Cycling in Buckinghamshire

suffolk rider

Last week I had a superb ride in the Vale of Aylesbury on the edge of the Chilterns. Marvellous rolling countryside, with mst descents sufficient to power up most of the way up the next hill.
The only problem was the WORST road surfaces I think I have cycled on in this country, with ruts, potholes, etc. an almost constant feature of the day. At one point, through lack of vigilance going over potholes, I had two punctures within as many miles: grrr.
Presumably the County Council is either very short of money, or just prefers to spend what it has on other things. And no doubt the complaints of a cyclist from outside the county will count for little!

ajoten

Yes, said it soooooooo many times myself (not in this forum). I've lost dozens of lights over the years, with them bouncing out of the bracket onto the road. Frequent p*nct*r*s. There's one little stretch on a minor road near Penn Street where I get off and push now, and another couple where I vowed never to take my nice bike again for fear of the frame snapping.

ajoten

...and of course the Council can defend themselves by pointing out that most residents have big stupid 4x4s to get the kids 100 yds to school so potholes ain't a big deal to most. T0ssers.

pllb

suffolk rider wrote:

Last week I had a superb ride in the Vale of Aylesbury on the edge of the Chilterns. Marvellous rolling countryside, with mst descents sufficient to power up most of the way up the next hill.
The only problem was the WORST road surfaces I think I have cycled on in this country, with ruts, potholes, etc. an almost constant feature of the day. At one point, through lack of vigilance going over potholes, I had two punctures within as many miles: grrr.
Presumably the County Council is either very short of money, or just prefers to spend what it has on other things. And no doubt the complaints of a cyclist from outside the county will count for little!

Glad you enjoyed your ride on the edge of my local patch. The roads are pretty bad and are already showing signs of deterioration this week under the snow & ice. Riding the Chiltern roads around Chesham/Wendover/Tring/Hemel you get used to the potholes and learn to unweight the bike in a hurry if a pothole presents itself without warning (or if you are not concentrating ).

The local council does not seem to prioritise road maintenance (or pavements), not sure what they spend the cash on (salaries are rumoured to be the main drain on funds).

Anyhow, there are always loads of cyclists out in the chilterns (on & off road) so make sure your tyres are pumped up hard and enjoy the scenery!

Merry Christmas

suffolk rider

Thank you: I would definitely like to go back (in fact I have already done so) but will be alot more careful in future. I am a local councillor in Suffolk, and if the roads were that bad around us I would be asking some pretty hard questions.

mjd611

Just stumbled across this post. I know its old but i still feel like using it to vent frustration.

I also cycle in chilterns area (berkhamsted, chesham, tring) and find that the roads are dreadful. If you're not trying to make your way around potholes you have your bones shaken to dust with the dreadfully cheap tarmac. Routes are generally planned by the quality of the road surface.

Bodhbh

Berkhamstead high street has to be the worst road I know off, I'm normally on the MTB heading too from Tring/Ivenhoe Beacon area and always get rattled to death down it despite the knobblies.

I'm not local, but living down here took up cycling a couple of yrs ago so assumed it was normal. First time I took the bike back up to my parents over in Lincolnshire and did some riding, they asked how my ride was and first thing I blurted out was how smooth the roads where.

bigpikle

its not just roads....Bucks CC are incompetent at most things and rate as one of the UK's worst performers, in the governments own stats.

plug1n

I agree with all the above (I also live in Berkhamsted mjd611)

Herts and Bucks roads are the pits, Beds is marginally better.


I've been working near Farnborough for the last few weeks and the contrast is amazing, Hants and Surrey roads are like carpets. Probably 400 miles at night and not one "real" pothole and zero sudden deflations (there goes next week's luck ......)

Top be fair, I did 28 miles on Wednesday and noticed some real repairs, particularly the road through Tring Lakes.

mjd611

I'm relieved to know it's not just me being a wimp.