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

[AndyWilliams]

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.

This is what I mean, train or I can drive somewhere, ride the mileage and either drive home or book a travelodge for an extra day.
I dont mind driving to a nice ride. Fed up of riding from Slough to Slough.
I drove to the New Forest 2 weeks a go and rode there. Was nice.

Thanks

 

[Ajay]

How about driving an hour or so west along the M4. Loads of great roads in the Cotswolds to the north or Marlborough Downs, Avebury etc to the south.
Google sportive events in the area and use some of their routes.

 

[Globalti]

GET A MAP!

Sorry for the shout but OS maps show busy trunk roads in green, A roads in red, B roads in yellow and really quiet lanes in white. With a map you can see the general topography as well as attractions, which are just off your route and worth a detour. With a GPS you might as well be reading the same map looking down a cardboard tube.

Wind-assisted cycling is good - take a train west then ride home with the westerly wind. It gives a ride a good feeling of purpose.

Here: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/catalog/product/view/id/2048/category/9/

 

[AndyWilliams]

2 birds 1 stone if I try a new place, as I can sigh

GET A MAP!

Sorry for the shout but OS maps show busy trunk roads in green, A roads in red, B roads in yellow and really quiet lanes in white. With a map you can see the general topography as well as attractions, which are just off your route and worth a detour. With a GPS you might as well be reading the same map looking down a cardboard tube.

Wind-assisted cycling is good - take a train west then ride home with the westerly wind. It gives a ride a good feeling of purpose.

Here: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/catalog/product/view/id/2048/category/9/

@Ajay - how could I forget that area, doh! - Devizes, Pewsey, Marlborough, Hungerford etc, righ, that's what I'll do, good reminder, thanks you.

@Globalti - I will get a map for the above and other areas, easy to carry too. Sounds like the right thing to do. Cheers.

 

[Globalti]

Er.... correction... B roads are brown.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

www.streetmap.co.uk used to be OS maps at one of the zoom.levels, I think it still is.

 

[Road_Runner]

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.

Good point. I might start checking for that on new routes.

 

[vernon]

Er.... correction... B roads are brown.

Only because the cows have made some generous 'deposits'