Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

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Traction_man
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Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Traction_man »

Guardian piece,

‘Traffic-free lanes and beautiful views’: readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022 ... g-off-road

interesting comments, very anglocentric routes but apparently no 'suitable' routes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were submitted?
mumbojumbo
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by mumbojumbo »

Tried a route but discovered writer did trip in car.
Dingdong
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Dingdong »

Traffic free lanes... Where are they!?
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Cugel
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Cugel »

Dingdong wrote: 17 Jun 2022, 7:20am Traffic free lanes... Where are they!?
I could tell you - I counted 7 cars/vans in my ride of 47K yesterday. But you'd start comin' over here, with your friends and all their cars with bike carriers on 'em, clutterin' up my nice back roads. :-)

Cugel, far from the madding crowd.

PS the flowers along the roadside verges and turfed walls are absolutely glorious at the moment.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
Dingdong
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Dingdong »

Cugel wrote: 17 Jun 2022, 11:03am
Dingdong wrote: 17 Jun 2022, 7:20am Traffic free lanes... Where are they!?
I could tell you - I counted 7 cars/vans in my ride of 47K yesterday. But you'd start comin' over here, with your friends and all their cars with bike carriers on 'em, clutterin' up my nice back roads. :-)

Cugel, far from the madding crowd.

PS the flowers along the roadside verges and turfed walls are absolutely glorious at the moment.
I've had traffic free holidays on the Scottish Islands, where the only thing that will go past you of a morning is another weary two wheeled tourist. Magical!
ambodach
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by ambodach »

Don't reckon on traffic free roads on any Scottish island nowadays. I do remember such times but now the roads are pretty congested with campervans, motorhomes and cars often driven with no idea of how to use single track roads.
Even Sheltand is reported by my relatives to be getting more than their fair share of tourist traffic.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Tangled Metal »

The ones on Scottish single track roads with the least idea of how to drive them are red vans with yellow logos on them. The ones I've encountered ignore the passing points a5 other motorists. Quite scary.

Reminds me of a Lancashire news outlet with the story of the hardest road to drive in England. Wrynose pass! Apparently TripAdvisor review said it was so scary you'll have a heart attack.

Traffic free roads. Not seen them for years in Scotland or anywhere. Even western Cumbrian roads get visitors and there's not much there worth seeing.

Cycle routes in Scotland fit for families? I'd think Galloway area might be quiet enough away from the Stranraer route but the hills might blow it as a favourite.

Our first cycle tour as a family was in Scotland but despite our son on a child seat it wasn't great for a family, certainly not if they're cycling free too. Not until a little older perhaps.
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simonineaston
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by simonineaston »

Take the op's point about the content being England-centric... I sometimes feel the same when Jay & Grace review restaurants that aren't in Bristol - I mean, what's the point?!
I wonder exactly how long it is before poor old Wales will be the only add-on to England, everybody else with any sense of decency having left the "United Kingdom".
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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Ciminera
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Re: Guardian travel feature -- readers’ favourite UK family cycle routes

Post by Ciminera »

along the same theme, I've just recently picked up sustrans' book on traffic free routes.

covers all areas of the uk so you'll have some local and something to ride if you visit other parts of the country as well. even tells you places to stay, stop, eat and drink along the way in the guide. really good book

link to buy one here

:D
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