King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
It’s an scenario. Do you build a good route and hope the route generates enough revenue for local business to create overnight sleeping places, or do you compromise the route to fit to existing overnight options.
My main problem at the moment is I need an off-road bike...
My main problem at the moment is I need an off-road bike...
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
KAW works really well because it's basically in the South-East. So there's lots of easy commuter trains which don't require booking for bikes, there are Premier Inns close to the route, all of that. You can do it as a roughty-toughty bikepacker if you like, but if you're a wuss like me, you can enjoy a more comfortable ride with a shower every night (and a posh fish stew at Rick Stein's in Marlborough!).horizon wrote: ↑5 May 2021, 2:21pmWith both the KAW and the new Cornish route, I don't think this has really been thought through. They are indeed called bikepacking routes and, taken to their logical conclusion, this is what you would have to do. It might mean hefty work on difficult terrain (even with a bike only lightly laden with camping gear), possibly some wild camping and being fairly self-sufficient. This could be a great adventure but I'm not sure that's what the proposers had in mind on its own (and I'm not sure that the various landowners and indeed GWR are fully cognisant with what is being encouraged in their name).
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Good points.horizon wrote: ↑5 May 2021, 2:21pm With both the KAW and the new Cornish route, I don't think this has really been thought through. They are indeed called bikepacking routes and, taken to their logical conclusion, this is what you would have to do. It might mean hefty work on difficult terrain (even with a bike only lightly laden with camping gear), possibly some wild camping and being fairly self-sufficient. This could be a great adventure but I'm not sure that's what the proposers had in mind on its own (and I'm not sure that the various landowners and indeed GWR are fully cognisant with what is being encouraged in their name).
(if by GWR you mean the train company, I was on their vessels to/from Devon at the weekend; a touring brother had rims of too deep a section to fit on the hooks, and if he'd left his panniers on there is nor way we could have both fitted our bikes in the teeny cubicle!)
Perhaps the best way to concoct these routes would be for cyclists who own hospitality/accomodation to plan/publicise routes. The market would control the evolution of these routes over time.
Or *maybe* a modular approach makes more sense. Even with Le-Jog most riders aren't too bothered about following exact classic routes. It's nice to stitch together some classic bits. Leave the "North Coast 500" type routes to the Jaguar drivers!
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
I suspect that when some cycling (any activity) bodies conceive of such a route, and (as bodies do) seek support & funding from councils and area/tourism promotion bodies, the latter will be mostly focussed on hotel/B&B type accommodation. After all, in our society, people who like being out of doors more than briefly are basically wierd, so statistically won't be involved at the council/tourism. And campsites probably pay less Business Rates. Cynical, moi?
KAW may well work best on a B&B basis, but it needs a healthy bank balance and a pandemic-free year.
We (well, my better half) has now pieced together, and prebooked, a set of campsites for us, although at one point we're resorting to a fortuitously located cousin of mine (thanks Anne!). Only a week or so now .
In a normal year WarmShowers might help, although being on a short tourist loop might get a bit exploitive. I hope not, we're close to the South Downs Way, only had 2 lots of (lovely) visitors before lockdown, nothing too onerous.
KAW may well work best on a B&B basis, but it needs a healthy bank balance and a pandemic-free year.
We (well, my better half) has now pieced together, and prebooked, a set of campsites for us, although at one point we're resorting to a fortuitously located cousin of mine (thanks Anne!). Only a week or so now .
In a normal year WarmShowers might help, although being on a short tourist loop might get a bit exploitive. I hope not, we're close to the South Downs Way, only had 2 lots of (lovely) visitors before lockdown, nothing too onerous.
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Camping/site itinery was as follow:
* Start before Winchester: Southdowns Caravans & Campsite, Liss, Campsite happy with leaving car, which was great. Showers rather challenging though. Site's big shop is caravan bits, no food!
* Folly Farm Caravan Park, Crawley, W of Winchester, no food at site.
* Stonehenge Touring Park, Orcheston, basic food at site.
* A conveniently sited cousin, Chiseldon, S of Swindon, sorry, no help to anyone else!
* Wellington Country Park, Riseley. Big bureaucratic site, gates, age rules, could be difficult for cycle tourists, but ok our visit.
* Liss again (this last was the longest day, over 90Km and very time consuming navigation).
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Well done.
Thanks for the notes.
Was that in the heat?
Jonathan
Thanks for the notes.
Was that in the heat?
Jonathan
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Yes, it sure was hot! Carried 2-3 litres of water each. Most days there were occasional shops, although the new type volunteer-run community shops are often very tucked away & poorly signed. The exception was the Swindon-Riseley leg, up on the Ridgeway. Gloriously isolated, hot, dusty. Fortunately we'd prepared and had supplies. At one point* there was a little sign to a tap for drinking water, very welcome.
At a point where the 50k map in the guidebook marked "201", GR264835, due east of Bishopstone.
At a point where the 50k map in the guidebook marked "201", GR264835, due east of Bishopstone.
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Thanks
Jonathan
Jonathan
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Me & 3 others opted to do the NC4 to reading then join the KAW but go against the grain & go anti clockwise.
Day 1 ended at Pangbourne after cycling from London - Beale Park, nice but no shower facilities. But accessible swim to a clean section of the Thames. Lots of food options in town…
Day 2 we rode from Pangbourne to Swindon, they jumped on a train once we got to Swindon, I stayed at a travel lodge. That said, there are plenty of wild camp spots post Uffington fort.
Day 3 - went back on myself to rejoin the KAW & ended at Brade Acre, Tilshead to meet family and friends. Good facilities, but just a londis petrol garage down the road.
I'll be riding onto Winchester & jumping on a train home.
