Ealing to Lymington

[Rustybucket]

Thanks - looks good, going to plan my route tonight & will probably use most of yours!!

 

[srw]

Most of it was good, apart from the bit from Kingston to Guildford, which I mapped in a bit of a hurry and choose roads which were both busy and dull.

As it happens I rode from Kingston to Guildford last night, and followed a route which wasn't busy (at 6:30pm) and including some bits of exquisite lane.

Here's the route I took, which largely follows the old A3 route.
Kingston to Esher to Cobham - Portsmouth Rd, A307. Beware of the A309 roundabout* which is nasty and badly thought-out - though since it's a very early main-road junction we ought to make allowances. After that, the road becomes a very wide single-carriageway with a 50mph limit and a rough surface.

Turn left in Cobham, then shortly right (Downside Br Road) and right again at the Plough pub (Plough Lane). A delightful narrow line, which winds gently up and over the M25.

At some stage turn right (there are plenty of options - I kept South as long as I could) to meet the B2215 Portsmouth Road through Ripley. (More very wide single carriageway, with brand new tarrmac).

Follow this south, past the A247 roundabout. Eventually the southbound lane gives out, at which point a very obvious cyclepath appears going southbound on the wrong side of the traffic. Follow this onto the A3 (northbound side), and keep going the wrong way up the slip road to meet Clay Lane; turn left past Sainsbury's and then right down the A3100 into Guildford.

It's about a mile of cyclepath all told; the surface is pretty good (better than many roads) and for some reason it's not on the google cyling path. It also avoids a long, busy main road detour.

Alternatively from Kingston follow the A308 to Hampton Court, the A3050 to Walton-on-Thames, then turn left to meet the A245 just outside Byfleet. From there you can either track across to meet the A320 (a busy fast road - aim as far south as possible) or jag down to the B2215. That's the route one of my colleagues takes to commute from Walton to Guildford.

*It's called the Scilly Isles roundabout. Wikipedia tells me it's derived from "Silly [traffic] islands" which is as good a place-name etymology as I've come across.

 

[Rustybucket]

Well, I rode from Ealing to Lymington last weekend - then on to the Isle of Wight. Here's my route:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3114060
(it doesn't start from my house!)

Most of it was good, apart from the bit from Kingston to Guildford, which I mapped in a bit of a hurry and choose roads which were both busy and dull. Most of it from Guildford on was a joy. You could do other variations getting in to the New Forest: I did a bit of a loop as my companion had not been there before.

The A30 is mostly ok to cycle on if you are a confident cyclist and in a hurry but not what I would call fun. There are better alternatives.

The Three Down audax gives two other proven routes to the New Forest. They start from Chalfont but worth looking at for alternatives:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2313660

Nicked second half of you route amazing back roads and hills. Will post strava when on pc. Only downside my chain snapped off my new bike. Good old halfords