Resend my activation email : Register : Log in 
BCF: Bike Chat Forums


Nice rides in the London area

Reply to topic
Bike Chat Forums Index -> Touring & Exploration
View previous topic : View next topic  
Author Message

narkelion
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 02 Apr 2017
Karma :

PostPosted: 19:42 - 02 Apr 2017    Post subject: Nice rides in the London area Reply with quote

Hello!!

I'm new, just registered. I probably broke already some rule by posting this thread. Laughing Please excuse me. Embarassed

Let's cut to the chase: I recently moved from Rome (Italy) to East London for work. I coulnd't stay too far from my bike, so at the end of February I rode it all the way to London and I use it daily for commute + trips in the weekends when the weather allows it (damn you, english weather).

Ok, I'm used to ride on roads like:

https://s11.postimg.org/y2af6oypf/IMG_1842.jpg

Let's say that this part of the UK is NOT known for its mountains. Confused

Today I tried this, found on the web roaming: LINK

Really nice, some part of it were real fun. Some others, meh. But overall I'm happy.

Now, I have a lot of weekends to spend riding, and I was looking for some advice! Where could I go?

I saw that Wales is probably the closest mountainous place to London, but it still requires a weekend sleeping there.

Is there some VERY cool road to ride on, let's say not more than 100 miles from London?

Thanks!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

chickenstrip
Super Spammer



Joined: 06 Dec 2013
Karma :

PostPosted: 20:57 - 02 Apr 2017    Post subject: Re: Nice rides in the London area Reply with quote

Hi, welcome to BCF.

narkelion wrote:
I recently moved from Rome (Italy) to East London for work.


Oh boy, did you cock up! Laughing

You could try the A272 (goes to Winchester) as far west as Loomies cafe. I think that's the best one I ever found in the south east.
____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

arry
Super Spammer



Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Karma :

PostPosted: 21:14 - 02 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not mountainous, no Sad you'll have to settle for country roads. Coming out on a north east trajectory from east London you've got the area around The Rodings, Finchingfield etc which are nothing like Wales but you do at least get some decent lanes.

Sorry, but nowhere in the UK that's as good as what you're used to is that accessible from where you are.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

chickenstrip
Super Spammer



Joined: 06 Dec 2013
Karma :

PostPosted: 21:50 - 02 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

arry wrote:
Coming out on a north east trajectory from east London you've got the area around The Rodings, Finchingfield


Thumbs Up I used to do that one a lot. Meet mates at High Beach (popular bike meeting spot), and this route to Finchingfield:

High Beach to Finchingfield

Finchingfield being a picturesque village with pub, restaurant and a kiosk selling ice cream etc. Quite a lot of bikes head there in the summer, and some interesting roads to explore in the area.
____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

narkelion
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 02 Apr 2017
Karma :

PostPosted: 22:57 - 02 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

chickenstrip wrote:

You could try the A272 (goes to Winchester) as far west as Loomies cafe. I think that's the best one I ever found in the south east.


Yes, that's one of the other roads I found online. Will try it for sure soon. From where I live it means driving half of the M25, but that's fine. I'm used to motorways. Very Happy

chickenstrip wrote:

Thumbs Up I used to do that one a lot. Meet mates at High Beach (popular bike meeting spot), and this route to Finchingfield:

High Beach to Finchingfield

Finchingfield being a picturesque village with pub, restaurant and a kiosk selling ice cream etc. Quite a lot of bikes head there in the summer, and some interesting roads to explore in the area.


Wow, thanks! I did also find that one surfing the internet, will try that too.

arry wrote:
Not mountainous, no Sad you'll have to settle for country roads. Coming out on a north east trajectory from east London you've got the area around The Rodings, Finchingfield etc which are nothing like Wales but you do at least get some decent lanes.

Sorry, but nowhere in the UK that's as good as what you're used to is that accessible from where you are.


Yeah, that's sad. I could've thinked it a bit more before moving to the least mountainous place in the whole UK and probably Europe. Laughing I still want to go to Scotland and Wales though. I'll definitely do that in the future, maybe taking a Friday or a Monday off.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

arry
Super Spammer



Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Karma :

PostPosted: 06:17 - 03 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's what I do. Make a 4 day weekend of it. Wales is great.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

pepperami
Super Spammer



Joined: 17 Jan 2010
Karma :

PostPosted: 12:33 - 03 Apr 2017    Post subject: Re: Nice rides in the London area Reply with quote

chickenstrip wrote:
Hi, welcome to BCF.

narkelion wrote:
I recently moved from Rome (Italy) to East London for work.


