Better in Winter?

[Bollo]

Today I was able to go large and ride to Bournemouth and back across the New Forest. During the summer the NF gets a bit tetchy. A clique of locals have taken against cyclists in recent years and the roads also get a little congested and angry. I tend to avoid.

However, in winter the animal life is less reclusive, the natives more chilled and the roads empty. Throw a creepy mist into the mix and it's wonderful.

So, do you have any winter-only routes?

(I don't really care, but yer know, the forum....)

 

[greekonabike]

I'm surrounded by miles of shared use paths that run along the coast and through the countryside. Whilst they've not been terribly busy over the last few weeks I've still had some issues with dogs running off leash and peds going kamikaze. I'm not looking forward to the summer months as these routes, especially the coastal ones, are incredibly difficult to cycle on at a decent pace.

So in response to your question I'll ride the trails all times of year but find them a lot easier in the winter when there's not as much traffic.

GOAB

 

[Sixmile]

The coastal routes and the shared greenways are much better in the winter and darker nights due to hardly anyone being about. I mean, how could there be 100 dogs being walked on a summer night and none on a winters? Do dogs hibernate? Are they on the turbo?

 

[Johnno260]

I must say I prefer winter evening riding, you can see the lights of cars further off, but in general there seem to be less cars.

Where as in the summer every young driver turns into a wannabe rally driver.

 

[greekonabike]

I think the season only brings out the people who want to be out. You'll only find dog walkers and cyclists on the paths from the end of September onwards unless we have a spell of decent weather. Certain parts of the paths restrict cycling from 10am-6pm from the beginning of May to the end of September but they still have' No Cycling' in huge letters on the ground. It would appear that most dog walkers assume this means cyclists aren't allowed to use the paths at all and it certainly leads to some interesting conversations.

GOAB

 

[HLaB]

My old club runs what they call the tourist time trial in the Trossach's late winter; at other times of year the roads are full of other tourists in their cars!

 

[Racing roadkill]

I frequently ride down to Bournemouth and back across the New Forest, via Beaulieu and Brockenhurst. The biggest problem in the winter, is the Cows. They really don't get out of the way, no matter what you say to them, it's particularly bad if there's fog, because you don't see them too easily. I avoid the forest routes in the dark if there's fog. There are enough drivers who hit big things like Deer and ponies, I don't trust 'em not to drive into cyclists.

 

[NeilM]

I've not been over there yet this year, but I love on and offroad riding in the Forest of Dean in winter for all the reasons above, but mostly because all the trails that used to be unknown and unused 25 years ago are now crowded spring, summer and autumn. This is a good thing in many respects, but can make fast riding on a CX / gravel / mtb bike difficult.

Locally, I know enough quiet back roads not to be bothered by tourists at any time of year.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Geese make some of my favourite summer roads even better in winter, thousands of pink footed ones.
I've never noticed much tourist traffic around here, the roads that are busy in summer are also busy and best avoided in winter too.

 

[Drago]

It's not perfect, but generally speaking the positives of winter cycling outweigh the negatives. The fair weather seasonal weaklings miss out on all this.