Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Seanyb1512
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Joined: 15 Aug 2015, 10:15pm

Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by Seanyb1512 »

Hi.

I'm looking for some help. Next month I am riding from Inverness back to Didcot. Trying to make a 700 mile route to complete in 7 days. However I am struggling to plan a route. I'm using strava to help but it's using cycle paths as I plan and I'm wanting to avoid those. I'm hoping someone here may be able to help me plan the trip. It's a charity ride, so with luck anyone willing to help will do so free of charge.

Thank you
Last edited by Graham on 16 Aug 2015, 1:55pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ron
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Re: Help to plan a route

Post by Ron »

You might need to start from Wick or Thurso if you want to stretch it out to 700 miles, but these free websites will give you a route, avoiding cycle routes and with an option to avoid motorways.
http://www.greenflag.com/route-planner
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/clas ... r_main.jsp

Also this one, although it doesn't seem to be working for me at the moment
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes
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robgul
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Re: Help to plan a route

Post by robgul »

Buy a road map from The Works - draw a straight line (or you may need several lines to avoid the sea!) on the "key map" page and then transcribe that on to each page that you will ride across - from there just draw your route along suitable roads that follow the broad direction of the straight line. Just avoid the blue and green roads and you should be OK!

That's the way I do it except that I have the Memory Map PC system with the 1-50,000 OS maps - concept is the same as the map book.

Rob
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phil parker
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by phil parker »

Seanyb1512 wrote:Hi.

I'm looking for some help. Next month I am riding from Inverness back to Didcot. Trying to make a 700 mile route to complete in 7 days. However I am struggling to plan a route. I'm using strava to help but it's using cycle paths as I plan and I'm wanting to avoid those. I'm hoping someone here may be able to help me plan the trip. It's a charity ride, so with luck anyone willing to help will do so free of charge.

Thank you


Are you camping or B&B-ing? Supported or self-supported? Are you using a Garmin or hard copy maps? do you want to go direct or pan it out a bit to get closer to 700 miles?

I can probably help as I've cycled to, from or past Inverness on numerous occasions from the South of UK and I have an idea of which roads I would choose and even which campsites I would choose!
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al_yrpal
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by al_yrpal »

Cycle.travel is the best route planner for cyclists. It gives you routes gps tracks for garmins and osm and turn by turn navigation.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Seanyb1512
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by Seanyb1512 »

Hi

Will be staying in b&b' on route, and will have a Garmin along with a support car that will follow me. Yes the route needs to be adjusted to be between 680 and 700 miles and that's where I am struggling. Also I'm finding that using strava is at times taking me along cycle paths which I want to avoid. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you
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al_yrpal
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by al_yrpal »

If you actually bother to look at cycle.travel it shows you hotels and b&bs along the route too…

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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matt2matt2002
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by matt2matt2002 »

I'm doing Inverness Aberdeen next Sunday/ Monday.

I live in Aberdeen so up by bus Sunday
Youth hostel over night.
Then ride home Monday.

Any use.

Matthew
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Ron
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by Ron »

Seanyb1512 wrote: Any help would be much appreciated.
It's difficult to understand the nature of the help you require unless you give a more detailed request. The trip you plan is quite straightforward.
nickodemia
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by nickodemia »

We are doing Cape Wrath to Southampton next month and including Inverness to visit friends. Our route will take us from Inverness - Kingussie - Pitlochry- Stirling- Lanark - Lockerbie- Penrith - Leyburn - York- Oakham- Castle Ashby - Oxford and on down. Have reckoned it's just over 800 miles the entire route so you may have to do a detour or 2 if you want to do 700 miles. Have fun.
nickodemia
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by nickodemia »

Try the CTC journey planner, you have to enter several sections as it won't do lots and lots of miles in one go but it may give you some ideas.
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matt2matt2002
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by matt2matt2002 »

Yesterday I rode Inverness to Inverurie, Aberdeen.
116 miles
Av. 10.5 mph.
Just thought I'd throw that in.
:lol:
2017 Ethiopia.5 weeks.
2018 Marrakech 2 weeks.
2023 Thailand 8 weeks.
Always on a Thorn Raven/Rohloff hub.
TheRedEyeJedi
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Re: Help to plan a route : Inverness to Didcot

Post by TheRedEyeJedi »

Check out my 2016 lejog routes here.....http://ridewithgps.com/users/218007/routes

You could easily reverse the route back from Inverness to severn bridge (about 700 mies) - then cycle to Didcot from there(about 100, maybe a bit less) .... I work in Didcot! Its mainly based on travelodges so its cheap accomodation, and you can keep the bike in the room.... the name of all the stops is on there too if it helps.

You can put that route straight on a gps for turn by turn instructions .... or you can zoom in on each 20 mile stretch, do a screen shot, then email them to yourself and save them all as photos on your phone or print them off.....also print off the turn by turn instructions and you can use it as a hard copy of route. To be honest its very easy to navigate my route -- you are essentially on either the A82, A7 or A49 all the way to Bristol, with diversions on B roads where ever is possible.


I cycled much of that route on my 2014 lejog, I have revised the route to cut out the bits that I really disdnt enjoy ... If you want details of that there is a link to my journal in my signature below. It does follow some fast A roads but nothing that concerned me too much - If you are used to cycling around Oxfordshire it would be nothing too out of the ordinary
For solo lejog and more....http://claridgecyclingtocurecancer.com
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