Would you ride this road?

[dand_uk]

Looks like you can off-road it from Earith to either Over or Willingham using a combination of bridleways and tracks. You join the tracks here

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...7.15&ll=52.35204,0.045018&spn=0,0.045362&z=15

found the bridleways using the Ordnance Survey maps on BING.com

 

[Baneli]

Blimby thats a really good blog you got going there! Will no doubt spend the rest of my working day 'working' on reading it all haha! So I take it you have ridden that stretch down to Long Holme Drove then? Could it get muddy if we had a little down pour?

Yeah I think I will give it ago one night or weekend and see how I feel at first before going in rush hour. I think next week starting wednesday I will bike from mine and go some of these routes and see what they are all like Will be good to have a combination of different ways incase of things like rain or fatigue. The parallel road from Willingham to Rampton, is that Iram Drove then come down Cow Lane? thats the road I was thinking of taking but never been down there so wasnt to sure.

 

[Baneli]

Looks like you can off-road it from Earith to either Over or Willingham using a combination of bridleways and tracks. You join the tracks here

http://maps.google.c...0,0.045362&z=15

found the bridleways using the Ordnance Survey maps on BING.com

Hey, yeah thats the way im going to go next week on wednesday Going to drive down it tonight before dark and have a look see if my bike will be fine and if its passable. Pshore has been that way by the looks of it so should be fine cant wait to be able to ride from my house to work! I just simply am scared of the B1050 at the moment..

 

[thomas]

I would ride it....but then I would probably ride down the M25 if I were allowed

I don't know that road, but looks like the road on one of my old commutes. Large sections were 30s, but mostly NSL....meaning some people would be doing 80-100mph.

It wasn't always the nicest commute, especially when busy. A couple times I had fast and close passes, but mostly people were good. It depends what the road is like, if it is easy to find gaps to overtake cyclists then you should be mostly fine. If it's normally non-stop traffic each way then you might get squeezed occasionally.

As long as you remain alert, lots of shoulder checks and you know what is around you then you should be fine. Give it a few goes and see what you think.

 

[pshore]

Blimby thats a really good blog you got going there! Will no doubt spend the rest of my working day 'working' on reading it all haha!

Ooh, KPTP is not my blog, just one I follow. I wish I had that talent for taking photos !

So I take it you have ridden that stretch down to Long Holme Drove then? Could it get muddy if we had a little down pour?

I have ridden Long Holme Drove though, not for some time I admit. I spent some time in that area with my GPS updating the mapping data for OpenStreetMap - the OS map is out of date due to the gravel works in the area. Long Holme Drove will be wet and muddy after rain, but will probably dry fast - check it out one weekend. It's just an option that means you don't have to take the road every day.

The parallel road from Willingham to Rampton, is that Iram Drove then come down Cow Lane? thats the road I was thinking of taking but never been down there so wasnt to sure.

That's it. You can take Cow Lane all the way into Rampton, then there is a reasonable shared use path to Cottenham. Or, for variation, from Cow Lane you can take the bridleway to Great North Fen Drove, then Broad Lane, Cottenham. One 100m stretch can get quite muddy when wet but the rest is grass and broken tarmac.


Let us know how you get on ! It's like a soap opera with cliff hanger now.

 

[Baneli]

haha!! On tonights episode of Road It or Off Road It! Will he choose the B1050... I went for a walk last night to check out one route I found that joins West Fen Road (Would of biked but had 2 people with me) It is possible to ride it but there is alot of unstable grassy areas and really looks like R*** Ally, bugs attack left right and center BUT I am on a moutine bike so should be possible but will get muddy if it rains and I have no mud guards yet I think a trip t halfords is in order at the weekend

I am going to also take a ride tonight down the route which joins Long Holme Drove and then come back up through Over and then up the B1050 when it's quiet to see what it's like. I know riding it will be fine it's just the other T**ts on the road which are the problem.

I took the Cow Lane way home last night and the road is soooo bad massive creaters every 20 yards or so for the whole 2 miles that are like speed bumps to cars lol Did feel like I was going to get my bike nicked when the gypos just watched me bike past their site... so might not go that way often lol.

looking at the blog it looks like he takes a route off-road that he calls the Albreth Causeway that comes out in Cottenham which must be a long way off-road but worth a shot one day to mix it up abit when it's nice and sunny

 

[GrasB]

I use both roads on a regular basis, nothing really problematic wit either of them. Just keep a reasonable road position & frequent shoulder checks

 

[Baneli]

I use both roads on a regular basis, nothing really problematic wit either of them. Just keep a reasonable road position & frequent shoulder checks

Yeah? What time do yo use them? would it happen to be 5ish when it's really busy? It's funny because I pass so many people biking all the time but never really thought of it but now im here talking to many people who they might be I'm starting to think maybe go the B1050 along the river on the way to work and then take one of the back roads home when it's rush hour

 

[GrasB]

That's in the time window of my home commute... I'll leave work at 3:30-4:30 & do a 15 to 40 mile ride, I mix my routes up a lot so I may not go down it at all one week or go down it every day another week. Anyway look out for a guy who's legs are spinning round like a blur on on a white bike (boardman hybrid or road bike with deep rims) or on a metallic purple fixie & traveling at a fairly high velocity.

