Easy Route Wanted: London/Dover

[Brains]

Hi

I've been given the responsibility of finding a route from Greenwich/Woolwich to Dover, then Calais/Ypres

This will 20+ riders of all ages, most of whom have never cycled more than 20 miles in a day (plus a couple of of experienced tourers and a couple of hardened velo-commuters)
Luggage will be going in a van.

I'm looking for the easiest, flattest, no main roads, and ideally shortest route.

It looks like it's about 180 miles, so 60 miles a day for 3 days
(Can a novice do 60 miles a day three days in a row ????)

Has anyone got map sections they can send me ?

I'm thinking in terms of along the Thames to Gravesend, over to Rochester (is the tunnel cyclable ?), stopping for the night in the Sittingbourne/Faversham area, then next day onto Whistable and then Crab & Winkle to Canterbury and then over to Deal and down the coast and spend night two in Calais area.

Google maps seems to come up with a route that basically follows the M20.
Anyone done it ?

 

[Sharky]

No to the Medway tunnel. Cyclists not allowed

 

[Sharky]

Part of the route could be
Dartford, longfield, Meopham, sole street, Cobham, turn right at the memorial
Descend to cuxton, where left to motorway bridge, taking footpath right to cross on the bridge. There is a service road running over the bridge (car free).
Right then left and then you can follow country roads all the way down to Leeds. This will bring you onto the A20 heading towards Charing.

Somebody else will have to suggest a route from here.

But there are no hill free routes!

Good luck

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Have a play with Cycle.travel

Mainly NCN 1 I think.

 

[ianrauk]

As what others have said 60 mile day on lumpy bits of Kent which can't really be avoided. It's going to be a very long, tough old day for newcomers to cycling. But.. if you take it easy and allow for a few rest/cafe stops, it is doable.

Also, when are you heading off? 20+ cyclists heading east through SE London will be a nightmare with traffic. For that reason alone I would start somewhere like Darford instead.

 

[mmmmartin]

I'd suggest getting the train to Dover then spending more time enjoying yourselves in Belgium. The coast is great and once inland there is a plethora of excellent flat cycle routes. Ypres is a year round tourist hotspot and consequently expensive to stay in.

 

[jefmcg]

I'd suggest getting the train to Dover

And keep well away from peak times if you want to squeeze 20 bikes in there.

 

[StuartG]

And keep well away from peak times if you want to squeeze 20 bikes in there.

There are multiple routes from Victoria, Charing Cross & St Pancras most running half hourly so you can split the load easily and regroup in Dover. Definitely the best way to start your Belgian adventure. Also getting the Dover Dunkirk (DFDS) ferry will give you a headstart t'other side. It won't be much fun until you hit Belgium. But after that its great. Have your first break in Verne!

Take @mmmmartin tip and stay somewhere outside Ypres like Poperinge and ride in for the day. Unless it is a Sally Ally ride you may find the Westmalle Brewery is the highlight of the ride in more ways than one. Other breweries are available.

Brugge and Ghent could make up your mileage nicely. Absolutely no hills.

 

[StuAff]

There are multiple routes from Victoria, Charing Cross & St Pancras most running half hourly so you can split the load easily and regroup in Dover. Definitely the best way to start your Belgian adventure. Also getting the Dover Dunkirk (DFDS) ferry will give you a headstart t'other side. It won't be much fun until you hit Belgium. But after that its great. Have your first break in Verne!

Take @mmmmartin tip and stay somewhere outside Ypres like Poperinge and ride in for the day. Unless it is a Sally Ally ride you may find the Westmalle Brewery is the highlight of the ride in more ways than one. Other breweries are available.

Brugge and Ghent could make up your mileage nicely. Absolutely no hills.

+1 to that. Poperinge is a lovely little town, six miles from Ypres. I'll be wanting to pay another visit sometime. The Hotel de la Paix is excellent.

 

[Brains]

The start point, will be the mile post at the top of Shooters Hill
100 years after the end of WW1
I'm not sure where they got the figure of 130 miles from, as even with the M20, the tunnel and the E16 it's over 160 miles, and I suspect closer to 200 miles by cycle.

Thanks for the above, keep the suggestions coming, I'm looking at all the options given so far.
If anyone has a detailed copy of the Fridays Whistable route I'd appreciate it

 

[Brains]

Have a play with Cycle.travel

Mainly NCN 1 I think.

Brilliant app!
Many thanks

 

[smutchin]

OK, just to reiterate what others have said: Shortest route = main roads + hills

If you're starting at the top of Shooter's Hill, my suggestion would be to stick to the main road as far as Dartford - it's not great but it's direct, and the alternatives are a faff. And the descent into Welling is FUN!!!!

Then turn off towards Longfield and Meopham, through the lanes to take the cycle path over the M2 bridge (avoiding the Medway towns, which are no fun by bike), then along the Pilgrims Way - it's a bit of an uphill slog for a few miles after the bridge crossing but not steep, then it's gently rolling country roads.

If you then cut south at Lenham, you can then skirt round the south of Ashford and along flattish country roads down to Hythe, then along the coast to Folkestone. There is the inevitable climb out of Wear Bay but after that it's pretty much all downhill into Dover.
Here's a route for you: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26409611

To be honest, I don't think you could find anything much flatter than that, and the only way to make it significantly shorter would be to use busy main roads.

You could go north of Ashford, but that way would be seriously feckin' lumpy.

 

[Sharky]

If you're starting at the top of Shooter's Hill, my suggestion would be to stick to the main road as far as Dartford - it's not great but it's direct, and the alternatives are a faff. And the descent into Welling is FUN!!!!

That brings back memories. One of my early commutes was from just south of Dartford, through Bexleyheath, Welling and over Shooters Hill , before descending into Greenwich and eventually over London Bridge into the city. Shooters Hill was quite a challenge in both directions! All in the days before cycle lanes. Used to meet just two other cyclists on route, on most days - Hardly any others!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Just peering eastwards from the South West of England and wondering what all this talk of ‘hills’ is all about.

 

[smutchin]

That brings back memories. One of my early commutes was from just south of Dartford, through Bexleyheath, Welling and over Shooters Hill , before descending into Greenwich and eventually over London Bridge into the city. Shooters Hill was quite a challenge in both directions!

You should try doing Shooters Hill on fixed, as I used to do regularly. The descent into Welling is actually more challenging than the climb from Greenwich - must have come close to 200rpm a few times...

Only time I've ridden all the way back home from Central London to Whitstable in one go was on the FNRttC. But I would suggest the OP bears in mind that doing the FNRttC route will have a very different feel to it if you're not doing it in the middle of the night - especially the Medway towns.