Cycling down to Camber Sands, route advice please!

menthel

Original plan http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2464915

New route http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2749410

I have planned the above routes to cycle down to join my family on holiday. I am happy with it until Royal Tunbridge Wells as after that I have some bits on big roads which I don't really want. I am a big fan of quiet lanes so would prefer that kind of riding but don't know the quality of the lanes in the second.

Therefore anyone from the area or who knows the roads- what modifications to the route would you suggest? Oh, and whilst I can do the hills, a little less climbing for something supposed to be leisurely would be nice!

menthel

Anyone know the area? any suggestions?

menthel

One last try- anyone know the area?

il_principe

Hi, yep I know the area well. Cousins live in Camber and I grew up just along the coast. Had a look at your route, looks great up to Ticehurst, but I would avoid the A21 at all costs - it is a horrible road, also avoid the B2244. It looks good on paper but is narrow, rolling and fast - traffic screams along, there are blind crests and large sections are overhung by trees. Not good for cycling. Instead turn left after Ticehurst and head along Berne Hill, then straight over and through Flimwell onto the Hawkhurst road. Stay on this (A268 - A28 - A268) all the way to Rye then pick up your original route. Prevailing winds mean you will have an epic tailwind into Camber.

Enjoy. BTW Camber is a bit of a dump, but Rye & Appledore are very nice. Also the Queens Head in Icklesham is one of the best pubs anywhere.

Edit - my route involves bigger roads than lanes, but the lanes in the area tend to be very badly surfaced, have lots of blind corners and the locals often drive round them at breakneck speeds.

menthel

Il Principe wrote:

Hi, yep I know the area well. Cousins live in Camber and I grew up just along the coast. Had a look at your route, looks great up to Ticehurst, but I would avoid the A21 at all costs - it is a horrible road, also avoid the B2244. It looks good on paper but is narrow, rolling and fast - traffic screams along, there are blind crests and large sections are overhung by trees. Not good for cycling. Instead turn left after Ticehurst and head along Berne Hill, then straight over and through Flimwell onto the Hawkhurst road. Stay on this (A268 - A28 - A268) all the way to Rye then pick up your original route. Prevailing winds mean you will have an epic tailwind into Camber.

Enjoy. BTW Camber is a bit of a dump, but Rye & Appledore are very nice. Also the Queens Head in Icklesham is one of the best pubs anywhere.

Edit - my route involves bigger roads than lanes, but the lanes in the area tend to be very badly surfaced, have lots of blind corners and the locals often drive round them at breakneck speeds.

Thanks for this and the PM. I will sit down with this and what you have sent me and have a look at ridewithgps. I really wanted to avoid the A21 as I knew it would be no fun. Thanks for the advice on the B2244 and the lanes though, this is where local knowledge comes in!

We are staying in a little house on the other side of the road from the dunes on the road that leads to the car park. Having stayed there before it makes a great base for the area and also we can get the kids (or one and our friend's two) across to the awesome beach in double quick time!

Thanks again for the advice- I will post up a modifie route once I have one!

menthel

Random update before I head off tomorrow but here is the route!

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2851753

bomb_d

looks like an awesome ride! let us know how it went.

menthel

Hills, many hills. 1350m of climbing in 106km. Ride was good though and the weather was glorious. Awesome ham and cheese toastie for lunch with a thick slab of ham in it! Chartwell barns garden centre comes highly recommended with its bike racks and great toasties (and cake).

I will admit feeling a little despair on the last climb up into rye, the route seemed uphill from croyden onwards and a number of hills were a lot steeper than described in the link above.

Morris Cat

Follow Route 18 from Tunbridge Wells to Tenterden... you can then head toward Rye and Camber from here.

il_principe

menthel wrote:

Hills, many hills. 1350m of climbing in 106km. Ride was good though and the weather was glorious. Awesome ham and cheese toastie for lunch with a thick slab of ham in it! Chartwell barns garden centre comes highly recommended with its bike racks and great toasties (and cake).

I will admit feeling a little despair on the last climb up into rye, the route seemed uphill from croyden onwards and a number of hills were a lot steeper than described in the link above.

Glad you had a good ride. As for the hills, well it's the Weald. Pretty much the definition of 'rolling countryside' and impossible to get to that part of the world without climbing. Even the main road down (A21 tackles some pretty steep sections), some of the narrow lanes can hit 18/20%. I did a Century in the Weald 2 weekends ago, 2468 metres in 100 miles...

menthel

Il Principe wrote:

menthel wrote:

Hills, many hills. 1350m of climbing in 106km. Ride was good though and the weather was glorious. Awesome ham and cheese toastie for lunch with a thick slab of ham in it! Chartwell barns garden centre comes highly recommended with its bike racks and great toasties (and cake).

I will admit feeling a little despair on the last climb up into rye, the route seemed uphill from croyden onwards and a number of hills were a lot steeper than described in the link above.

Glad you had a good ride. As for the hills, well it's the Weald. Pretty much the definition of 'rolling countryside' and impossible to get to that part of the world without climbing. Even the main road down (A21 tackles some pretty steep sections), some of the narrow lanes can hit 18/20%. I did a Century in the Weald 2 weekends ago, 2468 metres in 100 miles...

True, I just wasn't expecting the amount of high teens percentage hills I guess- ride with GPS didn't show them to me. Still, the ride was lovely and got my legs some more hill miles on them! Practice makes perfect!

Shtukka

Too late to help, but have you tried the routeplanner on bikehub? Gives you a choice between direct/balanced/fast (=busy!) roads and has found a brilliantly flat route for me to commute.

menthel

Shtukka wrote:

Too late to help, but have you tried the routeplanner on bikehub? Gives you a choice between direct/balanced/fast (=busy!) roads and has found a brilliantly flat route for me to commute.

Have tried them in the past but they are often not good for these longer journies. Good as a start but need work to get a decent trip.