Author Topic: How many A roads have you cycled on?  (Read 9070 times)

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #50 on: 22 March, 2023, 05:23:36 pm »
I'm using the current routes rather than the historical versions.  I did add the A305, A310, and A311 to my list on Tuesday by commuting through Richmond Park and Twickenham rather than Richmond Park and Kingston, and also the entire length of the A3008, which is Hampton High Street and about 400m long.  The exercise is showing me that there are an awful lot of short A roads that don't really go anywhere.

Although they do go from A to B
Sunshine approaching from the South.

First time in 1,000 years.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #51 on: 24 March, 2023, 01:36:22 pm »
I have (accidentally) cycled on what used to be the A40(M) and M41.  There are no warning signs on Gloucester Terrace and, if you take the right fork here,  you have no escape.


208 Gloucester Terrace
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DTy1XjjrtTJw3A8h7
Ditto on that one.

Also accidental entry to the M40 itself at J7.


A1 - London Wall end of it
A2 - Crossed it in London
A3 - Short London stint
A4 - Bath, Avon causeway, etc. Candidate for a full length ride.
A5 - London
A6 - Peak District and Penrith on LEJOG.
A7 - Carlisle on LEJOG
A8 - Short section in Glasgow on LEJOG
A9 - Tain to Latheron, LEJOG
A10 - Liverpool St Station
A23 - London to Brighton (Veteran Car Route, only the trunk bit on the final run to Brighton, whereupon I was overtaking cars in lane 3!)
A27 - M3 terminus in Southampton following the A33 (multiplex).
A30 - London to Honiton at various points. Bits (inc trunk) on LEJOG. Old route almost in entirety (except Bodmin Moor).
A31 - M27 to Ferndown (when mostly closed), bits and pieces to A35.
A33 - Southampton, avoiding A303 at Popham.
A34 - Bicester to Oxford at rush hour, eek.
A35 - Most of the route between Southampton and Morecombelake.
A36 - Short bits near Bath and Wilton-Salisbury, the M27 spur at Ower
A37 - Dorchester to Shepton Mallet mostly ridden
A38 - Around Bristol.
A39 - LEJOG avoiding Bodmin Moor.
A40 - Oxford to London
A41 - Bicester
A43 - Through M40 J10 for Cherwell Valley services (miniscule)
A44 - Oxford-Chipping Norton
A46 - Dunkirk
A47 - LEJOG on outskirts of Nuneaton, 100 metres
A57 - Sheffield
A58 - Armley Gyratory
A59 - Blubberhouses - Bolton Bridge
A61 - Sheffield on LEJOG
A65 - While in Leeds
A66 - Whinfell Forest
A74 - Glasgow
A82 - Loch Lomond to Loch Ness
A87 - Isle of Skye
A99 - Latheron - JOG

Honourable mention for the A303.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #52 on: 24 March, 2023, 02:38:00 pm »
Back in the day...

A9   Perth to Dunbeath, North of Inverness (most of it)
A30 LE to Okehampton (most of it)

Locally A34 - haven't touched it with a barge pole.  May yet have a go at Chilton to West Ilsley junction, but in no rush.
A40 - tiny sections
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #53 on: 24 March, 2023, 03:01:13 pm »
A4 - Bath, Avon causeway, etc. Candidate for a full length ride.
Might be worth it if you like being able to say you've done a thing, but bits of it – anything west of Bath, a section round Calne, probably most of it east of Newbury – would not be much fun unless done at silly o'clock. On the other hand, most of it between Bath and Newbury, but especially east of Calne, is really rather marvellous.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #54 on: 24 March, 2023, 03:28:33 pm »
A4 - Bath, Avon causeway, etc. Candidate for a full length ride.
Might be worth it if you like being able to say you've done a thing, but bits of it – anything west of Bath, a section round Calne, probably most of it east of Newbury – would not be much fun unless done at silly o'clock. On the other hand, most of it between Bath and Newbury, but especially east of Calne, is really rather marvellous.
I was thinking you make an early start from London, get to Newbury before it gets busy, and then Bath-Avonmouth isn't very far.

