bladesman73
Über Member
Hi, am looking to take the family to Norfolk for a few days and wondered if anyone can recommened an area where the roads are usually nice and quiet please. All have race bikes so no offroading. Thanks
Cycling in Norfolk
- Thread starter bladesman73
- Start date
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Binka
Über Member
- Location
- Lincoln, uk
Some years ago I stayed near Holt and spent a couple of days cycling about country lanes and it was a nice area.
AndyRM
XOXO
- Location
- North Shields
citybabe
Keep Calm and OMG.......CAKES!!
- Location
- Lowestoft Suffolk
Which part of Norfolk are you coming to?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Yes, on road bikes, the best area is probably between the coast and the B1145 (Lynn-Litcham-Aylsham-North Walsham-Mundesley), as long as you stay off the A and B roads outside built-up areas (I know, I know, but the drivers make most of them not fun). The Norfolk Coast Cycleway and its loops and links are probably a good basis. http://www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk/partnership/norfolk-coast-cycleway/388
There are good routes south of there too but they've less wow factor bits and there's more chance of stumbling into a gravel link, even on signposted high-profile routes. cycle.travel and www.cyclosm.org show gravel more clearly than OS maps or Google.
If you let us know more on where or preferred things from a ride, I'll see if I can think of more.
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Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Lovely cycling that way. Not flat, nicely rolling.
Over Cantley way is nice, in the Wensum Valley. Gently rolling, lots of quiet roads and routes. Easy to cycle to Norwich if you like, or Gt Yarmouth if that floats your boat. I go on holiday there, all 60 miles away, sometime. Just to ride where I used to live. Seriously considering moving back that way.
I live in West Norfolk and there are some lovely routes here too.
OP
OP
bladesman73
Über Member
Thanks for the replies. Maybe looking at around thetford and brandon.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
That's really gravel forest road territory and there's a large closed army range north of Thetford obstructing routes. The Thetford Cycle Loop involves a lot of gravel and the town centre has a no-cycling street which accounts for about half the cycling fines in Norfolk. Routes south are limited and need a detour east to avoid motorist-dominated roads. Thetford is not my favourite town for cycling, sorry!
The route between Thetford and Brandon (blue 30) involves a gravel section but I think it's under a mile and usually pretty well rolled (but I've not ridden it recently - I will in a few weeks but on a Dutchie). Avoiding it is half nasty forest A road and half back road.
Mostly the good cycling roads are north from Brandon or east from Thetford. There are good quiet roads from both to Swaffham (red 13 from Thetford, blue (30) and then an unsignposted dotted-on-some-maps route from Brandon), from Brandon to Oxburgh Hall and Denver (blue (30)) and from Thetford towards Euston Hall (red 13 I think) and Diss (blue 30).
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GilesM
Legendary Member
- Location
- East Lothian
Just back from a week staying in Fring, a wee bit east of Snettisham, we took MTBs so that we could ride more of the tracks, we plan to go back, will have to think if we take the MTB or road bikes next time, the lanes were fantastic, not too many cars, it was a just a great place to cycle. I would suggest keeping away from the A149 along the north coast, that wasn't much fun, but there were plenty of alternatives. Highly recommend the Three Horseshoes in Warham, good beer and excellent pies. Cycling around Sandringham was also very good, and I was surprised about the lack of traffic for a sunny Friday in July, excellent cakes at the cafe. I really wouldn't bother about following any of the cycle routes, just look at the OS maps, and head out on the lanes, there were a couple of roads, marked as yellow unclassified roads on the OS map, but had actually been turned into Bridleways, they were good, and rideable on a road bike.
