Route - London Bridge to Dover

[robgul]

Does anyone have a route from London Bridge to Dover please?   I've sourced a number from various places but they are all a bit mixed in terms of distance and type/grade of road - as well as hills.

I have a group that plans to ride from LB (early start!) to Dover and catch a ferry around 1700 - road bikes, no luggage, keen cyclists but not racing men! - a bit of a challenge.

All suggestions welcome - maps/gpx files etc - or links.

Thanks

[hatler]

Not a lot of help here, but don't, for one micro-second, even consider anything to do with much of NCR 1. What should have been a simple ride to Whitstable turned in to an all day epic.

[Tim Hall]

I did pretty much that ride a few years ago. I'll tap up my mate who devised the route to see if he still has a gpx. From what I recall bits of Kent were hot and hilly.

[robgul]

Not a lot of help here, but don't, for one micro-second, even consider anything to do with much of NCR 1. What should have been a simple ride to Whitstable turned in to an all day epic.

Absolutely - Sustrans routes aren't designed for speed or convenience . . . . my real concern is finding a route that's short enough and fast enough to get hem to the ferry on time [It's not until July so the current ferry issues may have been resolved by then - I think they've booked P&O]

[gibbo]

A few years back I did London to Dover and we used the A2 all the way down - I'm not recommending this, for obvious reasons, but we did it late at night and had the benefit of a flashing van protecting us from behind. Ironically it's actually the safest I've felt on a road and we didn't get any aggresion from drivers at all. One guy did get a puncture though 

[robgul]

A few years back I did London to Dover and we used the A2 all the way down - I'm not recommending this, for obvious reasons, but we did it late at night and had the benefit of a flashing van protecting us from behind. Ironically it's actually the safest I've felt on a road and we didn't get any aggresion from drivers at all. One guy did get a puncture though 

At the moment that seems the favoured option - I'm in the process of "Streetview driving" it - lots of bus lanes going from the start and then quite a bit of paved cycleways at the side of the main road - as well some parallel roads and lanes.   The current plan would see them leaving LB about 0630 so relatively quiet and against the morning traffic flow into London.  Navigation would also be easier with well-signposted roads (they'll have .gpx and a printed back-up map)

[gibbo]

We started from Marble Arch and seriously underestimated the time it took to clear London and the burbs, so many traffic lights...

[quixoticgeek]

Many years ago I tried something similar starting from Baker street tube station. I had borrowed a map from my Aunt.

I had thought I'd find NCR 1, and it would all be good. Well the signs were hard to follow and I got lost, so I then saw a sign for Dover, so figured I'd follow that, it would at least get me out of town. The road started as one lane each way, then two lanes each way, then three lanes each way, and then three lanes each way with blue flashing lights.

I explained to the nice police officer what I was trying to do, and that I was lost. I took out the map and we tried to find a batter route. The map was weird. It didn't have an M20... or an M2... or the M25... and was printed in 1975...

And that's how I got a police escort from the M20...

I eventually just followed the A2. Which was not ideal, but by the time I had got out of the M25, it was gone 10pm anyway...

J

[Tim Hall]

Rob, I've grabbed the gpx files from my mate. I can't see how to attach them to a PM though.  Drop me a line with your email and I'll get them across.

[robgul]

We started from Marble Arch and seriously underestimated the time it took to clear London and the burbs, so many traffic lights...

The slow progress until you get well out of London is the issue I've flagged up for them - I think they're being optimistic on LB to Dover as day ride with the ferry time commitment - there's not much contingency to catch up on the remaining days.   My advice was to get the train to Gravesend or Rochester and ride from there (it's only 6 of them so no big deal with trains and bikes)

[robgul]

Rob, I've grabbed the gpx files from my mate. I can't see how to attach them to a PM though.  Drop me a line with your email and I'll get them across.

Done - thanks

[bhoot]

Thameslink trains out to Medway towns are a joy to use with bikes, loads of space, especially outbound early in the day.  Pretty sure they aren't restricted in that direction on a weekday but may need to check. Otherwise can usually go under the radar by using a smaller station like Greenwich.

