London to Aylesham (Kent)

[booze and cake]

Good afternoon folks,

I've got to go to Aylesham from London and thought I'd make a day of it and cycle there.

Does anyone have any GPX routes to there they could share please? Alternatively any good routes from London out to Canterbury/Dover/Deal or any other nearby places that I can look at routes, and shorten or tag on extra bits accordingly. Have the Friday night ride to the coast crew been anywhere close?

South of the Thames I've not cycled further east than Erith, so am completely clueless about this part of the world. I assume the A2 is pretty horrific for cycling and is full of lorries and holiday makers heading to Dover, so I'd prefer to head down a bit and go through the Kent Downs, that looks much nicer for cycling.

I was planning of taking bike with standard 53/39 and the biggest cog on the cassette is a 25 tooth, which is OK for me up to gradients of about 16%, are there any hills in the North Downs steeper than this, so I know to avoid them.

Any routes or other travel tips to this part of the world you can share? I am half tempted to cycle back too, I always prefer to go a different route on the way back rather than just retrace my steps, so many different options and routes welcome so I can cobble together a big loop.

Thanks.

 

[booze and cake]

Thanks @Dogtrousers. I'm starting from Oval/Vauxhall. That looks good for the first bit out of London which I expected to be a bit grim anyway, and maybe head into the Downs after Gravesend, around Higham.

 

[ianrauk]

The way I would go, off the top of my head,

Oval to Lewisham
Pick up the A21 all the way to Knockholt.
Knockholt, Pollhill, down to Otford to pick up the Pilgrims Way
Pilgrims Way to Hollingbourne, Lenham, Charing, Shottenden, Chilham, Chartham, Canturbury, Bexebourne then Aylesham.

I havent got time at mo to do a map for you, but can do tomorrow and i'll think of alternatives.

For Aylesham to Deal and suchlike @Fab Foodie may be able to help.

 

[booze and cake]

OK great @ianrauk for the above mentioned and any other suggestions.

Having looked more closely at @Dogtrousers route I was surprised to see that after Gravesend you can cycle up Thong Lane, which leaves nothing to the imagination, and leads directly to Thong

 

[Salty seadog]

Good afternoon folks,

I've got to go to Aylesham from London and thought I'd make a day of it and cycle there.

Does anyone have any GPX routes to there they could share please? Alternatively any good routes from London out to Canterbury/Dover/Deal or any other nearby places that I can look at routes, and shorten or tag on extra bits accordingly. Have the Friday night ride to the coast crew been anywhere close?

South of the Thames I've not cycled further east than Erith, so am completely clueless about this part of the world. I assume the A2 is pretty horrific for cycling and is full of lorries and holiday makers heading to Dover, so I'd prefer to head down a bit and go through the Kent Downs, that looks much nicer for cycling.

I was planning of taking bike with standard 53/39 and the biggest cog on the cassette is a 25 tooth, which is OK for me up to gradients of about 16%, are there any hills in the North Downs steeper than this, so I know to avoid them.

Any routes or other travel tips to this part of the world you can share? I am half tempted to cycle back too, I always prefer to go a different route on the way back rather than just retrace my steps, so many different options and routes welcome so I can cobble together a big loop.

Thanks.

Hello old bean, if you get a good route down to Whitstable or similar and @ianrauk will definitely know his onions here if I'm free I could meet up and get you around some nice routes locally. Could get @Fab Foodie out maybe too. Enjoyed your street art ride last year, got to quite enjoy riding London this year. Art or trees I know you're the man to see.

 

[booze and cake]

@Dogtrousers I'm not pulling into any lay-by's around there at dusk then. And cheers for the list of Cols to avoid. I do like the idea of going out @ianrauk's route, and have most of the hills in the first half of the ride, assuming I cycle back that is, (I may well wimp and get train too if its raining or anything). Then maybe joining up with Dogtrousers' route for the way back as most of that looks pretty flat, which I may be thankful for after a long day in the saddle.

@Salty seadog ah thanks, where are you based exactly, its not Dover itself is it? I've got no date set yet so am fairly flexible, but Thursday's are my day off in the week, so its likely to be a Thursday or a Saturday and Sunday, but yes sure meeting up sounds a definite plan, will keep you posted.

