Gravel day trips near London

[dimrub]

Hey folks!

Me and the family are going on a vacation in the UK. We have two multi-day cycling trips planned, but after that I'll have about a week of London, with my wife and kid. They'll probably be site-seeing and I'll probably be free to explore on a bicycle (conveniently, I've ordered me a new gravel bike, and I can't wait to try it out). Are there any gravel routes within an hour by train from central London that you would recommend?

 

[Gwylan]

Komoot is your friend on this.
South east, out of Victoria into Kent.

 

[dimrub]

Komoot is your friend on this.
South east, out of Victoria into Kent.

Nice, thanks. This one looks brilliant to me, at least judging by description.

 

[Salad Dodger]

Nice, thanks. This one looks brilliant to me, at least judging by description.

It's a nice route, but not much gravel. Mostly tarmac on shared path/cycle ways.....

 

[mjr]

https://cycle.travel/route/summary/157851 The Downs Link is the first to come to my mind. Start in Woking, half an hour by train from London, and it's 71% gravel. End in Shoreham, 1h 20 train back to London. Or plenty of bailout stations on the way.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

East side of South Downs, the hilliest side and typically against the prevailing wind, starting from Eastbourne?

 

[dimrub]

https://cycle.travel/route/summary/157851 The Downs Link is the first to come to my mind. Start in Woking, half an hour by train from London, and it's 71% gravel. End in Shoreham, 1h 20 train back to London. Or plenty of bailout stations on the way.

Ah, this one is even better, thanks. I love converted railway trails, and finishing by the sea!

 

[figbat]

Paddington to Didcot Parkway (approx 45 minutes). You are then about 20 minutes’ ride from The Ridgeway. Head west as far as you like, you could get to Swindon and a train back from there.

Don’t do it if it’s wet though!

 

[wonderloaf]

A bit outside your 1 hour from London, but if you don't mind a 1 1/2 hour journey then you can get to the New Forest which is a bit like gravel central down here. Train from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst and then from there there are many gravel trails availible, I follow a chap on youtube called CycleXplorer who has made a few videos which I've found very helpful, I've just completed this one (38km), which was very good:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cbRnzoAE0


He includes downloadable GPX, RWGPS and Komoot files as well.

Brockenhurst has a cycle shop and cafes, pubs etc and the gravel trails also take you through Lyndhurst which is very similar.

My next gravel ride is going to be the Nifty Fifty when the weather clears up a bit!

 

[Gwylan]

Nice, thanks. This one looks brilliant to me, at least judging by description.

Yes. Go mid week.
The trains get very busy at the weekends. Can be unpleasant if it's really sunny.

 

[simonali]

A bit outside your 1 hour from London, but if you don't mind a 1 1/2 hour journey then you can get to the New Forest which is a bit like gravel central down here. Train from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst and then from there there are many gravel trails availible, I follow a chap on youtube called CycleXplorer who has made a few videos which I've found very helpful, I've just completed this one (38km), which was very good:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cbRnzoAE0


He includes downloadable GPX, RWGPS and Komoot files as well.

Brockenhurst has a cycle shop and cafes, pubs etc and the gravel trails also take you through Lyndhurst which is very similar.

My next gravel ride is going to be the Nifty Fifty when the weather clears up a bit!

I'd like to give that a go but don't have a bike GPS doodah. Will check out how much of a PITA getting a train to Brockenhurst is regardless...

 

[simonali]

Turns out it is a pain in the rectum. Have to get a train to Southampton and then back out again in the opposite direction. And it's almost 40 quid return!

Cheaper to drive in my gas guzzler, especially as I won't be visiting the pub if I drive. 😒

 

[wonderloaf]

Turns out it is a pain in the rectum. Have to get a train to Southampton and then back out again in the opposite direction. And it's almost 40 quid return!

Cheaper to drive in my gas guzzler, especially as I won't be visiting the pub if I drive. 😒

Takes me about an hour in the car from Basingstoke, but think it's worth it just for the change of scenery. I've got plans to incorporate rides into some overnight hotel stays with Mrs W, leave her in the hotel reading a book while I take to the gravel for a couple of hours or so!

 

[simonali]

Takes me about an hour in the car from Basingstoke, but think it's worth it just for the change of scenery. I've got plans to incorporate rides into some overnight hotel stays with Mrs W, leave her in the hotel reading a book while I take to the gravel for a couple of hours or so!

I'm probably an hour by car from the NF but a bit further to Lyndhurst/Brockenhurst as I am on the Salisbury side. I lived in the forest for a little while in a tiny place called Mockbeggar, between Fordingbridge and Ringwood, so I know it quite well. Only had a road bike back then so only been off the beaten track on foot.

If you enjoy a brew there's a half decent brewery on the Southampton side called Vibrant Forest.