Roads To Get Your Pegs Down On - UK

[Simon Eassom]

After a bit of banter on the "Can You Get Your Pegs Down?" thread it's been suggested we have thread with recommendations for great biking roads for GSs in the UK. Maybe we'll venture abroad before long, but for the moment here's the plan.
(1) Name your great biking road, e.g. A686
(2) State the start and finish point, e.g., Alston to Penrith
(3) Give mileage if known, e.g., approx. 20 miles
(4) Give a brief description
(5) Sell it to us with your opinion on what makes it a great road.

Here's a starter from the other thread:
B4391 in Snowdonia from near Llyn Celyn to Ffestiniog. 8 miles with great visibility. Few stone walls, fairly open run over the hill from one valley to the next. Watch out for sheep. Faster and not as tight as the Cat & Fiddle.
If you start from Bala you can take the A4212 past Llyn Celyn where there's a long sweeping left-hand hairpin that could grace any race track. If you can't get your pegs down on that bend you never will.

Only other thing I'd suggest is that each posting only names one road/route at a time. More fun that way.
Simon E.

 

[Jimb]

B6047

The B6047 from Melton Mowbray to Market Harbro', lovely twisty B road, visbility is good thru' the bends 16 miles ending up at Foxton Locks for lunch.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

1)B709 (off the A7) @ Heriot via Innerleithen and Eskdalemuir to Langholm.
Superb B road through the Scottish Borders and it s glacial valleys, you can stop off for lunch at a genuine Tibetan monastry - Samye Lings @ Eskdalemuir
Route is about 50 miles long.
2)A87 Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh
Superb flowing , well surfaced A road with great views and little traffic.
Stop for lunch/snack @ Eilean Donan castle (one on BBC balloon trailer)
3)Unclassified road through Torridon Hills over Pass of the cattle to Applecross/Sheildag and back to Loch Carron (A896)
View from Torridon Hills.

 

[Hew]

Running between the A6 North of Bedford and the A1 is the B645 between Higham Ferrers and St Neots. On some maps it is marked as the A45. It has a good surface and excellent corners joined by enough straights to get past the cars. It’s also not too busy during the week but I believe the police do keep an eye on it at the weekend. This road is good enough to turn around and ride it again once you have travelled the one way.

 

[Simon Eassom]

If you're in that vicinity, then it has to be the B660 from Bedford to Ramsay. Classic road that's always listed in bike mags.
It's been emasculated a bit by the imposition of 40mph limits between the villages on the first section from Bedford to Kimbolton.
Bedford - Kimbolton 12.5 miles
Turn left on B645 (mentioned in the previous post) through Kimbolton village) and turn right just west of the village sign-posted to Stow-Longa.
The next 14.5 miles to the A1 aren't signposted as the B660. Just turn right whenever you come to a T-junction.
Over the A14 after 4.5 miles and on you go.
Hundreds of bikers use it. The best stretches are the first few miles from Bedford. Several 90 degree bends that require experience to ride them at their fastest.
The road is used regularly by Advanced Training Schools and the Police. The test is to ride it as fast as you can without ever using your brakes!
If you're gonna come over and ride it give me a shout. I only live 2 miles from the start/finish in Bedford. Have a cup of tea!
Simon E.

 

[Steve]

If you're gonna come over and ride it give me a shout. I only live 2 miles from the start/finish in Bedford. Have a cup of tea!

Why didn't you say before? I rode it yesterday - both ways.

After Ramsay you need to continue on the B1040 to Pidley, then the B1089/B1086 to Somersham, and then the fantastic B1050 to Chatteris - real peg-scraping road.

Steve.

 

[Hew]

One of my favourite rides has been to pick up the B1040 at Biggleswade and ride up till it picks up the B660 above Ramsey.So your post Steve has given me a new twist to the route and I will try it next time out.Thanks for the offer of a cup of tea Simon I'll mail you when I'm next planning to ride the route.

