West Midlands Express
Comments
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A few thoughts after 6 hours of riding in the West Midlands: road surface is generally very good, with the exception of some rutted minor lanes... traffic is very low, even at rush hour and drivers are well behaved... haven't come across any nasty assxxxe yet...
Even rain "is not as wet" as down south, much more bearable with no traffic...
Don't fancy the B4101 between Knowle and Balsall common too much, especially the twisty section, but I have found a better route via Eastcote and Barston
What trashes London/Surrey roads is traffic and the amount of services under them. Round my parents place in Breacon beacons the roads get rough but not so many deep potholes etc.
Not just London... all the south east... I've lived in Middlesex, Surrey and Bucks and they are all equally bad...left the forum March 20230 -
A few thoughts after 6 hours of riding in the West Midlands: road surface is generally very good, with the exception of some rutted minor lanes... traffic is very low, even at rush hour and drivers are well behaved... haven't come across any nasty assxxxe yet...
Even rain "is not as wet" as down south, much more bearable with no traffic...
Don't fancy the B4101 between Knowle and Balsall common too much, especially the twisty section, but I have found a better route via Eastcote and Barston
that road isn't great and floods badly if it rains too much, watch out for the ford in barston, i;ve had to turn round there before! If you ever fancy a bit of a longer route, go down towards chadwick end on the A4141, that's not bad and plenty of nice little side roads and lanes coming off that.
Anywhere round lapworth, lowsonford, shrewley, hockley heath, henley in arden, snitterfield and places like that is good for weekend rides. Definitely head south, not north, that way lies Birmingham and no on e wants that!!www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
A few thoughts after 6 hours of riding in the West Midlands: road surface is generally very good, with the exception of some rutted minor lanes... traffic is very low, even at rush hour and drivers are well behaved... haven't come across any nasty assxxxe yet...
Even rain "is not as wet" as down south, much more bearable with no traffic...
Don't fancy the B4101 between Knowle and Balsall common too much, especially the twisty section, but I have found a better route via Eastcote and Barston
What trashes London/Surrey roads is traffic and the amount of services under them. Round my parents place in Breacon beacons the roads get rough but not so many deep potholes etc.
Not just London... all the south east... I've lived in Middlesex, Surrey and Bucks and they are all equally bad...
indeed south east is busy so the roads suffer, plus get buses/lorries churning the tarmac, Richmond Park, roads last many times longer than the surrounding roads due to this and other reasons.0 -
A few thoughts after 6 hours of riding in the West Midlands: road surface is generally very good, with the exception of some rutted minor lanes... traffic is very low, even at rush hour and drivers are well behaved... haven't come across any nasty assxxxe yet...
Even rain "is not as wet" as down south, much more bearable with no traffic...
Don't fancy the B4101 between Knowle and Balsall common too much, especially the twisty section, but I have found a better route via Eastcote and Barston
that road isn't great and floods badly if it rains too much, watch out for the ford in barston, i;ve had to turn round there before! If you ever fancy a bit of a longer route, go down towards chadwick end on the A4141, that's not bad and plenty of nice little side roads and lanes coming off that.
Anywhere round lapworth, lowsonford, shrewley, hockley heath, henley in arden, snitterfield and places like that is good for weekend rides. Definitely head south, not north, that way lies Birmingham and no on e wants that!!
I avoid the road with a ford and take Barston road instead to rejoin the B4101 just west of Balsall, at that point the road is wide and straight and seems OK. The section I want to avoid is the twisty one, which doesn't feel safe with poor visibilityleft the forum March 20230 -
Also, keep in mind, black ice can pop up unexpectedly during the colder months.
Friends of ours, who live in Monkspath, had an off on one of the country lanes headed down to Dorridge\Knowle way.Little boy to Obama: "My Dad says that you read all our emails"
Obama to little boy: "He's not your real Dad"
Kona Honky Tonk for sale: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40090&t=130008070 -
Also, keep in mind, black ice can pop up unexpectedly during the colder months.
Friends of ours, who live in Monkspath, had an off on one of the country lanes headed down to Dorridge\Knowle way.
I have a pair of wheels with Schwalbe spiked 40 mm tyres on and I plan to use them...
left the forum March 20230 -
Had a couple of weeks in between jobs to explore the area... I can now do 50-60 miles rides down towards Stratford upon Avon and from there I know how to get to Shipston, Edge Hill etc, so I am pretty much "familiar with the area". I even elected the "touch down inn" at Wellesbourne airfield as my favourite mid ride stop... bacon sandwich & cup of tea watching someone practicing take offs and landings, what's not to like?left the forum March 20230
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Had a couple of weeks in between jobs to explore the area... I can now do 50-60 miles rides down towards Stratford upon Avon and from there I know how to get to Shipston, Edge Hill etc, so I am pretty much "familiar with the area". I even elected the "touch down inn" at Wellesbourne airfield as my favourite mid ride stop... bacon sandwich & cup of tea watching someone practicing take offs and landings, what's not to like?
The route of the Mad March Hare Sportive is quite a nice ride, which starts in and around Wythall and passes the airfield.Little boy to Obama: "My Dad says that you read all our emails"
Obama to little boy: "He's not your real Dad"
Kona Honky Tonk for sale: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40090&t=130008070 -
Had a couple of weeks in between jobs to explore the area... I can now do 50-60 miles rides down towards Stratford upon Avon and from there I know how to get to Shipston, Edge Hill etc, so I am pretty much "familiar with the area". I even elected the "touch down inn" at Wellesbourne airfield as my favourite mid ride stop... bacon sandwich & cup of tea watching someone practicing take offs and landings, what's not to like?
The route of the Mad March Hare Sportive is quite a nice ride, which starts in and around Wythall and passes the airfield.
The Vulcan bomber is quite a sight...left the forum March 20230 -
I've ridden between Balsall and Knowle on the B4101 a few times, never at peak times though. I thought it was fine through the twisty bit.Don't fancy the B4101 between Knowle and Balsall common too much, especially the twisty section, but I have found a better route via Eastcote and Barston0 -
Had a couple of weeks in between jobs to explore the area... I can now do 50-60 miles rides down towards Stratford upon Avon and from there I know how to get to Shipston, Edge Hill etc, so I am pretty much "familiar with the area". I even elected the "touch down inn" at Wellesbourne airfield as my favourite mid ride stop... bacon sandwich & cup of tea watching someone practicing take offs and landings, what's not to like?
The route of the Mad March Hare Sportive is quite a nice ride, which starts in and around Wythall and passes the airfield.
The roundabout in Wythall is best avoided at all but the quietest of times! although, having said that, the final payment on my car was made with the compensation i got due to an 'incident' with a motorist on that roundabout so it isn't all bad!www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0
