Week of touring in Sept - suggestions?

damitamit

I've got some annual leave to take, so looking to do a week of touring in September. I've never done a fully loaded tour before (just short unloaded ones) so this will be my first. Thou I'm quite a keen roadie and have been riding for years.

Any suggestions for a week of touring (with camping)? Preferably in the UK, but don't mind going to Europe for better weather.

Yes, this is probably quite a vague question so I'm just looking for people's favourite idea of a week long tour

Thanks
Amit

1footedninja

Rockall is probably nice that time of year

Jokes aside - I'd plump for Iceland - hotter climes I'd go for the Trans Andalus

thefonz78

Lon Las Cymru. National cycle route 8. Holyhead to Cardiff 250 miles. The length of Wales. Through Snowdonia and Brecon mountain regions. Google it you will find lots of info including hostels to stay at on route. I'm getting myself fit to do it next summer.

pneumatic

There's a lot to be said for touring from your front door.

A bit of a challenge if your front door is in NW London, but not impossible. You could head for the Chilterns (Missenden, Tring, Whipsnade) then West in search of the Cotswolds, maybe take in the Welsh borders, forest of Dean, Bristol - Bath cycle way, Wiltshire, Henley and home.

You could plot nearly all of that on minor roads and you'll see things you never knew were there.

Just a thought.

Big Wib

i'm (probably) doing the Pennine Cycleway at the start of September, so apologies if that's your week as it will probably be wet.

I'll let you know what it's like.

priory

the 7 day route shown in my photobucket site worked well this june
parked at greenock holiday inn express
gourock ferry to dunoon, portavadie, lochguilphead campsite
via oban to tobermoray hostel
kilchoan to arisaig , campsite
fort will iam hostel
cross over loch linne , lochaline , mull, oban camp or hostel or sutherland house hotel
inverarie hostel or macpherson at 10 argyll court ,etc
back to dunoon etc

if you want to know the cake stops ask again, though most are indicated on the photos

the 2 previous years are also 7 day routes, one from gourock, the other huntley

priory

I forgot to say that vwas the plan, but due to a train crash cutting the inverarie road we came back via portavadie instead

jc4lab

Southern Ireland..Dingle pennisula etc would be my choice of a near to home tour.I would be weather watching though and have somewhere dry on standby.. Isle of Man also is very very pleasant but maybe not enough for a weeks cycling

nadir

one of my favourite tours was,
1- glasgow to newton stewart yha
2- newton stewart to wanlockhead yha,
3- wanlockhead to st andrews hostel,
4- st andrews through dundee and glen quaich to killin yha
5- killin to tobermory yha
6- tobermory to glasgow,


absolutely stunning scenery

pneumatic

nadir wrote:

one of my favourite tours was,
1- glasgow to newton stewart yha
2- newton stewart to wanlockhead yha,
3- wanlockhead to st andrews hostel,
4- st andrews through dundee and glen quaich to killin yha
5- killin to tobermory yha
6- tobermory to glasgow,

absolutely stunning scenery

Not to mention serious daily mileages!! :shock: Respect.

summittoppler

thefonz78 wrote:

Lon Las Cymru. National cycle route 8. Holyhead to Cardiff 250 miles. The length of Wales. Through Snowdonia and Brecon mountain regions. Google it you will find lots of info including hostels to stay at on route. I'm getting myself fit to do it next summer.

Finished the route 8 on Monday after spending 4 days to do it from south to north 8) .Its a great route, especillay after you leave Merthyr. A week may be too long unless you do some tourist stops along the way.

Ive got a write up and pics from the ride on the link:
http://northwalesmtb.proboards.com/inde ... 624&page=1

enjoy

prb007

summittoppler wrote:

thefonz78 wrote:

Lon Las Cymru. National cycle route 8. Holyhead to Cardiff 250 miles. The length of Wales. Through Snowdonia and Brecon mountain regions. Google it you will find lots of info including hostels to stay at on route. I'm getting myself fit to do it next summer.

Finished the route 8 on Monday after spending 4 days to do it from south to north 8) .Its a great route, especillay after you leave Merthyr. A week may be too long unless you do some tourist stops along the way.

