Cycling UK Forum

It's a Flash map, may not work in all browsers. Try this crappy Google one instead:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en ... iwloc=addr

Yep:

http://www.waterscape.com/iframe_map?x=432300&y=225890

Hector's House wrote:young + no helmet + no lights + cusual everyday clothes = more times than not a cyclist who doesn't care for safety and has a bad attitude on the roads (cycling on pavements where this is not permitted, running red lights).

young + no helmet + lights + a bit of cycling wear = cyclist who probably does care about the highway code! no better or worse than young/helmet/lights/cycling wear.

older + no helmet =... this person probably has all the correct equipment interms of seeing/being seen - they have the money and the wisdom!

Goodness me that's offensive.

Anything else you judge them on? Their sex? The colour of their skin maybe?

2.5 is more like the standard circulation->readership ratio!

Calandra wrote:Surely one has only to look to the traditional bridleway or the newer restricted byway to see a REAL non-motorised multi-user path? There is surprisingly little conflict on most of these, other than when illegal motorbikes and 4WDs invade. I will grant you that most of them are unsuitable for fast cycling - but so are most Sustrans routes that I have used, and which are available (legally) for a far narrower group of users,

Er, not quite.

The majority of "traditional bridleways" and "restricted byways" round here have no conflict simply because they are uncyclable with anything other than the hardiest MTB. In fact, several of them are virtually unwalkable if there's been any rain within the last month.

In contrast, on the great majority of the 2,000-ish miles of NCN I've cycled, most users get along very well. The worst conflict I've seen on "multi-use routes" is actually on those canal towpaths which aren't part of the NCN and haven't been sensibly managed for multi-use.

I am prepared to believe that your local experience may be different, but that's no foundation for you to generalise with phrases like "A major flaw with all Sustrans routes" (my itals).

Simon L6 wrote:the suggestion that people might flock to cycle paths because they are safe is mistaken. Cast your mind back to the seventh of July bombings. For three weeks after you could not get into a cycle shop in the centre of London for crowds of people taking to cycling because they were afraid to go on the tube. And what did these fearful newbies do? Reach for their LCN+ maps? Not a bit of it. Toes pointed outward, inappropriate shorts exposing lengths of builders crack, they pounded straight down the main roads, weaving through traffic without, as far as one could judge, a care in the world.

Cycling numbers on the Regents Canal towpath absolutely soared after 7/7. Ask British Waterways. The Regents might not be LCN+ but nor is it a main road.

As for the original question: IMX pedestrians simply don't understand what the white line down the middle means, unless the cycle section is liberally festooned with paintings of bikes and (ideally) is in a different colour.

cyclists, not journalists

What, it's not possible to be both at once?

Richard
editor, Waterways World

Mick F wrote:What it the hardest hill you've been up?

Out of Aberllefenni on Lon Las Cymru: http://www.waterscape.com/iframe_map?x=276130&y=311380

They publicise themselves by affixing their adverts to standard 30mph signs (not great in itself) with the text "R U ON BetterDrivingPlease.com". Nasty textspeak like that doesn't exactly endear them to me.

I'm also less than impressed by their site designers' attitude to copyright but won't air the details on a public forum.

Tommo wrote:I am happy to admit that a GPS is probably a 'better' option in many ways, but I just dislike them. Have had to use them when doing delivery jobs and the whole idea of another machine telling me what to do and where to go is not something I wish to entertain when I am trying to enjoy myself! I like to look at a map and make my own decisions (occasionally very wrong, but that's the fun of it).

There's a difference between GPS, which simply shows you where you are (usually in the context of a map), and what's commonly called "satnav", which additionally tells you where to go. I've never heard of a cyclist using the latter.

I use both paper maps and a Garmin eTrex, the latter loaded with the OpenStreetMap cycle map; the two complement each other.

