Complete NCN 1 Tour

[ken richardson]

NCN 1
Dover to Shetland
7 August to 5 September 2013
Route completed in one trip.
Congratulations to the route designers.
This cycle tour is the most exciting and demanding trip that I have ever experienced.
Every day had different challenges of navigation and physical requirements.
Each day had such a variety of interest too numerous to detail in this report.
The Humber Bridge, Forth Bridge and Tay Bridge were awesome.
The signage was ok on open roads but was inadequate in the urban areas, I had problems in most towns except Canterbury and Nairn.
In summary I would like to propose that his route NCN 1 should be promoted to be the cycling equivalent of the London Marathon ie a challenging course yet accessible to ordinary cyclist such as myself.
The pinnacle of a touring cyclist’s career.
Also the signage could be improved in urban areas where I lost hours looking for the blue stickers.
Schedule:-
I have noted the stats for each day. A/v = Average speed. CT =Cycling Time (pedalling Time). JT= Journey Time i.e total time on the road.
Note typical cycling time 5h 30m. Typical Journey time 7h 30m
The discrepancy is mainly due to the navigation problems when the NCN 1 signs run out.
Day 1:7-8-13: Home to Carnforth Rail Station, train to Dover changing London Euston to St. Pancras arriving at Dover Priory station.
Cycle Route started Dover docks, Dover Castle to Deal. 17.0km.
Day 2: 8-8-13: Deal to Rochester via Sandwich, Canterbury Faversham, Sittingbourne, Chatham.
Average: 15.6 km/h. Distance: 115 Km. Cycle time: 7h 20m. Journey Time (JT) = 10h 5m..
Day 3: 9-8-13:Rochester to Marlow: via Gravesend, Dartford, Erith, Woolwich Greenwich, Thames Barrier, Cutty Sark, Greenwich Tunnel, Millwall, River Lea Waltham Abbey,.
Av. 14.1 km/h. Distance 115 km. Cycle Time 8h 7m. JT =12h 10m.
Day 4: 10-8-13:via Marlow to Hadleigh via Chelmsford, Maldon, Tiptree, Colchester, 10 hrs journey time. (Cyclometer cable broken). JT= 11h 50m.
Day 5: 11-8-13:Hadleigh to Beccles via Ipswich, Woodbridge,.
Av. 16.0 km/h. Distance 110 Km. Cycle time 6h 54m. JT= 9h 15m.
Day 6: 12-8-13: Beccles to Fakenham via Norwich, Reepham.Av. 14.7, Dist. 96.5 Time 6h 33m. JT= 9h 40m.
Day 7: 13-8-13 Fakenham to Kings Lynn. Via Wells-next-the-Sea. Holkham Hall, Sandringham.
Av. 14.8 Dist. 82 km. Cycle time 5h 32m. JT= 8h 5m.
Day 8: 14-8-13: Kings Lynn to Boston via Wisbeach, Holbeach.Dist. 82 km. JT= 8h 30m.
Day 9: 15-8-13: Boston to Market Rasen via River Witham, Lincoln, Scothern.
Av. 17.1 Dist. 87 km. Cycle Time 5h 6m. JT= 9h 15m.
Day 10: 16-8-13 Market Rasen to Beverley via Humber Bridge, Kingsrton upon Hull.
Av. 14.9. Dist. 86.2 km. Cycle time 5h 45m. JT= 7h 45m.
Day 11: 17-8-13: Beverley to Hunmanby. Via Driffield, Bridlington. (Broken Spoke repaired in Brid.).
Av. 16.8 Dist. 93 kmCycle Time 5h 32m. Jt= 9h 5m.
Day 12: 18-8-13: Hunmanby to Ellerby via Scarborough, Robin Hoods Bay, Whitby.
Av. 12.2. Dist 63.1 km. cycle Time 5h 8m. JT = 7h 30m.
Day 13: 19-8-13: Ellerby to Wynyard via Staithes, Saltburn, Redcar, Middlesbough, Stockton on Tees.
Av. 13.1km/h. Dist 73.3 CT=5h 35m. Jt= 8h 30m.
Day 14: 20-8-13: Wynyard to Blyth via Sunderland, South Shields, Tyne Ferry. Whitley Bay.
Av=14.6 km/h. Dist=75.4. CT=5h 9m. Jt= 8h 5m.
Day 15: 21-8-13: Blythe to Ellingham (Preston) via Ashington, Amble.
Av=15.9 km/h. Dist=70.8. CT=4h 27m. JT=5h 30m.
Day 16: 22-8-13: Ellingham to Norham via Berwick on Tweed, Scotland Border.
Av=16.6km/h. Dist 77.2. CT= 4h 39m. JT=6h 3m.
Day 17: 23-8-13: Norham to Innerleithen Via Kelso, Coldstream, Melrose.
Av=15.4 km/h. Dist=81 km. CT=5h 15m. JT=8h 15m.
Day 18: 24-8-13: Innerleithen to Rosyth via Dalkeith, Edinburgh, Forth Bridge.
Av=15km/h. Dist 83.4 km. CT=5h 31mJT= 6h 45m.
Day 19: 25-8-13: Rosyth to GuardBridge (St. Andrews). Via Dunfermline, Loch Leven, Kinross.
Av=15.7. Dist =88.3 km. CT= 5h 36m. JT= 7h 35m.
Day 20: 26-8-13: Guardbridge (St.Andrews) to St.Cyrus via The Tay Bridge, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose.
Av= 15.9. Dist 87.2 km. CT= 5h 28m. JT=6h 30m.
Day 21: 27-8-13: St.Cyrus to Inverurie. (Aberdeen Detour).
Av=15.5 km/h. Dist 88.8km. Ct=5h 42m. JT=7h 35m.
Day 22: 28-8-13: Inverurie to Banff. Via Turriff, McDuff.
Av=14.8. Dist= 83.8. CT=5h 37m. JT=7h 30m.
Day 23: 29-8-13: Banff to Forres. Via Cullen, Elgin.
Av=14.0km/h. Dist= 91.6km. CT=6h 32 m. JT= 8h 5m.
Day 24: 30-8-13: Foress to Munlochy. Via Nairn, Culloden, Inverness, Kessock Bridge.
Av=14.5. Dist=78.4 Ct=5h23m. JT=8h 30m.
Day 25: 31-8-13: Munlochy to Lairg via Black Isle, Cromarty (NIGG Ferry Closed), detour via Firth of Cromarty bridge, Tain, Bonar Bridge.
Av=17.1. Dist=126.8km. CT=7h 22m. JT=8h 30m.
Day 26: 1-9-13: Lairg to Bettyhill via Tongue.
Av=16.8km/h. Dist=83.7. CT=4h 57m. JT= 6h 15m.
Day 27: 2-9-13: Bettyhill to John o; Groats. Via Thurso.
Av=19.5. Dist=78.7. CT=4h 1m. JT=4h20m.
Day 28: 3-9-13: Johno’Groats to Kirkwall (Orkney).
Av=15.7km/h
Day 29: 4-9-13: Kirkwall to Lewick Shetland.
Tour Shetland.
Day 30: 5-9-13: Ferry and Train home.

