Hi All
I'm currently re-reading one of my favourite touring books for the UK - "The CTC Book of Cycling" by John Whatmore (1983) - and turning green with envy at being reminded of all the great bike riding and touring available in the UK (I'm in South Africa).
But then I remind myself that (believe it or not!) 1983 was more than 20 years ago. The little bit of cycle touring I've done in the UK was 20 years before that, and though I experienced no traffic harassment or camping/accommodation problems at that time, I'm wondering what the situation is like these days.
Can one still tour on a bike in the UK in relative safety and ease, with accommodation provided by camping, youth hostels or B&Bs? Or is that also something that has been relegated to the "good old days"? In South Africa, it's unfortunately out of the question, but if there are feasible options in Britain or elsewhere (France, Holland, perhaps?), I can still just envisage myself enduring the inconvenience of a plane trip to England, the Continent, or wherever, for the pleasure of a nice bike tour before the knees finally pack up.
Any comments would be much appreciated.
Errol
Touring by bike in the UK still possible?
Yes, you can cycle tour the UK in relative safety.
There is much more motorised traffic on the main roads than 20-40 years ago. Back roads are relatively empty by comparison.
Camp sites are still in business, YHA has changed for the worse - independent hostels are replacing it gradually, B&B is flourishing.
The weather is still British and gives us something to grumble about.
I have not toured on the continent, I am sure other tourers will reply soon to tell you how excellent it is.
There is much more motorised traffic on the main roads than 20-40 years ago. Back roads are relatively empty by comparison.
Camp sites are still in business, YHA has changed for the worse - independent hostels are replacing it gradually, B&B is flourishing.
The weather is still British and gives us something to grumble about.
I have not toured on the continent, I am sure other tourers will reply soon to tell you how excellent it is.
I cycle a lot in the UK, and don't have too much problem. I would strongly advise heading for more rural areas. Avoid big cities, as that is where the harassment from motorists normally happens, and the roads are busier. If you stay on lanes and B roads, you can still have a pleasant time.
Don't be surprised if all categories of road are busier than you remember. There will always be decent people and there will always be evil people whatever generation you live in. Before we start questioning how rude and immoral everyone is now, we must consider that all the same evils happened but in more secrecy in the 1960s/1970s, and have been happening for thousands of years (e.g. Sodom & Gomorrah).
Anyway, aside from my diversion, I have enjpoyed most of my stays in YHA accommodation. They have got cleaner and more upmarket, but unfortunately more expensive and over half the network has closed, because it couldn't make enough money. YHA offer meals now, which I have found useful, and they have abolished duties (personally, I'd rather pay a bit less and do a duty). I can't speak fro B&B's as I have stayed in very few, but there is a very comprehensive network of both B&B's and campsites. Any motoring atlas which marks campsites will tell you there are a lot, so if there isn't space in one, you can always try one 2 miles down the road, or even camp wild (discretely, in remote areas). For B&B's, try to aim for the cheaper end (no more than £30, or else you will be paying for quite a posh establishment, which may not be great at handling wet/ muddy/ sweaty cyclists & all their gear).
There are some great sites to be seen in the UK, and I think it would be a shame to miss all of them, so I would say it is worth coming over here. The UK has a unique feel to it.
Don't be surprised if all categories of road are busier than you remember. There will always be decent people and there will always be evil people whatever generation you live in. Before we start questioning how rude and immoral everyone is now, we must consider that all the same evils happened but in more secrecy in the 1960s/1970s, and have been happening for thousands of years (e.g. Sodom & Gomorrah).
Anyway, aside from my diversion, I have enjpoyed most of my stays in YHA accommodation. They have got cleaner and more upmarket, but unfortunately more expensive and over half the network has closed, because it couldn't make enough money. YHA offer meals now, which I have found useful, and they have abolished duties (personally, I'd rather pay a bit less and do a duty). I can't speak fro B&B's as I have stayed in very few, but there is a very comprehensive network of both B&B's and campsites. Any motoring atlas which marks campsites will tell you there are a lot, so if there isn't space in one, you can always try one 2 miles down the road, or even camp wild (discretely, in remote areas). For B&B's, try to aim for the cheaper end (no more than £30, or else you will be paying for quite a posh establishment, which may not be great at handling wet/ muddy/ sweaty cyclists & all their gear).
There are some great sites to be seen in the UK, and I think it would be a shame to miss all of them, so I would say it is worth coming over here. The UK has a unique feel to it.
Re: Touring by bike in the UK still possible?
ecollen wrote:Hi All
Can one still tour on a bike in the UK in relative safety and ease, with accommodation provided by camping, youth hostels or B&Bs? Or is that also something that has been relegated to the "good old days"? In South Africa, it's unfortunately out of the question, but if there are feasible options in Britain or elsewhere (France, Holland, perhaps?), I can still just envisage myself enduring the inconvenience of a plane trip to England, the Continent, or wherever, for the pleasure of a nice bike tour before the knees finally pack up.
Any comments would be much appreciated.
Errol
touring in the Uk is both possible and pleasurable. Ive done around 3000 miles of cycle camping here in the UK over the past four years and have had no problems a a cart load of positive experiences.
