Any square touching the 4 squares up, down, left and right. My max cluster is nicely over 1,100 now....im finding it more fun than the max square to be honest. The max square means I have to ride some places I don't enjoy!
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Any square touching the 4 squares up, down, left and right. My max cluster is nicely over 1,100 now....im finding it more fun than the max square to be honest. The max square means I have to ride some places I don't enjoy!
Went out for a quick trip today, to try to catch the last 3 squares which are near my house. I’ve mentioned before that they’re on a small peninsula on a site that once was (and maybe still is) an explosives factory. So no public roads in the area, and it’s mostly fenced off. There are plenty of gaps in the fence where you could squeeze through, and I’m told it’s great exploring the site on a fat bike - but not so easy with a road bike...
But I’ve currently got 35mm tyres on, so thought I’d try.
Last week, I’d tried a disused road that takes you into a quarry on the site. I remember walking down that way years ago, and it was an easy access. Only difficulty is that to get onto that access road, you’ve got to do a mile on a busy dual carriageway. But I tried it, and found there was a gate that was locked.
After speaking to some other cyclists, they told me that there was a way in from a path near the NCN73. Looking back through my previous trips, I’ve been down that path before. If I had gone about 50 yards further, I’d have crossed the boundary into one of the squares. But today it was pretty muddy. Some other time.
So I headed for the south side of the site - and down to the beach. No restrictions there - but cycling along the sand isn’t something Ive really done before. The tide was out, and I had 35mm tyres. Went down the track to the beach, and pushed the bike across the soft sand to nearer the waters edge, where the sand was a little firmer. Then headed along the beach for 2.5km, picking up 2 of the problematic squares in the process!
None of this, however, increased my max square - but when I get that last one, it’ll make a difference.
But I’ve currently got 35mm tyres on, so thought I’d try.
Last week, I’d tried a disused road that takes you into a quarry on the site. I remember walking down that way years ago, and it was an easy access. Only difficulty is that to get onto that access road, you’ve got to do a mile on a busy dual carriageway. But I tried it, and found there was a gate that was locked.
After speaking to some other cyclists, they told me that there was a way in from a path near the NCN73. Looking back through my previous trips, I’ve been down that path before. If I had gone about 50 yards further, I’d have crossed the boundary into one of the squares. But today it was pretty muddy. Some other time.
So I headed for the south side of the site - and down to the beach. No restrictions there - but cycling along the sand isn’t something Ive really done before. The tide was out, and I had 35mm tyres. Went down the track to the beach, and pushed the bike across the soft sand to nearer the waters edge, where the sand was a little firmer. Then headed along the beach for 2.5km, picking up 2 of the problematic squares in the process!
None of this, however, increased my max square - but when I get that last one, it’ll make a difference.
- Location
- Egham
This is very addictive. I found myself cycling North of the airport after finishing work at 0200hrs. I live South of the airport.... But I bagged 5 squares
I think I warned you its very addictiveThis is very addictive. I found myself cycling North of the airport after finishing work at 0200hrs. I live South of the airport.... But I bagged 5 squares
A few more squares bagged today filling in holes in max cluster . Now up to 1023
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Currently on the train on my way back from a square hunting ride to Newark. Hopefully filled in some gaps. Had to go down a few private roads but should see my max cluster jump a few squares.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
19 new squares and increased my max cluster by 47.
Tom B
Guru
- Location
- Lancashire
Playing by my rules my home contiguous cluster squares and, X x Xmust be collected having cycled from and to home. No trains or cars allowed.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
I'm now looking at a minimum 40 mile round trip to add a square, to me it is about riding new roads and doing a one direction route gives you a lot more to aim at.
Tom B
Guru
- Location
- Lancashire
And that's the thing that I love about these sorts of challenges everyone can play by their own chosen rules.
What is about us humans, males in particular that drives us to collect things? Be it football stickers, stamps or squares on a map.
What device do you use to navigate these unexplored areas? I sometimes find that plotting a route tricky having to keep referring between two differing maps.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
I use a combination of Strava, Google Maps (for street view) and Bing maps (for the OS mapping) to plot the routes.
On the ride I use a Satmap GPS unit with the route on it which also has OS mapping on it.
I've spent the last month doing one ride each weekend in an attempt to tick off as many off-road/awkward squares as possible before the lanes/tracks/bridleways and farmers fields get too muddy for my road bike on 23mm tyres with the onset of wetter winter weather. I do have a cross bike as well which is used for commuting and would be ideal for the rougher stuff but it's a lot heavier and slower.
Today's ride was a 90km tour from home to the eastern side of the Trent at Collingham nr Newark, north to Dunham on Trent and back home again. I had to divert off the main road down to the Trent on several occasions - altogether about 8km off road which was predominantly rough track, but as hoped for not too muddy.
Also had to get off the bike hop over a fence and walk about 100m in to a grassy farmers field and walk back again - anyone seeing this must have been wondering what the hell I was doing
A short stretch that may have been a private road as well. This altogether resulted in a far more interesting and rewarding trip on the bike than if I'd just gone for a spin around my local roads.
13 new squares today (50 this month with a fair few awkward ones) Max square still 28 x 28 but a good deal of progress made and low 30s shouldn't be too far away, Max cluster 1148
Today's ride was a 90km tour from home to the eastern side of the Trent at Collingham nr Newark, north to Dunham on Trent and back home again. I had to divert off the main road down to the Trent on several occasions - altogether about 8km off road which was predominantly rough track, but as hoped for not too muddy.
Also had to get off the bike hop over a fence and walk about 100m in to a grassy farmers field and walk back again - anyone seeing this must have been wondering what the hell I was doing
A short stretch that may have been a private road as well. This altogether resulted in a far more interesting and rewarding trip on the bike than if I'd just gone for a spin around my local roads.
13 new squares today (50 this month with a fair few awkward ones) Max square still 28 x 28 but a good deal of progress made and low 30s shouldn't be too far away, Max cluster 1148
