Help plan cycle trip for 70 year old, i.e. reasonable flat.

[ericmark]

We live in Mid Wales now, did live in North Wales, we need to get fit again, and cycling is a good way, we have both standard and electric bikes, one is a folding electric bike, in North Wales there were many cycle routes from Shotton to Chester, Ellesmere Port, and Wirral reasonably flat, reasonably traffic free, and we knew where to park.

From Dolgellau to Barmouth there was also a nice route, off road, lovely view.
Monmouth to Symonds Yat and Granite Way we have also done, however it seems the Dartmoor Railways has re-opened so not sure if cycle track still open.

Also one by Crowden in the Peak district. In the main disused railway lines, wife not keen on canals she has a tendency to fall off, and worried about getting wet. But all the routes reasonable flat, and in the main motor traffic free.

Some of the so called cycle routes are darn right dangerous, a wide road where one can see miles ahead the motorist can avoid one, narrow country lanes with massive tractors and boy racers are not what we want.

There are two ways, either close so a day out, or some thing when on holiday, and better if round trip, or other method so only need to cycle one way. The Shotton, Ellesmere Port, Chester back to Shotton did have one bad bit under the J10 on M53 and there was the canal side bit, but with two tracks railway or river back to Shotton from Chester it was a reasonable loop. Shorter was the Chester and back, need to judge wind direction to know which way around rail and river route, and silly anti motorbike bars on river route at Saltney Ferry, but good route, can anyone point me to other routes please.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd play around with cycletravel

https://cycle.travel/map

try out routes/tinker with them - check out the gradient profile.

It's excellent for low traffic routes.

 

[KnittyNorah]

I think the answer for you might be to go away for weekends or longer, to places where there's lots of flatland riding.
Here in Lancashire there're A LOT of quiet lanes in the flatlands of the Fylde and Wyre peninsulas, as well as multiple cycle paths in and around Preston, Lancaster, Morecambe, Lytham and Southport. As the days get longer, I'll be taking the train (and bus - I have a folding bike) to several of these places and riding traffic-free, or very quiet, routes of varying lengths.
I'm hoping to get away for a few days to the Cumbrian coast later in the year to ride the flat(tish) coastal section of Hadrian's Cycleway from Ravenglass to Carlisle, and to Lincolnshire to meander along the Water Rail Way and other flat cycle paths and tracks in the area.
It's also possible in many instances to work out an almost-entirely-downhill route back from some places as long as you can get there in the first place by some non-cycling means, ideally public transport or you'll need two cars!
I second the use of cycle.travel.map for both gradient profiles and low-traffic routes. Only thing is that it doesn't seem to update all the changes around an area of road construction often enough and it tries to route you along closed roads (at least it does a couple of times in this area ) ... I'm sure it's reliant on feedback from users via open street map and the like but I'm not sure how to do it myself.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cheshire is also very flat. Lots of lanes to enjoy.

 

[Blue Hills]

Cheshire is also very flat.

Very true, tho some of it is damn boring.
Cycle travel found me a very quiet route (as always) from Crewe to Chester, but oh the dullness.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

It's not traffic free but I don't see a mention of Llyn Efyrnwy which is practically on your doorstep. An 11 mile circuit of scenic but flat riding on roads that are fairly quiet and usually you'll be sharing with other cyclists and walkers which helps remind drivers that they aren't the only ones on the road.

 

[ericmark]

I thought I recognised the view, did not recognise the Welsh name, I know it as Lake Vyrnwy. Did not realise the road went all the way around. But seems a good route.

 

[cougie uk]

When it's dry you can do the Wirral Way and promenade from Neston right round to Woodside. I'd avoid it as a lot of it can be muddy.

 

[ericmark]

I have done Shotton to West Kirby including getting lost some where around Heswall where you leave the coastal path and joint the railway, think went wrong direction as I joined the railway line. At the time only my wife had an ebike, and I found keeping up with her hard going, now we both have ebikes.

Born in Mancot and childhood in Shotton know that area, and I remember catching the train to Chester which ran on what now is a cycle track, the transfer from railway to river in Chester around where the University is a little of a problem, the gate on the canal bowl is often locked, just this little bit

from canal bowl to river. Rest is easy. Higher Ferry it says on map, I would have called it Saltney Ferry got some silly bars, rest as said easy. Need to look at wind direction as side of dee it can really slow you, so with wind side of dee, and against wind on railway.

As said this was my childhood home, know those routes, it is the mid Wales routes I need to look at. Lake Vyrnwy now on my list to try, personally want to do some missing bits on the Montgomery canal, done Welshpool to Arddleen but not from there to Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain but have done there to Llangollen canal and from Graham Palmer's lock to Chirk, then missing bit there to Pont-Cysyllte.

In the other direction only got Welshpool to Pub before Berriew, would like to continue into Newtown. Once Colvid 19 has stopped restrictions I hope the Llanfair - Welshpool railway will reopen station at Welshpool and I can take the bike on the train, or do it in reverse and get my wife to drop me in Newtown when she visits her brother. No way would I attempt Newtown to Llanfair that's a non starter. Even the car grunts a bit.