 

[steveindenmark]

Hi Ken,

This looks like an interesting trip. Do you have a map overlay of the route that you can post?

What bike was you riding, did you have a support vehicle to carry your luggage and was it B&Bs?

Steve

 

[Chris Norton]

I would have shown you the sights of Boston had I known you was coming. You would have cycled right past my place of work.

And basically it is the British leg of the North Sea Cycle route or Eurovelo 12

http://www.northsea-cycle.com/

 

[HelenD123]

I've done the stretch from Beverley to Fakenham. You've got me thinking that heading north next time would be a great holiday for next year. I'm itching to get out on tour again.

 

[Danny]

NCN 1
The signage was ok on open roads but was inadequate in the urban areas, I had problems in most towns except Canterbury and Nairn.
In summary I would like to propose that his route NCN 1 should be promoted to be the cycling equivalent of the London Marathon ie a challenging course yet accessible to ordinary cyclist such as myself.
The pinnacle of a touring cyclist’s career.
Also the signage could be improved in urban areas where I lost hours looking for the blue stickers.

NCN signage is often poor in large towns and cities, though I suspect the lacks of signs is down to the local authorities rather than Sustrans. Towns with good local authority cycle networks usually have plenty of NCN signs as well.

Regardless of the number of sign you can often find that Sustrans routes through towns can be circuitous in the extreme so it is easy to get lost - though you do end of seeing parts of towns that you would never normally go through.

Anyway it is probably best to plot a route through major towns before you set off.