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Hi,
Thinking of a mini break for me an the good lady somewhere in UK (England mostly). Was thinking of a circular route, about 100 miles over two days. Nice scenery, fairly flat and off road (canal / railway line type stuff) but a bit of minor road is fine and with a nice place to stay at the half way point.
Have looked on sustrans site but i'm drawing a blank.
Any recommendations?
The Ridgeway, believed to be Europe's oldest road?
One easy one I've had my eye on for a few years is a tour of the Norfolk coast. Kings lynn round to Great Yarmouth area or through the middle to Thetford. There's plenty of sustrans routes right through that county.
Isle of Man!
Get yourselves to Liverpool Pierhead, take the ferry as foot-passengers (bikes are free), and pedal around the quiet roads to your heart's content.
We're doing something similar to jekkyl's suggestion on a 1960's tandem at easter, it sound nice. Alternatively you could do a lap each of Jura and Islay.
Look through the sustrans routes for inspiration.
In the spirit of STW answers not England and not (properly) circular and not 100 miles but what about the Taff Trail? It is canal path and old railway lines though. There's a bus from Cardiff with a bike trailer. Makes for a really nice circular scenic ride. Possible to extend it a bit to take it closer to 100 miles if needed. Mostly off road. Bus: http://www.breconbeacons.org/beacons-bus
As said Ridgeway then back along the kennet and avon canal.
Although saying that I found the canal quite boring.
Where are you based ?
Canals can get a bit monotonous after a while, pick a day when there's fishing on & it's bloody frustrating.
Why do they need a pole twice as wide as the canal...!!!
(Not a euphemism).
We did a loop in Derbyshire using the High Peak & Tissington trails, that was great. The high peak trail was fab.
Plenty of opportunities to stop off along the way.
The Tissington is all slightly downhill towards Ashbourne, so an easy one.
There's a few old rail lines around that way.
There's some savage road climbs but too but nothing that can't be pushed up easily.
I suggest the South Downs Way.
There and back makes it a circular(ish) route.
A tad over your 100 miles though.
And not flat. Really not flat.
In fact, it's a stupid idea, scrap that... 😉
DrP
One website I found very good for planning is http://www.cyclestreets.net/
plot your start and end points and click to select the 'quietest' route and the website picks up sustrans routes and some bridleways, and you can export the gpx.
Me n mar mate cycled from Chester to Machynlleth through Bala last year and had a great time. Not a very populated area and we had the rural roads and paths to ourselves most of the time. For me picking a tour route would depend on where you're coming from. I'd want my travel to start time to be less than 3 hours, ideally from the door or under 1hr.
Loads of great ideas on here, cheers 🙂
Still haven't told us where you live
One problem with cyclestreets here in Suffolk (at any rate) is that choosing quietest road also includes bridleways which can be anything from quiet surfaced lanes all the way to Somme rivalling quagmire. Not so bad if I'm out on my Fargo but a disaster if I'm on the plastic rocket road bike.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Lanes-Wales-Glorious-Borders/dp/1910636037
Maybe not flat, not quite England...
A bit longer maybe but Ridgeway out and Kennet and Avon canal path back ?
Also worth considering although would need some minor modification is Wayfarer's Walk starting from the North of Hampshire/Berkshire borders to however far South of the county you want.
Stunning scenery and Watership Down territory as well.
Norfolk is not flat
Nor is it folking hilly.