Kent to Somerset Coast to Coast - Route tips?

[StewartR]

Hi all,

A friend and I are doing a charity ride from Sandwich Bay in Kent to Berrow in Somerset, respectively due east and west of my home town which is Basingstoke. The route is approx 230 miles and we're doing it in 2 days - Sandwich Bay to Basingstoke (130 miles) then Basingstoke to Berrow (100). East to west was chosen to break the back of the ride on day 1.

Anyway, here is the work in progress that is the route and I wondered whether anyone could shed any light on whether any of the roads are no go areas for cyclists in terms traffic volumes. NB, the swing to the south west and then back north west on towards Basingstoke is to keep well clear of the A25 to the south of London.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/391774

Any help gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,

Stewart.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If it were me then I'd head west from Horsham a good deal further south i.e. cross-country lanes to Haslemere and on to Petersfield, than your planned route, then Winchester - Salisbury, simply to avoid the traffic levels you'll encounter on your more northerly route. I would not come so far south as to use the A272 in West Sussex as it can be entertaining. But you know your tolerance for close passes and numpty drivers better than I do.

Similarly the A264 west of Tunbridge Wells has little to recommend it as a cycling route when laney alternatives exist

 

[snowy10]

Hi
I cycle on the A 25 everyday to work and it's a big part of my training rides. To be honest, in my opinion....it's not that bad of a road to cycle on.
Cheers

 

[StewartR]

Thanks for the input folks. We're bound to keeping Basingstoke on the route as it's all about the latitude, Basingstoke's latitude determining that of the start and finish, so swinging farther south isn't really an option. That and the fact that our shoestring budget benefits from overnighting at home on the way.

I'll have a think about the A25 but it used to worry me enough in my motorbiking days. Parts of the National Cycle Network seem available to us in Kent without a massive diversion. We've also decided to try and skirt round as many towns. Partly that's because the navigation is easier, partly because that's where the traffic is at its thickest.