 

[Baneli]

haha! You will have to let me know when you go that way and ill keep an eye out for ya! I think if i had a road bike or a faster hybrid I would give it a shot no problem but because im on a slugish mountine bike I feel like I go way to slow.. I guess also I need to work up to being able to go flat out for a while and I don't even ride in top gear because it's to hard at the moment. I think in a week or two I will give it a try and ill take the back roads untill then. Time to go and get a refund on stearing lock for my car as I wont be needing it now

 

[pshore]

I took the Cow Lane way home last night and the road is soooo bad massive creaters every 20 yards or so for the whole 2 miles that are like speed bumps to cars lol Did feel like I was going to get my bike nicked when the gypos just watched me bike past their site... so might not go that way often lol.

Ah, yes, I nearly mentioned the annoying bumps on Iram Drove but I thought it would get lost in all the other info. It does bother a lot of people on hybrids and skinnier, but I don't find them too bad on 2.1's with 30-40psi.

Re the travellers - I have never had any trouble with them especially the ones at these permanent sites. I assume they have enough trouble winning over the locals, so as long as they are no trouble they will see no major objections to them being there.

There is a caravan on the Aldreth Causeway near the junction with Cow Lane. There used to be a maaaaasive dog on a chain that would lunge at any passers by. It was very good sprint training !

looking at the blog it looks like he takes a route off-road that he calls the Albreth Causeway that comes out in Cottenham which must be a long way off-road but worth a shot one day to mix it up abit when it's nice and sunny

I love the Aldreth Causeway, its a great off road route but I can remember quite a few times being brought to a standstill due to mud stuck on the tyres. It'll be fine when dry. That arrives on Iram Drove, then from Cow Lane you can take Archie's Way to Great North Fen Drove and Broad Lane past the bakery factory which you'll smell instead of seeing mmmm.

Instead of taking the A1123 from Earith to Aldreth, there are some farm roads with a bit of byway in the middle (probably still grass). It's a fair amount of off-roading for a commute but all good fun if you mix it in with road commuting and keeps you fit too.

If you are not enjoying the bumps on Iram Drove, I don't rate your chances on the rest of the route. That's why I ride a full susser round these parts.

 

[semislickstick]

...I quite fancy doing that Homle Long Drove route/jamies blog route now. The weather is supposed to be a bit grim for the next few days locally though...hmmmm.

I've followed it on the other side of Earith before -I assume it must have gone up to Peterborough way at some point

Baneli - I've found a mirror on the bars useful on these roads, (as well as shoulder checks) you can see if someones going for an overtake with the on coming car and do something about, if needed. Zefal spy mirror has been handy.

 

[Baneli]

Semislickstick - Someone said about a mirror on the handel or your helmet... where could I get one from? I take it they just clip onto the handle bars? I see a guy riding I think a black bike (Couldn't say make) with two bags on each side of the rear wheels with one on which look really usefull so might be worth a purchase.

Pshore - Yeah I did see the pic on one of the blogs about Aldreth Causeway where there was a fire going aparently the caravan has been moved on but no doubt will come back, they always do. Yeah I didn't feel threaten but with my experience with travellers in my life I just keep my head down and keep going. It was a good ride as I passed no cars apart from right at the end litually in Willingham who had to stop for me anyway so is really good. I think it's a route I would take if it's raining or something to keep of the busy roads.

Also I take it Aldreth Causeway is one of the gated routes off the road? this one...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...d=Rd_fDdDEvYslK8g_bvmVyA&cbp=12,39.15,,0,0.47

 

[GrasB]

haha! You will have to let me know when you go that way and ill keep an eye out for ya!

Unless I do a direct route home I don't know which way I'm going home until I've got there!

I think if i had a road bike or a faster hybrid I would give it a shot no problem but because im on a slugish mountine bike I feel like I go way to slow.. I guess also I need to work up to being able to go flat out for a while and I don't even ride in top gear because it's to hard at the moment.

A rough guide for sensible to ride on a road like that is if one can comfortably maintain 25%-33% of the traveling speed of the vehicles under the prevailing conditions.

FYI don't get anywhere near top gear on the flat! I'd be looking at 35mph before thinking about changing into top gear & starting to winding it up to 40mph before meaningfully getting into top gear (remember I said my legs would be a blur?)

I think in a week or two I will give it a try and ill take the back roads untill then.

Do what you're comfortable with, put your self in a position where you constantly feel uncomfortable & you'll get worn out & give up. As you become more experienced you'll be able to deal better with roads. I'm confident enough with my riding & cycling ability to deal with the A14, A10 & A11 in a pinch but I certainly don't want to do it on a regular basis.

RE: mirrors. I've used one but found it's better not to have one. It forces me to do regular shoulder checks to see what's going on & generally I'll end up seeing more like that than with a mirror. There is also a distinct psychological effect on drivers when you look over your shoulder rather than glance in a mirror, even 20 or 30 meters off you can see drivers change they way they perceive you after you do a shoulder check.

 

[Baneli]

You have a good point there with the mirror. I think it would be helpful on long roads to see way up ahead and I feel I would look over my shoulder when they are closer to me. Would also put frends and familys minds a rest if I had something else to keep me a little more safe lol.

Yeah I think I keep a speed of around 15mph most of my trip unless its a hill where i come to an almost complete stop I think starting next week I will ride the whole way to work mght as well go for it or I will never do it and complain until I do lol