Where to go from London for a few hours ride

[mvrandery]

Just moved to West London - I don't use my bike to commute and am spending less time on it than I'd like

Where does one go for a ride for a few hours ?

May be lunch somewhere in the country with some nice roads to travel on?

It probably has to be to the west - or I'll spend most of the time just getting out of town!

Thanks for any ideas

Mehul

 

[Fanum]

Just moved to West London - I don't use my bike to commute and am spending less time on it than I'd like

Where does one go for a ride for a few hours ?

May be lunch somewhere in the country with some nice roads to travel on?

It probably has to be to the west - or I'll spend most of the time just getting out of town!

Thanks for any ideas

Mehul

Head down towards Guildford and Leatherhead...some lovely little roads down there....Newlands corner, Abinger Hammer, then into the hills just south of there.

Edit...here ya go, just a quicky

 

[Timolgra]

Hold on, I'll ask my three legged dog
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he says get a map

 

[Mr Pastry]

You could try the shops in Ealing.

Alternatively, the shops in Marrakesh or in Almaty.

P

 

[Keith Chapman]

Head west and explore the roads around the Chiltern hills in Buckinghamshire.
Some cracking roads and little lanes with some nice pubs too.

 

[Pauly S]

or this place

come down to sunny kent and have a beer or two.here................
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201762

 

[Account removed]

come down to sunny kent and have a beer or two.here................
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201762

and the weather men are saying it is going to be sunny.

 

[Wapping]

Just moved to West London - I don't use my bike to commute and am spending less time on it than I'd like

Where does one go for a ride for a few hours ?

May be lunch somewhere in the country with some nice roads to travel on?

It probably has to be to the west - or I'll spend most of the time just getting out of town!

Thanks for any ideas

Mehul

Lots of places are within easy access of west Lunnon. As Timolgra hints, all you need is a bog standard reasonably small scale map book and a bit of imagination...

The Cotswolds, via Bucks / Beds / Northants / Warks / Oxfordshire / Gloucestershire etc. are a good bet.

Essex / Herts / Suffolk and Norfolk are not miles away, just loop around the M25 or A406 and away you go.

Ping me a PM with your email address and I can send you some routes in Garmin files to keep you out of mischief. Better still, work some out yourself and post them up on UKGSer for others to enjoy.

 

[mvrandery]

That's quite a lot of maps to buy!

Fair enough, I could look at the maps, but I figured it would be nice to have some personal input by those who are in the area

Nomad, would have loved to come down to Kent, (I did see your thread), but am away for the weekend. Thanks

Mehul

 

[Wapping]

That's quite a lot of maps to buy!

Fair enough, I could look at the maps, but I figured it would be nice to have some personal input by those who are in the area

Nomad, would have loved to come down to Kent, (I did see your thread), but am away for the weekend. Thanks

Mehul

You don't have to buy them all I sent them as an example, nothing more. Similar maps are free on the internet but less convenient if you are between Middle Piddle and Lesser Slaughter in a monsoon, not remebering if it's left or right at the cross roads, when your PC is at home.

The map you do buy won't wear out for a few years, at least not in respect of the roads most motorcyclists should want to ride.

Got your PM. will send you some routes this evening.

 

[LBL]

where

where are you Mehul, im happy to take you to a few local places. Im near Twickenham

im nice me

 

[Wapping]

where are you Mehul, im happy to take you to a few local places. Im near Twickenham

im nice me

..... A good offer, Mehul

Routes sent via email.

 

[Loiq]

what about a buzz down to salisbury plain... nice down that way. or there a good road for a bit hooling around chobham...

past the airport then down throught the village, quick water splash and all that sort of stuff... stopping for a cup a tea in Bisley Camp you don't have to be guntooting fruitcake or owt like that.....

 

[John Armstrong]

This site any help:

http://www.bestbikingroads.com/show_routes_in_selected_province.php?code3=134

 

[jimbo]

Head down towards Guildford and Leatherhead...some lovely little roads down there....Newlands corner, Abinger Hammer, then into the hills just south of there.

Edit...here ya go, just a quicky

but not Leatherhead itself I suggest.
Well deserved winner of the radio4's worst high street award. It lost its biggest attraction when Maplin closed about 10 years ago....

 

[mvrandery]

You don't have to buy them all I sent them as an example, nothing more.
.......
Got your PM. will send you some routes this evening.

I wasn't really planning on buying them all! I did order the one suggested by Timolgra

I got your route files. Thanks very much. There's quite a few rides to look forward to.

where are you Mehul, im happy to take you to a few local places. Im near Twickenham

im nice me

I'm in Kensington. I'd love to take you up on your nice offer. I've sent you a PM with my email address.

 

[STUBBS]

m40 or m4 out of town straiht into the chilterns

 

[JohnnyOldBoy]

Get up early

I work in Richmond and live near Basingstoke and in my experience you need to either be on the road early or be prepared for an hour blast on the main roads to avoid the traffic.

I usually head out south or south-west to West Sussex, Wiltshire or Dorset.

Berkshire and Oxfordshire are both spoilt by 40 and 50 mph speed limits on the best roads. Loads of cameras in Oxfordshire. Surrey is too congested until well past Guildford.

If you fancy a ride out to Dorset PM me.

 

[Timolgra]

Sounds awful

I'd keep my bike in France and get an early train to it

 

[Wapping]

Sounds awful

I'd keep my bike in France and get an early train to it

It needn't be so bad. You just have to be inventive with your planning; lots of good roads (with few or no cameras) if anyone is prepared to look for them, as your three-legged dog suggested, on a map.

That being, said: I do most of my riding (10,000 + a year) across the Channel, as Calais is so easy to get to. I guess I do less than 2,000 in the UK over a similar period. So, your tip is well founded.

It's crowded down in the south east, for sure. But if anyone wants to return to their spiritual homes (oop norf or down to the west ooh 'argh) the A1, A5 and M4 are always open.....and they need not come back....