Cycling UK Forum

Frank, thanks very much for sharing your blog, I fancy going there in February.

I'm going to have to try hot milk and brandy, something I've never tried before!
M

A very nice website and I enjoyed reading it so far, good luck with your travels!

M

Thanks, Mark, I get the picture now!

Sadly we've decided not to go, which I suppose is for the best.

m

Don't live in Southampton, but ride through fairly regularly. It's a difficult town to navigate if you're not familar with it.

M

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as stoppy!

Thanks for the helpful advice re the surface of the route.

I've just finished reading the book, and I think even if you never ride the route - however it has been arrived at, the book makes for an excellent read and goes very well with a good bottle of claret!

M

Thanks for the sensible advice, unfortunately hubby is too frightened of rough seas to go at this time of the year. Don't think he's realised just quite the storm he's currently sailing into here at home at the moment with his negative attitudes!

Thanks for the helpful replies. Doesn't look like it would be a suitable route for early February.

iviehoff,

Suggest you buy or get a copy of the book before making such judgements about the author wanting to sell a book and the route being non-existent.

In my view, this isn't a book written for profit, but by an enthusiast wishing to share information.

He makes it very clear in the early preamble in the book that the name 'Chalke Way' actually comes from the surface under-wheel and he has added the 'e' to the word Chalk.

He also goes into much detail referencing the origins of the route and the various sources for his writings, including an old book he came across in his local library titled 'Green Roads,' which itself goes into much detail about the origins of the route discovered by a previous author.

Anyway, I'm finding it a fascinating read and for those who can get a copy, would recommend it to anyone interested in history and geography.

Dudley - thanks for your suggestion re goggling the author's name, which I have now done. Many thanks!

Maggie.

Came across John Stuart Clark's book, The Chalke Way when I was in Cotswolds Outdoor shop a couple of weeks ago and purchased the same. Never knew this route existed - it's described by the author as being "A Coast to Coast Cycle Ride along Europe's oldest green roads".

Goes from Weymouth to Holme-next-the-sea on the Norfolk Coast and looks and sounds great although I've only realised that the book was published in 1995 and has had no further editions that I can see. There are no reviews on Amazon.

With trying to plan my February tour, and with my plans for Santander looking increasingly unlikely as everyone is warning me against travelling by ferry at this time as the seas around the Bay of Biscay can be terrible, to say the least, I'm wondering about this route.

Has anyone had any experience of riding it, or part of it etc?

By the way, John's book is an absolute gem of information, history and so on and it really is a guide in every sense of the word. But it's always nice to hear how others have fared on the same route.

M

funny, this about knowledge -

for example, I never knew you could take bikes on the Fastcat, which seems like a better idea than the ferry - then you have pedalsheep who lives on the Isle of Wight and didn't know you can take them on the hovercraft!

M

Thanks for the weatherbase, link - beekeeper - very useful.

Yes, the ferry runs in February, I checked with the reservations office earlier today. Runs also in January, but they don't take bikes for the month of January as the 'restraints' that hold them in place are taken down. A friend has said that's because the bay of Biscay is so rough during this period and they need every available restraint....

I'm not too fussed about the weather - I was looking at around min temp 11c and max average around 13.8c which isn't bad considering the time of the year, but also that there's quite a lot of hill climbing to do.

Britanny ferries give a suggested cycle tour on their website, which looks quite good. But it's always nice to hear from someone who has maybe toured this time of the year. Unfortunately February is the only month I can go for three weeks, which is why I'm looking at this area.

I'm trying to avoid flying anywhere if I can avoid it all, thus the ferry to Spain.

Could stay in the UK, I suppose, but it can be fairly miserable (as I'm sure we all know!) this time of the year!

M

I cycle tour from my home in Chichester to the Isle of Wight at least three times a year and have stopped using the hovercraft.

Problem I've found is that they will only take maximum of 2 bikes on one crossing. Fine if there's only one or two of you, but on previous occasions I found there was always others ahead and thus you had to wait.

Also, you have to strip off your panniers, gear etc as your bike will be taken from you by one of the staff and placed lying on its side in one of the lockers with another bike on top or below. If like me, you travel with most of the world attached to your bicycle, it can be a right faff taking off panniers, tent etc and then having to do the reverse at the other side. Also found that things got scratched or bent - mudguards etc, thus I now take the ferry. I also found inside the hovercraft to be very bumpy, you get to see nothing but mist and if like myself, not your not the greatest with moving, hot enclosed spaces you can start to feel nauseaus.

Maggie.

A favourite of mine, if you're ever touring the Isle of Wight is Heathfield Farm Campsite in Freshwater.

They have a very nice grassy area which is fenced off with low-level fencing and it's own picnic bench and is solely for the use of cycling campers/walkers/ramblers. A really lovely site and usually very low site fees compared to other sites I've visited. Wardens, although they change every year are very helpful and friendly.

http://www.heathfieldcamping.co.uk/

Maggie.

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about travelling to Santander, Spain in February 2012 for either two to three weeks cycle touring. Planning to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander and then go from there.

Just wondering has anyone toured here before and could give me some advice on what route I should be looking at. Also what sort of weather to expect this time of the year and so on. I will be travelling with husband. We're both relatively fit and I cycle on average about 8,000 miles a year. I'm looking to stay in hotels/B&Bs etc.

Any ideas/advice welcome.

many thanks,
Maggie