I've cycled the whole thing on a Ridgeback hybrid - it's a wonderful route. I have to admit to not knowing what any of these tyre numbers mean, but this is what I'd say for a road bike, going south-north:

- Tissington Trail ok. Bridleway from the end of the Tissington Trail to minor roads (near Earl Sterndale) might be a bit problematic.
- Heading out of Buxton, once you've turned off the main road, there's a rough road which is very dodgy for the first up-and-over - I had to dismount a couple of times, so it'd be even tougher on a road bike. Worth going this way, though, the scenery is lovely when the surface recovers!
- Trans-Pennine Trail around the reservoirs - ok when you're on the high, southern side (unless it's been raining), an utter cow getting up there. I'd suggest you stick on the southern side even though it doesn't signpost you that way.
- Trans-Pennine Trail across Woodhead - don't even think about it. Stay on the nasty A road until the turn for Dunford Bridge. This is MTB territory, really.
- By the M62 - you might need to be a little careful, but it's only a short distance so pushing will be no problem.
- Hebden Bridge to Heptonstall - the cobbles are uncyclable in my opinion, either push or go on the road.
- Canal towpath sections should be fine.
- Bridleway from Austwick to Clapham is rough and the descent into Clapham is definitely uncyclable in parts. Probably worth pushing on a road bike.
- Alston valley railway track no problem.
- Forest sections (past Hadrian's Wall and through Kielder Forest) are gravel tracks with some sizeable stones at places - probably too difficult on a road bike (though that's a shame).
- Don't do the field section after Alwinton on a road bike. Or on any bike. It's horrid. Stick on the roads for a mile or two instead.
- Unlikely to be any problems from there to Berwick.

5. Find a pub/cafe and stay in it until the wind drops

Still can't believe I actually had to pedal down Hartside when doing the Pennine Cycleway... hmph.

Obviously take the Sustrans map; signage is generally pretty good but I wouldn't want to rely on it. (If you have a Garmin GPS then load the OpenStreetMap cycle map onto it - it's all marked on there!)

Keep an eye on the weather forecast for the wind direction. If it's an easterly (rarer but not that rare) then I would be very, very tempted to get the train to Berwick and cycle the "reverse" way. We had easterly winds for quite a lot of our trip and it made it seriously hard going in places - in particular over Tarn Moor (after Orton), down Hartside and down Coquetdale. We actually had to cycle down Hartside in order to keep moving.

The section from Kendal to the 'main' Pennine Cycleway is very undulating! Don't be put off, it gets easier. The original planned route around housing estates in Kendal (shown on the map I have) seems not to have ever been signposted. There's a better route from just Barrows Green, just south of the town, which is signposted initially as the Walney 2 Wear regional route 20, and after a short while as NCN 68 too.

If you're camping you shouldn't have problems finding somewhere to pitch your tent. We were staying in B&Bs and youth hostels, and the only place we got caught out by not pre-booking was Haltwhistle: we ended up pressing on to Bellingham instead. The bloke in Haltwhistle TIC was so unhelpful, verging on abusive, that I was seriously tempted to make a formal complaint. Bellingham's very pleasant anyway, though there's not really anywhere that decent to eat - we found the upper floor of a pub/hotel which was passable but amusingly chintzy!

The "military" route after Haltwhistle is great fun (not signposted though) and Coquetdale is utterly, utterly beautiful. Bellingham TIC can tell you whether or not it's open: the number printed on the Sustrans map just gets you through to a random MOD switchboard who won't have the first clue as to what you're on about, though if you mention "Otterburn Ranges" they might understand. The only tricky bit of navigation we had to do was getting from Kielder Forest Visitor Centre to the start of the military road: if you're not too squeamish it might be just as easy to follow the A68 for a mile or two instead.

The signposted off-road route immediately after Alwinton (and the caravan site there) was a quagmire when we did it. I'd recommend following the minor road a short way to the south/east.

The footbridge at Brandon (near Powburn) was closed when we did it, around Easter this year, and the river's too fast and deep to use the ford. There's a half-heartedly signed diversion up the main road for a further half-mile. Actually we just clambered over the blockages on the bridge and went across anyway, it didn't seem that unsafe.

Finally, the last few miles from the Union suspension bridge to Berwick are a bit boring - don't plan to spend too much time on this stretch, just put your head down and go for it. But Berwick itself is very pleasant.

We hugely enjoyed it - good luck. And do return afterwards to do the southern section which is just as good!

No, I don't think you're being optimistic - I did it south-to-north in four days and found it fine. Machynlleth to Beaumaris is too much for one day, though, I'd have thought - I did Machynlleth-Criccieth one day, Criccieth-Holyhead the next.

If you do have to do Cardiff<->Builth twice, you could always take the alternative route between Glasbury and Chepstow (NCN 42) and get the train from there to Cardiff!

The Radnor Ring might be worth considering for part of the onward route to Ludlow - it'll get you as far as Knighton, at least, and it looks like a lovely ride.