Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: woollypigs on 14 October, 2008, 04:08:23 pm
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Sorry dudes and dudettes I will not be able to do this ride, still too tired after a days work as I'm not over this bug :(
Yeah it is back :)
March the 28th and the 29th 2009
CLICK HERE FOR UPDATE (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=9537.msg293113#msg293113)
I keep coming back to this idea and never get around to do it, the main reason is that it will be over 140 miles and I have never done it before. But I really do want to do it.
Here is the first draft I made some years ago.
The route is here Gmaps Pedometer (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=399018) at 146 miles.
I think we should start it next year, on a Saturday around 3pm as I'm sure that this route will take us over 15 hours to do with rest and food/drink stops, so that will get us back at the start point around 6-8am the next day and the trains etc will back up running after their nights rest :)
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How about starting/finishing at the J30(?) services, well know to those who have done the Southend FNRttC? It's close to Purfleet rail station - and a bit further away - Upminster rail and tube station. Tube is District Line (bikes permitted) and both rail lines are C2C terminating at Fenchurch Street (for those returning to London).
This would also allow us to start or finish with a trip through the Dartford Tunnel.
15 hours sounds about right. I'd be interested in helping scout out the route beforehand - drop me a PM.
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I was inspired by a mention of this on the FNR and did sketch out a trail route myself.
Upminster would be very handy given my parents live there.
To scout out the whole route single-handed would be tricky - wonder if it's worth asking for people to do sections of it?
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Or to find someone with a motorbike anna GPS to log it...?
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Sounds like an interesting idea. Jellied: I agree that having ride leaders for certain sections would make a lot of sense.
Would an early start not make more sense because then you could do the whole ride in the day? (However, I do realise that people would need to get to the start, which would prevent an crack of doom dawn start.)
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The Dartford Tunnel I was somewhat hoping to avoid, thinking about starting below the river and then go clockwise until above the river and therefore missing the tunnel and also the planning out how many there is and get a car/van etc to take us over. I'm not as god as Mr. Legg and honestly would like to have as little organizing to do :)
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Or to find someone with a motorbike anna GPS to log it...?
I do like a volenteer
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Adamski : you are right and early start could get the ride over in a day with arriving at the finish around 21-2200 and time to get home, but it will be a pain to get the start on time. And mostly I fancy a over night ride as there will be less traffic and I love night rides :)
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The Dartford Tunnel I was somewhat hoping to avoid, thinking about starting below the river and then go clockwise until above the river and therefore missing the tunnel and also the planning out how many there is and get a car/van etc to take us over. I'm not as god as Mr. Legg and honestly would like to have as little organizing to do :)
Sound thinking.
146 miles sounds like a bit far for us, though. Never mind - I like the thought of rides that have an idea behind them.
btw, did you really say ...I'm not as god as Simon Legg
;D
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It may be possible (with a small diversion along nice country B roads and the A30 between J13 and J11) for me to be able to provide a food/drink stop.
Though this would be subject to time and me being in the country as I doubt my Parents would be to happy if I was not there.
Matthew
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I'm up for this, but would prefer to avoid the Dartford Tunnel. The FNTttC Southend run in April removed any lingering romance about this particular section of the road network. Too much organisation to get a group through, with very reluctant assistance from the authorities.
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Woollypigs: Fair enough & I agree that night riding is great. You would also get the chance to use a number of the larger roads at 3am, which would make navigation etc. easier.
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The Birmingham one is great - you just use the A4040 aka the Outer Circle bus route. About 30 miles, with leafy bits, a few surprising hills and a wide cross-section of Brummie life.
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As an alternative to the Dartford crossing (which based on the last FNRttC to use it, is an absolute pig), how about the Gravesend Tilbury Ferry? Admittedly it would require the timing of the ride to suit the 6am and 7pm opening time, and I'm not sure how many cyclists they would take each time, but it's a possibility.
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Yeah and getting a group to arrive at the right time is only something that Mr Legg or Peli can do and trying to tell them that x numbers of bikes is arriving at x time I would rather not do (read can't be arsed :) )
So starting south of the tunnel and arrive north of the tunnel sounds great to me.
I'm thinking and should set it in stone a date in the spring of next year, and then go for it and not chicken out :) When does the clocks go back/forward could do it on that weekend should give us enough light and not be in the way of DunRun and other overnight summer rides.
I would very much like people to give me feed back on the route and if they could do some scouting that would be very much appreciated.
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This is a shade longer than the DD - but without the swim at the end and slightly better options of bailing about during the trip.