[exilefromkent]

As a resident of north kent in my youth I'd reconmend avoiding the A2. Also be aware that kent is essentially a ridge that runs east west between Maidstone and the North coast. You'd be best following the valley that runs beneath the north downs.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen-gb.topographic-map.com%2Fmaps%2Fsm4c%2FKent%2F&psig=AOvVaw2O7G0qiwdriz9QPc9pq40F&ust=1648906436745000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCNjxp6X98vYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Essentially ride east then south towards Sevenoaks (which is lovely) then run east through Maidstone, Ashford and then to Dover. Obviously avoid the A roads, they're horrific but there are alternative options besides.

It's not the prettiset route as such but it'll be fast. Personally I'd take longer and see kent, take a later ferry perhaps, I might be biased. (pas de Calais is a bit boring anyway)

[exilefromkent]

Thameslink trains out to Medway towns are a joy to use with bikes, loads of space, especially outbound early in the day.  Pretty sure they aren't restricted in that direction on a weekday but may need to check. Otherwise can usually go under the radar by using a smaller station like Greenwich.

I'd agree. Save yourself a lot of grief and take the train to Seven oaks, that's when it gets nice anyway and you'd get more time to see the nice bits.

[exilefromkent]

We started from Marble Arch and seriously underestimated the time it took to clear London and the burbs, so many traffic lights...

The slow progress until you get well out of London is the issue I've flagged up for them - I think they're being optimistic on LB to Dover as day ride with the ferry time commitment - there's not much contingency to catch up on the remaining days.   My advice was to get the train to Gravesend or Rochester and ride from there (it's only 6 of them so no big deal with trains and bikes)

Gravesend is a pit and the roads around are busy, you'd then end up riding through Medway to get out. Rochester isn't too bd, Once you're past Rainham it'll be a lot nicer, the coast road is decent after sittingbourne but it's not very direct to get to Dover.

[cycleman]

I did a section of the A2 in September last year on my way to Caterbury. It is narrow and carries a lot of lorry traffic which I thought would have used the motorway. Definitely not a route that I  would recommend. Thanks Google maps 

[Rod Marton]

Only time I did this trip I went down the A20. Though it was overnight, so the traffic was very light.

[Adam]

Years ago, I did loads of London to Dover routes, some hillier than others. 

In London, it's cycle lane almost all the way to Greenwich, which is nice.

Here's one option: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38964308

If they're starting at 06:30, then 83 miles would be easily do-able to arrive by 17:00.

[robgul]

Years ago, I did loads of London to Dover routes, some hillier than others. 

In London, it's cycle lane almost all the way to Greenwich, which is nice.

Here's one option: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38964308

If they're starting at 06:30, then 83 miles would be easily do-able to arrive by 17:00.

Thanks - that's pretty good by the look of it.   My real concern is navigating out of the built-up area without losing time (and reality on arrival at Dover is probably really about 1600 with ferry checks etc)

[quixoticgeek]

Years ago, I did loads of London to Dover routes, some hillier than others. 

In London, it's cycle lane almost all the way to Greenwich, which is nice.

Here's one option: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38964308

If they're starting at 06:30, then 83 miles would be easily do-able to arrive by 17:00.

Thanks - that's pretty good by the look of it.   My real concern is navigating out of the built-up area without losing time (and reality on arrival at Dover is probably really about 1600 with ferry checks etc)

My only comment would be that the bit on Stone Street just before Bridge (south west of Canterbury) is a road where idiots do stupid speeds along a road that really isn't designed for it. Be careful. Same for crossing the A28 before Shalmsford street.

J

[mmmmartin]

Would suggest train Tonbridge and after that it's as flat as a pancake on deserted roads: Golden Green, East Peckham, then marden, (nice café) Headcorn, then sort of follow your nose. Avoid the bloody awful cycle ride along the top of the cliffs after Folkestone and just follow the fast downhill straight road to dover station, then follow the cycle route around Dover or surely killed by A Thousand Lorries. But for sure Train out of London.