FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - suggestions for 2011 please

[marinyork]

For which read long and dull, with potholes, and usually a headwind both ways... I usually think not going through Stockon is an advantage.

Well yet another unsurprising contrarian disagreement on what was one of my favourite places and on my training run. One can use the A166 or the A64 but if one doesn't want to use either I don't see the issue - one broadly has three routes being Uncle Phil's, mine or Dell's. I think it's a perfectly nice run up to Malton or switch further south and east. But I do like your Wolds idea.

 

[Aperitif]

on my training run

*serious cyclist alert*

 

[dellzeqq]

London to Hastings is a stinker. I speak as an expert, having done it any number of times over a 30 year period. I'm convinced that God did not intend Sevenoaks to be cycled through. And as for Riverhead - what is all that about?

Somebody once showed me a route via back roads. Up, down, left, right, up down, left right, up, down, left right - and then you came back on the A21 about three miles from the point at which you left it.

 

[marinyork]

That sounds a bit like a cheat for a sega game.

 

[Mr Bunbury]

I think that's all very unnecessary. Heworth, Stockton on the Forest, Upper Helmsley, Sand Hutton and so on there are some great minor roads going up to Malton without going anywhere near the A64 and/or you can head back down whenever you like. The A166 still has a few nutters on it in anycase.

Fair enough. I was trying to avoid too may tiny roads for a big group at night, places for stray riders to get lost etc. Then again, my standard route to Scarborough is the A64.

Simon, your route looks good. The trip along the coast would be good fun.

 

[marinyork]

Fair enough. I was trying to avoid too may tiny roads for a big group at night, places for stray riders to get lost etc. Then again, my standard route to Scarborough is the A64.

Simon, your route looks good. The trip along the coast would be good fun.

I think Simon will agree with you, which is fine. The problem with the side roads is that they do join the A64/A166 in the wrong places and you end up doing bits of them anyway and some of those are the dodgy bits. The A166 is a nice enough road when there are silly people about. There are quite a few 2nd cafe stops on route1 though although it's been quite a while since I went to any of them.

 

[dellzeqq]

it is very difficult to tell unless you check the road out at night. The A24 is a hideous propostion during the day, but we'll do 20 miles on it en route to Felpham. We've done bits of the 6-lane A3, and, although it might not be too interesting, I'd have no qualms about the A63 at 3 in the morning

 

[Danny]

Fair enough. I was trying to avoid too may tiny roads for a big group at night, places for stray riders to get lost etc. Then again, my standard route to Scarborough is the A64.

Simon, your route looks good. The trip along the coast would be good fun.

You are a braver man the me. I wouldn't ride along the A64 at any time of day or night.

The roads marinyork is suggesting are no more tiny than the ones we went on to Cleethorpes - however they are considerably more hilly.

 

[CopperBrompton]

T4. Halfways stop. Tricky. There's a better Southend route just waiting to be ridden, but I've been up and down the route and asked every eatery on the way, and they're not interested.

If you can email me the route, the places you've tried and some rough details (how many people, what sort of time), I can try a few places.

 

[Flying Dodo]

London to Hastings is a stinker. I speak as an expert, having done it any number of times over a 30 year period. I'm convinced that God did not intend Sevenoaks to be cycled through. And as for Riverhead - what is all that about?

Somebody once showed me a route via back roads. Up, down, left, right, up down, left right, up, down, left right - and then you came back on the A21 about three miles from the point at which you left it.

Fair enough, although I didn't think the route was too bad when I did it (plus of course for a FNRttC, Sevenoaks would have the advantage of being shrouded in darkness).

I like the idea of Flamborough - very nice up there.

How about a continental FNRttC? Build up the Entente Cordiale by linking up with some French clubs and doing something like Lille to Calais?

Yes, it would be a bit pricey and complicated - Eurostar to Lille (and people would have to stagger the trains to ensure they can get the bikes on), then boat from Calais back to Dover, but think of the fun of cycling on the wrong side of the road, for the whole of the journey, not just bits of it, like we do at the moment.

Back in the UK, another possible route would be London to Clacton on Sea, although that's probably too limiting on the trains, as there's only 1 per hour out of Clacton, unless you cycle up to Colchester.

Or for a change, how about another ride to Cleethorpes, but this time start it from Nottingham? Lots of trains for getting to the start, and provided you stay off the A46, it should be quieter roads.

 

[Canrider]

Getting to Malton, should you be aiming that direction, isn't difficult. What's slightly harder is getting from Malton to Scarborough without using the A64/170, as the Derwent gets in the way.

I like bunbury's #2 and dell's suggestion. The A165 is a motorway-style hole now for some of its length, but we should be able to find a workaround to avoid most of it. Unfortunately the previous coastal road is now closed due to erosion, and this is the replacement. And as you say, it'll be the wee hours too.

 

[theclaud]

Nice sig, Canrider!

 

[theclaud]

TheClaude is mulling over the South Wales routes.

Indeed I am. Gloucester to Cardiff sounds like a goer. It would be criminal not to take the ride down the Wye valley, but it's wiggly enough to push the distance near the limit, I reckon. I suppose it depends on the hill factor. Talking of which, Cardiff to Mumbles could be a good one, and is mostly flat, but there is a reward to be had from an elective hill module - if people are prepared to give a it a Ditchling-esque push at the end, they will appreciate why Swansea is sometimes thought of as the Naples of South Wales (OK, I'm stretching it a bit, but the bay looks nice from the top of the surrounding hills, and it gives us a speedy five-mile downhill to breakfast). And I can throw in an interesting derelict Jewish cemetery for anyone prepared to fling themselves over a tall wall and a bit of barbed wire...

 

[rich p]

). And I can throw in an interesting derelict Jewish cemetery for anyone prepared to fling themselves over a tall wall and a bit of barbed wire...

Blimey, takes me right back to Colditz

 

[Aperitif]

"My death, my life!" (Go to France rich- celebrate football success in Avignon et seq! )