A date in stone sounds a grand plan otherwise it will never happen, and making it low key rather than to organised sounds even better.
Scouting a head is fine - so long as some one "owns" the whole route or people can make amendments to keep the thing joined up.
It takes me at least a whole day to check out a short 20 mile ride around London, and that's with lots of back tracking which is easy in London but a real pain as soon as you leave urban roads and having to cycle back up 5 miles.
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Wooly
Excellent idea.
The bit from where the route turns north west below point 65 through to point 66 is a rather rough track, which might not suit. Having looked at it for quite some time, it is a bit of a bugger to get around without just surrendering to the A25 for miles.
A more minor point, at point 74 it needs to go the other way round the Reigate one way system, or perhaps straight through the tunnel.
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Reigate have a a tunnel ? Thanks Adrian for your heads up.
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Yes, where we stop to regroup at the bottom of Reigate Hill on FNRTTC, the other side of the road is a cyclable path that goes due south and come out on the A25 by the "g" in "Reigate" on the map
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You could expand the ride into a two day ride. This would enable you to move further away from London, use more quiet, scenic and easier to follow roads. Essex, Herfordshire and Bucknghamshire have some very nice lanes for cycling. Maybe follow the Pilgrims Way in Kent?
The Gravesend Tilbury ferry is much more enjoyable than the Dartford Crossing. A much better ride o and from the ferry too, allthough the Gravesend side seems the worst, from my memory of my experience. But I don't know Kent very well. If there are too many of you for one ferry crossing, you could always split. One lot go to a pub for food, while the others cross the Thames, then stop at a pub in Gravesend for food, as they wait for the other lot to re-join them when they get off the next ferry.
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...If there are too many of you for one ferry crossing, you could always split. One lot go to a pub for food, while the others cross the Thames, then stop at a pub in Gravesend for food, as they wait for the other lot to re-join them when they get off the next ferry.
See, now there's a good idea, and it has a mandatory pub stop. ;D
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I find this idea curiously compelling. The suggestion of a longer ride a bit further out could be nice, too, but the Thames gets in the way even more. A ferry from Southend to somewhere like Sheerness would help a lot, but I can't find any mention of such a service. Am I missing something?
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I'm not sure how closely you wanna stick to the M25 & so these ideas may not be any use, but here goes. From point 136 you could take Harper Lane (B556), which from memory isn't too busy (tho that may be due to time of day that I've cycled that road). You could then follow the B556 to either Potters Bar or pick up the route again around point 140. Somethink akin to this. (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr=potters+bar&daddr=51.706608,-0.344696&hl=en&geocode=&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=14&dirflg=h&doflg=ptk&sll=51.70613,-0.322895&sspn=0.022392,0.055275&ie=UTF8&ll=51.694161,-0.195007&spn=0.022398,0.055275&z=14)
From point 11 you could use the B172 (that gives a good downhill if heading eastwards) into Theydon Bois & rejoin near point 17, like this (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr=A121%2FWoodridden+Hill&daddr=B172%2FCoppice+Row+to:Coopersale+Ln+to:51.659885,0.166855&hl=en&geocode=FXWBFAMdsecAAA%3BFRB5FAMd8VQBAA%3BFYp3FAMdvP8BAA%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=13&via=1,2&sll=51.670639,0.140762&sspn=0.04482,0.11055&ie=UTF8&ll=51.676387,0.132351&spn=0.044814,0.11055&z=13).
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I'm thinking and should set it in stone a date in the spring of next year, and then go for it and not chicken out :) When does the clocks go back/forward could do it on that weekend should give us enough light and not be in the way of DunRun and other overnight summer rides.
Sunday 29th March (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Summer_Time)
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Nice idea :thumbsup:
I would prefer a two day ride. I get pretty bored riding anything more than about 100 miles in one hit....
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So, start somewhere near Dartford, cycle around to about Slough, camp around there, and then do a second days cycle back around to the other side of the Thames?
How about this as an s48o (or even s36o!)
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For me, a 2 day ride wouldn't be as appealing as doing it in one go.
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For me, a 2 day ride wouldn't be as appealing as doing it in one go.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
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Well, you're a bunch of loons who consider LEL to be a good weekend ride. ;D
Some of us are more lazy relaxed. ;)
If you did it in one day, you wouldn't have enough time for cake & coffee / beer.
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Well, you're a bunch of loons who consider LEL to be a good weekend ride. ;D
I'm not a loon - I don't do Audaxing!
