Routes for road cycles...

Goldilox

Goldilox

How do I edit this?
I appreciate the monster 'cycle paths' thread already exists, but that was dedicated to mountain bike type activity before it went way off topic.

I just wondered if anyone here has nice routes that are a bit more on-road as the national cycle route 55 track out towards Derrington/Haughton is about the limit of what my old racer can cope with.

I had a nice run yesterday following the Marston Lane cycle route up towards Stone and then coming back via Stone Road (I've left off the to & from my house at the start...). Beware the big hill on Uttoxeter Road coming out of Stone & the ford on Jolpool lane if you were planning on trying it though :)
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
This is very cycle-friendly terrain around here - there are a few hills, but they're fairly manageable in the general scheme of things. Weston Bank can be circumvented by going through Salt to the top of Sandon Bank and it seems far easier that way, for example. I used to cycle to Eccleshall, do half a day, cycle to Yarnfield and do another half, then cycle home through Norton Bridge - about 25 miles - I drove it yesterday and am amazed that I did that every week for years, in all weathers. Cycling to the Haywoods along Tixall Road, then past Bishton Hall and around to the back of Hixon is a nice run. The recent crappy summers have put my plan to cycle to the Cosford Museum on hold.
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

Well-Known Forumite
Can anybody recommend routes for somebody who is absolutely traffic phobic? I have just persuaded my better half to take up cycling again but she is absolutely adamant that sharing with motor traffic is off the agenda. She started off with a folder about three years ago and we had some good runs in west Wales on weekend breaks (lots of virtually depopulated terrain). Her new bike is a beautiful dutch-style low step-through with all the trimmings. We want to do more local trips and would love to get off the 'Way for for the Millenium' which we have worn out on many out-and-back trips from Castlefields towards Derrington & beyond.
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
The whole area to the west of the M6 - Stretton, Wheaton Aston, Lapley, Church Eaton etc - is ripe for exploration. Perhaps not the best time of year to be starting, but i note in another thread you say you are now retired - if you can get out and about when it is more summery, and between the hours of tennish (anyone for?) and threeish you will find the roads almost deserted.

I did a rather lovely churches tour last year in that neck of the woods and i think we saw a sum total of three cars on the roads the whole time we were out.

One trip i have been meaning to take for a while, but have not quite yet got around to, is to take the 'M' Way to Gnosall -> Shrophire Union canal to Wheaton Aston -> really-not-scary-at-all road to Penkridge -> Staffs and Worcs canal back to Stafford. That's almost road free - but again not particularly winter-friendly.

But it's not necessarily, or even at all, relevant to a 'routes for road cycles' thread, so i will apologise to Goldilox and think of some others. :)
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

Well-Known Forumite
Thank you W. I know what you mean by 'winter friendly '! I fell arse over tit on a charity walk on an icy path down Worcester way last year. Luckily, I ended up in the hedge rather than the canal side of the path. Only damage was to my pride - felt like a right eejit.
 
Goldilox

Goldilox

How do I edit this?
Bump! I'm bored of running and I hate diets so I'm back on the bike! Quite enjoying this loop out to Gnosall and back at the moment, although the rotten bit is getting through town from my new location at the south end to get out into the countryside.
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

Well-Known Forumite
Goldilox said:
Bump! I'm bored of running and I hate diets so I'm back on the bike! Quite enjoying this loop out to Gnosall and back at the moment, although the rotten bit is getting through town from my new location at the south end to get out into the countryside.
Click to expand...
Is it just me? It seems that every time I follow a link to a map in a post I just get a google map with (sometimes) a dropped pin (in this case St Leonard's Avenue) but no route. Mostly I log on to the Forum on my iPad and as nobody else has mentioned this I suspect that it is my equipment which is at fault. Maybe be one day I will summon up the energy to fire up my laptop or PC and see what the wonderful world of Stafford Forum looks like from Bill G's viewpoint.
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
monkey bidness said:
Is it just me?
Click to expand...

Could be - it works for me - on a real machine.
old-computer-thumb.jpg
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

Well-Known Forumite
Update, I have gone back to an earlier post on this topic and, mirabile dictu, I have gotten a map complete with overlaid route.

P.s. Gramaisc, the teletype interface I used was much more compact. And that Ships Wheel is so passé. I have a joystick!
 
Goldilox

Goldilox

How do I edit this?
monkey bidness said:
Is it just me? It seems that every time I follow a link to a map in a post I just get a google map with (sometimes) a dropped pin (in this case St Leonard's Avenue) but no route. Mostly I log on to the Forum on my iPad and as nobody else has mentioned this I suspect that it is my equipment which is at fault. Maybe be one day I will summon up the energy to fire up my laptop or PC and see what the wonderful world of Stafford Forum looks like from Bill G's viewpoint.
Click to expand...


I obviously tested it before posting - but if I clear the cache and try to load it I get what you get (actually two pins - either end of St leonards - as I didn't want to give away the exact house that belongs to me), and then 3 or 4 seconds later the route overlays itself. It may be that your ipad is timing out before the route has time to load?

If you're really interested the route I was trying to express goes: West along Doxey Road/Aston Bank/Long Lane and then onto the A518; first right after the 'Welcome to Gnosall' sign; then north out of the village on Knightly Road, until you reach the B5405; then right and follow that as far as the edge of Great Bridgeford, right again and through Seighford, to go back into Stafford on Doxey Road again, then back up to St Leonards via the back lane of Corporation street and Fairway, thus avoiding a second encounter with the Island roundabout. 21 miles, no massive hills and mostly through lovely countryside.

It makes more sense on the map....
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
The map worked for me - i have no auxiliary units.

Goldilox said:
...although the rotten bit is getting through town from my new location at the south end to get out into the countryside.
Click to expand...

Being either unable or unwilling or both, wouldn't it serve your purpose to go over the bridge -> through BRC -> be a bit naughty on the footpath to here then cut through the privatey bits of Rowleyness to the Newport Road and beyond?

More exploration may return more than ample dividends.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top