A ride I've done 3 is 4 times is Glasgow to Edinburgh along the Forth and Clyde and Union Canal towpaths. Then back by train. Possibly best done west to east for the prevailing wind. There is a few stretches exposed to wind. From memory its around 55 miles.
Aside from a mile or two either end it is traffic free. Plenty places to stop for a pint along the way.
Bristol to Edinburgh - route suggestions
Re: Bristol to Edinburgh - route suggestions
A few general comments.
Compared to the US, we have for the most part quite a dense network of roads. Until you get used to the roads network/maps you are using, you progress will be slowed by frequent map stops, which will be reflected in you daily milage (or time to complete your daily milage). I have been to France quite a few times, each time it takes me a few days to reaquaint myself with the scale map and the road network.
If your route is on a gps unit of some sort, then navigation is a lot easier. I would aim for the lower end of your daily milage if possible, otherwise you will have little opportunity to stop and look at old village buildings etc. A lot of our villages have 13th - 17th century buildings as well as the post 1776 modernist rubbish architecture!
Avoid main 'A' roads, except for some sparcely populated areas, 'A' roads will be too busy and narrow for pleasant cycling. Less so for 'B' roads, but these can sometimes be busy.
Using minor roads means your daily distance includes quite a lot of wiggles, so not all your distance contributes to the Bristol - Edinburgh distance.
Ordinance Survey maps (paper or electronic) are best. If using electronic OS maps, you can load gpx files onto these (you need to look at the line on the map on your screen, you won't get directions as such). With a subscription to OS, you get access to the whole county down to 1:25,000. Remaining on line (so gps tracking) gives you access to the whole county on your phone. If off line to save battery life, you can up load sprecific gpx files and store that on your phone. I guess if the storage is big enough, you might manage the whole county stored on your phone.The only time I experimented running my phone with gpx tracking running all day, with screen switch off after a minute or so, I was at 2% battery after 50 miles on a route that I partially remembered, so didn't need complete phone usage at every junction.
Some places I have tried the where you are button didn't work as there was no signal. Always worth a paper back up in case of no signal/you have just dropped you electronic unit under a bus.
We have so many tracks/bridle ways (some public, some private) that google maps are hopeless for navigation in an unfamiliar area.
Ride with gps, Kamoot and others are useful for route planning. I put Bristol - Edinburgh into ridewith gps, did one or 2 minor tweeks (to avoid a dog leg to Glasgow : - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40036705
It came in a 486 miles, good as a ball park figure. I would not use this route myself with out checking and editing, eg, it goes through Wolverhampton, I would not and use country roads to the west to avoid Wolverhamton, I would investigate avoiding Manchester by using a route to the west, Carlisle - Edinburgh if done firther to the east could by shorter (go east of the A7, not on it).
There are lots of threads on here about various navigation devices to use. Also many thread on how to charge your phone on the go (dynamo, electric socket at coffee/lunch stop). I mostly use paper and biotechnology (my memory). I do check routes prior to the gpx file going onto our local club website, so have seen plenty of duff elecronic routes submitted (across muddy fields, wrong sides of junctions and more), and that is from members offering a route in their local area!
Compared to the US, we have for the most part quite a dense network of roads. Until you get used to the roads network/maps you are using, you progress will be slowed by frequent map stops, which will be reflected in you daily milage (or time to complete your daily milage). I have been to France quite a few times, each time it takes me a few days to reaquaint myself with the scale map and the road network.
If your route is on a gps unit of some sort, then navigation is a lot easier. I would aim for the lower end of your daily milage if possible, otherwise you will have little opportunity to stop and look at old village buildings etc. A lot of our villages have 13th - 17th century buildings as well as the post 1776 modernist rubbish architecture!
Avoid main 'A' roads, except for some sparcely populated areas, 'A' roads will be too busy and narrow for pleasant cycling. Less so for 'B' roads, but these can sometimes be busy.
Using minor roads means your daily distance includes quite a lot of wiggles, so not all your distance contributes to the Bristol - Edinburgh distance.
Ordinance Survey maps (paper or electronic) are best. If using electronic OS maps, you can load gpx files onto these (you need to look at the line on the map on your screen, you won't get directions as such). With a subscription to OS, you get access to the whole county down to 1:25,000. Remaining on line (so gps tracking) gives you access to the whole county on your phone. If off line to save battery life, you can up load sprecific gpx files and store that on your phone. I guess if the storage is big enough, you might manage the whole county stored on your phone.The only time I experimented running my phone with gpx tracking running all day, with screen switch off after a minute or so, I was at 2% battery after 50 miles on a route that I partially remembered, so didn't need complete phone usage at every junction.
Some places I have tried the where you are button didn't work as there was no signal. Always worth a paper back up in case of no signal/you have just dropped you electronic unit under a bus.
We have so many tracks/bridle ways (some public, some private) that google maps are hopeless for navigation in an unfamiliar area.
Ride with gps, Kamoot and others are useful for route planning. I put Bristol - Edinburgh into ridewith gps, did one or 2 minor tweeks (to avoid a dog leg to Glasgow : - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40036705
It came in a 486 miles, good as a ball park figure. I would not use this route myself with out checking and editing, eg, it goes through Wolverhampton, I would not and use country roads to the west to avoid Wolverhamton, I would investigate avoiding Manchester by using a route to the west, Carlisle - Edinburgh if done firther to the east could by shorter (go east of the A7, not on it).
There are lots of threads on here about various navigation devices to use. Also many thread on how to charge your phone on the go (dynamo, electric socket at coffee/lunch stop). I mostly use paper and biotechnology (my memory). I do check routes prior to the gpx file going onto our local club website, so have seen plenty of duff elecronic routes submitted (across muddy fields, wrong sides of junctions and more), and that is from members offering a route in their local area!