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So, start somewhere near Dartford, cycle around to about Slough, camp around there, and then do a second days cycle back around to the other side of the Thames?
How about this as an s48o (or even s36o!)
This gets a vote - 'speshly if we have someone looking after camp so we don't have to carry all our kit ;)
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I'd be up for a 1-day ride but not a 2. This is only a smidgen over the standard audax 200 after all! ;)
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Mmm - I was only thinking about this ride last week. I'm another one who'd prefer to do it in 1 go. Perhaps start at 9 pm?
Naggers & I had worked out the north-westerly bit which ties in with Woolly's map. There's not a lot in it with Adamski's diversion near Radlett - as there's pros & cons with both parts there.
If you're not enthused with the J30 services, it looks like cyclists could easily get down the secret access road (http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=15&title=UK%20Motorway%20Junction%20Location&countryCode=GB&lat=51.2727&lon=0.0393&dp=904#map=51.27065,0.041|19|32&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:51.509:-0.1261:15||United%20Kingdom) to the Clackett Lane services (between points 60 & 61 on Woolly's map).
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If you're not enthused with the J30 services, it looks like cyclists could easily get down the secret access road (http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=15&title=UK%20Motorway%20Junction%20Location&countryCode=GB&lat=51.2727&lon=0.0393&dp=904#map=51.27065,0.041|19|32&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:51.509:-0.1261:15||United%20Kingdom) to the Clackett Lane services (between points 60 & 61 on Woolly's map).
LOL, how to confuse people, have a load of cyclists appear at a Motorway (supposedly only) Services!
It's amazing how easily you can get into many of these services, and use them as informal motorway junctions. I've used a few over the years, and none of the barriers have ever worked, nor have the supposed security cameras resulted in any trouble. I'm not sure I'd recommend making a habit of it, but you can normally get away with it in a car, so almost certainly on a bike (and they aren't "motorway" roads, so you probably aren't breaking any laws).
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if you are camping and carevaning club members there is a members only campsite at hedgelery just north of slough :)
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Well that is it, March the 28th and the 29th 2009 are now plotted into my calendar for this ride, and it will be a 2 days one.
Because I like the sound of that, and with going a bit further away from the M25 will make it longer than the 140 miles on the first draft map/route. And 120 miles is what I can handle without a good night rest and a meal at the end, so splitting a 160-170 miles into and dragging a trailer with a tent sound just about right to me. And I have to do some map reading as well as this ride will also be a reccie ride.
If any one can and fancy joining in for part of this route or the whole lot are welcome to join in.
So time to plan a route (thanks for the help so far), find a place to camp (near a pub for sure).
it looks like taking of at 9am ride on until lunch 1-2'ish and the find a place to camp around 1900, and then retire to a pub for food and a drink , kip. Up and riding around 9am again and off we go until lunch and we should be able to be home around 2000.
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BUMP
This is still on and will still be a 2 days ride, since it will be a reccie ride too we there will be pub/food stops as and when we find them and are hungry.
Leaving central London, going out to the Dartford Tunnel and then follow the M25 as much as we can clock wise until will need to kip or it gets too dark to put a tent up. And then continue the next day.
Anyone fancy doing this either both days or just one of them ?
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Will there be any campsites around there and will they be open before April? Or do you plan to stealth camp?!
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Stealth camp :) We might be lucky that we could get past Woking and even Slough on the first day. So I will be looking into if there is a friendly soul or pub that would let us crash in their garden for the night in that area.
Note I would really like if some one with a GPS would be joining us, hint hint nudge nudge, or that I could borrow one.
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OK. I may be up for this (and have a GPS), but I'm not camping. I don't do camping.
So, if the ride stops somewhere near to a B&B/hotel, I'm in.
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Stealth camp :) We might be lucky that we could get past Woking and even Slough on the first day. So I will be looking into if there is a friendly soul or pub that would let us crash in their garden for the night in that area.
Note I would really like if some one with a GPS would be joining us, hint hint nudge nudge, or that I could borrow one.
You can borrow mine if you like.
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I'm still up for this, and I have a GPS, with a spare Li-Ion battery, and so as long as I don't make excessive use of the backlight it should run over two days (it normally does a FNRttC OK with no battery change).
I do do camping, and have probably suitable kit (although it'll depend on how cold it is).
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I am aiming to get fit enough to do this. Who else is coming?
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It's a bonkers idea. If we hadn't penciled this weekend in as one of the main TRAT training rides, I'd definitely be in.
