Nottingham to Fulbeck route?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I wasn't expecting to do this but I have to cycle from Nottingham city centre to Fulbeck for an event and I have no idea what route to take- what are some nice routes to Fulbeck from Nottingham- which places should I go through- keep it flat.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
There's a cycle path alongside the A52 which you could use to get to Bottesford. From there you can get to Fulbeck if you go towards Long Bennington and then up via Dry Doddington and Brandon *. It's a fairly steady and quiet route with a couple of small lumps.

* You're actually doing this route as the latter part of the event, although a bit less direct than I've put here.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
O

oreo_muncher

Guest
There's a cycle path alongside the A52 which you could use to get to Bottesford. From there you can get to Fulbeck if you go towards Long Bennington and then up via Dry Doddington and Brandon *. It's a fairly steady and quiet route with a couple of small lumps.

* You're actually doing this route as the latter part of the event, although a bit less direct than I've put here.
Thank you so much :wub: I'll try plot this on strava to follow. Still need to plot that GPSx file on strava. Will probably cycle to Grantham and get the train back from there. Let's hope my phone battery does not die on me! If you have any stop recommendations for coffee during the ride- let me know because I don't know the area at all:shy:
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
If you have any stop recommendations for coffee during the ride- let me know because I don't know the area at all:shy:

There's a control at the half-way point in a cafe; 57.5km. Perfect for a stop, decent bite to eat and ride back to Fulbeck.

The Co-op in Bottesford will also be open if you run short on the way back; where you turn right in the village and then left to Normanton it's on the road behind to your left. There's a Co-op at Long Bennington on the way there as well, but no other villages have shops from memory.
 
OP
OP
O

oreo_muncher

Guest
There's a control at the half-way point in a cafe; 57.5km. Perfect for a stop, decent bite to eat and ride back to Fulbeck.

The Co-op in Bottesford will also be open if you run short on the way back; where you turn right in the village and then left to Normanton it's on the road behind to your left. There's a Co-op at Long Bennington on the way there as well, but no other villages have shops from memory.
Hope they have vegan options😅What do you think the chances of that are?Well hope they will turn a blind eye and let me take my bike into the Co op,don't plan on brining my lock along,too heavy and my frame is too small to have it fitted on.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
I wouldn't worry - I've left my bike by their entrance a few times (my parents live there). If you're concerned a tip is to put the bike into highest gear and use your helmet strap to clip it to something when you don't have a lock.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
O

oreo_muncher

Guest
I wouldn't worry - I've left my bike by their entrance a few times (my parents live there). If you're concerned a tip is to put the bike into highest gear and use your helmet strap to clip it to something when you don't have a lock.
What bike do you usually do your audaxes on?
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
What bike do you usually do your audaxes on?

I've done the short ones on a NeilPryde Nazare race bike (too harsh) and my Wilier Montegrappa commuter (OK to 300km). Once it gets to 400km and beyond I use a Ridgeback Platinum which has been set up specifically for long-distance riding. This was designed for distance riding - runs 10 speed Ultegra / Dura-Ace, Velo Orange brakes (better stopping) with a mountain bike saddle. It's below:

DSCF5549.JPG


Note that once over 300km little things that didn't matter really do in terms of fit and comfort. 400km and beyond takes sleeping into account, although I tend to ride through the night rather than sleep.
 
I'd probably go Nottingham > Through Holme Pierrepont to Ratcliffe on Trent. From there head to Car Colston on the back roads and Screveton (for Cafe Velo Verde). Work your way across to Long Bennington then Hougham, Hough on the hill, Caythorpe and the A road into Fulbeck.

There's a co-op and a cafe (not tried it) in Long Bennington too.

Edit, its pretty flat throughout. If you want a flat, fast route, I'd use the old Fosse Way alongside the a47 into Newark but the other route is much nicer and probably just as flat
 

Poacher

Gravitationally challenged member
Location
Nottingham
My five-penn'orth.
From Nottingham station, walk with your bike to the R, cross Carrington Street via the pedestrian crossing, R then L descending to the canal. On reaching the canal, R and ride along the towpath, keeping your head low under bridges. This is intended as a calming stretch after your train journey! There's a sharp R at the basin, a short rise to London Road.
https://www.thebigwheel.org.uk/bigtrack/PDF/BigTrackDload.pdf
At sparrow-fart on Sunday you should be OK on the road S, crossing Trent Bridge and turning L along Radcliffe Road before the cricket ground, then R at the lights (A6011). After this excitement, you should be OK riding on the path at the side of the road, but certainly legal along the towpath on your L if you prefer.
After the towpath ends / big busy roundabouts appear, near Regatta Way, there's a decent, if narrow, cycle path alongside the A52 as far as Radcliffe. I suggest leaving the path at the L turnoff at the RSPCA and riding through Radcliffe, rejoining the cycle path after riding straight on through the village (town?). It's just a bit more interesting, and avoids the nettles! The path is OKish as far as Saxondale interchange with the A46 - I'm not familiar with this bit, 'cos I normally reach the VoB via Gunthorpe Bridge. There should be signs? At any rate, from here past Bingham, there is NO cycle path alongside the A52, so go straight through Bingham to rejoin the A52 yon side. National cycle route 64 may be worth checking out? OK to Bottesford, then head to Long Bennington, Hougham, a bit of a climb via Gelston to Hough-on-the-Hill to join the A607 at Caythorpe, then N to Fulbeck.

The Cafe stop at Wymondham Windmill is highly recommended - fill your boots!

Don't write off Co-ops for vegan fodder; I've had some amazing bargains (like 85% reductions) at the one in Navenby, unfortunately N of your route, but surely available elsewhere in the mainly carnivorous backwoods.

Don't follow @talliman 's advice re Holme Pierrepont (the rest is OK!) unless you want to rebuild your bike - it's an interesting route if you like threading your way slowly through a maze of potholes in the unmaintained section, about a km, though it seems more. I'd be amazed if anyone can navigate a route through there without hitting a deep dip and dislodging bits of bike / fillings.
https://caffeveloverde.co.uk/ opens at 9, unfortunately for you! (Unless you're seriously behind schedule for Fulbeck!)

The cycle track alongside the A46 is loose stones in many parts, and slow / heavy going. Again, OK for a leisure ride, but not if you're on a tight schedule with your first audax to follow.

Good luck for your ride; at least the weather forecast looks good. Take care on the descents to Branston and the VoB, easy to reach 60km/hr, when things can happen in the blink of an eye.
 
Last edited:

Poacher

Gravitationally challenged member
Location
Nottingham
@Poacher, I've not been through Holme Pierrepont for a while as I live further south. Was just trying to avoid all the industrial bits on the east of the city.
No worries: it's a route I've used quite often, although I've lost some interest since the alpacas(?) were moved elsewhere, certainly not much traffic on it, but there's a good reason for that! It's useful for practicing bike handling skills, and a bit of birdwatching after diverting on either side to the finger ponds/Skylarks/Blotts Pit.
http://www.nottsbirders.net/notts_maps/Map - Holme Pierrepont.pdf
It used to feature on the Great Notts Bikeride; not having done that for a couple of decades, I don't know whether it still does, but it would certainly thin the ranks out quite quickly!

F all industry left in Dottigub nowadays!
 
Top Bottom