Advice please for a planned journey from Plymouth to Glasgow

[thirdcrank]

The OP is coming via Plymouth. It's easy to assume they are travelling by sea..............

[Mick F]

Yes, it's a while since Roborough Aerodrome aka Plymouth Airport closed ................ sadly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_City_Airport

Newquay Airport is still up and running, so perhaps someone could come to Cornwall by air, and then let the train take the strain to Plymouth.
But yes .......... unlikely.

[simonhill]

Edit I thought I had quoted Nez, who said:

Its the battery which can’t fly, not the bike

It might be because of the battery, but all t&C's I've read say no electric bikes.

Good luck persuading a check in agent your ebike isn't really an ebike.

If trying, I'd clear it with the airline first and get it in writing. Maybe the OP already has??

[Jamesh]

There are going to be as many route choices as there are cyclists, but.........

..........
A6 via shap to Penrith is normally quiet.........
Gaz

Shap?.....even the folk who live there say the name Shap is a combination of 2 words in English.....those words are sh1t and cr@p!
A6?

I assumed somebody travelling from BC would be looking for scenery!

One of the nicest roads in England runs from Sedburgh to Orton https://cycle.travel/map/journey/260668

018 by 531colin, on Flickr

026 Lune valley, Tebay/Sedburgh by 531colin, on Flickr

Or if you are going from Lancaster to Kendal, you can go via the Lake District, generally reckoned to be one of the most scenic bits of England.....but busy in the season, and you have to dodge about a bit to find routes on minor roads.

I would go North from Plymouth, take in Exmoor, because the wooded valleys which run up to the moor are lovely, go to Glastonbury to see the Tor, Wells to see the West face of the cathedral, Bath to see the Georgian crescents and the Roman baths. I would do Lon Las Cymru which takes you from South to North Wales, and is as good a multi-day ride as I have found.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@ ... 5916230024
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@ ... 5504042548
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@ ... 5911182502

You have to get round Manchester, unless you can get a train, but if you get to Clitheroe you can take the Trough of Bowland over Bowland fell towards Lancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale, or go through the Yorkshire Dales and the Eden valley (or the Lake District) if you have the time and energy.

Oh dear, I want to do it now!

Couple of practical points;
can you fly with an e-bike, batteries and all?
Its easier if you can take the battery off and charge it indoors; bike sheds don't always have power....our mains are 220 volts 50 cycles.

Hi Colin

Sedburgh to Orton does that rd go parallel to the M6? Or does Google maps miss a gem if a road through the middle of the fells?

Cheers James

[mattsccm]

Cloosh, should you be so enclined it is easy to find an online mapping program that will show OS maps as well as road maps. I use BIng maps for this. You can roughly identify your route on the road map and then look closer at the OS maps for detail. Generally in the UK the lower the classification of the road the quieter it is although if its the main road in the area this may not be true! For individual days riding I use Ride with GPS.
Roughly I wold wiggle up the centre of the country from Plymouth although the coast may be prettier and have more accomodation options.
Where Wales joins England near Bristol you could either go up the border to Chester then wiggle up the west coast or head east and go up through the Cotswolds, dodge Birmingham in some convoluted way and then head up through the hill Pennines, in effect the spine of northern England. Things narrow a bit at the Scottish border and I would keep west to Glasgow.

[531colin]

Hi Colin

Sedburgh to Orton does that rd go parallel to the M6? Or does Google maps miss a gem if a road through the middle of the fells?

Cheers James

Its Sustrans routes 68 and 70, it follows the river Lune valley, as you say the M6 is the other side of the river until you get nearly as far north as Tebay when you go over the M6 and the route leaves the Lune valley..
The Google streetview car even goes up it https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.38305 ... 312!8i6656
....although not on a very good day!

If you are looking for adventure there is a bridlepath from Sedburgh right through the middle of the Howgills bringing you out between Tebay and Ravenstonedale, and the sustrans routes bypass a stunning place called Bretherdale. I think they could include it as an option.....there is only a short stretch of 1 in 5, only one ford (with footbridge) several gates and unfenced stretches ....its the sort of place that time forgot!
streetview again...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.43596 ... 312!8i6656

[nez]

The OP is coming via Plymouth. It's easy to assume they are travelling by sea..............

Of course you're right. I was merely answering Simon's point. You can find battery loan schemes in the UK via google and I believe there is a formal Bosch one in Germany.

[cloosh]

A ton of good information thanks to you all...In fact it was only a couple of weeks ago that I found out you can not take the battery for an electric bike on a plane, so rethinking my original plan.
I am considering now buying an e bike in England after I arrive and heading down to Plymouth.
The secret for me will be slow and steady and I will aim to travel about 30 to 50 miles a day. I am looking at the EMU, crossbar, Roam, road bike, at just under 1000 Sterling, complete with pannier rack, mudguards, Shimano 7 gears, and a comfortable seat!... Does anyone have any knowledge of this bike?... My intention would be to sell the bike after I finish my trip.
Thanks for all the good information on navigation and I think what I hear is, have a general plan and then figure my route day by day. I am in no hurry, and am more interested in skipping around large centres rather than ploughing through the middle of places like Manchester and Birmingham. The fun will be in sightseeing at a leisurely pace and I expect to take around 3 to 4 weeks to get up to Glasgow.
I enjoy your comments. It is all a new game for me and I appreciate all your suggestions.....Cloosh