Finding Good Routes

[BigMeatball]

if you live in a city, as soon as you get out of the chaos everything will look like heaven and scenic

 

[DaveReading]

Interesting that you ask about the highlighting of scenic routes. That immediately makes me think of the Michelin map series. The French ones are the most well known, but there was an excellent sets of five inexpensive maps covering the UK and Ireland, published during the 1980s and 1990s which can easily be found secondhand. For example:

Michelin sheet 404

View attachment 532481

Earlier copies were yellow rather than orange. Provided secondhand bookshops are open I'd be surprised if you couldn't put together the set in decent condition for under an tenner. It looks as though you'd pay a bit more on eBay.

Other maps and sites are needed for greater detail, but what the old MIchelin maps do brilliantly is to give an overall picture of an area or region, helping to visualise how a ride or tour can be put together. One of the features was the highlighting of scenic roads in an eyecatching green. A subjective editorial judgment of course.

More modern versions are available, but I have a fondness for the 1980s style.

Continental European Michelin maps are accessible online - I don't know whether or not that applies to UK ones.

 

[gavroche]

I just follow my nose or stick to roads I know. I got lost not long ago but, as I was heading north, I just turned round and headed south until I came to a main road and proper road signs. Easy.

 

[Drago]

Sign up on viewranger. A lot of walking and cycling routes people have submitted that you van download to your GPS or phone.

 

[Drago]

Follow your nose.

That's how I ended up in Accy's outside toilet.

 

[nickyboy]

I find the most powerful avoidance tool for 'non-asphalt' is to use the little yellow man (GSV). Don't need to plonk him down but the blue lines revealed offer assurance.
Don't get me wrong: I'll always be on the look out for a bridleway or BOAT that might 'go'.
This BOAT gave me my (slightly) 'rough stuff' fix on Day 1 of LEL (rather than the ugly (shaped) road excursion through Haslingfield) at about 60k in, on the way to St Ives, and kept the overall distance closer to 1400km.

I do exactly the same. Have a bit of a go at plotting a route on ridewithgps (set to "driving" mode). Then use the yellow man to see if I've plotted anywhere that Google maps hasn't been. Generally these are not great for road bikes so l will reroute
As you mention, occasionally there is a blue line route that is terrible. I try to weed these out by dropping the yellow man in and having a look around on ridewithgps via Google maps
I did the whole LEJOG routing this way. It's also a good way to drag the route via different options to see how the distance and climbing varies

 

[HLaB]

I just tend to follow my nose and/or past knowledge of what is good, unless I have a specific destination, then I might cross check google with RWGPS but a lot of the google features (street view, aerial, topo maps, road maps etc) are already integrated into RWGPS.

I've not used them yet, as I've not been routing far from home lately, but I may auto generate in future a route in Strava or Garmin Connect (the latter is based on cyclist popularity, Strava might be too) and cross check with street view in RWGPS to ensure I'm not being routed down off road or un-navigable tracks. (To quickly check that I hover the streetview man over the map, if it goes blue its navigable )

 

[Globalti]

All my best mountain biking routes and many of my road routes have been the result of long, leisurely sessions studying the OS map either in the bath or on the bog. There's no greater joy than scoping out a route then going and testing it. Many of those off-road routes were in Calderdale, a valley system with an absolutely mind-boggling choice of old industrial routes to ride, as @ColinJ will testify.

 

[Globalti]

Must admit after years of cycling the area where I live the same roads had become a bit stale. Of late I have taken to looking out places I have never been (some just off roads I have traveled countless times) and going to see what is there, sometimes nowt!!

Ended up down a few dead ends (today included) but every once in a while you encounter a hidden gem.

Obviously this exploration type cycling is no good if you are "chasing times" but very enjoyable.

Agreed, the Ribble Valley is a fantastic area for cycling but after riding every road for years I'm feeling a bit stale.

 

[ColinJ]

All my best mountain biking routes and many of my road routes have been the result of long, leisurely sessions studying the OS map either in the bath or on the bog. There's no greater joy than scoping out a route then going and testing it. Many of those off-road routes were in Calderdale, a valley system with an absolutely mind-boggling choice of old industrial routes to ride, as @ColinJ will testify.

I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the Calderdale off-road route information given above by @Globalti is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Agreed, the Ribble Valley is a fantastic area for cycling but after riding every road for years I'm feeling a bit stale.

I also solemnly... (etc.) that the Ribble Valley is great, but because I live further away from it I don't ride there frequently enough to feel stale about the area. (Probably about 8-10 RV rides per year?)

 

[snorri]

Cycle-route.com worth a look

I have looked at a few of the routes listed on that site, but the map doesn't load and there are no route descriptions.

 

[vickster]

I have looked at a few of the routes listed on that site, but the map doesn't load and there are no route descriptions.

Looks like the site is no longer maintained or is broken. Looks like you may be able to get the odd gpx but not much use

 

[Donger]

Lots of good stuff above. I use OS maps and, where I am not familiar with a particular section, take a look on Google Maps using Streetview.

One further tip I can offer is to take a look at the Audax UK website. Audax UK organise a large number of 100km, 200km and longer events, choosing (wherever possible) quiet and scenic lanes that you might never find for yourself. As a member of Audax UK, I have been introduced to hundreds of miles of wonderful lanes for cycling in Gloucestershire and surrounding counties. A few of of the calendar events show the exact routes of upcoming audax events, which you can relate to OS maps to plot yourself a great route. (Most are only released after you pay to enter events).

 

[Fab Foodie]

The problem I find with the non OS maps is that if you're not careful (eg selecting the right navigation mode when plotting) you can find yourself on some pretty bad tracks. These may be "good, scenic" routes to some cyclists (with Mountain Bikes and the skills to go with them!) but not for me.

For instance, last year I failed to check my route against OS maps and found myself walking down this 12% gradient, which is heavily eroded where the roadway has become a stream in the rain. I didn't enjoy it. I was pretty annoyed with myself as it was late in my ride and I was tired. It may have been a grand day out for some other cyclists. The alternative was descending on a very unpleasant A road (A249 Detling Hill). Some A roads are OK. This one isn't.
View attachment 532496
Not far away from here is another track that is supposedly a cycle route. A few years ago my lack of off-road skills on that track landed me in a barbed wire fence (on my way home from a Friday night ride to Whitstable)

This ^^^^
Have had much the same experience.
Cycleroute app is quite good.

For me part of the fun is poring over maps deciding where to go....

 

[PaulSB]

Agreed, the Ribble Valley is a fantastic area for cycling but after riding every road for years I'm feeling a bit stale.

Yes, I find the same. I also live in Lancashire where we are blessed with some of the best and most varied cycling in the UK. Even this though can become stale, especially riding solo.

I found lockdown has helped as to alleviate the general boredom it forced me to rethink many routes. I needed to join up lanes and roads in ways I had not previously done to keep the routes varied and within 30-35 miles.

I've begun to do this in the Ribble Valley and come up with some great routes using lanes we often ride straight by. For example our usual route to Ribchester has been +/- 45 miles and 3-3500 feet of climbing. I've been able to extend this to a much nicer route of 63 miles and 2600 - everyone smiles quietly when I speak of my flat route to Ribchester, until they try it!! 😊