Charity bike ride from Manchester- Liverpool to Bristol- Advice needed

[Jamie Bassett]

Hi All,

Earlier this year, two close friends of mine, Alex and Matt, were struck by a car whilst walking home from an evening out in Bristol after being hit by a driver who was under the influence.

Sadly Alex was killed, and Matt suffered serious head injuries, from which he is now thankfully recovering thanks to the incredible treatment he received in Southmead Hospital in Intensive Care and other units.

I have decided to do this big challenge to raise money for two charities "Brake" and "Southmead Hospital Charity" in memory of Alex, and in thanks for Matt's treatment.

I will be cycling over 250 miles in just 3 days:

• The ride will start at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester - this is the home of the football team Alex supported.
• I will then be cycling from there on to Anfield in Liverpool - the home of the football team that Matt supports.
• The ride will finish at Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol - the local football team supported by both families.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fun...userUrl=JamieBassett&faId=719724&isTeam=false

I thought that making the course of the ride relevant in some way would make it even more special.

However I could really do with some advice on which routes/roads to use on my ride. If anyone has cycled from Liverpool to Bristol or knows which routes are the best to use, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks
Jamie

 

[gavgav]

All the best, sounds a very worthwhile cause. I would head down through, Cheshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire. Loads of lanes that you can use to avoid main roads (avoid the A49 like the plague!) NCN routes in Shropshire will take you down through Whitchurch, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, etc.

 

[Jamie Bassett]

Thank you very much

 

[huggy]

Remember you can cycle across the original Severn Bridge so I would come down near the Welsh border. Sounds like a fantastic trip.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Follow the John O groats to lands end route. A quick Google should bring up a nice route. Just be sure to spear off, before it heads through North Devon.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Here's my LEJOG Day 3 and Day 4. From Liverpool you have two options going south: take the ferry or train across to Birkenhead and south through Chester or crab across to the Widnes/Runcorn Bridge (see my Day 4 route).
These routes aim to avoid all trunk roads (eg A49 and A38) and A roads to a great extent, except where they are parallel to trunk roads (eg A4110). I also absolutely minimised the use of narrow minor roads (the thin yellow ones on a 1:50,000 map) - because you can't be sure that you'll get past a vehicle coming the other way (at speed round a corner), the navigation is invariably more difficult and the road surfaces are often poor.

 

[growingvegetables]

Sorry - nothing more constructive to offer, beyond ..... good luck.

 

[Jamie Bassett]

Thank you

 

[si_c]

Sorry to hear about your friends, and good luck with the challenge.

As far as the route goes, I'd personally get the ferry over to birkenhead, and then travel down to burton marshes, then I'd probably head down towards chirk/oswestry and then on towards Ludlow. That would split it more or less in half distance wise from Liverpool, and careful planning of your route can give you the option of avoiding main roads. It depends how far you feel comfortable riding on each day and on what sort of route.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Inspired by @si_c 's suggestion of going via Oswestry, here's a route from Chester to the Severn Bridge: CHESTER, Oswestry, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Bucknell, A4110 south, Hereford, Wye Valley (B4224) and over/through Forest of Dean to Chepstow, SEVERN BRIDGE.

 

[si_c]

Inspired by @si_c 's suggestion of going via Oswestry, here's a route from Chester to the Severn Bridge: CHESTER, Oswestry, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Bucknell, A4110 south, Hereford, Wye Valley (B4224) and over/through Forest of Dean to Chepstow, SEVERN BRIDGE.

Broadly what I was thinking.

 

[Heisenberg71]

Sorry to hear about your friends, but great effort on your part. Having just completed 550 miles in four days I can tell you that you will love it. No tips on route, because I don't know that side of the country well enough. Stick to minor roads though, much more pleasant.

Best of luck.