North London / Herfordshire rides

captainbeefheart

Hi

I'm trying to work up some long rides and always seem to end up getting lost in Herfordshire and trapped between motorways and dual carriagewats in the Welwyn area.

I live in Crouch End, North London and work my way out of London through Barnet to Potters Bar and then follow the A1000 but always end up getting a bit lost and generally feel there must be some great loop I don't know about as I see a lot of cyclists in between Barnet and Potters Bar and always wonder where they go?....

Unfortunately, I don't find most to be that friendly (nobody ever 'nods') so I don't tend to ask them!

I'm looking for a 90 / 100mile at least round trip but currently have only managed 82.

Any ideas welcome

PS - I would also like to cycle to Cambridge from London without using dual carriageway if any one knows a good route? :oops:

narbs

Come along on a Sunday morning with the group that meets outside Two Wheels Good. Anywhere between 5 and 20 depending on circumstances, out to etiher Essex or Herts and anywhere between 50 and 70 miles.

Set off at 9.30.

EDIT - just read the 90-100 miles bit. Maybe head off to Richmond Park at the end?

pneumatic

this may be out of your range, but there are some fantastic lanes and climbs North of Hemel Hempstead (Berkhamsted, Tring, Ashridge, Whipsnade). Road surfaces leave a little to be desired but the scenery is great (by South East standards )

jocksyboy

There are many ways to go!

Do you have memory map or any other GPS software?

captainbeefheart

narbs wrote:

Come along on a Sunday morning with the group that meets outside Two Wheels Good. Anywhere between 5 and 20 depending on circumstances, out to etiher Essex or Herts and anywhere between 50 and 70 miles.

Set off at 9.30.

EDIT - just read the 90-100 miles bit. Maybe head off to Richmond Park at the end?

Thanks I may well come along for that as most days 50-70 is enough for me but I also need to get some distance in at the mo

captainbeefheart

jocksyboy wrote:

There are many ways to go!

Do you have memory map or any other GPS software?

Nothing as technos unfortunately I'm even too macho to carry a map.

Some general idea of where people go would be good to get me started

Pirahna

If you don't carry a map then look on Google maps.

There isn't much between Barnet and Potters bar. If you go through Potters Bar and follow the Great North Road towards Hatfield for a bit you can turn off towards Essendon. Head towards Hertford via Little Berkhampsted. North of Hertford towards Dane End and it gets hilly. Turn east towards Much Hadham then South towards Ware and follow the Hertford Road back into London.

To go to Cambridge: From Much Hadham head north, Little Hadham, Furneax Pelham, Little Hormead and Hare Street. Turn right and follow the road Barkway and Barley until the A505. Dogleg right, left to Fowlmere, Newton the Shelfords and you're on the outskirts of Cambridge.

toontra

Have a look at the Audax UK website's calander. I live in Islington and have gone on several of their rides. Their shortest rides are 100k, but by riding to and from the start you can easily make them up to 100m+. I did one yesterday starting from Ruislip - 100k + 18 miles each way to and from Ruislip - over 105m.

They also do longer rides - 150k, lots at 200 and 300k, going up to 400, 600 and the biggie London-Edinburgh-London which I'm doing next year at 1,400k. For these you will probably need to get the train to and from the start, but it's perfectly doable and I've never had any problem with getting the bike on the train

I find it quite good motivation going out with a group on longer rides. For anything under 60-70 miles I just plan a route on the Garmin GPS and follow that, usually either the Potter's Bar direction or more usually going up through Woodford out past Epping and then north-east to make a 50-70 mile loop. This is also the way the TwoWheelsGood group often go, which I sometimes go out with.

jocksyboy

You could also try from welwyn village up to codicote then turn off towards kimpton or whitwell basically the triangle between hitchin luton and Welwyn has some nice roads. some good climbs near Great Offley If you really wanted to push it you could go north of the A505 on lilley bottom to hexton turn west towards Barton ,Harlington and toddington round dunstable and into the main ridge at the start of the chilterns Whipsnade is fairly challenging and then head south towards Hemel

terongi

I also live in Crouch End.

We do about 80km every Sunday morning. The trick is not to use the A1000 on the way out, only on the way back.

We go - East Finchley - East End Road - Hendon Avenue - through pedestrian cut through at the end - past Hendon Crematorium - left at roundabout onto Devonshire Road - up Milespit Hill to Mill Hill - Ridgeway - up Highwood Hill to Totteridge - then Hendon Wood Lane to Arkley - left at pub onto Galley Lane - straight on at roundabout onto Dancers Hill Road - right into Wagon Road - straight on across A1000 - right onto Cockfosters Road - left at 2nd miniroundabout onto Ferny Hill - left onto Ridgeway A1005 - right onto East Lodge Lane

by then you've done about 26 km which takes up to an hour

from there you can explore the villages of Crews Hill - Cuffley - Northaw - Newgate Street - Epping Green - Little Berkhampstead - all quiet roads with rolling terrain.

or head out towards Hertford and beyond and you are well clear of motorways and major A roads.

then when you've had enough, head for Potters bar and blast home down the A1000 to Archway Road.

edited for typos

captainbeefheart

thanks for the replies. I'll map something out for the weekend and I might pop down one Sunday to two wheels good as well

Cheers

_krusty

Thanks for all the info here, I'm based in N. London myself and it sounds like there are some good rides suggested here.

If anyone had GPS data to share of the rides (esp of the Audax one suggested) that would be great.

thanks.

K.

woodford2barbican

Got some here.....

78 miles round Cheltenham
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=561947

90 miles to Felixstowe
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=678602

40 Miles Hatfield Heath Loop
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=727381

45 mile loop
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=295504

woodford2barbican

And some more.....

40 miles
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=765014

30 mile quickie
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1012946

xio

another Crouch Ender here. I've always been a bit wary about 2 wheels good simply cos of some bad service I got there about 3 or 4 years ago. Mainly it's the tall bloke with the moustache (is he the owner?) the young guys seem fine. Anyway, probably quite wrongly I've sort of avoided the idea of riding with them in case he's there. Also, as I have family, I'd need to be heading out earlier than 9:30 if I'm going that kind of distance. I've mainly ended up getting up early and catching trains south (Dorking way) to meet up with friends, or last time we got the train up to High Wycombe and headed round the Chilterns. Would also be interested to find something I can ride from my door without spending too long on suburban stuff to get there, but need hills as training for the etape.

I'll take a look at some of the suggestions above and report back with any success - recently bought gps and it's widened my horizons somewhat...