I'd love to do the full length A30 too, but it means getting from Land's End to Exeter pretty much overnight, which is a tough old pace.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #55 on: 24 March, 2023, 07:22:32 pm »
A4 - Bath, Avon causeway, etc. Candidate for a full length ride.
Might be worth it if you like being able to say you've done a thing, but bits of it – anything west of Bath, a section round Calne, probably most of it east of Newbury – would not be much fun unless done at silly o'clock. On the other hand, most of it between Bath and Newbury, but especially east of Calne, is really rather marvellous.
I was thinking you make an early start from London, get to Newbury before it gets busy, and then Bath-Avonmouth isn't very far.

I'd love to do the full length A30 too, but it means getting from Land's End to Exeter pretty much overnight, which is a tough old pace.
Thinking about this, I've probably never ridden the full 12 miles of A4 between Bristol and Bath. Firstly because I'd usually use the Railway Path, or some other, quieter route, but also because even if I've set out to use the A4, I've always gone through Keynsham town centre rather than the A4, which is the bypass. And I don't feel at all tempted to alter this.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #56 on: 24 March, 2023, 11:06:05 pm »
A846 - single track with passing places, and grass up the middle.

IanDG

  • The p*** artist formerly known as 'Windy'
    • the_dandg_rouleur
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #57 on: 24 March, 2023, 11:13:47 pm »
I won a national (schoolboy) TT championship on the A1. Was 13th the previous year on the same road further south. Never thought to count up the number of A roads but a child/early adulthood of racing probably notched up a fair number.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #58 on: 25 March, 2023, 10:48:03 am »
A846 - single track with passing places, and grass up the middle.
Staggering!  :D
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #59 on: 25 March, 2023, 08:41:43 pm »
I think one of my favourites was the A708 from Moffat up to St. Mary's Loch. At the start it says "unsuitable for HGVs" and there were several points where this was obviously true.

Add to that the honour of being "spotted" by another hitherto unknown forumite. Jan and I were sitting in the dilapidated café near St. Mary's Loch, enjoying our lunch. I noticed some guy in the queueue looking at me perhaps a bit more than etiquette would otherwise have demanded, but he and his lady friend came over and spoke to us.

"Excuse me, are you Wowbagger by any chance?"

It was Glasgow Dave along with Perky Girl.
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #60 on: 26 March, 2023, 02:09:32 pm »
I have now come to the definitive total of about 78 1 and 2 digit A roads cycled on. The 'about' is due to the fact that a number of these have been renumbered/realigned over the many years I have been cycling, and on some of them I really can't remember what the number was when I rode along it. I've only done the full length of three of them in one go: the A68, A7 and A88 (though as the A88 is only about 3 miles long it isn't a big challenge), plus the whole of the A83 in two goes. I think it unlikely that I will increase this total, I certainly won't be going out of my way to do so.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #61 on: 30 March, 2023, 10:19:00 am »
I have now come to the definitive total of about 78 1 and 2 digit A roads cycled on. The 'about' is due to the fact that a number of these have been renumbered/realigned over the many years I have been cycling, and on some of them I really can't remember what the number was when I rode along it. I've only done the full length of three of them in one go: the A68, A7 and A88 (though as the A88 is only about 3 miles long it isn't a big challenge), plus the whole of the A83 in two goes. I think it unlikely that I will increase this total, I certainly won't be going out of my way to do so.
Completing the length of a road has a certain allure to me.

I'm actually not even that far off with the A303, of all roads  :o

One fell swoop is somewhat of a different proposition.
Of the first 9, the A4 and the A7 are prime candidates. The A8 is surely feasible, just consider the old route part of it and start at Greenock at a quiet time.

The A5/A6 might be doable.

The two digits that get my eye:
A30 - Absolute epic, but with the middle section timing it might be possible. Dual carriageway is quiet in the middle of the night.
A38 - 2nd longest road after the A1. Again timings are critical, Bodmin-Exeter would want to be overnight, as would Sutton Coldfield-Macclesfield.
A44. Epically long, but never too hairy. 19th longest non-motorway.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #62 on: 30 March, 2023, 11:19:44 pm »
The A38 doesn't go to Macclesfield? In fact, it doesn't even go close. Neither do any other single- or double-digit roads - the A34 passes the town to the west, the A54 to the south and the A6 to the north east.

yorkie

  • On top of the Galibier
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #63 on: 31 March, 2023, 12:26:21 pm »
I believe Solocle may have meant Mansfield rather than Macclesfield...

