Out of London mini-tour?

[jorgemartin]

Hello, we're planning to get away from London for two days. Ideally, we'd like to take a train to the edge of London, cycle 60 miles each day for two days and finally take a train back to London. Any suggestions? Can't be off-road. Thanks!

 

[jay clock]

Come down to Winchester. I will happily plot a couple of routes, and give you a cup of tea. Then head off and get a train back from Brockenhurst in the New Forest. One hour to Winchester from Waterloo. Any nearer to London and you will still be in the urban sprawl.

 

[Bodhbh]

If it was me, would probably head up to Cambridge first day, the across the Fens/Brecklands to Kings Lynn for the seconds. Would have the wind at your back and fairly easy. Or could always get the train up to Cambridge, do the Fends/Brecklands for the first day, then a bit of the Norfolk coast the 2nd

/edit sorry just read the above properly, not that i'd want to talk you out a cup of tea and local knowledge

 

[jorgemartin]

I really like the idea of going to the New Forest... What's the Fends/Brecklands?

 

[andym]

What's the Fends/Brecklands?

The flat bit beyond Cambridge and before you get to Peterborough.

The problem is you're spoilt for choice - although I think if you were prepared to say travel for a couple of hours you'd have an even greater range. Go in just about any direction and there's lovely countryside. Kent and Sussex. (Not sure about Surrey - my mind's gone blank). New Forest and Isle of Wight. Dorset. Chilterns. Essex/Cambridgeshire. Suffolk and Norfolk coast and inland).

There is, or used to be a couple of series of guidebooks with rides around London - written by Nick Cotton (or maybe he didn't write all of them) worth having a look for.

 

[Wooliferkins]

Bit surprised by bits of Surrey cycled down to the Ashdown Forest at Easter from Oxfordshire and found some really lovely lanes south of Dorking/Riegate. On the flip side the standard of driving on the larger roads was hideous, apparently there is a local byelaw banning a car being more than one vehicle. length from the next.

The green starts closer than we think and if you head away from the main corridors and their ribbon developments it's not that hard.

Cambs would be good (It's Fens, drained farmland think Netherlands) fairly flat but can be windy. I'd stay along the Ouse as out in the full fens the terrain can be a little reoccuring.

Winchester then on to the Forest is a good call you could even train back from Bournemouth.

Train to Reading then follow the Kennet and Avon Canal west on the lanes that shadow it. Possibly as well to take the tow path out of town or start at Thatcham

 

[Brains]

Train down to somewhere near Rye, across Kent via Ashford and Canterbury to Whistable. Train home

 

[jorgemartin]

Okay so this what we did in the end. We started in Sutton to avoid getting drained of energy in an attempt to just get out the megalopolis. Sutton is at the southern edge of the capital and we went there by train from Victoria Station. From there, we cycled on mostly B roads but also on some A roads, some more dreadful than others but nothing too life-threatening but annoying and noisy. We camped outside of Petersfield. The following day, my mate complained that it was too hilly and hot so he threw in the towel and took a train back to London from Eastleigh. From there on, I continued alone and cycled across the northern part of Southampton and soon I found a cycling path leading straight into the New Forest, a glorious place! As trains were not working and rail replacement buses were not taking bikes, it was too much of a hassle to return to London that evening so I ended up staying another night, this time, at a very cozy camp site ran by the Forestry Commission in Ashurst. The following day, I spent the whole day cycling around the New Forest, mostly on forest tracks and in the evening, I cycled to Southampton Airport Parkway train station, the closest point from which to get on a train back to London (Waterloo). I did 160 miles in three days.