So enjoyable.......

[Amac]

Hi guys,
I know this is obvious, but I thought I would say it anyway
I was made redundant/retired in March, which is all good.
Normally myself and the wife go for a ride on a Sunday, nothing mad, a leisure ride with a snack or two, to have a stop somewhere and enjoy the country side .

So I have spent the last few months discovering all the little lanes, I have never had time to try
The trouble with just getting out once a week, sometimes you don't want to try a new ride or lane, in case its rubbish and you spoil your weekly ride.

Now I have more time, its been great finding new rides, so worked out great, some not so good.
Its really good fun, looking at the map, then seeing how there ride turns out, I have had a great time.

As I said, obvious really, but I felt in the mood to say it

 

[wafter]

Excellent - wouldn't it be nice if we could all ease back on the rampant consumption and attain a better work-life balance..?

 

[I like Skol]

Some of my best rides have been after looking at a map/google-earth to plan new routes then just seeing how it pans out. Had a great ride this last Sunday doing just that @dan_bo @fossyant 👍

 

[Moodyman]

Works the other way too.

This morning I spent half an hour designing a new local loop. Roads looked lovely on street map (country lanes away from big population areas) except at 7am they were anything but. Lanes were narrow, winding and busy with commuters from the local villages. Loadsa close passes by trade vans and SUVs. Not their fault, it was just the nature of the roads. 20 miles in and I'd had enough and turned back home.

Trouble with many country roads...often they are the only roads locally, so everyone in the area uses them. They can be worse to ride on than urban/suburban roads.

 

[ColinJ]

This morning I spent half an hour designing a new local loop. Roads looked lovely on street map (country lanes away from big population areas) except at 7am they were anything but. Lanes were narrow, winding and busy with commuters from the local villages. Loadsa close passes by trade vans and SUVs. Not their fault, it was just the nature of the roads. 20 miles in and I'd had enough and turned back home.

Trouble with many country roads...often they are the only roads locally, so everyone in the area uses them. They can be worse to ride on than urban/suburban roads.

I've had the same with some of my routes.

I work from OS maps and opt for minor roads wherever possible. I have posted a few routes for my forum rides and had riders tell me that they included sections which were their local 'rat runs'. Once pointed out, it is obvious to see why on the map - e.g.10 kms between a town and village on A-roads with multiple sets of traffic lights or a quick 6 km dash down a country lane.

I always check on Streetview now. Obviously though, if the car went down a busy road at a quiet time then one might be lulled into a false sense of security.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

I too have been looking at different routes but with the same criteria and that is under 25 miles. I have found some nice little lanes that only farmers seem to use, in their 4x4s. I tried a route that looked good a week or so back but wished I had`nt. I started out just dandy, good surface and visibility. It did`nt last as the surface became poorer and the road windier, so not so good meeting delivery vans. I won`t use that one again. I just love studying maps and seeking new routes.