London - Newcastle the scenic route - Route Help appreciated

[TechJinx]

Hello all, first time I've posted in the Touring section but love the adventourous European write ups.

I'm planning a trip up to see my parents new place new Newcastle in August and have produced this rough googlemap of my planned route

Clicky

Basically I want to go via:

Norfolk - as it's close and never really been there.

Peak District - to do snake pass which I went over once or twice in a car and reckon it'd be great on the bike

Yorkshire Dales - used to live near there & done a lot of walking so would love to see it from a bike

Lakes (via buttermere)- stunning (especially Buttermere).

I have no idea iff the roads I've chosen are any good so if you know any not to be missed roads along the route please let me know (re-posting an altered googlemap would be great! - although I'd make use of TinyUrl if I were you, the googlemaps direct links are about half a page long!)

Finally any thoughts on how long to allow to do this kind of trip justice and take in the scenery? 2-3-4 days? Not sure if I'm going to camp or B&B it yet either

Thanks in advance - hope people can help even though it's not a pan-European adventure
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bikes: SV650S K5 that is making me do this 57 CBR125 RW-7 - sold ; 54 CBR125 - anyone wanna buy a project?

YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

[DidierD]

That is quite epic to be fair mate!

I think it could be done in 2 days fairly easily stopping the first night somewhere near the bottom of the dales. It's all beautiful once you get into the peak district and the road from Glossop to Holmfirth you've picked out is brilliant (quite easy to get lost on though ).

You can't go wrong in the dales or the lakes really but do be a bit careful on that B6160 through the dales, I've had a couple of little tankslappers on some beaten up surfaces there.

Also once you get into the lakes if it's a weekend there will be quite a lot of cars and caravans about so the going will be fairly slow but make the most of the views and take lots of pictures

After that I've not really been up there round Carlisle so can't really comment. The A686 from Penrith to Hayden Bridge is meant to be very good though (RiDE voted it best road in the north a while ago).

Good luck
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Bike - '98 Yamaha YZF600 Thundercat Pics

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[Biker101]

[map]

If you're heading in the direction of Hawes can I suggest you take a diversion to Thwaite over the Buttertubs Pass.

See here for map.

HTH
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
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[bondy]

I can vouch for the 686 Penrith to Hayden Bridge, an amazing road with great vistas, and a bikers cafe en route, on a fine weekend there could be dozens of bikes up there at the cafe.

[Harold_Shand]

Instead of going along the A69 from Carlisle to the Toon, you could take the Military road which runs parallel to Hadrians wall, it's straight but up and down some great little hills, nice scenery and you won't have to play dodge the HGV like you will on the A69. For the best part, the A69 is high-speed single carriageway madness. You could join up with it (B6318) at Greenhead.

Or like others have said, get off the M6 at Penrith and up to Haydon Bridge on the 686. I know Stocksfield / Prudhoe pretty well, keep us posted
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BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[TechJinx]

cheers for the advice guys, I'll let you know how if all goes
____________________
bikes: SV650S K5 that is making me do this 57 CBR125 RW-7 - sold ; 54 CBR125 - anyone wanna buy a project?

YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

[Keen]

mate, I'm from County Durham & there's some great roads up around there....

If you're coming from the lakes, take the A686 from Penrith to Alston, then from there take the A689 towards stanhope and stay on it until you join the A68. Follow that north (do NOT stop in Tow Law! ) until it joins the A69 heading into Newcastle.
That way, you head into the toon in the west, and if you continue straight on you'll end up on Westgate Road, biking mecca! there's a stretch there literally lined with bike shops both side of the road. You have to check it out while you're there.

Enjoy the trip
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

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[Shay HTFC]

Aye, Glossop - Holmfirth is my favourite road and coupled with Snakes Pass it's awesome

Huddersfield - Halifax - Keighley can be pretty busy and it's all built up through towns and villages mainly, but when it's not busy can be quite nice once you get out of the town centres.
You'll have to give me a shout as your route through Halifax goes within about 300m of my house

But as Didier says, in 1 day, this might just be a bit too much to chew on. Stop off in the Peak District or the Dales somewhere in a tent to make the most of 2 good, comfortable riding days

EDIT: I've amended the route a bit to give you a good time!
CLICK HERE
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[TechJinx]

[Shay HTFC]

I was joking

My map put across the idea of going as fast as possible to Snakes Pass, then going back and forth from Sheffield to Holmfirth about 6 times

If most of your riding has been around the Romford area, then you are actually going to cream yourself when you hit the Peak District / South Pennine Moors / Yorkshire Dales / Lake District / North England Pennines
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[TechJinx]

[spnorm]

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=9629052910782966134,51.644420,0.103960%3B17662001384761730448,52.800599,0.805511%3B9662864108519583429,52.932820,1.192090%3B7769198736277873476,52.951120,0.500740%3B9583494133745769619,52.739350,0.385840%3B7617360130640887579,53.062720,-0.604710%3B9789800888742954466,53.363672,-1.698774%3B3524368991838990687,53.444350,-1.925440%3B10480705983665548536,53.548877,-1.968222%3B11890084917659634886,53.763540,-2.007140%3B17152156075246208578,54.014611,-2.047156%3B1509648567875277696,54.275599,-1.985160%3B10275283424513558231,54.379510,-2.837740%3B9582930562741635703,54.528820,-3.253079%3B3254882533998442147,54.642038,-3.333864%3B14362046003074534522,54.946220,-1.933012&saddr=rm7+9dr&daddr=A1112%2FGravel+Ln+%4051.644420,+0.103960+to:A1065+%4052.800599,+0.805511+to:B1157%2FHolt+Rd+%4052.932820,+1.192090+to:A149%2FThe+Big+Yard+%4052.951120,+0.500740+to:A47+%4052.739350,+0.385840+to:A17+%4053.062720,+-0.604710+to:A6013+%4053.363672,+-1.698774+to:A57%2FWoodcock+Rd+%4053.444350,+-1.925440+to:A635%2FHolmfirth+Rd+%4053.548877,+-1.968222+to:A6033%2FKeighley+Rd+%4053.763540,+-2.007140+to:53.925368,-2.085342+to:B6265+%4054.014611,+-2.047156+to:B6160+%4054.275599,+-1.985160+to:A591+%4054.379510,+-2.837740+to:B5289+%4054.528820,+-3.253079+to:B5292+%4054.642038,+-3.333864+to:A695+%4054.946220,+-1.933012+to:new+ridley&mra=dpe&mrcr=8&mrsp=11&sz=11&via=9,10,11,14,17&sll=53.889368,-2.011185&sspn=0.192624,0.601501&ie=UTF8&ll=53.721092,-1.907501&spn=0.193399,0.601501&z=11

Just tweaked the bit from Holm Moss to Skipton to take you along the spine of the Pennines - much more interesting then Huddersfield and Halifax with spectaular views and some roads which are like riding over the Mountain on the TT course

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[Shay HTFC]

spnorm, I did that route from Hebden to Holme at the weekend and yes it's great. I's just hard to go straight though as all the roads go across the Pennines rather than along then
Also the roads are pretty bumpy, but you're right, the views are spectacular in places.

Also look into making the link shorter like justmetoo explains how
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