Looking for ideas

[mcshroom]

Hi everyone,

I've got some leave booked in at the end of March and I've decided to make it my first (mini) tour of the year. What I can't decide on atm is where to go.

I have a couple ideas: -

Ride from my home in Cumbria to my parents in Rotherham, probably something like Whitehaven, Penrith, Richmond, York,Rotherham. Like this

Another option I have is a ride around North Devon, starting and ending in Barnstaple.

Or finally a bit of Scotland, maybe Dumfries to Glasgow via Newton Stewart and Ayr. Like this

All have positives and negatives, but I can't decide which sort of one to go for, and of course I'm sure there are lots of good areas I haven't thought of.

Would any of the three routes particularly strike you? Or would you look to do something different? I just can't decide at the moment

This time of year I would still be tempted to stay in B&Bs/Hostels but I may think about camping.

 

[andym]

Nothing against riding in North Devon (in fact I'm sure it wouldbe a great place to go) but getting there from Cumbria is going to be a schlepp - ditto getting back. Out of four days you'd spend two days travelling. So may not be a runner really. As I said, (before someone from North Devon gives me a hard time) not a comment on the place, just the practicalities as a destination for a four-day break from Cumbria.

 

[mcshroom]

It would also have to be the one I drove to, although I do have the option of some free accomodation in Barnstaple which brings the price back to more sensible levels.

I like the Scottish route, but I know how bad the weather (especially the wind) can be on the West Coast and thats like here plus another hundred miles north

 

[peelywally]

the scottish route is through a nice area why not circle the galloway forest park back to A and avoid glasgow bit which is mostly running alongside a mway on a converted a road ?

i was going to do this route in reverse from glasgow circling galloway park , might still do it ?

 

[frank9755]

Plan A sounds good:
- Nice countryside.
- Always better to start from home than have to drive or train
- Very good to have an objective you are heading for, especially on a solo ride, rather than some arbitrary loop. This means that you don't spend energy constantly thinking about tweaking the route.

Edit - you might want to do a bit more research on the route rather than sticking to the A66. I've not cycled that route (although I come from Cumbria - think I might have said hello to you at the Madeira cafe last year...) so can't recommend specific alternatives, but I have driven it many times!

 

[Bigsharn]

Four days? Cycle to Morcambe, do the way of the roses and get the train back?

 

[vernon]

The A66 and A19 are not pleasant roads for cycling.

Try using www.viamichelin.co.uk. Select the cycle option and get a more pleasant route suggested.

 

[mcshroom]

Sorry those were indicative routes, I haven't gone into real detail on them.

I wouldn't be intending to cycle over the A66 or down much of the A19 having driven them.

The idea of setting off from my front door is quite tempting. Actually, so is the route in reverse and avoiding that train journey home when I'm knackered

 

[sleekitcollie]

ive just done a small 3 day trip cycle / camping to islay& Jura . 4 days would be ideal as we were a bit rushed to catch the ferry,s to get us back for the monday and it was winter timetable . Islay is superb for cycling , smooth , pothole free roads not much traffic and any vehicles we did come across were very cycle friendly , nearly all drivers giving us a wave
Jura although not very big is a must as well single track roads but stunning summer timetable starts late march and you have various choice of routes , via arran or the route we took 5 ferrys each way (only £25 total ) wemyss bay - rosthesay then back on to mainland via rhubadach - colntraive then cycle arounf kyles of bute and ferry from portavadie - Tarbet ( loch fyne ) small cycle 2 kennacraig , ferry to islay then the small ferry to Jura .

its a really good trip and to spend a cpl days on islay would let you see a fair bit of it . the actuall cycle miles from WB 2 jura is only 40 miles but takes most of the day with ferry's etc but u can put in as many miles as you like on islay when ur there

if you need any more info re ferry's etc or places to camp send me a PM
hope this helps
ps the sight of 2 huge sea eagles flying 20 feet above out head,s as we cycled along a silent road in Jura made the trip worthwhile on its own

 

[Wardy]

As I recall, there used to be a Cumbria Cycle Way which followed the coast from Siloth south to Barrow in Furness, then inland to Kirkby Stephen and north to Carlisle. Seem to recall seeing a leaflet about it. Might be too much "on your doorstep" but perhaps you could have done part of it in the time you had available.

 

[mcshroom]

Hi and thanks for the ideas. Sorry I've left this one running but someone rather rudely asked me to sit a University exam for the first time in 7 years this morning

so I've been revising.

The pictures look very tempting sleekitcollie but I think I'll stick to the mainland this time. I'll definitely be looking into that sort of area lin the future though, maybe with a tent on the rack

I've not seen that route Wardie, and it doesn't appear on my Cumbria Cycling map, but I could probably put a good one together by going Ravenglass-Carlisle on the Hadrians Cycleway, Carlisle to Kendal down NCN 7 and the Pennine Cycleway, then across to Barrow on the Walney2Wear. This would only leave the small (but very hilly) section between Barrow and Ravenglass, probably along the local Route 37 over Birker Fell and through Ulpha.

It looks good and t's definitely something I might have a go at eventually, but considering how hilly 3/4 of that route is and how familiar parts of it are (I know the Solway plain very well now) I'll probably leave that one for a trip in the summer.

I'm liking the idea of going Dumfries - Newton Stewart - Ayr way at the moment, but I just need to decide where to start and finish. I'm intending to head for a station that links with Carlisle without too many connections, but I'll have to work this all out over the weekend.

 

[Fran143]

If you choose the Ayrshire route then let me know nearer the time and I'll get some hours cycling/cake stop with you.

 

[furball]

I'm liking the idea of going Dumfries - Newton Stewart - Ayr way at the moment, but I just need to decide where to start and finish. I'm intending to head for a station that links with Carlisle without too many connections, but I'll have to work this all out over the weekend.

There is a regular service from Carlisle to Glasgow which stops at Gretna, Annan, Dumfries, Sanquar, Kirkconnel, Auchinleck, Kilmaurs,Stewarton, Dunlop and a couple of others. You could use this line at the start and end of your trip if you wanted with no changes. There is also there is a less frequent service which stops at Lockerbie.

 

[HelenD123]

It would make sense to do the Ayrshire route in March while the midges aren't out! There's a Sustrans route which pretty much goes the way you were planning so it would make for easy navigation.

 

[mcshroom]

It would make sense to do the Ayrshire route in March while the midges aren't out! There's a Sustrans route which pretty much goes the way you were planning so it would make for easy navigation.

The cycle route looks really nice (NCN7), but now I really fancy the ride through the middle of Galloway Forest park past Loch Grannoch and Loch Trool (looks like my tourer should be able to handle the terrain), even though that might mean an overnight stay under canvas. Just looking at the route through the forest is making me want to grab the bike and set off so I guess I'm sold

I'm looking at Dumfries to Ayr along NCN 7, so that means: -
Day 1 - Dumfries to Gatehouse of Fleet (43 mi)
Day 2 - GoF to somewhere around Loch Moan in Glentrool Forest (32 mi some off-road)
Day 3 - Loch Moan to Ayr (40 mi)
Day 4 - Take the minor roads East out of Ayr to meet the railway at Sanquhar (37 mi)

Rather different to my coast plan but looks really nice for a spring tour.