Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
AP is however is the westernmost point you can cycle to, not withstanding shouldering your bike to get a bit further west.
The UK mainland Compass points tour....
- Thread starter Fab Foodie
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
mmmmartin
Random geezer
@Tigerbiten did this several years ago. Three months if I recall correctly. We talked about it on a FNRttC while waiting in Basildon on the infamous freezing Southend ride, during which he wore a t shirt most of the time
Tigerbiten
Guru
I've actually done it twice now.
First time was only ~4,000 miles home to home.
The second time was ~5,500 miles home to home because I mostly went around the outside of the UK.
Ps:- I average ~1,000 mile per month while on tour
First time was only ~4,000 miles home to home.
The second time was ~5,500 miles home to home because I mostly went around the outside of the UK.
Ps:- I average ~1,000 mile per month while on tour
OP
OP
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Yebbut, you’re certifiable!
Conradm
Regular
- Location
- Peterborough
+1 for adding highest and lowest - Ben Nevis isn't that far from ardnamuchan, and holme fen is relatively close to lowestoft.
Wasn't there someone who wild camped/slept at each cardinal point in consecutive nights (with the aid of motorised transport though)?
Wasn't there someone who wild camped/slept at each cardinal point in consecutive nights (with the aid of motorised transport though)?
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Holme Fen is nowhere near Lowestoft.
Conradm
Regular
- Location
- Peterborough
Cycling between the four cardinal compass points of the UK is a long way. Sidetracking through Holme Fen on the way to or from Lowestoft is, comparatively, minimal by comparison. Apologies for my imprecision.
I wild camped at Holme Fen a couple of summers ago and was bitten by a lot of insects so maybe before May?
I wild camped at Holme Fen a couple of summers ago and was bitten by a lot of insects so maybe before May?
swansonj
Guru
Were they a special sub-sea-level breed of insects?
Conradm
Regular
- Location
- Peterborough
Fenland here, m'duck. Below sea level dun't mean underwater☺
mmmmartin
Random geezer
I've been thinking about this for a kind of a Tour, esp in light of possible problems with UK driving licences not accepted in EU, crossing frontier into the EU, UK insurance not recognised if from third countries when on EU roads - and who knows what else until we see the whites of its eyes in the final Leave agreement - but the fundamental problem with this idea is that it is impossible to ride between these points without using UK roads. Which, as we all know, are terrible. And what's worse, driven on by incompetent homicidal maniacs intent of squashing cyclists.
- Location
- London
Kerching for gratuitous brexit reference.
I think entry to europe with a bike will remain pretty damn straightforward.
I think entry to europe with a bike will remain pretty damn straightforward.
OP
OP
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
We have just returned from a week of super-smooth Normandy tarmac, quiet roads and respectful driving. It does beg the question that (Brexit aside) why make a long ride in the UK when a long ride on the continent cound be far more comfortable and less stressful....
mmmmartin
Random geezer
A Tour involving two dozen riers is different from one individual with one bike.
1. Everyone on here hopes you are correct: if the swivel-eyed loons of the ERG have their way entrants to the EU from a third country, such as Nigeria, Kazakhstan and the UK will have to have every passport checked so the queues at Dover where the French (currently do not bother to ) check or stamp passports will be large and time-consuming.
2. Hiring a van in France to carry riders' luggage might be impossible: UK driving licences are currently valid across the EU but there seems to be no effort by the government to ensure that continues. The Road Freight Association frets about the recognition of UK lorry driving licences - current thoughts are that only 103 permits will be issued for the 300,000 journeys made by British trucks to Europe each year. If there's no recognition of UK licences van hire would be impossible. Insurance? We don't know.
(3. Still, we'll know within the next 50 years if the pain of Brexit is worth it - that's what Rees-Mogg tells us.)
Last edited:
- Location
- London
I fly to Italy a fair bit.
My passport has always been checked on arrival.
Very often the jobsworth state worthy would make a great show of contemplating my passport/communing with his personal god/giving me the opportunity to admire his/her uniform before letting me through.
On return to the UK, UK citizen with UK passport, my passport has always been checked. More recently I have been able to use the electronic epassport channels, but it's still being checked and I often think I'd be better letting a human check me - the tech can be rather wobbly and slow.
As for your comments on British roads and drivers (not perfect but you do seem to rather hate your own country - assuming it's yours) they are not perfect but in the interests of keeping the thread on the topic I'll spare you my intimate knowledge of roads and drivers in a certain bit of EU founder member Italy.
My passport has always been checked on arrival.
Very often the jobsworth state worthy would make a great show of contemplating my passport/communing with his personal god/giving me the opportunity to admire his/her uniform before letting me through.
On return to the UK, UK citizen with UK passport, my passport has always been checked. More recently I have been able to use the electronic epassport channels, but it's still being checked and I often think I'd be better letting a human check me - the tech can be rather wobbly and slow.
As for your comments on British roads and drivers (not perfect but you do seem to rather hate your own country - assuming it's yours) they are not perfect but in the interests of keeping the thread on the topic I'll spare you my intimate knowledge of roads and drivers in a certain bit of EU founder member Italy.
mmmmartin
Random geezer
Quite so.
Flying from a full EU member to another (Italy) on your own is rather different from two dozen riders leaving a channel port in a third, non EU country clogged by thousands of lorries (12,000 a day through Dover) and everyone having their passports stamped and checked out of the UK and then crossing into the EU. Hiring a van inside the EU with a non EU driving licence? We don't know.
Finally, north EU tarmac is unquestionably far better than southern England.
Flying from a full EU member to another (Italy) on your own is rather different from two dozen riders leaving a channel port in a third, non EU country clogged by thousands of lorries (12,000 a day through Dover) and everyone having their passports stamped and checked out of the UK and then crossing into the EU. Hiring a van inside the EU with a non EU driving licence? We don't know.
Finally, north EU tarmac is unquestionably far better than southern England.
