North London route

mrc1

Hi all

Not strictly a commuting thread but.....

I have got a free saturday to go for a decent ride (im thinking a 60ish mile loop) from my base in Highgate but havent lived there very long so dont know any good loops that get into the countryside so that I can avoid the A1/North Circular. Does anyone have any ideas?

Cheers

Rob

spasypaddy

yes, from highgate, go up towards colney hatch lane tesco, keep going straight, go straight over every set of lights until you reach a T junction, turn right at the t-junction (opposite a B&Q) you are now in whetstone, straight down that road takes you into high barnet, where you are on the edge of leafy hertfordshire. from there you have a lot of choices.

_Brun_

The A1 is ok as a means of getting out into the countryside, no worse than other roads at any rate. I usually follow it up to Barnet and take a left there which puts you amongst a big swathe of semi-ruralness.

One option is to look for Galley Lane to the west of Barnet, then use the footbridge to nip over the A1.

spasypaddy

galley lane, my old rugby pitches and now my route to the lovely countryside. alternatively turn right down barnet high street and head for potters bar and then out that way

spasypaddy

http://local.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UT ... .22699&z=9

something like this would be ok, i dont know all the road inside out but i know the general gist and its ok as far as im aware

dugliss

Get on the A1000 and go straight through Finchley, Whetstone and up to High Barnet where you can branch off to the right. Just keep going and you can go all the way to Welwyn and do a loop by the hospital and come back the same way. I reckon that would be pretty close to 50/60 miles

EKE_38BPM

The A1000 is a good way to go to get to Barnet (takes you past/near at least 3 good bike shops too) then follow the route Spasypaddy knocked up for you.

I'm in Barnet, so if you want to meet for a ride, give me a PM but I'm busy this weekend and just about every weekend that Formula 1 cars race.

spasypaddy

eke, what do you ride? probably seen you on the road.

i might well be up for a little spin sometime

mrc1

Thanks I'll give one of your routes out of town a try and let you know how i get on! Im generally up for weekend morning rides so let me know when you are next about.

spasypaddy

looking at your FCN and your frame i may give riding with you a miss

mrc1

Cheers for the advice gents.

Headed out on a similar route to the one recommended above on saturday and had a great time. Ended up coming back via the new bike and run store. So a good morning all round.

WesternWay

mrc1 wrote:

Cheers for the advice gents.

Headed out on a similar route to the one recommended above on saturday and had a great time. Ended up coming back via the new bike and run store. So a good morning all round.

So where DID you go? I live at the bottom of the hill in Barnet, and very, very rarely go North :-)

spasypaddy

you lazy git, that hill is awesome

WesternWay

spasypaddy wrote:

you lazy git, that hill is awesome

But to be fair to me, my work is in the city and my home at the bottom of the hill, it would be frankly poor navigation to be at the top of the hill :-)

spasypaddy

you could ride it for a laugh at the end of every journey!

WesternWay

spasypaddy wrote:

you could ride it for a laugh at the end of every journey!

I turned left to do a bit more loop by Waitrose the other day, and even that was enough.

I was cycling with a couple of other commuters the other day, one guy turned off just before me and a guy on a road bike was continuing up the hill, I felt quite sorry for him.

spasypaddy

waitrose? in finchley or in whetstone?

WesternWay

spasypaddy wrote:

waitrose? in finchley or in whetstone?

Whetstone.

I actually utterly failed on making the route longer, I had a little explore in Finchley and then a loop up through Totteridge and back down again.

mrc1

WesternWay wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Cheers for the advice gents.

Headed out on a similar route to the one recommended above on saturday and had a great time. Ended up coming back via the new bike and run store. So a good morning all round.

So where DID you go? I live at the bottom of the hill in Barnet, and very, very rarely go North :-)

I basically followed the A1000 (stupidly went out without my saddle bag so had no spares so wanted to stick to main roads so that i could get the girlfriend to collect me if needed ; )) through Barnet to Potters Bar. Then tangled together a few smaller roads and looped back round to Whetstone and back in to London.

The road surface on parts of the route is horrid but otherwise it was a decent ride!

spasypaddy

WesternWay wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

waitrose? in finchley or in whetstone?

Whetstone.

I actually utterly failed on making the route longer, I had a little explore in Finchley and then a loop up through Totteridge and back down again.

you could go up barnet hill, turn left at the lights, turn left just before the gate pub and loop back. Or you could turn left after the gate pub and cut back through totteridge.

WesternWay

spasypaddy wrote:

you could go up barnet hill, turn left at the lights, turn left just before the gate pub and loop back. Or you could turn left after the gate pub and cut back through totteridge.

[/quote]

Actually the Gate was my sort of intention, but I got a "where are you" call :-)

g00se

spasypaddy wrote:

you could go up barnet hill, turn left at the lights, turn left just before the gate pub and loop back. Or you could turn left after the gate pub and cut back through totteridge.

Ah, the Gate - many a Sunday lunch in there...

spasypaddy

:roll:
ah im so glad to be young, single and free (plus i dont hear/feel my phone when riding anyway)

WesternWay

@g00se innit? and not always on a Sunday nor at lunchtime :-)
@spasy, yup, sometimes jealous :-)

simon johnson

Here's a 40 miler:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1969823

60 miles, that takes you through Essex into Hertfordshire and back to East Finchley:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2024187

I've a got a nicer route that is strictly Hertfordshire, 70 miles, that I lifted from Bikely. However Bikely's had it so I can't get to it now.

Also, try the Rapha 'cycle club' website for another North London route- seems OK.

By the way, I'm usually out on Saturdays alone so if anybody fancies a ride out.....and I'l hopefully be getting my hands on a Garmin 705 so away with all the paper maps!

simon johnson

Here is the Rapha ride:

http://www.rapha.cc/london-wednesday-ride

EKE_38BPM

Spassypaddy, I ride a red and white Giant and usually wear red jersey/jacket and a black Met helmet.

Us North Londoners should organise a ride.
My criteria are:
1 Not during a GP
2: er, thats it really.

I'm up for 50-80 miles usually, but not this weekend unless I can be home by around 17:00 Sat or 16:00 Sun to watch the quali and the race respectively.