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I'll be walking and cycling in the vicinity of Nethy Bridge otherwise I might have come along just for the camping bit :)
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I currently have nothing planned for that weekend. I may be interested.
You did the right thing, turning it into 2 days, Woolly. There's no way you could do a group ride of 140 miles. 2 * 70 with camping gear is pretty ambitious. Hardened audaxers who can do that sort of distance in one day forget about the time increment for group rides.
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1) 209-210 is BOAT. Either continue to A3 (Ockham Bites cafe on R) and L onto path, or L at 207 for 200 yards, R onto airfield to 210 (not strictly legal but different)
2) 224 is Min Of Ag so fairly certain no-no. S/O at 223 then 1st/2nd L thru Woodham rejoining at 230.
No fan of A25 so I would probably go
1) 152 Godstone -garden centre(cafe)-Bletchingley - Merstham (or "obvious" route S of A25 from Nutfield (garden centre(cafe) thru Redhill to Reigate).
2) 180 Reigate Heath - Wonham Manor - Brockham - "Coach road" - Pixham - cyclepath either side of A24 (with underpass) - Bagden Hill - Great Bookham(199)
and
3) 246 is OK (short bumpy track)
3) 268 Horton - Colnbrook - Richings Park - 277
... and I'll be in Stirling that weekend.
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Have you given any more thoughts to when and where things are going to start (and for that matter stop!)
I assume logically the places to start and stop are Gravesend and Tilbury.
It looks like I can get to Gravesend from London Bridge, and Tilbury would take me back to Fenchurch Street. I think I could then use East-Croydon to London Bridge route (or similar) to get me to/from home, although I'm not exactly sure what the attitude to bicycles on these routes are. I guess I'm more likely to be able to get away with things early on Saturday morning, than I may be able to late on a Sunday afternoon.
(Alternatively it's 25 miles there and 35 miles back, but I'm not sure I want to do another 60 miles on top of the remainder of the mileage).
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I think I could then use East-Croydon to London Bridge route (or similar) to get me to/from home, although I'm not exactly sure what the attitude to bicycles on these routes are.
Tim, I've used both the East Croydon / London Bridge / Gravesend, and the Tilbury / Fenchurch Street routes with a bike. You shouldn't have any trouble doing so at the weekend.
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If you don't want to stay on the road all the time and need rough starting point, look at the London Loop (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/walking/localroutes/1164.aspx) or Capital Ring (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/walking/localroutes/1160.aspx), they're London's circular walking paths, and a lot of the paths would allow bikes.
I have the guide books if you want to borrow them.
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OK, so what are all the random number in raasaywarden's post? I thought maybe they were km along Woolly's original gmap route, but the locations don't match up to the distances.
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I'd still love to do this, but have other commitments that weekend. Hope you all have a great ride. And maybe it'll become an annual event :).
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Apologies for any confusion - turn (not random) numbers from the Bikely route. For the record
209 is Bolder Mere
224 is New Haw
152 is N of Godstone
180 is W of Reigate
246 is Thorpe Green
268 is Sunnymeads
so now you know
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There's a Bikely route? I've just been through the entire thread, twice, and I can't find it. Which post is it in?
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Thanks for the heads up regarding route, and yes this ride is a reccy, so therefore the ride will be two days.
Honestly I can't be arsed with trying to sort out a crossing be that the tunnel or ferry, I will leave that until we got the route sorted out (e.g. after this reccy ride). So the ride will be starting on the south side of the river around 9am, and going clock wise, starting place to be figured out when I have had the time to go over the route again.
Me and Peli' are planing to book into the YMCA that road-runner talked about up thread, we should hopefully arrive there before 1900. On the first run I don't want to spend too much time on carrying stuff as I will be working on the route, so therefore who ever joins us (everyone is welcome) have to be prepared for a quite a few stops even doubling back because this is a reccy.
I want to stay on roads all the time, I already have a route which is around 250 miles long on tow-path and other tracks, which is the Green Belt runners route for their run around London, but there are too many zigzags and some is off road too. That might be a route for an other time.
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There's a Bikely route? I've just been through the entire thread, twice, and I can't find it. Which post is it in?
I think he means the route I posted.
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I'm looking quite forward to this but a bit scared because this is the longest I have cycled in one go over 2 days and with a route I do not know with out a guide.
Oh well that is the fun part of this ride :)
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Gmaps Pedometer (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2582986)
Can I suggest the quietest, nicest roads I know in my area for part of your route? The B376 from Staines to Sunnymeads is a good road. I would definitely go that way.
