your fave local biking road (poll - a, b, or unclassified)

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

What kind of road is your favourite local road - e.g. the road you head for when out on a blast, etc. First thing I'd say is that if I have a choice between a great road and boring scenery or beautiful scenery and a dull road, I'm almost always going to plump for the former. So that's one thing.

I'm also tempted to say several of my favourites are actually unclassified - though they do have markings. On these kinds of roads 10 or 20 mph over 60 can often feel pretty fast. Regardless, the other point is that (around here at least), these kinds of roads often include a lot of elevation changes - particularly those in the Howardian Hills and parts of the Wolds, and are equally as bendy. Most of them feel too much of a handful at first, especially for an average rider like me. But they're better for knowing, and can be enjoyed once they're familiar.

After that, I tend to go for the numbered B-roads - these are like the marked unclassifieds, but tend to have better surfaces. They're that bit busier though - so, given that they're often quite technical, you might get stuck behind dawdlers and/or tractors, etc. Oh yeah - that's obviously the other thing with B-roads and unclassifieds; you get a lot of agricultural shenanigans - mud on the lanes this time of year, combines that brush the hedge on either sides come spring and autumn, and always lots of pheasants ready to twat you in the lid. Still, the local B-roads around these parts can be a right laugh - there are some heading out of Hull towards Withernsea, and between there and Hornsea that have no rhyme or reason to them in terms of how they traverse the terrain. Others worth mentioning: B1222 between Escrick and Sherburn; B1228 Howden to Sutton on Derwent; B1246 from Bainton to Pocklington.

A-roads - these imo are often more of a necessary evil, and probably going to be a way of getting to the smaller, more interesting roads rather than an end in themselves. That said, the A166 between York and Driffield is fantastic. As is the A169 from Pickering to Whitby (a real epic affair), and the A161 in Lincolnshire that joins Old Goole to Crowle. Hmm - thinking of those three makes me wonder if I love them just as much as my fave b-roads and unclassifieds. I suppose you can crack the taps a bit more on the A-roads - but they often not as challenging unless you're approaching porridge speeds.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[The Shaggy D.A.]

If the destination is the reason for the journey, then A roads. If the ride is the reason, B roads.

B6047, Market Harborough to Melton Mowbray is a nice local road, as is the B645 Higham Ferrers to St Neots road.
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[notbike]

If we're talking about fun, then B roads in good weather.

Favourite route is from Abridge to Colchester through a series of the best twisties local to me.

I hate having to ride out far to find good roads, so I'm quite glad those begin around 20-30 miles from me.

[Bhud]

I voted for B-roads, although at this time of the year, country back roads (if you know them well) can make you feel fully involved in the ride and enjoy it more, probably because greasy and otherwise bad road surfaces make you feel like you're exercising a skill. On the other hand, following behind a 4x4 on a B-road doing a steady 50, in a light drizzle, keeping one eye on the road surface and the other on looking for an opportunity to safely overtake, can get boring.

[chickenstrip]

Variety is the spice of life.
It depends on my mood, what bike I'm riding, what else I might want to do on any given day etc, etc,

I sometimes enjoy riding a steep gnarly pass with a fecked surface, sometimes a fast winding road with a good surface. Most days out I'll choose a mix, and will get equal enjoyment out of quite different bits of my route, so I don't feel I can vote for one or another.

As to scenery, I'm a great fan but it's really a different question. Again, my best days have combined a bit of everything.
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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!

[kgm]

Varies. Sometimes I want a fast blast on a decent twisty B road with the VFR, with some narrow almost single track stuff thrown in. Other days I want to take the CRF and rise the tiny lanes with the grass in the middle 😂

[chickenstrip]

When I lived in Oxfordshire, my favourite circuit was on what was locally known as the Charlbury TT:

https://i.postimg.cc/2jGfSnWD/DSCN0227.jpg

Mostly fairly tight and twisty with some rollercoaster-like dips that could catch you unawares if you weren't familiar with the route.

