Cycle path next to Luton-Dunstable Busway

[steverob]

Anyone here from the Luton/Dunstable area who can tell me what the surface of the above cycle path is like?

I know when it was opened only a very limited part of it was tarmacked, with the rest of it being crushed limestone that apparently wasn't very crushed at all and so meant it wasn't easily passable on anything other than a fat-tyred bike. I heard that following lots of complaints, the various councils responsible did say they would look to pave more of it eventually (possibly even all), but have no idea on whether that was started and if it did, how far they got with it.

I've tried Googling, but the only results I seem to get are articles/photos/videos taken at the time of it being opened with very little more recent info than that, so I'm hoping someone who lives nearer to it might have some updated facts.

 

[ianrauk]

@Flying Dodo

 

[Flying Dodo]

Ta!

After a lot of campaigning in 2013, we got Luton council to spread a lot of sand and also go up & down a lot with some steam rollers. In addition, from 2015, more sections have had tarmac put down, so currently the section from Luton as far as west as the M1 is now tarmac, whilst from the Dunstable end, all the way from the start at Blackburn Road in Houghton Regis to Station Road (opposite McDonalds) is tarmac. The section from Station Road to Jeansway is scheduled to have tarmac put down in the next couple of months.

Overall about 20% of the total length is still crushed limestone. The surface there is now a smooth-ish, generally compacted surface, although in heavy rain, there are big puddles forming, and the downside is that you get a grinding paste effect on your chain, if you haven't got good mudguards. However, if it's dry, then it's fine, and I've been going along there regularly on a road bike without any issues. Below is a pic showing the view towards Dunstable by Skimpot Road (it's a Christmas ride, so spot the Santa suits)!

 

[steverob]

That's brilliant information, thank you.

Planning a route at the moment where the obvious route home will go through Luton and Dunstable and didn't really fancy going on the A505 main road, so was looking for quieter options. The photo of the current bit of non-tarmaked surface doesn't look much worse than the Phoenix Trail near Thame and I've done that on my road bike before without a problem.

 

[Elysian_Roads]

That's brilliant information, thank you.

Planning a route at the moment where the obvious route home will go through Luton and Dunstable and didn't really fancy going on the A505 main road, so was looking for quieter options. The photo of the current bit of non-tarmaked surface doesn't look much worse than the Phoenix Trail near Thame and I've done that on my road bike before without a problem.

Hadn't heard of the Phoenix Trail before, @steverob, but that's handy to know about, as and when I start to extend the distances travelled. Cheers.

 

[steverob]

Hadn't heard of the Phoenix Trail before, @steverob, but that's handy to know about, as and when I start to extend the distances travelled. Cheers.

The Phoenix Trail does make for quite a pleasant ride. Very similar in that it's a former railway bed and has been tarmacked from the start in Thame up until just past the village of Towersey - though the bits through Thame itself can get quite busy with joggers and dog walkers. Then after that the surface is a compacted fine white dust (no big stones at all) and is rideable on all sorts of bikes. Haven't been on it past the B4009 bridge, but apparently it does get a bit more like a muddy bridleway after that (especially if you do it in the winter), but this section doesn't last long as it soon routes you onto quiet country lanes as you approach Princes Risborough.

 

[Flying Dodo]

That's brilliant information, thank you.

Planning a route at the moment where the obvious route home will go through Luton and Dunstable and didn't really fancy going on the A505 main road, so was looking for quieter options. The photo of the current bit of non-tarmaked surface doesn't look much worse than the Phoenix Trail near Thame and I've done that on my road bike before without a problem.

Yes, very like the Phoenix Trail.

Some breaking news.........the section from Skimpot Road to Jeansway will be getting tarmac from Monday 22nd January, so the path will be closed. If you're heading from Luton to Dunstable, you can go down Skimpot Road (also the path is shared use), cut through Tesco's, then there's a short stretch of the A505, then left into Allenby Avenue, onto Jeansway, and then further along you can cut through, back on to the Busway - although the alleyway isn't signposted! It's just to the right of the blue car parked on a drive shown in this link.

Heading east to Luton will be an issue, although if you're heading for north Luton, there's always NCN6.


Edit - above has been updated as closure of this section has been confirmed as proceeding.

 

[Elysian_Roads]

The Phoenix Trail does make for quite a pleasant ride. Very similar in that it's a former railway bed and has been tarmacked from the start in Thame up until just past the village of Towersey - though the bits through Thame itself can get quite busy with joggers and dog walkers. Then after that the surface is a compacted fine white dust (no big stones at all) and is rideable on all sorts of bikes. Haven't been on it past the B4009 bridge, but apparently it does get a bit more like a muddy bridleway after that (especially if you do it in the winter), but this section doesn't last long as it soon routes you onto quiet country lanes as you approach Princes Risborough.

Thanks for this, @steverob. Suspect it may be a little nearer Spring before I get out that way, but will do a bit of research and come up with an alternative route in case that latter part of the trail is not particularly navigable.

 

[sheddy]

Approximate closure timetable:
22th Jan for 3 weeks Hatters Way to Jeans Way
12th Feb for 2 weeks Station Road to Jeans Way
26th Feb for 2 weeks Hatters Way to Stanton Road
12th Mar for 1 week Stanton Road to M1
19th Mar for 1 week sections adjacent to busway requiring closures