Ive got a write up and pics from the ride on the link:
http://northwalesmtb.proboards.com/inde ... 624&page=1

enjoy

Looks good - might try some of that over the coming months - just committed to JOGLE for charity (ty-Hafan) next May, so got to get the miles in and the lard off
btw - checked the pics, can't believeyou guys cycled the length of wheels with no mudguards!

http://www.justgiving.com/Peter-Bowen-JOGLE

alan_sherman

I did London to Lands End last week. Cycle there in 4 days, then train back to Paddington. I stayed with friends except for a Youth Hostel in dartmoor so travelled light and did 80 miles per day.

September can be a good month in the UK but lights might be useful if you end up on the road later than hoped for.

treetops

How about:

Double Coast-2-Coast following the Reivers (stunningly isolated in places) and the C2C routes. I loved the Reivers route and there is a sense of satisfaction in completing the double.

PCW 68 is an enjoyable week though some of the off road sections are best avoided if the weather is really bad.

Many routes around Scotland. The one we've just completed - Edinburgh, St Andrews, Dundee, Arbroath, Forfar, Braemar, Craigellachie, Aviemore, Pitlochry, Callander and finally Edinburgh. Stunning scenery (as is par for the course in Scotland), some serious climbs (Glenshee & Lecht) & excellent whiskey.

I can't comment on Wales - we haven't had the opportunity to tour there yet.

ralex

nadir wrote:

one of my favourite tours was,
1- glasgow to newton stewart yha
2- newton stewart to wanlockhead yha,
3- wanlockhead to st andrews hostel,
4- st andrews through dundee and glen quaich to killin yha
5- killin to tobermory yha
6- tobermory to glasgow,


absolutely stunning scenery

Interesting route but unfortunately Wanlockhead yha and Killin yha are no more, having succumbed to the SYHA's axe and/or hopeless inability to run and promote quality hostels.

Tail end Charlie

thefonz78 wrote:

Lon Las Cymru. National cycle route 8. Holyhead to Cardiff 250 miles. The length of Wales. Through Snowdonia and Brecon mountain regions. Google it you will find lots of info including hostels to stay at on route. I'm getting myself fit to do it next summer.

+ 1 for this, although I have also done the Reivers and could recommend combining it with either the C2C or Coast and Castles route (for an Edinburgh finish).

peter_andrew

Iam thinking of going to Newton Stewart or thereabouts along the Solway firth for a few days from Lanarkshire in September. Using this site for ideas of where to camp.
www.scottishcampingguide.com

Peter

nadir

ralex wrote:

nadir wrote:

one of my favourite tours was,
1- glasgow to newton stewart yha
2- newton stewart to wanlockhead yha,
3- wanlockhead to st andrews hostel,
4- st andrews through dundee and glen quaich to killin yha
5- killin to tobermory yha
6- tobermory to glasgow,


absolutely stunning scenery

Interesting route but unfortunately Wanlockhead yha and Killin yha are no more, having succumbed to the SYHA's axe and/or hopeless inability to run and promote quality hostels.

wanlockhead is no longer SYHA but i`m pretty sure its now run as an independent hostel, hadn`t heard about killin closing, i did this route about 5 years ago and enjoyed it so much i had fancied doing something similar next year,

nadir

ralex wrote:

nadir wrote:

one of my favourite tours was,
1- glasgow to newton stewart yha
2- newton stewart to wanlockhead yha,
3- wanlockhead to st andrews hostel,
4- st andrews through dundee and glen quaich to killin yha
5- killin to tobermory yha
6- tobermory to glasgow,


absolutely stunning scenery

Interesting route but unfortunately Wanlockhead yha and Killin yha are no more, having succumbed to the SYHA's axe and/or hopeless inability to run and promote quality hostels.

wanlockhead is no longer SYHA but i`m pretty sure its now run as an independent hostel, hadn`t heard about killin closing, i did this route about 5 years ago and enjoyed it so much i had fancied doing something similar next year,

mandie

The Scottish/Engish Borders are my suggestion. Most of the roads even quite a few of the 'A' roads are heading on for traffic free (at least by South of England standards). The routes are challenging without being that hard that it spoils you enjoyment of the ride. You can get the feeling of being a thousand miles from anywhere whithout actually bing more than about half an hour's ride to the nearest pub.
Put the bike on the train to Berwick-upon-Tweed, follow one of the waymarked routes or make your own up.

There is a link to the waymarked routes here http://www.visitscottishborders.com/WhatToSee/cycling/Waymarked_Cycle_Routes.aspx