trying ultra light gear, but cost aside, most ultra light tents are like coffins, and I like my comforts like toast in the morning.

As for route, because I have no time limit I have chosen to do it using no A roads if possible. A mixture of Sustrans website and Google maps is great for working out routes and seeing what the road surface looks like. You can make out if a road is a farm track used by tractors usually or if a path is likely to be suitable by using the satellite images. You will have to come off the coast sometimes anyway to get around rivers for instance - never rely on ferries actually working, I suggest you call first as half of them are non existent, and often require a 50 mile detour, although I have found that boating people are pretty sympathetic so I have managed to get lifts across the rivers when I needed them.

I have really enjoyed my trips, and met some great people. I was a bit concerned about going through some areas such as the old coal mining towns of Yorkshire, but rather than being faced with gangs of drug ridden hoodies, the first thing that happened to me was that a guy in the pub offered to put me up for the night! The Yorkshire people, and pubs are my favourite so far, although they can stick those bloody hills!

Good luck, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.