Cycle route from Dartford?

[Beebo]

The fnrttc whitstable ride goes right past your front door.
The problem you have is that the immediate roads around the hotel are all either dual carriageway or the M25.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Rainham marshes is lovely and close but the wrong side of the river and hard to get across without a car.

Has the Dartford tunnel option disappeared? Last time I was out that way I rolled up to a little office on the south side and they stuck the bike on the back of a 4x4 and drove me through for free. (They then took me round a series of roundabouts so that when they dropped me off I no longer had any idea which way was north or south but, hey, it was free.)

 

[vickster]

Has the Dartford tunnel option disappeared? Last time I was out that way I rolled up to a little office on the south side and they stuck the bike on the back of a 4x4 and drove me through for free. (They then took me round a series of roundabouts so that when they dropped me off I no longer had any idea which way was north or south but, hey, it was free.)

It's now £10 return to go through tunnel/cross back across bridge

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It's now £10 return to go through tunnel/cross back across bridge

Bleeding heck, will they ever sort out river crossings east of Tower Bridge? Only today I got a TfL weekend traffic email advising ''road users'' to use the Blackwall Tunnel during the Woolwich Ferry strike. I thought cyclists were road users!

 

[vickster]

Bleeding heck, will they ever sort out river crossings east of Tower Bridge? Only today I got a TfL weekend traffic email advising ''road users'' to use the Blackwall Tunnel during the Woolwich Ferry strike. I thought cyclists were road users!

That's in a car. You can't go by bike. Nor would you want to imo

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

That's in a car. You can't go by bike. Nor would you want to imo

I know, it's an all-windows-closed-air-circulation-set-to-internal kind of environment.

 

[Sharky]

Yeah, that looks good. I was going to say I could move my hotel to Bexleyheath, but I think I'm closer to that from Dartford. Thanks for the tip.

Have a look at Brands Hatch Place and the Rising Sun, both at Fawkham and about 4 miles south of Dartford.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Rainham marshes is lovely and close but the wrong side of the river and hard to get across without a car.

You can hire bikes there now.
There is also the Cyclopark on the A2. Not sure if you can take their bikes off site though.

 

[Beebo]

Bleeding heck, will they ever sort out river crossings east of Tower Bridge? Only today I got a TfL weekend traffic email advising ''road users'' to use the Blackwall Tunnel during the Woolwich Ferry strike. I thought cyclists were road users!

Cyclists can use the woolwich tunnel, so not really a problem.

 

[markharry66]

Why not go to shoreham or otford both nice villages and not a million miles from dartford.

 

[martint235]

Bikes are still free to go across the Dartford Crossing. You need to check the hours as they are getting a bit sneaky in having a couple of periods when there is no service (call me cynical but I believe it's to cut the number of users to that they can eventually say it's not viable). All you do is ring from a little phone at an office either side of the crossing.

If you're taking your own bike, Dartford to Erith is nowt of a commute although you're unlikely to see a lot of scenery. For a leisure ride, I'd count Whitstable as easily reachable (around 45 miles) or if that's too far, go out on to the Hoo Peninsular there's a really nice pub (Horseshoe and Castle) just past Jools Holland's castle. Best steak and cheese sandwich I've had outside of New York (but it was a couple of years ago)

 

[jonny jeez]

I'm working in Erith, but wasn't sure it was possible to cycle to and from work. I think I'm only down for the week, but this could easily grow. I'm not a fan of spending hours at a time in a car so plan to fly down and hire a car at the airport. I've never looked into it, but assume that it would just be a total pain to try and take a bike with me.

Staying in Dartford and working in erith. Could mean a trip to Whitstable along the Thames, very flat and not too challenging. Could you consider taking a room at a premier inn close to erith, say Bexleyheath and riding to and from work with ease. There is a Marriot thingy at the top of gravel hill in Bexleyheath with a pool and close to cinema, shops etc....probably not too spendy either.

 

[Slick]

Staying in Dartford and working in erith. Could mean a trip to Whitstable along the Thames, very flat and not too challenging. Could you consider taking a room at a premier inn close to erith, say Bexleyheath and riding to and from work with ease. There is a Marriot thingy at the top of gravel hill in Bexleyheath with a pool and close to cinema, shops etc....probably not too spendy either.

This might be the way to go next time I'm in town. This time I'm stuck in the hotel doing paperwork. Weather's not really playing ball anyway, and that dual carriageway is enough to put anybody of.