Advice, tips please.

[Hobbs1951]

Thinking of taking a pal of mine on a little tour, he's a commuter rather than a tourer. Thought something in Dorset/Devon might be a good start. Are there any trail routes that we could do ?

I'm not looking for a mountain bike ride, but gentle off road would be fine - disused railway lines that kind of thing with some interest en route.

Thanks, I'm being a little vague but I know there's much experience/knowledge here.

John.

[hamster]

Devon coast to coast springs to mind - about 60-40 of old railways to minor roads.

[horizon]

Thinking of taking a pal of mine on a little tour, he's a commuter rather than a tourer. Thought something in Dorset/Devon might be a good start..

Or not! They are both quite challenging counties so your plan to use railway paths is a good one. However both counties lack masses of old railways due to the same problem that cyclists face. And many railways actually still run (e.g. from Yeovil southwards) which is worth noting for planning a trip. East Devon and Exmouth (along the Exe) come to mind though and the parallel route through Dawlish. There are lots of lovely small roads as long as your friend is up for a couple of steep hills. Dorchester to Swanage offers up some good routes - it is really the coasts that are the problem

[simonhill]

Maybe more details? Where are you coming from, how are you getting there, etc?

PS East Anglia is a good area to start touring. Good scenery, plenty of interest and not too hilly (it is NOT flat).

[mjr]

Maybe more details? Where are you coming from, how are you getting there, etc?

PS East Anglia is a good area to start touring. Good scenery, plenty of interest and not too hilly (it is NOT flat).

Some of it is: get a train to Ely and follow Route 11 then 1 towards the coast (stop to look at the strange landscape of the Ouse Washes by the Welney WWT centre - it's a good visit but expensive and the views from the cafe are OK) and once you get out of Ely, the next thing resembling an uphill slope might be at Denver after 20 miles and the first proper hill (cycle.travel's 3d view goes deep orange) is after 44 miles, the entry to Sandringham on one of the Telegraph's "five great countryside cycle routes".

Then it's definitely not flat: Route 1 continues around the coast with a couple of short sharp bumps on the entry to Snettisham and exit of Sedgeford, a bit of a drag through Ringstead and then you turn east onto really rolling back roads above the coast to Burnham Market (nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea by Norfolkers), through or behind the Holkham estate to Wells-next-the-Sea and then you can either continue along the coast on Route 30 where it gets lumpier or follow Route 1 inland as it parallels and then follows current and former railways into Norwich, a fine city - in the past, I've avoided most of Route 1 until the city boundary at Hellesdon Road because it's sand and the nearby minor roads to its north were OK, but the new dual carriageway A1270 may have messed them up. The section crossing that is probably worth using despite the soft surface. Then after Norwich, you could head out into the Broads on Route 1... dang, I wish I had more time to go touring

[whoof]

Devon coast to coast springs to mind - about 60-40 of old railways to minor roads.

+1
Did this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The full length is 99 miles but we got the train and started in Barnstaple rather than Ilfracombe. As a result the first section was quite flat on the Tarka Trail. Okehampton YHA is a convenient stopping off point for doing it in two days. We then got the train back from Plymouth.

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/rou ... t-to-coast

Travel light, take your time and ensure you have a lowish gearing and you should have a great time.

[TrevA]

Derbyshire has several old railway lines that can be joined up using minor roads to make a tour. The Tissington trail starts at Ashbourne and goes to Parsley Hay near Buxton, where it meets the High Peak trail which goes to Cromford. There's also the Monsal trail from Bakewell to near Buxton, and the Manifold trail from Waterhouses, near Ashbourne to Hulme End near Hartington.

[Hobbs1951]

Thanks for the advice guys, might go for the coast to coast, maybe try the others too at some point.

John.