Also ones I considered local while I lived down there, some bits of the roads around Salisbury Plain were enjoyable. Brought their own hazards though:

https://i.postimg.cc/c4CP12ZR/DSCN0450.jpg

Now alas, there is nothing immediately on my doorstep, have to go about 20-30mins in whichever direction to get to the good ones, but worth it when you do.
North Pennines:

https://i.postimg.cc/pd1MBv2L/DSCN4291.jpg

In the other direction, there is the Lake District which offers a bit of variety. Gnarly and steep, the Hardknott Pass:

https://i.postimg.cc/nr2Z8D4n/DSCF5263-zpsb9990f07.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/SKKp8RbP/DSCN4290.jpg

Only really a favourite if I feel up for something a bit challenging though, but there are some fast roads too if you know when to catch them.

There is one category missing from the choice, which I used to consider as local for biking - that is to say, roads I rode as often as I could despite the actual miles covered to get to them, starting to become as familiar with them as anything closer to home, and certainly would love them to be my local ones, and lucky for those for whom they are; Welsh roads!:

https://i.postimg.cc/8PkNRZGc/DSCF5595-zpsd6409e85.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vHPM358z/DSCF5743-zpscfb4b17a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/zBS3B3Cc/DSCN0750.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Y2DMx1Cx/nick1.jpg

Sometimes it seems it was considered that I enjoyed them too much :

https://i.postimg.cc/hvDW0tH6/001-zps2c665e26.jpg
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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!

[Polarbear]

[chickenstrip]

My Fazer is most at home on fast, winding A roads, which is part of the reason I enjoyed it so much when I was within striking distance of Wales. Above are the only pictures I have of me in action, the small shot being on my all-time favourite, the Crossgates to Newtown road (the only other pic I have of that road shows my last Fazer lying smashed up next to the hedge ). That's not to say I don't enjoy hustling it around something tighter as well though. It needs more rider input for that, and that's equally appealing to me.
The Striple loved the tighter, more 'technical' roads, so I preferred taking that on the B roads more. There's a lot of variety within each category though.
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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!

[recman]

Yep. The Striple loves the B roads and I'm happy to show her as many as I can.
There are a number places locally where she can stretch her legs but oddly enough the best stretch of tarmac near me starts with an A.
The A507 between Baldock and Buntingford to be precise.
It can really catch out the unwary.

[Alex A]

A nice mixture of B&C roads for me.
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[chickenstrip]

[recman]

[stevo as b4]

Tiny back lanes where there's not enough room for two vehicles to pass, and it's hedgerow lined bends and short bumpy straights. You can keep the horse shit and tractors spreading shit though!

Other than that it's off road muddy tracks, woodland and forest trails!

[Sister Sledge]

B roads but with the odd colliery spoil heap thrown in.
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CCM 404 DS

[WreckTangle]

agree with others, b roads are king, especially great in the summer on a sunny day, and there is no traffic..........or those hidden speed cameras
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[A100man]

For a short while, many moons ago, I had a girlfriend living in Troon, my route to visit was up the A74 then off at Douglas via the A70 B743. My company Vauxhall Cavalier would often be airborne on parts of that route - great fun but never tried it on a bike.
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[weasley]

[Easy-X]

Anything if you're not in a rush. The leg from Box Hill to Newlands Corner is very pleasant.

As mentioned ad nauseam I get a kick out of tearing about in the City (compared to a car which is soul destroying) but that doesn't seem to be on the list
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[FretGrinder]

B4520 between Brecon and Builth Wells - Bliss.
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[Fisty]

[ThatDippyTwat]

Depends on the bike and the weather.

Viffer and a hot sunny day? B4391 every time.
Light 250 and anything other than rain/snow? Tarmac UCR/BOAT singletrack from Llanuwchllyn to Bronaber.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[NakedBiker]

A-Roads with three numbers and B-roads!
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NakedBiker

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[chickenstrip]