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

Born to ride my bike, forced to work! ;)

British Cycling Regional A Track Commissaire
British Cycling Regional A Circuit Commissaire
Cycling Attendant, York Sport Village Cycle Circuit and Velodrome

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #64 on: 01 April, 2023, 03:04:05 pm »
As a uni student in Manchester I used to ride in on the A34.  Then during the summer I went to work in Southampton, and lived near WInchester,  on my cycle commute I suddenly realised I was still riding in on the A34.

Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #65 on: 02 April, 2023, 12:19:56 am »
Yes, my first summer job was at Handforth on the A34, and I used to ride past the same section on my way to and from visiting my girlfriend (now wife). Wholly unremarkable route choice, as it was quite quiet most of the time. Now bypassed of course.

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #66 on: 02 April, 2023, 11:56:40 am »
The A34 used to go through the middle of Oxford. I used to ride to school and back on it in the 1950s.
My uncle lived just off it in Handforth.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

  • Miles eaten don't satisfy hunger
  • Chartered accountant in 5 different decades
    • CET Ride Reports and Blogs
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #67 on: 03 April, 2023, 02:26:16 pm »
Am still working through the list - am up to the A4xxx roads.  Am up to 516 different A roads of the 1343 surveyed so far.  The A285 (Chichester - Petworth) is probably the one that I regular cycle on that I enjoy the most, especially going from south to north with the prevailing wind, which does Duncton Down the entertaining (rather than suffering way).  I rode it one morning when there was a Ferrari owners club breakfast at Goodwood and was overtaken by at least 30 Ferraris
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

  • Miles eaten don't satisfy hunger
  • Chartered accountant in 5 different decades
    • CET Ride Reports and Blogs
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #68 on: 19 December, 2023, 10:48:43 pm »
Have got to the end of the list - 577 of the 1780 currently existing A roads in the country.  Usually odds and ends from Audax events rather than big sections of rides.  I expect I will add to this list next year a I am doing a few events in different parts of the country.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #69 on: 12 March, 2024, 08:29:31 am »
Am still working through the list - am up to the A4xxx roads.  Am up to 516 different A roads of the 1343 surveyed so far.  The A285 (Chichester - Petworth) is probably the one that I regular cycle on that I enjoy the most, especially going from south to north with the prevailing wind, which does Duncton Down the entertaining (rather than suffering way).  I rode it one morning when there was a Ferrari owners club breakfast at Goodwood and was overtaken by at least 30 Ferraris
Rather good going that  :)

One I couldn't believe it was legal to cycle on at all, but it turns out that it is in places, is the A282.

I honestly thought I was probably missing a "no cycling" sign on Street View, so looked in person back in June.


Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #70 on: 17 March, 2024, 09:51:12 pm »
I think one of my favourites was the A708 from Moffat up to St. Mary's Loch. At the start it says "unsuitable for HGVs" and there were several points where this was obviously true.

I'm afraid that that "unsuitable for HGVs" has been overridden and timber wagons are prolific... It's becoming really unpleasant for of course cyclists and other drivers.

And as for damage to the surface...

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #71 on: Yesterday at 05:41:33 pm »
Almost impossible around here to get to the nicer bits without hitting
A10
A141
A142
A1101
A1421
A1123
A605
A1065
A134
A1122
A47
A148
A149
A1303

I've also ridden a bunch in Ox, Lincs, Derbys, Various Scotlands (main and Islands), Wilts, Hants, etc.
I think my least favourite, not the A40 near Witney, but crossing the A505 on a 200km audax last summer.
I've not tried A14 or A11 yet and no plans to do so.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #72 on: Today at 09:12:46 am »
Almost impossible around here to get to the nicer bits without hitting
A10
A141
A142
A1101
A1421
A1123
A605
A1065
A134
A1122
A47
A148
A149
A1303

I've also ridden a bunch in Ox, Lincs, Derbys, Various Scotlands (main and Islands), Wilts, Hants, etc.
I think my least favourite, not the A40 near Witney, but crossing the A505 on a 200km audax last summer.
I've not tried A14 or A11 yet and no plans to do so.
I've ridden on the A11... but not on the main carriageway thereof.  ;D

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: How many A roads have you cycled on?
« Reply #73 on: Today at 09:28:24 am »
I did London-Naarrch on the A11 circa 1984, on a Windcheetah.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime