Severn Bridge versus A38 lejog route?

[django44]

Can any one explain what is the advantage of the Severn Bridge route as opposed to the A38 or other routes through the Midlands. I seem to remember reading that the bridge route saves a lot of climb. Also what overall route could be recommended for 60'ish couple undertaking lejog for the first time - your replies would be most appreciated - thanks

[robgul]

I would suggest that if you are doing the ride on the Shrewsbury - Bromyard - Newent - Bristol (or the other way) sort of line then the A38 from Gloucester to Bristol is lot flatter and easier to ride - it is a major A road but there's quite a bit of cycle lane/hard shoulder and the A38 is pretty light traffic anyway (unless the M5 running parallel has a closure)

Going from Newent to Bristol on the west side, whichever route, is much lumpier.

BUT - I'm doing LEJOG in June and crossing the Severn Bridge (when I did JOGLE in 2005 I used the A38) for not much more reason than I want to ride over the Severn Bridge!

(I have a thing about bridges having ridden over : almost all of the Thames Bridges, the Humber, the Golden Gate, Brooklyn, andother big one in Charleston USA, the Union Bridge in the borders - and on our way home from JOG this year we're getting off the train N of the Forth Road Bridge and riding over it into Edinburgh)

Rob

[mashedmallow]

I live in Bristol and frequently use the A38 to Gloucester and back as a good training route. It's wide, has a decent cycle lane for a large part of the route, and is as flat as you are going to get. Plus I generally experience a decent following wind so you should fly along. It's the way I'll be going in May.

[Mick F]

Flattest route - if any route can be flat - is up the A38 to Gloucester, Tewksbury, Worcester, Kidderminster, Telford, Whitchurch. Also shorter too.

Not necessarily the nicest way.

[django44]

thanks for your advice re. the A38 road - sounds as though its the best way for us. Any other tips would be appreciated.

[toontra]

Flattest route - if any route can be flat - is up the A38 to Gloucester, Tewksbury, Worcester, Kidderminster, Telford, Whitchurch. Also shorter too.

Are you sure about it being shorter, Mick? Just looking at the map, the Bristol - Chepstow - Hereford - Leominster - Shrewsbury - Whitchurch route appears to be more direct, although the Wye valley stretch is quite twisty.

EDIT: After a bit of fiddling with a couple of route planners it appears there isn't much in it - 118m via Gloucester and 112m via Hereford. As you say there is significantly less climbing though, with 3500ft as against 4900ft (the latter via Hereford).

PS My interest isn't purely academic! I did the Hereford route on my 2008 6-day LEJoG and I'm considering a 5-day attempt next year or 2012. I have to say that the Bristol-Monmouth stretch was one of the highlights of my last LEJoG, with the bridge crossing and the wonderful Wye valley, but if I'm after a faster time then I think I'd go for the Gloucester route.

[Mick F]

Flattest route - if any route can be flat - is up the A38 to Gloucester, Tewksbury, Worcester, Kidderminster, Telford, Whitchurch. Also shorter too.

Are you sure about it being shorter, Mick?

Yes, just.
As you found out!
The main benefit, is the less climbing.
I explained this to Simon and Trevor for their ride - DVD http://www.jollygoodtv.co.uk/lejog.html Simon checked it out too.

I first learned it during the preps for The Race Against Time in 2007. Don and me drove the support vehicle, and we had to learn the route off by heart. Five days LE to JOG is no mean feat, and the flatter AND shorter you can get the route, the better.

They left LE at stupid o'clock in the morning, and headed for Bristol on the first day! Then it was Chester, Moffat, Kingussie, and JOG. Damned hard work for the riders, and hard for me and Don too!

I wish you well. Although I haven't ridden it anyway near that fast, I know how difficult it will be. You need an element of luck with the conditions too.

[toontra]

They left LE at stupid o'clock in the morning, and headed for Bristol on the first day! Then it was Chester, Moffat, Kingussie, and JOG.

Sorry to hijack the thread! but do you remember what was used for accommodation in Kingussie, Mick? That's my last stop-over also and it looks like a small place!

[Mick F]

Yes, but no.

There is a backpackers place on the left as you go north through the town. We stayed there.
By all accounts, there is a place on the other side of the road that they used the previous year.


STOP PRESS.
Hang on a sec ..........
Just dug out the folder, and this is where we stayed:

Happy Days Hostel
65 High Street
Kingussie
PH21 1HX

I must say though, that the organiser of the ride wasn't as happy as she had been the previous year across the other side of the road. We were not made that welcome because we were so late in arriving. We had BIG problems with the weather and were delayed every single day, not getting there until after 10pm and having to cook a meal in a kitchen that should have been closed! The owners were not best pleased.

Other than that, it was a good place.

[toontra]

Thanks Mick.

[oldmanonabike]

I have no desire to ride over the Severn bridge but others in my group do
Is it possible to ride over from Bristol side and turn around and come back and if so how long would that take"?

[cycle tramp]

I really like the Severn Bridge.... the route to it is fairly easy to navigate, there's a sense of drama and wonder when you cross it, and unless you've included using any other long bridge in your journey it's certainly a memorable experience... I also have a massive fear of heights, which has never been triggered by my own journeys across it.. possibly because the bridge feels too wide.

[rjb]

It sways a surprisingly long way especially when windy. Stop in the middle and enjoy the view.

[PH]

I have no desire to ride over the Severn bridge but others in my group do
Is it possible to ride over from Bristol side and turn around and come back and if so how long would that take"?

14 year gap for a reply, is this a record?
As has been covered several times since this thread started, East of the Pennines is the flattest route and the choice of online route planners makes it easier to plot that.

Is it possible to ride over from Bristol side and turn around and come back and if so how long would that take"?

It's be about 35 - 45 miles from the center of Bristol, pretty flat, so it'll take whatever speed your group do.

[Grandad]

Which of the 2 bridges is being considered?

In a 1955 tour of Wales we crossed the river on the Beachley to Aust ferry. Even then there was enough traffic to generate long queues and if I remember correctly the ferry did not run at low tides. We rode to the head of the queue feeling sorry for those faced with a long wait.

Our next crossing was on the new - now old -bridge. An amazing experience, especially looking down on the disused ferry slipway.