Road bike, 70-80 miles max. Where would you ride in the UK?

[AndyWilliams]

I am trying to get more miles under my belt. The most I have ridden is 67 miles around Surrey.
I would like to be able to ride up to 80 miles, which I think I am able to do with timed stops for recovery,
but would like to know if any of you have a course you like and ride that you can share with me.
Not to hilly mind, I'm ok with a few hills.

Thanks

 

[ColinJ]

Why don't you just do your 67 mile ride with 13 miles added on somewhere?

I can think of lots of nice 80 milers but they would be several hours drive each way for you and also very hilly!

 

[AndyWilliams]

Yep I could do that, was a nice ride. But I like to ride new areas each time I go out.

 

[ColinJ]

There are lots of route mapping sites that you could take a look at. Google for 'uk bicycle route planner' and you will find lots.

I prefer to plan my own and use software on my laptop to do it. I have a digital OS map covering the entire UK mainland so I can knock up routes wherever I am.

These days, I always check new routes on Google Street View to see what the roads are actually like before riding them.

 

[Road_Runner]

These days, I always check new routes on Google Street View to see what the roads are actually like before riding them.

In what way do you check out the roads? In terms of whether they're single or dual carriageways?


I would just add on extra miles to your rides. Also, you can cycle out and get the train back or vice versa. My memory of cycling in Surrey is that it's very flat compared to the north or Cornwall for example. So i would be careful about going to completely new places with too many miles until you know roughly how hilly it will be.

I plan my routes using Google maps. I know roughly how far i can cycle. So i get it to give me directions to a location (because i like to cycle to a definite destination/turn around point Eg. a town/village/landmark). If you set it to cycling routes, it gives you the gradient profile of the route. I then move the pin around depending on how hilly the route is and how far it turns out to be until it meets my wants. I push the blue route around if i decide that i don't like particular roads. I don't use the directions it gives me, as i attempt to remember the general route. Whipping out my phone at moments when i forget where to go next or when i'm not sure of where i am - mainly if it's already a route that is pushing myself.


In your situation i would cycle to Bournemouth it's about 80 miles. Or to and from Brighton about 90 miles. The sea is a nice place to cycle to in my opinion.
And remember that your have a few areas of natural beauty around Surrey.

 

[gbb]

Look at your local map and see what's north, south, east and west.
From Peterborough, I usually travel west toward Northants, lovely coumtryside, my favourite route.
if the wind dictates, I can go South, still nice roads towards Alconbury etc.
Alternatively, North toward Stamford, still nice quiet roads.
Or east, toward the fens, my least favourite, flat, exposed, but still nice roads.

Perhaps you have the same options.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

A bit distant from Surrey but as the title is UK wide...
Dumfries and Galloway has some of the best cycling in the UK, quiet lanes, great views, nice tea rooms. Rolling but not massively hilly. Great for tandems.

 

[vickster]

cycle-route.com

Presuming you mean 80 miles from Slough, not anywhere in the UK as your thread title suggests?!
Cycle to Cambridge, Oxford, a loop to Reading, Winchester, Canterbury etc etc etc ride/get train home

Or get a map and see where takes your fancy, use googlemaps or similar to calculate distance

Or look into audaxing where it's planned for you but unsupported

 

[sight-pin]

I am trying to get more miles under my belt. The most I have ridden is 67 miles around Surrey.
I would like to be able to ride up to 80 miles, which I think I am able to do with timed stops for recovery,
but would like to know if any of you have a course you like and ride that you can share with me.
Not to hilly mind, I'm ok with a few hills.

Thanks

Not used it myself yet but MapMyRide has 'Route Genius'...... "Recommend a new route" Maybe worth a try to give you some fresh ideas.

 

[Globalti]

Why not just buy an Ordnance Survey map of your area? The pink 1:50,000 version would give good coverage.

 

[jarlrmai]

When I do a big ride I normally look at one of routes then add an extension or do 2 loops together, it really depends whether you want to do the miles for the sake of doing the miles or whether you want to do a bit of sightseeing.

 

[John the Monkey]

Have a look at Ridewithgps.com - I got several loops (both locally, and for holidays in France) from there. If you use a Garmin that supports courses, you can export the routes in device compatible formats too.

 

[uphillstruggler]

i like to plan a route with a destination, gives me something to aim at.

have you thought of getting a train to your desired mileage from home and cycling back? it also means you get to cycle further from home on roads you may not be accustomed to.

if I am working a rideable distance from home, I usually try to take my bike and ride home after work. this has the advantage again of riding unfamiliar roads.

 

[ColinJ]

In what way do you check out the roads?

I have been caught out by what look like minor roads actually being very busy because drivers use them as 'rat runs'. Busy roads are bad enough, but narrow busy roads are awful.

Sometimes, it works the other way. For example, A-roads which are actually fairly quiet most of the time. The A6033 Keighley Road out of Hebden Bridge is such an example. If you avoid the rush hours, and other busy times such as Bank Holidays it is quite a nice road to ride on, as long as you like 4.5 mile climbs!

Of course, you don't know what time of day the Street View car went along a road, but you can get an idea of what the road is like. I also look for dangerous junctions, nice scenery, shops, cafes etc.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Checking on Streetview is a good idea. I tend to plan using MapMyRide. I'll leave follow roads on, put in the highlights of the journey and see what the distance and elevation looks like, then tweak from there. But you can end up on very tiny lanes (and occasionally the Garmin lines to interpret the route to take in untarmacced trails) so a bit of online investigation can help. Don't forget to add in at least one definite refuel point once the ride gets longer, my 113 training ride for the London 86 saw me having to use pubs to get water and running out completely twice which wasn't funny.