Hi Loncolnshire folks,
I'm planning a ride from LS25 2EU to NG3 6DU >200km DIY
http://goo.gl/maps/uHtpX
I plan to ride this with a gps to record the route but will also get paper receipts as a backup. The route takes me from:
Garforth
Selby
North Ferriby (Humber Bridge)
Caistor
Sutton on Trent
NG3 6DU
Questions,
1) Do we have any riders from Lincoln who can suggest a nice route from The Humber Bridge to Nottingham on nice direct(ish) quiet rural roads please? I'd prefer quiet strightish routes missing busy highways to weaving about or zigzagging. I don't mind hitting larger towns (Lincoln, Grantham) and would rather avoid busy national routes like the A46, A57 and A52!
1) I initailly thought Humber Bridge - Briggs, past Scampton and then crossing the Trent somewhere quiet but all bridges appear to be on national routes, which may be busy. What is the A46 like NE of and into Lincoln, is it busy or fairly quiet?
2) Crossing the Trent,
a. I thought, either cross on the A57 going via Scampton or is the A57 a nightmare for that short stretch I'd have to be on it over the Trent?
b. Newark on the A617 riding parallel to the A46 'Lincoln to Newark' on the south side (via http://goo.gl/maps/hZf7J ).
c. Anothwer alternative is riding down from Lincon towards Grantham via Brant Broughton and Marston on Toll Barr Rd. But then from Grantham, I'd have to weave my way parralell to the A52, which I don't mind driving on, but would rather avoid on the bike. Then cross the Trent on Nottingham.
All help accepted with gratitude. Planning my ride around the end of July.
Cheers, Dave C
I'd try and find an alternative to Caistor if I were you - removing it gives you this
http://goo.gl/maps/TgLdc which is very pleasant, pretty much the route I take if I go to the humber bridge and is probably much quieter than the A46.
I would avoid the A15 other than to cross it or staggered-cross it. Fast, busy and probably very boring.
The A57 isn't that much of a nightmare, it's quite wide apart from through dunham which is a 30 zone anyway - it crosses the trent via dunham bridge which is a toll bridge (but free to cycles.)
But you don't need to use it: As orienteer says you can cross the trent on the cycle path: This bit:
http://goo.gl/maps/qCbaH is hardpack, fine on a road bike, but you can join the cycle path where it crosses church lane just east of the trent if you want to minimize off road (didn't use to be able to but they've built a ramp there recently)
The A617 from newark to southwell isn't
that bad but can be slightly busy, quite a lot of refuges and not that wide so can be hard for cars to overtake (but it is 50 limit now). Same for the A6097 across gunthorpe bridge. Although neither are really that bad, I wouldn't be put off if that's the way you want to go.
The A52 has a cycle path all the way along this bit:
http://goo.gl/maps/9LSrU, on the north (eastbound) side. It's better west of radcliffe, but still rideable (surfaced) between radcliffe and bingham.
The A612 can be a little bit busy, to get to where you're going I would think about going through calverton, as a bonus you would then get the fast descent of oxton bank.
an option to use market weighton:
http://goo.gl/maps/1xSlx avoids the A63 as well.
(I might still go through north ferriby rather than the A614, although the last time I went from willerby through beverley the A614 had roadworks all up it at that section and traffic was fairly slow moving .)
Other info that may be useful: A1 has cycle paths here:
http://goo.gl/maps/uN8jJ and here
http://goo.gl/maps/NqHFw , and
http://goo.gl/maps/UzOaS isn't a particularly great surface.