I'm not expecting to see any street art on this route, but expect trees to feature heavily

 

[Salty seadog]

@Dogtrousers I'm not pulling into any lay-by's around there at dusk then. And cheers for the list of Cols to avoid. I do like the idea of going out @ianrauk's route, and have most of the hills in the first half of the ride, assuming I cycle back that is, (I may well wimp and get train too if its raining or anything). Then maybe joining up with Dogtrousers' route for the way back as most of that looks pretty flat, which I may be thankful for after a long day in the saddle.

@Salty seadog ah thanks, where are you based exactly, its not Dover itself is it? I've got no date set yet so am fairly flexible, but Thursday's are my day off in the week, so its likely to be a Thursday or a Saturday and Sunday, but yes sure meeting up sounds a definite plan, will keep you posted.

I'm not expecting to see any street art on this route, but expect trees to feature heavily

I'm splitting my time between Dover and Sandwich at present but everywhere is within 25 miles down this corner so I could meet anywhere. Unfortunately I cannot do Thursdays though. Let me know.

 

[Blue Hills]

Have just chucked Vauxhall to Aylesham into the excellent cycle travel and it plots a route pretty much through Dartford and Faversham en route to Aylesham.

So, a suggestion.

I'd take the train to Dartford - cheap as it's in the Oystercard zone - avoids a lot of boring London stuff.

I have a point to point (just marks turns) GPX file for Dartford to Birchington on Sea which goes through Faversham so you could chop the end off that and then sort the rest yourself.

PM me with your email address if you want the GPX.

 

[booze and cake]

Cheers @Blue Hills, I have heard the first bit getting out of London is maybe not the nicest, but I have a unreasonable hatred of trains and buses, and must be one of the few people in London that has never owned an Oyster card. I got the tube for the first time in over a year last weekend, followed by a train to Derby, so that's my quota of public transport for the year. Even boring London stuff is preferable to the train to me.

I'm still keen to have a look at any routes though, so I'll PM you my email address if you don't mind pinging me over your route, I'll compare it with Dogtrousers' and probably come back into London that way. Many thanks

 

[ianrauk]

@booze and cake
This is the route I would take.

Oval to Aylesham

The route out of London really isnt that bad. The A21 is very wide and easy to ride. It is however quite rolling in places. Bromley Hill is a mile long drag and so is the climb to Locksbottom, however I'm pretty sure they won't be of any trouble to you.

Once you get off the A21 and descend into and up out of Otford you are on the Pilgrims Way which is a nice rolling route. There's no major hills until you get to Charing, but once at the top it's a 10 mile or so descent into Chilham. Even though you do a bit of A20 at Lenham, it's fine for cycling as it runs parallel to the M20 so most cars use that.

A good stop for food and drink along the way would be the Dirty Habit pub at Hollingbourne. It has a garden at the back to lock your bike up if needed.

For the return you could head for Deal and work your way round the coast following the Viking Trail to Whitstable. And then follow the FNR route but in reverse.
I can give you a route for that also if you need.

 

[booze and cake]

@ianrauk that is brilliant, thanks very much, I really appreciate the effort and time taken doing that. Looking at it that looks perfect for the route out, just what I was after, and that long descent sounds great. And again thanks for the pub stop tips, that sounds like a perfect lunch stop, duly noted.

I am familiar with the A21, I've done it many times in the other direction as that's one of my loops out to Star Hill. I think I'll come back in via a combination of the routes that @Dogtrousers and @Blue Hills supplied, so thanks for the offer of the other routes, but think I've got it pretty much sorted now.

Great work folks, you've aced it, many thanks

 

[ianrauk]

@ianrauk that is brilliant, thanks very much, I really appreciate the effort and time taken doing that. Looking at it that looks perfect for the route out, just what I was after, and that long descent sounds great. And again thanks for the pub stop tips, that sounds like a perfect lunch stop, duly noted.

I am familiar with the A21, I've done it many times in the other direction as that's one of my loops out to Star Hill. I think I'll come back in via a combination of the routes that @Dogtrousers and @Blue Hills supplied, so thanks for the offer of the other routes, but think I've got it pretty much sorted now.

Great work folks, you've aced it, many thanks

No probs. Glad to be of help.
If it was a weekend I may have joined you on the ride.

I love Star Lane, such a lovely climb and descent in either directions with great tarmac. I left it out as I thought it may be too much of a long drag, hence the Pollhill option.