This year I'm spreading my wings and will be cycling from the Channel to the Mediterranean. I hope it will be cooler than it is here in Rhodes at the moment. It's due to hit 47 degrees tomorrow.
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montmorency
- Posts: 271
- Joined: 31 May 2007, 11:00pm
- Location: Oxfordshire
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ecollen
Thanks to all for the very informative – and encouraging! – replies. I now have no doubts that I will have to make the effort to get to the UK, because if I do, touring around by bike will still be one of the most wonderful experiences one can have.
I didn’t know about the Sustainable Transport movement and the Cycle Network, but, after having read more about them on their websites and links, I can only say I’m absolutely knocked out by the thought of 10 000 miles of marked routes in the UK. Astounding! With such a paradise, how can anyone possibly not be a cyclist? The only thing that might put a bit of a damper on things, of course, would be the weather, but that’s simple enough to cope with. It would be interesting to know, however, whether there are similar networks in, say, France or Holland, where the weather may perhaps be better. Does anybody know?
Si, I’m glad your friends had an incident-free visit to South Africa. And, really, they should, because the weather is perfect, and so is the terrain. But, unfortunately, traffic conditions are dangerous, there are seldom alternative routes, and the crime situation is bad. This takes much of the fun out of it.
I didn’t know about the Sustainable Transport movement and the Cycle Network, but, after having read more about them on their websites and links, I can only say I’m absolutely knocked out by the thought of 10 000 miles of marked routes in the UK. Astounding! With such a paradise, how can anyone possibly not be a cyclist? The only thing that might put a bit of a damper on things, of course, would be the weather, but that’s simple enough to cope with. It would be interesting to know, however, whether there are similar networks in, say, France or Holland, where the weather may perhaps be better. Does anybody know?
Si, I’m glad your friends had an incident-free visit to South Africa. And, really, they should, because the weather is perfect, and so is the terrain. But, unfortunately, traffic conditions are dangerous, there are seldom alternative routes, and the crime situation is bad. This takes much of the fun out of it.
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lloyd
montmorency wrote:Talking of changes in the YHA, do you still have to be a member to stay in them?
I know they changed their rules years ago to allow motorised guests, as well as walkers and cyclists, so wondered if it was now pretty well free access (not in the financial sense, obviously!).
Regards,
M.
No you don't need to be a member to stay in YHAs anymore, though you pay a premium (£3pppn!). I'm not sure how much membership is these days, being a life member so the change hasn't effected me.
At the SYHA, it's also possible to stay as a non-member and IIRC the supplement is £1pppn.
ecollen wrote: I can only say I’m absolutely knocked out by the thought of 10 000 miles of marked routes in the UK. Astounding! With such a paradise, how can anyone possibly not be a cyclist? . It would be interesting to know, however, whether there are similar networks in, say, France or Holland, where the weather may perhaps be better. Does anybody know?.
Friendly warning! I think perhaps you are raising your hopes a little too high with regard to marked routes in the UK. Many fail to meet recommended standards for width and surfacing, also signing is often poor. Holland probably has the best signed routes in Europe, Denmark and Germany are also cycle friendly. I think the UK must be one of the least cycle friendly in Europe.
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ecollen
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another_dave_b
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 2:52pm
ecollen wrote:Thanks to all for the very informative – and encouraging! – replies. I now have no doubts that I will have to make the effort to get to the UK, because if I do, touring around by bike will still be one of the most wonderful experiences one can have.
I didn’t know about the Sustainable Transport movement and the Cycle Network, but, after having read more about them on their websites and links, I can only say I’m absolutely knocked out by the thought of 10 000 miles of marked routes in the UK. Astounding! With such a paradise, how can anyone possibly not be a cyclist? The only thing that might put a bit of a damper on things, of course, would be the weather, but that’s simple enough to cope with. It would be interesting to know, however, whether there are similar networks in, say, France or Holland, where the weather may perhaps be better. Does anybody know?.
There is also the National Byway that shares some routes with the Sustrans Network, but is targeted more at providing a scenic route around 'points of interest'.
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keepontriking
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- Location: Hampshire
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lloyd wrote:montmorency wrote:Talking of changes in the YHA, do you still have to be a member to stay in them?
M.
At the SYHA, it's also possible to stay as a non-member and IIRC the supplement is £1pppn.
And is cheaper to join the SYHA too, and you don't have to live in Scotland to do so.
Quite why anyone joins the YHA beats me.
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cyclistjohn
- Posts: 166
- Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 9:34pm
ecollen wrote:It's interesting to hear about Holland, Denmark and Germany. I'd like to find out more about these, especially Holland. Any idea where I could get more information?
Thanks,
Errol
We were cycling on & off in France a couple of weeks ago, & many places there are reasonably cycle friendly, some very much so. As others mention, big cities are a problem anywhere, whereas smaller towns are often very interesting. Whilst in the car (we use folding bikes) we typically set our portable satnav (Pocket PC with maps on a SD card) to route via the shortest routes. These were often very interesting, & of course we couldn't get lost
We're going to Holland in a few weeks & will probably pick up another folder whilst there. Browse the web for info in the respective places, & there are tourism offices in most towns which can provide cycling routes info. All of those Countries are great for cycling; better than here generally, but Sustrans routes are quite good.
HTH.
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ecollen