Routes

[caz]

Knowing where you live roughly, why not try plotting a route along country lanes to Tanworth-in-Arden (nice and hilly round there!) or Studley, Cougton, Henley (where you could stop for an ice cream!) etc and either go there and back or plan a loop.

 

[wafflycat]

Get to know villages, and if you get lost or just need to make sure, ask for directions when you see someone. Keep an eye out for signs and if you can, keep an eye on something in the village your going to, or something that is on the way, and keep that on one side.
Never bother to take a map out on the ride, look at one before then just remember it in my head.
You just need some confidence, and working out the route in your head helps. Just remember what villages you wont to go to, and look for the signs. Remeber the villages past it so you know if you see a turn off for that, then you have gone too far.

That's assuming the junctions are signposted.... Not recommended for Norfolk cycling as signposts are a rare thing round the lanes!

 

[Young Un]

Knowing where you live roughly, why not try plotting a route along country lanes to Tanworth-in-Arden (nice and hilly round there!) or Studley, Cougton, Henley (where you could stop for an ice cream!) etc and either go there and back or plan a loop.

im not sure i really want that many hills - but thanks for the advice for places to ride to.

coughton is really easy as im in redditch and can ride to alcester and back - 12 there and back - with a massive hill at the end

 

[Joe24]

im not sure i really want that many hills - but thanks for the advice for places to ride to.

coughton is really easy as im in redditch and can ride to alcester and back - 12 there and back - with a massive hill at the end

Dont worry about that, its all good for you

 

[Young Un]

and dom - thanks for the recomendation - but if i had that much money spare i would have bought a better bike lol - so no unfortunately they are out of my budget.

 

[Kovu]

Dont worry about that, its all good for you

I agree with him there Young 'Un, Hills make most of my route up, and a big one at that ... but its all good fun!

 

[Joe24]

I agree with him there Young 'Un, Hills make most of my route up, and a big one at that ... but its all good fun!

Well ofcourse you would

Young Un, just write the route down on your arm and hand, where to turn and head for, have a guess and stuff.
When i did my long ride the guy that had the route just had a peice of paper with some village names on it, and main road names. Had to guess when we didnt see a sign though. We still got to the end

 

[Young Un]

right u guys have made me go and get my map now lol.

 

[Young Un]

so many roads

 

[Kovu]

so many roads

What did you expect?

 

[Joe24]

What did you expect?

Well less then what he sees

What you wonna do Young Un is just go out and ride, decide as you go.

 

[Kovu]

What you wonna do Young Un is just go out and ride, decide as you go.

And if you get lost and really dont know your way back in a loop, just retrace your ride.

 

[Joe24]

And if you get lost and really dont know your way back in a loop, just retrace your ride.

And hope you can remember which way you went
Or, just ask a local person the way to a road which you know and go from there. Its simple.
Oh, and on the map, the closer those orange lines are the better

 

[Young Un]

right done a route - 16.8 miles

used a combo of my os map and mapmyride.com

used the map to get the jist of the route and the site to get the distances etc

 

[Young Un]

Oh, and on the map, the closer those orange lines are the better

yh init joe lol - i rally navigate for my dad on os maps so i can read em prety good and no what most things mean on it - i was comenting on the amount of roads because i rally around stratford not in redditch and in redditch there seems to be more country rodes.