From Sunnymeads railway station, go round the east side of the Queen Mother Reservoir through Horton and Colnbrook. Join the A4 briefly and then turn right onto Sutton Lane. That's the nicest way to get over the M4.
Turn left at T and immediately R onto Market Lane. Immediately after nice canal bridge, fork left into Hollow Hill Lane. Cross B470 Langley Park Road and then straight on into Billett Lane. Keep right on Billett Lane, ignoring Trenches Lane on left. Head gently uphill on quiet and lovely northbound Billett Lane. I avoid the parallel Wood Lane always. Wood Lane is a very nasty straight road full of cars and lorries speeding the 50 mph posted limit.
At the end of Billett Lane turn left onto the A412 for a short way. A412 is a bit horrible but at least it's downhill so it's over quickly and there is plenty of space for other traffic to overtake. Turn right into Black Park Lane, much nicer. Pass entrance to Black Park on right or maybe pop in for cafe stop. Imm after sharp left bend just north of park entrance, turn right to stay on Black Park Lane, ignore Rowley Lane ahead. The northern half of Black Park Lane is really nice, hardly any traffic through there.
R at T into Fulmer Common Rd, then imm left into downhill, adorable Cherry Tree Lane and over pretty ford into Hawkswood Lane.
From there, your route to Chorleywood is a great one, I would not change it at all.
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The crossing over the A3 between 89&90 (miles) is a footbridge. Nothing wrong with that, but you'll have to get off and walk. Between 93&98 you'll really have to be on your toes navigationally, as it's easy to lose your way in there.
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UPDATE :
This is still a reccie, I have done as much as I can do on various online maps and thanks for peoples input. I would like to keep as much as we can to this and will not change this route until we are out riding and find something better. I do not know how hilly it is or how much traffic there will be on various part of this ride. It would be very helpful if someone could bring a gps, any maps they have, etc so that we can plan the route as we go along. Even with all that I'm sure that we will go off route once or twice so there will be some doubling back :)
We will meet in Dartford outside the station (see map below) so that we are ready to leave at 09:00 sharp.
It is easy to get there by train from central London.
Here is the first day route, just over 84 miles. Start in Dartford - finish in Jordans (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2617715).
Around milestone 25 and 26 we might have to walk a bit since it is a footpath. Same goes around milestone 51. So let's see what happens en route, it can't be worse than the Grand Union Canal or the odd ford we have come past on other rides.
Here is second day route, just over 68 miles. Start in Jordans - finish in Grays (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2617782).
Keeping it shorter for the second day :) But we should hopefully be up and ready to leave at 09:00 again. We will end up in Grays which again has easy access back into London.
So a total of 153 miles, though I'm sure that we are going to end up doing more miles than that and with getting to and from the ride this will be the longest I have ridden in a weekend.
SLEEPING:
We (Peli and I) have found a place to sleep for the night near Jordans where we will end up on the first day. Do check out the YHA in Jordans (https://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/south-east-england/hostels/jordans/facilities.aspx) or search for a B&B, Hostel or a place to wild camp etc yourself. Depending on where others are staying, we'll arrange a meet-up point the following morning.
FOOD:
I hope that everyone is happy with the idea that we will stop when we find a place that looks nice and we are hungry, should be plenty of eateries dotted along the route, but do bring flapjacks :) I imagine we will stop about three times a day for a food stop (elevenses, lunch, afternoon cake)
Anyone who want to join for part of the route are very much welcome. The route will go past many train stations with links into London. So do let me know which part you want to join and we will try to meet up.
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What I think I'll do, is cycle into London, and get a train out to Dartford to meet you at the start, and then cycle around, until time/distance is such that I can cycle back to Croydon without it being too mad. So, I doubt I'll continue all the way around to Jordan's with you, but probably somewhere around about 2/3 of the first days route. I'll look at the route tomorrow using a PC with a bigger screen.
I've got my Active 10 GPS which can log that first bit. If you can't find someone with a GPS for the rest of the route, you can borrow my I-Got-U logging GPS unit. It won't be any good to tell you where you are on the ride, but will record where you've gone (it has one button and two LEDs). The only problem is, that to keep working for two days, I'll probably have to set the sampling rate quite low, something like once every 30 seconds (the battery is tiny, hell the entire unit is tiny). It could last longer if turned on and off, but I've found that it's very easy to accidentally hit the button in your pocket. It's better to disable the button, and just let it log continuously (which I will have to do at home with a Windows PC).
