who comes up with the national cycle routes?

[HLaB]

I've only been in Chelmsford one month and there a remarkable difference in the NCN here, route 1 to the east is great (country lanes mostly apart from the park to get out of town) but to the west is the shoddy standard I'd expect, less well signed, rough bridleways, long detours, etc As I've said before at home it isn't much better but the former NCN1 has been re branded a 'local route' and used to take you up a narrow and rough wooded path behind flats (here) and then disappear into the trees (around here). Its not the steepest path thanks to the switchbacks, circa 12% but its completely unsurfaced and when I done it about 5 years ago my back wheel was spinning out, being wooded the whole place is pretty damp even after a 3 week dry spell!

 

[ColinJ]

The thing is ... instead of this stupidly hard cobbled monster:

... only 400 metres away, the NCN 68 route planners could have used this quiet road:

Still a very hard climb, but it is actually possible to ride up it apart from a very steep 20 metre push at the top. Coming down is infinitely safer than descending steep cobbles potentially wet and covered in moss and leaf mulch!

 

[400bhp]

Email then Colin and ask why. I've had good responses back for them in the past. It might go some way to explaining why sections of some of the routes are a little odd.

 

[ColinJ]

Email then Colin and ask why. I've had good responses back for them in the past. It might go some way to explaining why sections of some of the routes are a little odd.

I'll give it a go!