Recommended ride - The Viking way

[ukdodger]

Ok so there are those who already know about it I guess. I discovered the Viking way in my Round the Coast ride. It's a great ride and presses all the buttons. 90% flat. Nearly all on cycle paths and goes along sea walls and esplanades for most of the way. Has some lovely sea views and has that ace in the hole advantage for bikers - lots of tea and bun shops. I dont know how long it is but I picked it up just after Whitstable and followed it around the coast to Dover. It may start before and carry on after that I dont know. But it was a brilliant ride.

[Dynamite_funk]

Where is this? Looks good!

[ukdodger]

Where is this? Looks good!

Around the SE coast. Dont know where it starts or finishes exactly but I picked it up after Whitstable and followed it round to Dover/Folkstone. Great ride. Would do it again.

[hubgearfreak]

i trust you had a good time roger, and it's good to see you've returned safely.

as for the viking way, i understood it to be a walker's path from the top to bottom of lincolnshire?

[ukdodger]

i trust you had a good time roger, and it's good to see you've returned safely.

as for the viking way, i understood it to be a walker's path from the top to bottom of lincolnshire?

It is but looks like it's for cyclists too. It's marked as a cycle path. Also it's still signposted up until Dover/Folkstone. It might go beyond that.

Of my whole ride the bit from Northumbria/Lincolnshire/Cambridge was best. Flat flat flat. Lincolnshire was lovely. Bombing along in between fields all day. Loved it. I wondered why you had such skinny legs Hub. Who needs muscles up there

The hardest was the SW. Devon/Dorset/Cornwall. Back to back hills all the way. My hats off to Mick cycling there. The Grampian mountains are worth missing too!

[CyclingSi]

There is an article about the Viking way in the new issue of Cycling Active, wish I was closer to try it.

[LollyKat]

Flat flat flat.....The Grampian mountains are worth missing too!

But flat is so boring ...

[gaz]

CJ's 2009 Viking Trail report.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Marked as Regional Route 15 (light blue) on OpenStreetMap. Looks good.

[ukdodger]

Marked as Regional Route 15 (light blue) on OpenStreetMap. Looks good.

It's excellent. I'm definitely going to do it again.

[pete75]

i trust you had a good time roger, and it's good to see you've returned safely.

as for the viking way, i understood it to be a walker's path from the top to bottom of lincolnshire?

Yes - and it isn't exactly flat either




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Way

[ukdodger]

i trust you had a good time roger, and it's good to see you've returned safely.

as for the viking way, i understood it to be a walker's path from the top to bottom of lincolnshire?

Yes - and it isn't exactly flat either




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Way

Have you ridden it?

This is also the Viking way:

From: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/recrea ... oast_trail

Viking Coastal Trail, Kent

The Viking Coastal Trail is a stunning 43.5km (27 mile) cycle route with substantial traffic free sections. AKA Regional Route 15, it is easy to follow with good signposts and is mostly flat apart from a few short sharp climbs along the way.

Margate train station is a good starting point. From here, the trail winds its way westward past spectacular chalk cliffs and bays to Reculver Country Park. Reculver Towers can be seen in the distance from the start of the route and there are plenty of opportunities to explore rock pools, relax and take in the views along the way.

The trail eastward is equally rewarding with meandering cliff top paths linking numerous bays and coves on its way to Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Margate and Ramsgate are only 10 minutes apart by train so a one way cycle ride on the Viking Coastal Trail with the return leg by train is easy, especially with the wind behind you!

Continuing eastward the trail cuts inland at Pegwell Bay passing St. Augustine's Cross which marks the place where it is believed Augustine first met King Ethelbert around 597AD. The trail continues inland passing Minster Abbey, founded in 670AD, which is the UK's oldest inhabited building and one of England's oldest religious buildings. St Nicholas at Wade's thirteenth century flint and rag stone church tower can be seen for miles around and was once an important sea mark.

The Viking Coastal Trail is a "must do route" for serious cycle tourists but is also perfect for novices
or a family day out as two thirds of the trail is traffic free. Railway stations at Minster, Ramsgate,
Dumpton Park, Broadstairs, Margate, Westgate-on-Sea and Birchington are accessible and well signed
from the trail.

[pete75]

i trust you had a good time roger, and it's good to see you've returned safely.

as for the viking way, i understood it to be a walker's path from the top to bottom of lincolnshire?

Yes - and it isn't exactly flat either

Have you ridden it?

This is also the Viking way:

From: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/recrea ... oast_trail

Viking Coastal Trail, Kent

The Viking Coastal Trail is a stunning 43.5km (27 mile) cycle route with substantial traffic free sections. AKA Regional Route 15, it is easy to follow with good signposts and is mostly flat apart from a few short sharp climbs along the way.

So not the Viking Way then rather the Viking Coastal Trail. The Viking Way is a long distance footpath not a cycle route, much on footpaths on which it is theoretically illegal to ride a bike though in practice no one seems to mind.

[ukdodger]

Semantics. But yes they are different paths.

This is the path I took across Lincolnshire. The highest point was 107ft. To me that's flat.

[rand]

I live in north Norfolk and this is the first time I've heard about the Viking Coastal Trail.

How can I find out more about it and has anyone experience of it in Norfolk?


Rand.