Drama Queen rides to Skeggy!

[marknotgeorge]

Every year the school my daughters attend, John Port School in Etwall, Derbyshire organise an trip for Year 11 pupils after taking their GCSEs. The 2018 trip - which is the year my eldest is eligible for - is to Kenya, where the kids will spend time helping the local community, blow off steam and gain valuable life experience/ stuff to put on an UCAS form. This is going to cost about £3000, much of which has to be raised by the kids themselves via various charity events.

So, among other things, one of the things DQ (and I) will do is to ride to Skegness from our hometown Derby.
I'm thinking the first weekend in September - it's far enough away to get some training in, and it's before the nasty winter weather kicks in.

This is where I need some help.

Cycle.travel has thrown up this route, which is 110 miles via Nottingham, Bingham, Newark and Lincoln. The time given is 12h 24m, which works out at 8.8mph average. In terms of support, I'm thinking that someone should meet us at various points on route, to be worked out later. I'm just wondering whether it'd be sensible to split it into two days. She's only 15 after all, not an accomplished cyclist and it'll give her extra time on the second day to enjoy Skeggy.

Thoughts?

 

[marknotgeorge]

[QUOTE 4682764, member: 21629"]Derby - Nottingham - Sleaford - Skegness is about 95 miles.[/QUOTE]

That's mostly the A52, though isn't it, which I'm keen to avoid at the end of holiday season?

 

[screenman]

Pop in for tea and cake, it goes right past my door in Bardney.

 

[13 rider]

Avoid the A52 near Bingham single lane but really fast did 1 mile the other week due to navigation error didn't like it . Skirting south of Nottingham to Cotgrave and out on the lanes of the Vale of Belvoir much nicer ,Cropwell Bishop ,Langar to Aslockton . Nice cafe stop between Harby and Stathern called Dove Cottage .
It may be better to split into a 2 day ride depending on your daughter's fittness you don't want a drama due you

 

[wajc]

Doing it over 2 days seems a good idea to me - 110 miles in one go for someone not used to cycling may turn out to be pretty hard going.

Have a look at this for a suggestion - uses your route towards Newark as I'm not familiar enough with the area before that to offer advice. Misses out Lincoln as you're going out of your way a bit to stay on traffic free cycle paths but there are some very quiet lanes through Lincolnshire anyway.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19011119

If you are looking for somewhere to stop and break the route in to two days then Woodhall Spa is worth considering as a stopover point. It would mean Day 1 would be approx. 75 miles, day 2 would be a bit under 30 miles, leaving plenty of time in Skegness on the 2nd day.

http://www.woodhall-spa.co.uk/

Keep off the A158 as much as possible, there is a footpath alongside that you can use which becomes a shared pedestrian/cyclepath path from Southview Leisure Park right in to Skegness.

There are some pretty rural roads on this route - Some info you might appreciate is that there is a gated road just after Moorby and you may well find some cattle on the road for a couple of hundred metres. It can seem intimidating if you're not used to them. It's not too difficult to route round this but adds a bit of distance.

 

[HLaB]

Do you/she particularly want to go into Newark if not use the A1 one of the Long Bennington Bridges (the southern one is quietest as there's no slip to the A1 and the road surface is better) and similarly do you she want to go into Lincoln. Cutting the distance down whilst still keeping it safe and easy, I'd go from you route at Bingham/ Alsockton: Orston - Staunton in the Vale - Long Bennington - Westborough - Dry Doddington - Stubton - Stragglethorpe - A17 crossing - Brant Broughton - Boofby Graffoe - Metheringham - Timberland - Martin then rejoin your route at Woodhall Spa.

 

[growingvegetables]

I'm just wondering whether it'd be sensible to split it into two days.

Of my four kids (at that age!) ...
- one would have refused point blank;
- two would be up for it, but would have needed the two days;
- and the fourth would see it as a challenge, refuse to be beaten, go for it - and in that odd 15-year-old perversity, thoroughly enjoy hating the stretch beyond his (yup, it's a him) capability.

If your lass isn't that accomplished a cyclist? Important to plan in enjoying the ride - two days. But I don't know the lass and her reserves ... and given her ambition, am well aware that I may be underestimating her.

One other thought - long riding through urban sprawl and suburbia bored my kids (and me!) stiff. I don't know the region, but I'd be looking to avoid Nottingham/Newark/Lincoln?

 

[DCLane]

How much riding has / does she do? 100 miles is possible but quite a bit of a stretch from very little. I've a 12yo who's done over that distance in a day but a 16yo who couldn't do half of it.

The Everybody Rides to Skeggy audax goes from Alfreton but with mainly quiet roads - would some of that route help? http://bikeroutetoaster.com/BRTWebUI/Course/220851

"Enjoy Skeggy" ... erm ... they're not two words I usually hear together

Either way I hope the planning, and more importantly the ride, go well.

 

[marknotgeorge]

I tend to do most of my riding with the girls, so she's about as accomplished as me. I'm definitely beginning to think two days is the more sensible option. It just doesn't sound as impressive.

I'll look at the ideas for routes when I get on my laptop.

DQ's bike is a Mongoose MTB, but with mudguards and a rack, so it's not that dissimilar to my bike. I can't see being able to afford more road-oriented bikes in the coming months, so it'll have to do.

Oh, and @User21629 ? The Vorschlaghammer is a proper bike. Any problems firmly exist between saddle and handlebars!