Paul Narramore
New Member
- Location
- Aylesford, Kent, UK
We've recently returned to cycling after a break of many years, and are both the wrong side of 60. So we began looking for easy-ish rides for beginners in the area. I guess the biggest shock for me was how poor I was riding up hills but I'm getting better, especially when I discovered that the reason for being unable to engage the lowest chainwheel was not adjustment but that the bottle holder prevented the changer doing it's job.
Anyway these are the rides we've done during the past few weeks and their difficulty (for us) -
1. Reculver to Margate and back - (Regional Cycle Route 15) 20 miles - dead flat ride along the sea wall - easy.
2. Tonbridge to Penshurst AB - (Regional Cycle Route 12) 20 miles - pretty flat, some firm tracks, some tarmac.
3. Hythe to Dungeness AB - 34 miles - dead flat along the sea wall, a short distance on the road leaving Hythe. Lunch at the Brittania pub. Excellent ride.
4. Heron Trail - 18 miles - From Higham to Cooling, Upper Halstow, Hoo, and Upper Upnor - a bit hilly in places, all tarmac.
5. Isle of Sheppey circular route - 24 miles - From Queenborough to Sheerness along the sea wall, a bit bumpy, past Minster to Leysdown then back to Queenborough. The last road section was a bit narrow in places and the road was busy. Not nice.
6. Canterbury to Sandwich AB - (National Cycle Route 1) about 45 miles, I'm going to do this ride tomorrow.
The problem we have at present is that my wife likes neither hills nor heavy traffic so we are looking for quiet, tarmac-only rides.
Anyway these are the rides we've done during the past few weeks and their difficulty (for us) -
1. Reculver to Margate and back - (Regional Cycle Route 15) 20 miles - dead flat ride along the sea wall - easy.
2. Tonbridge to Penshurst AB - (Regional Cycle Route 12) 20 miles - pretty flat, some firm tracks, some tarmac.
3. Hythe to Dungeness AB - 34 miles - dead flat along the sea wall, a short distance on the road leaving Hythe. Lunch at the Brittania pub. Excellent ride.
4. Heron Trail - 18 miles - From Higham to Cooling, Upper Halstow, Hoo, and Upper Upnor - a bit hilly in places, all tarmac.
5. Isle of Sheppey circular route - 24 miles - From Queenborough to Sheerness along the sea wall, a bit bumpy, past Minster to Leysdown then back to Queenborough. The last road section was a bit narrow in places and the road was busy. Not nice.
6. Canterbury to Sandwich AB - (National Cycle Route 1) about 45 miles, I'm going to do this ride tomorrow.
The problem we have at present is that my wife likes neither hills nor heavy traffic so we are looking for quiet, tarmac-only rides.