Hi all Hope that I'm popping my first post in the correct area apologies if not, I've also used the search facility to see if anybody posted similar. Just wondering if anybody out there has cycled a route from London to Sheffield and if you had any advice? Looking to use roadbike so would be wanting to avoid the track out there on some routes. Found one or two routes and currently exploring including: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/131915237/ hmm. Browsing the forum i can see there's a lot of knowledge out there so appreciate any advice. Cheers Maz
a fairly straight forward route would be A6 to Leicester (you can use lanes instead for some stretches), then up to Nottingham and on through Mansfield to Sheffield. Nothing too testing hill wise, might be a bit busy in places but where isn't? As an alternative follow the A6 on up to Derby then ride up to Matlock and onto Sheffield although this introduces some more testing climbing in from the Peak District.
Convention? what's that then? Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
I wouldn't follow the A6 unless you like riding on main roads! It might be more of a navigational challenge, but there are a network of lanes to the east of the A6. I would go east of Leicester up to Melton Mowbray, then across the Vale of Belvoir. You need to cross the Trent somewhere. I would avoid Nottingham and again cut to the east, crossing the Trent at either Gunthorpe (A6097) or Newark. There's main road from Newark to Sheffield, which isn't too bad to ride on, but there's an even better route slightly to the east of that via Norwell and Laxton, to Ollerton, then cut across Sherwood Forest and the Dukeries to Worksop and come into Sheffield from the south east.
Edit - I see that your proposed route goes to Gunthorpe but then heads up to Sutton in Ashfield. It's quite urban around Sutton, so I would stay further east, going via Southwell to Ollerton and through Clumber Park to Worksop. South of the Trent your route looks OK, but my knowledge only goes as far south as Market Harborough.
My son attempted to ride from London to Nottingham up the A6 last year, but weather and daylight beat him and he had to catch the train from Bedford.
Thanks soo much all. Been trying to utilize Google street maps and local forums to find out road conditions, safety, traffic and the like. Some great resources but often finding it like those posting on here with the experience are invaluable. Superb