Oh boy, did you cock up! Laughing .


This ^
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

pig hog
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 24 Jul 2014
Karma :

PostPosted: 13:20 - 03 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

To add to Chickenstrip's route, the B1057 on to Steeple Bumpstead is good fun, then take a left and follow signs to Great Sampford and Thaxted. Here, you could either head back to Dunmow, or branch off but, either way, I enjoy doing the road between Takeley and Hatfield Heath, too.

Adding to the map, this is the route I'd take, starting and finishing at the tea hut in High Beach.

https://goo.gl/maps/LktjxiuZ3e92

You could also come back via Harlow, but the section of Dunmow Road between Ongar and the Rodings is good enough to warrant riding it in both directions.
____________________
A2 Licence: 18/10/2013
A Licence: 01/12/2015
'13 Yamaha XJ6N '15 Daytona 675R / '16 MT-07 dead / '17 MT-07 / '18 MT-10
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

narkelion
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 02 Apr 2017
Karma :

PostPosted: 20:24 - 03 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lovely, thanks!

Now I only have to learn to drive properly on the left hand side of the road.

Oh boy if it's hard. Seeing cars coming to your right when on a right corner it's SO terrifying. Laughing
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Fizzer Thou
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 Aug 2011
Karma :

PostPosted: 22:05 - 03 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree about Finchingfield.Nice to stop there as part of an Essex,Cambs and Herts rideout the other year

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Bikes/20150523_121055_zpsdmprijso.jpg

Recommend the A267 from Tunbridge Wells south towards Eastbourne,taking in Wessons cafe at Horam for a coffee/snack break,then go to Beachy Head for the views over the English Channel and over the Sussex Downs

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Bikes/2013-05-27155201_zps05baba7d.jpg
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Bikes/20160611_132811_zpsvqcpngsv.jpg
____________________
Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

arry
Super Spammer



Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Karma :

PostPosted: 08:20 - 04 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bit of a wavy route around the place but heading out east, here's a way through the better lower Essex lanes (avoiding A13 where possible) through to Burnham on Crouch

Part 1:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Dagenham/51.5046566,0.246978/51.5444686,0.2938727/51.5476182,0.3601369/51.581283,0.3913488/51.5889317,0.4119538/51.6225933,0.4066461/51.6358355,0.4490054/51.6462872,0.4892211/51.6878167,0.5626098/@51.6445959,0.4634721,12.5z/data=!4m22!4m21!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d8a448d12a6dc7:0x83842afdfe024064!2m2!1d0.14743!2d51.53889!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d0.468968!2d51.649832!3s0x47d8c1863dce6327:0x76ff5180170262d5!1m0!1m0!3e0

Part 2:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Langtry+House,+14+Bicknacre+Rd,+East+Hanningfield,+Chelmsford+CM3+8AN/51.6520424,0.6230586/51.6254539,0.8161675/51.6905769,0.6845307/51.711832,0.6128772/51.6947528,0.5857265/@51.6950058,0.5456128,12.75z/data=!4m18!4m17!1m10!1m1!1s0x47d8e802e9504875:0x87f43c49a6562447!2m2!1d0.5595196!2d51.6841687!3m4!1m2!1d0.5864632!2d51.6867187!3s0x47d8e7f6a4f3b411:0x8c76a36521ab7fab!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!3e0
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

c_dug
Super Spammer



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Karma :

PostPosted: 11:40 - 04 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are some nice lanes not too far from London, lots linked above.

The thing is, the roads aren't what spoils the fun in the south east, it's traffic and police. If I head out from Hornchurch on a Sunday morning I'll have gone about 50 miles before I find a good bit of road that quiet enough to have a giggle.
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

Pigeon
World Chat Champion



Joined: 27 Sep 2012
Karma :

PostPosted: 18:52 - 04 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1 A272 from Winchester to Five Ashes, then join A267 to Tunbridge Wells. Or other end to other end obviously.


