Getting to Portsmouth from London to start tour

BrookeHender

Hello,

In a couple of weeks I start my three week tour to/in France and the first leg is from East London to Portsmouth to catch the ferry to Le Havre. So there is plenty of time (late ferry) and I was wondering whether anyone knew a good route that is pleasant to ride fully loaded. I am more than happy to catch a train from Victoria or Waterloo to bypass some of London.
A relaxing and interesting start would be fantastic.

My apologies if this should be somewhere else, but as I am touring...

Many thanks,

Brooke Hender

aya604

BrookeHender wrote:

Hello,

In a couple of weeks I start my three week tour to/in France and the first leg is from East London to Portsmouth to catch the ferry to Le Havre. So there is plenty of time (late ferry) and I was wondering whether anyone knew a good route that is pleasant to ride fully loaded. I am more than happy to catch a train from Victoria or Waterloo to bypass some of London.
A relaxing and interesting start would be fantastic.

My apologies if this should be somewhere else, but as I am touring...

Many thanks,

Brooke Hender

This will get you from putney to southsea and is a route I really liked and not too busy in most places. You may be against a prevailing wind and its not completely flat but you are never far from the railway just in case!! In fact you could start at kingston or esher if you want to miss London (and the climb through richmond park).

A variation is to go via Midhurst which is great but maybe a bit longer and more hilly.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... 4925174458

The end is wrongish - putney to southsea = 75 miles. Hope this helps

Cheers aya

BrookeHender

Hello Aya,

Thanks for the map - it looks excellent and I shall try it out. I shall probably catch the train to somewhere just outside of London and carry on from there and enjoy the ride.

Many thanks,

Brooke

guinea

I did a similar route from Ealing to Portsmuth a fortnight ago. It was a nice route. However, I chose to keep heading south to Chichester and then head west.

I had my Garmin 305 and the route was very easy to follow. However, I chose some nasty busy roads near Guildford which was no fun at all.

BrookeHender

Last year I went via Littlehampton and then cut across in a similar manner and it was all fine until I ended up on the A27 with roadworks at night and time running out to get to the ferry. Mind you I had had four punctures and new wheel and rain for most of the day. Not the best start to my first foray into touring although I learned a lot that day.

Time to really start going through the maps.

ronstrutt

The old A3 to Guildford isn't bad provided you miss the height of the weekday evening peak. That's the road that goes down through Kingston, Esher, Cobham, a bit of the modern A3, Ripley, cycle path alongside modern A3, Burpham, Guildford.

(You could cut out as much of this as desired by catching a train to Kingston, Esher, Woking, Guildford or Godalming.)

From Guildford A3100 to Godalming, turn left up the hill on B2130 Brighton Road, at the top right then left for Hambledon, left through Chiddingfold and Ramsnest, continue past the Haslemere turn then right and left for Lurgashall , Lickfold and Lodsworth.

Keep going to A272. Either right for Midhurst along A272 (not hugely recommended) or left then right at A272, cross river bridge then right to West Lavington and into the back end of Midhurst.

Leave Midhurst on A286 then bear off right to Bepton. Turn right through Didling, Treyford, and Elstead to South Harting. Left onto the B2146 up the hill to Uppark and on to West Marden. Turn right through Forestside to Dean Lane End, then left to Rowlands Castle. Join B2149 to Havant.

After Havant you can either head out onto Hayling Island and take the ferry across to Portsmouth (the pleasant route) or B2149 to Bedhampton, B2177 to Junc 5 of the A3(M), then A2030 into Portsmouth.

Use this route all the time. Probably the least hilly and most traffic-free way of doing it.