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May I suggest an improvement on your last part to Jordans YHA?
Gmaps Pedometer (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2618604)
0 miles L @ T A40 Oxford Road SP Gerrards Cross
1.5 miles R then L Bull Lane (imm after BP petrol sta on R)
2.3 miles L @ T Austenwood Lane (eff. 1/2 L)
2.6 miles L Gold Hill W (eff. SO)
3.25 miles L Welders Lane
4.25 miles, ARRIVE Jordans YHA on R
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I'd really like to do at least one day of this; probably the 29th. But I'm not sure how easy it will be to get to Jordans from the centre of London. Google maps says it's 26-odd miles from St Pancras, which is do-able, but would need a really early start (like before 5am :hand:). So, is it possible to get near to Jordans by train? If so, how? Marylebone to Seer Green looks possible, but would also need a pretty early start. Sigh...
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Kudos to anyone who manages the FNRttS and then this :)
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... is it possible to get near to Jordans by train? If so, how? Marylebone to Seer Green looks possible ...
The Jordans & Seer Green stop is all of 1.3 km (less than a mile) from the Jordans Youth Hostel. Google map (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=51.609805,-0.607644&daddr=51.610055,-0.592387&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&dirflg=w&doflg=ptk&sll=51.609672,-0.60773&sspn=0.003138,0.003455&ie=UTF8&ll=51.609782,-0.600278&spn=0.012553,0.021973&z=16)
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Kudos to anyone who manages the FNRttS and then this :)
I thought about doing this, for about two seconds. ;D
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Kudos to anyone who manages the FNRttS and then this :)
I thought about doing this, for about two seconds. ;D
Seeing as I was one of the mad fools who did a FNRttC immediately followed by the Dun Run last July, I also considered & rapidly rejected doing both! I don't think I've got enough stimulants in my medicine cabinet.
I might pop over on the Sunday though.
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I'd really like to do at least one day of this; probably the 29th. But I'm not sure how easy it will be to get to Jordans from the centre of London. Google maps says it's 26-odd miles from St Pancras, which is do-able, but would need a really early start (like before 5am :hand:). So, is it possible to get near to Jordans by train? If so, how? Marylebone to Seer Green looks possible, but would also need a pretty early start. Sigh...
You could get the train to St Albans and then ride to Watford - Rickmansworth - Maple Cross.
or
Train to Mill Hill Broadway and ride to Edgware - Stanmore - Hatch End - Northwood - Harefield - Maple Cross.
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I'd really like to do at least one day of this; probably the 29th. But I'm not sure how easy it will be to get to Jordans from the centre of London. Google maps says it's 26-odd miles from St Pancras, which is do-able, but would need a really early start (like before 5am :hand:). So, is it possible to get near to Jordans by train? If so, how? Marylebone to Seer Green looks possible, but would also need a pretty early start. Sigh...
Er - this might be a daft question, but why are you starting from London? Just ride the 25 miles to Jordans from Luton!
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Hmmm I'm still very keen on doing this, since we got a tent to try out, but the 10 miles to work today into the wind did tell me that I'm still not over the bug that kept me in bed last weekend.
Let's see how the next few days are looking out for me, I will post here on Friday if it is a go or not.
Optional other date for this could be the 25th and 26th of April if this does not happen.
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I was just looking at the CycleStreets route planner, and it's suggestions for the shortest/fastest route get me there in pretty much the same time as the train would, around 1½ hours. If I cycle, I'm pretty confident I'll get there, unlike using trains, and it's a bit less than 20 miles, so not too bad. If I do ¾ of your first days ride, and 20 miles at each end to get me to and from home, then that'll be a touch over 100 miles, which isn't too bad. So long as this isn't the start of a descent into Teethgrinder territory. ;D
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Bugger it !!
I'm still to tired and weak, so it will not be a good idea for me to try to do 80miles one day and 60miles the next day, as that would for sure kill me :(
You are more than welcome to do this ride without me, but do report back to me about the route :)
I'm free and hopefully bug free to do the ride on the 25th and 26th of April, are you ?
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:(
I should be free on the 26th.
GWS.
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Hi Woolly - are you still planning to do this ride on the 25th-26th April? I was vaguely thinking I might come out and meet up with you for the local part of it.
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Hi, yes are you going on 25-26 April? I'd like to meet up in Staines for the ride to Jordans. It's all my local area.
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Nope we not going to do it, other things have higher priority atm, such as really testing out our tent, mats and celebrating someone's birthday :)