These are ok, worth doing if you can tack something on to them.
I like them, but difficult to recommend them when they are not local.
A285
A286
A29
A24 + A280

A259 Eastbourne to Seaford was a wow first time I did it.


Just go to Wales for a sunny couple of days, it's as good as it gets without heading to Scotland probably.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Pigeon
World Chat Champion



Joined: 27 Sep 2012
Karma :

PostPosted: 18:55 - 04 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

c_dug_the_bastard wrote:
aren't what spoils the fun in the south east, it's traffic and police.


I've taken a leaf out of Kris's book and doing the roads out of hours, dawn / dusk. Brings with it colder, damper conditions and Deer etc but its worked well so far Thumbs Up
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Kris
World Chat Champion



Joined: 03 Feb 2002
Karma :

PostPosted: 08:22 - 05 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pigeon wrote:

I've taken a leaf out of Kris's book and doing the roads out of hours, dawn / dusk. Brings with it colder, damper conditions and Deer etc but its worked well so far Thumbs Up


Just watch out for the rabbits. You haven't lived until you've had a few run between the wheels on a fast corner... Razz

I used to get up so early that I'd have a 100 mile blast through the countryside and still get to Rye café before it opened. By the time it got busy and the po-po were starting their shift I was on the way home with a huge grin on my face and the whole day to play with.

Thumbs Up
____________________
NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

arry
Super Spammer



Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Karma :

PostPosted: 09:16 - 05 Apr 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't get through hangovers that fast.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

155mph
Nova Slayer



Joined: 17 Jul 2016
Karma :

PostPosted: 14:04 - 30 May 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

First trip in the countryside since getting my bike back in December.

Headed out of SE London down the A2 > M25 > A21 into Tunbridge Wells. Took the A267 through Mayfield towards Five Ashes to catch the A272 westbound. Most bikers were coming from the opposite direction. Stopped for fuel and break at Black Down Roundabout before continuing west bound for Loomies. Got there for 3, had a bite to eat, chatted with some then headed back home along the A3 > M25 in the pouring rain. Not so fun.

Next up, Brentwood Loop.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

arry
Super Spammer



Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Karma :

PostPosted: 14:18 - 30 May 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

155mph wrote:

Next up, Brentwood Loop.


Try to get at least as far up as the Rodings; some really nice bits in there. Steeple Bumpstead way is also ace.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

Alpineandy
World Chat Champion



Joined: 18 Mar 2015
Karma :

PostPosted: 15:43 - 31 May 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

With an early start you can go up through Ongar and get into Suffolk, pretty much all on nice country roads (the occasional busy town etc).
Or cross the A12 and go along the coast from Maldon, around Colchester (either through town or around it on the A12), through Brightlingsea/Frinton/Walton.
If you're prepared to do some A12/A14/A12 then the coast of Suffolk/Norfolk is a beautiful place when the weather's good.
However when it's cold, the wind off the north sea can take the shine off it though...
____________________
The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

barrkel
World Chat Champion



Joined: 30 Jul 2012
Karma :

PostPosted: 20:02 - 31 May 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

This bit:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9134433,0.4029358,16.96z

and these bends (but very narrow road and surprising amount of traffic):

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.648577,0.7843989,16z

are the best bits, IMO, of the choices above; you don't need to exceed the limit to have a bit of cornering fun there.

Watch out for this bend right here, it's decreasing radius if you're going north-east (coming from the left), and a bit deceptive:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9231795,0.4113368,17.75z

There are decent roads in other parts of the country, but they're a long way off, and there's always the risk that the weather won't be up to much when you get there. I generally do the B1057 like everybody else, as far as the roundabout outside Haverhill, turn around and do it the other way again.
____________________
Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

155mph
Nova Slayer



Joined: 17 Jul 2016
Karma :

PostPosted: 22:00 - 01 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers all. Much appreciated. Will report back.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts
Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 6 years, 301 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
  Display posts from previous:   
This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Bike Chat Forums Index -> Touring & Exploration All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum

Read the Terms of Use! - Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group
 

Debug Mode: ON - Server: birks (www) - Page Generation Time: 0.11 Sec - Server Load: 0.32 - MySQL Queries: 17 - Page Size: 126.84 Kb