Hampshire for the day from Cambridgeshire: bike & train

[fted33]

You can catch a train from Cambridge direct to Blackfriars. The time might not suit but worth a look. Its a new service from Kings Lynn to Brighton.

 

[Reynard]

I’ve never found that a difficult walk with a bike

No, but I'm kinda lazy. And changing at Cambridge is super easy - all I need to do is change platforms instead of changing stations.

 

[Reynard]

No, but I'm kinda lazy. And changing at Cambridge is super easy - all I need to do is change platforms instead of changing stations.

Scrub that... The Cambridge to Brighton service doesn't appear to run at weekends at the moment. Drat. Blasted interim timetable. Balance that against the fact I can use my railcard all day at weekends and the fact that there aren't so many restrictions about taking bikes on trains...

So, if I'm doing this on a Saturday, my outbound journey looks like this...

1) Ride to Ely Station.
2) Ely to Kings Cross
3) Walk to St Pancras
4) St Pancras to Blackfriars
5) Walk / Ride to Waterloo
6) Waterloo to Winchester

And then the ride to my final destination. More work needed here. Will need to get my mitts on a good map of the local area, methinks.

Thanks for the help getting this far, folks! It's starting to come together, but it's looking like a hellaciously loooooong day.

 

[Bollo]

...More work needed here. Will need to get my mitts on a good map of the local area, methinks.

Thanks for the help getting this far, folks! It's starting to come together, but it's looking like a hellaciously loooooong day.

Plan!

It'd be a shame to walk out of Winchester along probably its ugliest road. If you're here on a Saturday there's more than a good chance I can act as tour guide out of the city, pass most of the sights (and some lesser known bits) and keep you on traffic-light roads or paths. I'm afraid the inclines aren't going to go away, but the experience and views will certainly be better.

I'm only two minutes ride from the station so it's no hassle. I can always shoot off after the M3 Winnall roundabout if you want to carry on at your own pace. Otherwise, if you're just looking for route advice I can sketch out the route I'd take.

Edit ... sketched route.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/20431207

 

[Reynard]

Thank you so much @Bollo I've made a note of that route.

Is the NCN 23 well signposted? The cycle routes around Cambridge and Ely generally are, though once you get into the more rural areas, it can get a bit sketchy.

P.S. For all the touristy-ness, some parts of Ely and Cambridge are also stunningly ugly.

 

[subaqua]

One thing to remember is the restriction on non folders arriving into Kings X (after 07:00 and before 09:30 ) IIRC

 

[Reynard]

One thing to remember is the restriction on non folders arriving into Kings X (after 07:00 and before 09:30 ) IIRC

Bike restrictions on Great Northern don't come into play as I'm planning on doing this on a Saturday. And during the week, I can only travel after 10 with my railcard anyway...

 

[subaqua]

Bike restrictions on Great Northern don't come into play as I'm planning on doing this on a Saturday. And during the week, I can only travel after 10 with my railcard anyway...

I didn’t see the Saturday bit. Probly me being a donut . point is valid for future readers tho. It’s annoying when you miss connections and then get screwed for 90 mins

 

[Bollo]

Thank you so much @Bollo I've made a note of that route.

Is the NCN 23 well signposted? The cycle routes around Cambridge and Ely generally are, though once you get into the more rural areas, it can get a bit sketchy.

P.S. For all the touristy-ness, some parts of Ely and Cambridge are also stunningly ugly.

No worries.

For this bit of NCN 23 it’s the opposite. It’s quite difficult to follow through the city but the signposting is reasonable and the route relatively simple to Alresford once you’ve escaped through the pedestrian underpasses at the Winnall M3/A34 junction.

 

[Reynard]

I didn’t see the Saturday bit. Probly me being a donut . point is valid for future readers tho. It’s annoying when you miss connections and then get screwed for 90 mins

Yeah, indeed.

I'm a regular user of Great Northern, but for the most part, I'm usually going in the opposite direction to the restrictions.

 

[Reynard]

No worries.

For this bit of NCN 23 it’s the opposite. It’s quite difficult to follow through the city but the signposting is reasonable and the route relatively simple to Alresford once you’ve escaped through the pedestrian underpasses at the Winnall M3/A34 junction.

Thanks Though it looks like nothing your wee map won't solve.

 

[subaqua]

Yeah, indeed.

I'm a regular user of Great Northern, but for the most part, I'm usually going in the opposite direction to the restrictions.

Same here KGX to CBG then a nice ride down the bus track

 

[Bollo]

Thanks Though it looks like nothing your wee map won't solve.

I’ll PM some words that’ll help with the map.

 

[Reynard]

I’ll PM some words that’ll help with the map.

Thanks, it's really appreciated.

 

[jay clock]

Like @Bollo I live in Winchester, but unlike him I think the first mile of that ride to Alresford (no-one calls it New Alresford) is fine.

My route is this one https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28432916 ...xxxWorth zooming in for the roundabout to see where the cycle path crosses the M3, but here is the detailed map. Once past the M3 it reallly is a gorgeous ride. Look out for Avington House which is like being in Jane Austen novel

I will join you and Bollo if it works out

Jay