Severn to The Wash - Straight Line?

[notlobgp14]

Has anyone ridden from Fosdyke Bridge on the A17 to Minsterworth-on-Severn, taking the 'straight line' route?  I have used a line between these two points as a 'border line' for another organisation of which I am a member; when I saw it plotted on the map it struck me that it would make a good Audax ride.

The challenge would be; not deviate by more than 'x' from the line.  I wonder if someone can help with prior knowledge of such a ride? 

[BlackSheep]

Has anyone ridden from Fosdyke Bridge on the A17 to Minsterworth-on-Severn, taking the 'straight line' route?  I have used a line between these two points as a 'border line' for another organisation of which I am a member; when I saw it plotted on the map it struck me that it would make a good Audax ride.

The challenge would be; not deviate by more than 'x' from the line.  I wonder if someone can help with prior knowledge of such a ride?  

Not in any way shape or form wishing to rain on anyone's parade, but my t'penny worth.
An interesting idea. Just out of interest I put Minsterworth and Gedney Drove End into MS Autoroute, picked shortest route - then hit Shift+F5. The route came out to 247km and didn't look very " shortest". And not very helpful in using the M69.
So I put Southam (Warks) in as a via. This brought it down to 234km. So my first doubts are over the definitive shortest route.
Having spent my early years living in Minsterworth, I would doubt why anyone would really want to use the A48 and then the A40 to Gloucester. OK it's not very far, but the A40 does have a "Bike killer" bus lane, then you get stuck on the ring road around Gloucester - horrible.
Once you get north of Cheltenham, the route's OK to Toddington, the bit out of Toddington rolls, is narrow (double white lines) quite busy. From Broadway to Southam the routes perfect for audax use. There's a lovely rise out of Willersey. After Southam, Things are a bit sketchey in the memory banks. But fairly benign in the rural stretches. I have done a bit of cycling at the far end, which was deceptively rolling  (but most enjoyable) around the Grantham area, then flattening-out towards the east coast. I chose  Gedney Drove End to finish at "The Wild Fowler On The Wash" PH.

[Greenbank]

Not in any way shape or form wishing to rain on anyone's parade, but my t'penny worth.
An interesting idea. Just out of interest I put Minsterworth and Gedney Drove End into MS Autoroute, picked shortest route - then hit Shift+F5. The route came out to 247km and didn't look very " shortest". And not very helpful in using the M69.
So I put Southam (Warks) in as a via. This brought it down to 234km. So my first doubts are over the definitive shortest route.

As you've seen, Autoroute's "shortest" route option doesn't always give you the shortest route, especially over legs greater than 50km.

Even on "shortest" it prefers to keep the number of instructions down to something sensible.

It's a bit of a Catch-22. You need to add intermediate control towns to make it better at picking the shortest route, but you don't know where to put them without knowing where the shortest route passes through.

[mattc]

google maps (Walking) gives you 230km straight away.

How much does this Autoroute thing cost?

[notlobgp14]

Thanks for the info at the Gloucester end. 

Just to clarify;  my Staight Line:- River Welland Bridge on the A17 - Market Harborough - Southam.  These three points set the line, which hits the Severn.  I understand that none of the mapping programs will plot this line, although Google gets quite close.

I could move my start / finish to Quedgeley, on the South of the Severn, then take minor roads through Gloucester heading just north of the airport?

[BlackSheep]

Thanks for the info at the Gloucester end. 

Just to clarify;  my Staight Line:- River Welland Bridge on the A17 - Market Harborough - Southam.  These three points set the line, which hits the Severn.  I understand that none of the mapping programs will plot this line, although Google gets quite close.

I could move my start / finish to Quedgeley, on the South of the Severn, then take minor roads through Gloucester heading just north of the airport?

There's a NCR that passes through the west side of Quedgeley, it will get you to Gloucester Cathedral "Traffic Free", then you could exit GC by arch near Bishop Hooper's monument, hard right along St Mary's St. RIGHT at the end, and left under BR line at traffic lights into Deans Walk. Use crossing at end to either use A38 or Sandhurst Lane. I would consider then using Down Hathrley Lane, left at the end passing the old Dowty site. Leftt at traffic lights along old Cheltenham road. At the end work your way through the Sainsbury's site eventually on to Hadyn Lane to Bishop's Cleeve. Over Cleeve hill to Winchcombe and beyond.
I have a route from Broadway to Southam - it's part of my "Mr. P's Autumnal Outing" route.

A word of advice if you're considering the return route. Don't go down The hill to Willersley. It steepens quickly, and the bends are all off-camber. So once on the wrong line - and you've had it. This is one reason why 3peaker doesn't offer this direction on one of his perms.

PM if you want any help at the west end of things.

[BlackSheep]

google maps (Walking) gives you 230km straight away.

How much does this Autoroute thing cost?

About £30, It's good for cars and motorbikes.

For planning a cycle route it "a start", but really nothing more. In my area there are loads of mapping bugs that make it unsuitable.

Does anyone on this forum know what the AUK events team prefer organisers to use as their reference when creating routes and hence events?

[MikeFromLFE]

I thought viamichelin was the route planner of choice for Perms these days?

Having done Leicester - Southam - Oxfordshire a few times, I can comment on the bit between Southam and Market Harborough:
The A428 out of Southam looks like it ought to be a drag-strip, but I've never had any issues on this stretch, it's a relatively pleasant bit of rolling countryside - till you hit the ass-end of Rugby, and the obvious route takes you through an estate whcih needs a bit of concentration to navigate through. You then come to one of my favorite bits of countryside hereabouts despite being in earshot of the M1/M6 junction at Cathorpe - again navigation can be 'interesting'. The A4304 between Husbands Bosworth is a busy bit of road with a b*stard hill at Lubbenham - I tend to try to avoid this road whenever possible, but for your purposes there is no sensible alternative. Lots of food/ drink/ control opportunities in the centre of Market Harborough, and a bike shop.
East of Market Harborogh there be hills. lots.

[Jaded]

I have a route that goes Wellesbourne, Hartbury, Long itchington, Braunston, East Haddon, Brixworth, Burton Latimer, round the south east of Kettering, Brigstock, Oundle.

It's not absolutely straight.

[notlobgp14]

Thanks

Slightly too far South though.

In the M40, M45 and M1 area, my 'Line' goes throough the roundabout at the junction of the A422 to the centre of Southam.

Any ideas for that stretch until North of the A14 and Market Harborough?