 

[Simon Eassom]

Don't know where in Herts you come from Eddie, but there's a great little stretch of road from Buntingford on the A10 to Baldock by the A1(M). It's only 8 miles, the A507. If you catch it right when there's little traffic (weekday mornings), it's a fantastic fast roller-coaster with some great bends and elevation changes: Laguna Seca with hedgerows. There are a couple of optical illusions (if you ride it Baldock to Buntingford) so it's wise to try before you fly.
. . .
I can feel a ride-out coming on for the combined Home Counties, Essex, and Suffolk boys!
Simon E.

 

[BAKERMAN]

myroad

The S bend outside my house, I live on the apex of a bend, theres a GUY on a New F650, that cleans it off real well.

Better than any other bike.

 

[Simon Eassom]

Is the location a secret Bakerman or do we get some info as to road number and general area (other than Andover)?

 

[Hew]

Thanks for the tip about the road between Baldock and Buntingford I enjoyed trying it out this afternoon.
I had expected to be getting a GS 1150 fairly soon but was disappointed (but expected) by the Part x offered by the BMW dealer for my Guzzi and had been banking on an ad appearing for it in the by- monthly Guzzi club mag. For some reason it was missing. I am now trying to decide whether to just go and buy a GS anyway or try and be as sensible and wait until there is room in the garage.
The Guzzi has been semi retired since my wife bought an R1100 R (adjustable for low seat height) and I have used that instead. I would have bought a GS 2 years ago but we had a son and I have tried to be sensible since then and resist the temptation. However when I went to the BMF show and saw the Adventurer I had lost the battle. I wanted one of them but having looked into it the GS is far more sutable for what I want.
Anyway hope to meet up with you all once I have resolved my problem and bought a GS.

 

[Hew]

Problem solved I have just bought a 1150 GS. I found there was room for just one more bike in the garage.
I think this thread, 'roads to scrape your pegs on' is excellent and deserves its own section. If nothing else it gives a reason for going for a ride and if it continues it can be used by people planing routes through areas they have not been to before.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Found a new one to me - A5004 from Buxton to Whaley Bridge and boy was it so gooood. Fairly high level 10 mile moorland A road route over the tops , but fast and excellent single and double apex bends - managed to get left peg down. It was deserted and great fun - both scenic and challenging and surface not too bad for UK - only a little worn on bends.

 

[Spout]

John,
tis my favourite road. But be careful. I got my first ever speeding ticket on Friday, sweeping round those bends coming into Whaley Bridge. Bugger. Because of a road collapse the 30 zone has been extended.
Next time you're doing that road pull into the large layby in the 30 zone just outside Whaley. A steepish track leads off it to a nice little river crossing and a (now tarmac) climb past a church. Turn round at the top and come back. :') Easily doable on an oilhead BTW.

Ride safely..... and watch out for those speed guns....

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Cheers Paul W - how's your Dakar after the Hawes off-road ?
Your fall in the river was the fuuniest thing I've seen in ages - top crash !!
I noticed the 30mph limit started really early out of Whaley Bridge and wondered why , I also noticed the laybe you speak of and the one further up the hill with the 'butty stop'. Must be my 'built in ' GPS .

 

[Spout]

John,
I'm not the only one needing a bit of practice with river crossings eh? :')
BTW the butty van is run by the lovely 'Mary'. Top tea in a top layby.

See you on a trail somewhere...........

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Point taken Paul - bet you wish you'd had your camera out for my big crash @ Hawes.
However Honda XR's crash well - so no damage done !!!!!!!!!

 

[budah]

ga 180 known locally as wolf pen gap. 11 miles, it runs between vogle state park and t.w.o. (two wheels only, a motorcycle only campground) very tight, nasty off camber hairpins. not forgiving at all. when triumph returned to the usa the mountians of north ga is where they held the press intro. roads like abound here.

 

[Mark Dennis]

Eddie & Simon E there is a bike club in Chicksands (near Shefford). Give me a shout when you next go out to play. My Email: '[email protected]'.

Mark D.