Highlights so far have definitely been the Ridgeway & Barbury Castle.
The climb out of Avebury was not fun....deep single track & some points I had to balance bike it has the crank was catching the rut.
Didn't see any water points, we were ok for water but there's always some with not enough water.
Overall excellent ride.
Day 1 ended at Pangbourne after cycling from London - Beale Park, nice but no shower facilities. But accessible swim to a clean section of the Thames. Lots of food options in town…
Day 2 we rode from Pangbourne to Swindon, they jumped on a train once we got to Swindon, I stayed at a travel lodge. That said, there are plenty of wild camp spots post Uffington fort.
Day 3 - went back on myself to rejoin the KAW & ended at Brade Acre, Tilshead to meet family and friends. Good facilities, but just a londis petrol garage down the road.
I'll be riding onto Winchester & jumping on a train home.
Highlights so far have definitely been the Ridgeway & Barbury Castle.
The climb out of Avebury was not fun....deep single track & some points I had to balance bike it has the crank was catching the rut.
Didn't see any water points, we were ok for water but there's always some with not enough water.
Overall excellent ride.
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
I managed to complete the KAW solo in three days with four nights wild camping. The only real logistics issue I found was making sure I had enough water (minimum 1 litre) by the end of the day for cooking (evening meal, breakfast and tea). The tea shop in Amesbury and the community shop in All Cannings will refill bottles (I was carrying a 1 litre + a 750ml) as I am sure will others. There is an outside tap at the front of the Goring and Streatley Golf Club which they don't mind you using.GideonReade wrote: ↑1 May 2021, 9:41am Hi, I was wondering how much experience there is of this yet, and how it's going? My better half has bought the guidebook, we already had all the 50K maps, now marked up, but...
<snip>
Are folks actually doing days of half-route, half getting to and fro, motor camping, or wild camping?
Or have we missed something?
For the entire adventure dinner was two dehydrated food pouches, two portions of cooked rice, two eggs (wrapped inside a Buff inside a 400ml mug) whilst breakfast was four portions of porridge, a half dozen teabags and enough dried milk for both. Otherwise it was all down to making sure I was eating enough throughout the day which meant stopping at (almost) every opportunity (cafe/shop) and making sure I left with a few spare snacks, pastries or snacks stuffed into my jersey pockets.
Finding a suitable spot for each overnight meant stopping no later than 7pm (sunset at 8:30pm) and rising early (5:30am) and setting off no later than 7am. I got away with just one damp overnight (thankfully the last one). Wild camping of course meant no shower between leaving home Thursday morning and returning home Monday afternoon but I did manage to brush my teeth each morning.
In total my adventure was five days : one day to ride to Winchester, three days to ride the KAW and one day to ride home. I was given the guidebook as a gift last year and read it cover to cover then downloaded it to my phone (had to photograph all 25 OS map pages on my phone) and followed the extremely accurate GPX on my Garmin.
Would I ride it again? Probably not.
Some pics
Last edited by spadoodle on 19 Aug 2021, 12:20pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
I planned to do it door to door ACW but thought sod it at Winchester and jumped the train back to London. Getting hammered the night before was a factor. I took my water from houses and farms along the way. Wild camps were a doddle and received garden hospitality on two occasions. The sometimes cruel but always fantastically remote Ridgeway was the highlight of the trip. I took my time over that section. Wild swimming the Thames and Avon along the way. Wandered off the beaten path on a few occasions and whiled away a couple of weeks.
Last edited by nsew on 17 Aug 2021, 6:19pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
https://www.thedabblingduck.uk.com/
on the
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-rout ... k/route-22
which joins with King Alfreds Way.
on the
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-rout ... k/route-22
which joins with King Alfreds Way.
Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping
many thanks for the practical info - would be interested in your views on the route itself - how enjoyable.spadoodle wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 4:23pmI managed to complete the KAW solo in three days with four nights wild camping. The only real logistics issue I found was making sure I had enough water (minimum 1 litre) by the end of the day for cooking (evening meal, breakfast and tea). The tea shop in Amesbury and the community shop in All Cannings will refill bottles (I was carrying a 1 litre + a 750ml) as I am sure will others. There is an outside tap at the front of the Goring and Streatley Golf Club which they don't mind you using.GideonReade wrote: ↑1 May 2021, 9:41am Hi, I was wondering how much experience there is of this yet, and how it's going? My better half has bought the guidebook, we already had all the 50K maps, now marked up, but...
<snip>
Are folks actually doing days of half-route, half getting to and fro, motor camping, or wild camping?
Or have we missed something?
For the entire adventure dinner was two dehydrated food pouches, two portions of cooked rice, two eggs (wrapped inside a Buff inside a 400ml mug) whilst breakfast was four portions of porridge, a half dozen teabags and enough dried milk for both. Otherwise it was all down to making sure I was eating enough throughout the day which meant stopping at (almost) every opportunity (cafe/shop) and making sure I left with a few spare snacks, pastries or snacks stuffed into my jersey pockets.
Finding a suitable spot for each overnight meant stopping no later than 7pm (sunset at 8:30pm) and rising early (5:30am) and setting off no later than 7am. I got away with just one damp overnight (thankfully the last one). Wild camping of course meant no shower between leaving home Thursday morning and returning home Monday afternoon but I did manage to brush my teeth each morning.
In total my adventure was five days : one day to ride to Winchester, three days to ride the KAW and one day to ride home. I was given the guidebook as a gift last year and read it cover to cover then downloaded it to my phone (had to photograph all 25 OS map pages on my phone) and followed the extremely accurate GPX on my Garmin.
Would I ride it again? Probably not.
Sweep