The Norfolk Alps

[Smokin Joe]

One of the hardest 100 mile rides I’ve done was on a pretty flat route. You’re pretty much on the power all the time as you don’t get the ‘free’ downhill speed. It didn’t help I hadn’t ridden my bike for about 12 weeks after a nasty wrist fracture and those I was riding with were training for Ironman.

And no shelter from any wind either.

The E1 time trial course in the north of Essex has (Or had) a longish flat section with no hedgerows around the Duxford area. I rode it in a fairly stiff wind one day and it was the only time I had to drop to the small ring on a flat section of any race. I'd rather have tackled a 1 in 5.

 

[gbb]

One of the hardest 100 mile rides I’ve done was on a pretty flat route. You’re pretty much on the power all the time as you don’t get the ‘free’ downhill speed. It didn’t help I hadn’t ridden my bike for about 12 weeks after a nasty wrist fracture and those I was riding with were training for Ironman.

I always said while riding the Fens, there's no respite, no downhills, you have to be actively pedalling ALL the time. It's just as hard as rolling countryside.

 

[Reynard]

Yeah, that's about right. The cycling out here can be boiled down to "find a comfy gear and get on with it" LOL

Although you've got the climbs into Ely - some are annoying and steady drags, others are short and steep. And most of the villages here are on high ground (except Littleport and Pymoor), so if you ride from one to the other, it can get a wee bit lumpy.

 

[HLaB]

Probably as it’s not in Norfolk.

Its all the flat fens to me

 

[Jenkins]

Yeah, that's about right. The cycling out here can be boiled down to "find a comfy gear and get on with it" LOL

Although you've got the climbs into Ely - some are annoying and steady drags, others are short and steep. And most of the villages here are on high ground (except Littleport and Pymoor), so if you ride from one to the other, it can get a wee bit lumpy.

As an example, here's the elevation profile for a 50 mile round trip I did from Cambridge to Ely & back - the only two noticable lumps in it are going into Ely and Wilburton. I'm sure the remainder of the massive(!) 650ft of elevation I did on the ride were where the road sinks & rises due to subsidence

Compared to that Norfolk is mountainous with a near 1600ft of elevation on a similar distance ride to the north of Norwich.

 

[Reynard]

As an example, here's the elevation profile for a 50 mile round trip I did from Cambridge to Ely & back - the only two noticable lumps in it are going into Ely and Wilburton. I'm sure the remainder of the massive(!) 650ft of elevation I did on the ride were where the road sinks & rises due to subsidence
View attachment 754999

Compared to that Norfolk is mountainous with a near 1600ft of elevation on a similar distance ride to the north of Norwich.

Oh yeah. The subsidence. Tell me about it LOL!

 

[Jotheboat]

Really ? You ever cycled Sheringham, Hunstanton, Cromer, Brancaster way etc on the Coast road ? I’m not sure any human on the Planet could legitimately call that scenically dull…..

I have to agree, taking in Cley and Blakeney en route. I've played golf and cycled along there and that north coast is one of my favourite spots.
And I come from the Pennines!

 

[gbb]

One point you realise when cycling the Fens...
I used to do 50 mile rides, generally Pboro to Weldon Northants which is what I call lovely rolling countryside. Some hills, not too long, not too steep, you could attack them and enjoy the short downhills for recovery.
If you went into the Fens as up post, you pedal ALL the time, there's little or no respite.

But...those 50 mile ride times would be (give or take) the same, same average speed.

You gain some, and you lose some.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Its all the flat fens to me

Well I suppose if there was an accident on the Norfolk glaciers…

 

[Psamathe]

Flatlandia is renowned for it's headwinds. You don't need hills when you have the headwinds.

Ian

 

[Accy cyclist]

I still have my Hemsby fridge magnet on my fridge (obviously). Me the former Mrs Accy and daughter went there in July 2012. We stayed in a static caravan on a camp site. Hemsby was ok, but the beach was full of Pebbles and heck it had a cold wind, colder than I was used to with west coast beaches. I took a bike with me on the long must've been 6 to 7 hour journey. I cycled every day. It was flat, which I wasn't used to but had beautiful scenery with miles and miles of wheat fields. I posted on CC at the time saying how polite motorists were compared to back home, with one poster from the Norfolk area (I'm sure that member still posts on CC, but I can't remember her name) saying they were surprised as they thought most drivers in the area were anti cyclist.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Norfolk is a part of the country that I have never been to but know it’s a reasonable flat. It seems though that the makers of the Netflix series Senna weren’t so sure.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7kd7g2lxyo

If you watch enough 1960's UK telly, anywhere foreign was usually precipitated with some stock film footage and then cut to...Pinewood studio interior or country lane location looking suspiciously like the local countryside around the studio.

Set designers in one story of Stargate SG1 set in the jungles Central America...but filmed in pine forests of Canada...stuck a few potted banana plants about to make it look 'tropical'.

And as we all know, thanks to Dr Who & Blakes 7, every planet in the cosmos is either a gravel quarry or looks like Surrey on a rainy day. Odd how they all manage to have the same plant species....hawthorn is widespread over the universe!.

 

[Drago]

hawthorn is widespread over the universe!.

Thanks to Chris Rea and the Time Transit!

 

[Sterlo]

Same around here, this was a 40 mile ride while ago.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I might just go for a cycling short break in Norfolk. It would be nice to go for longish rides without hills getting in the way.