Peddars way – bike choice

I’m planning on doing the Peddars Way by bike this weekend and can’t decide which bike to take. Plan is to ride from my work near Bury St Edmunds, do a bit of the Icknield Way then join the Peddars and ride up to Holme Next the sea. Will bivvy overnight there, and bike to sheringham next day, mainly by road. Think the first days riding is about 65 miles, and the second 35.

I’ve not ridden the route before so not sure what the surface is like – any advice would be appreciated! The choice of bike is either my old steel road bike with some 32mm cyclocross tyres on, or my longish travel 29er hardtail (Kona taro). Any views?

Depends how relaxed the road bike is.

I rode it years ago on 1.75″ tyres on a 26er hard tail with short travel fork and that was more than enough. There’s was a few flinty sections that might make skinny tyres a bit nervous but nothing much.

Just about anything on two wheels will do.

I rode the northern half of it on a rigid many years ago.

I’m more familiar with the north Norfolk coast section of your route and could recommend some interesting off road stuff.

From Burnham Market take the sustrans route 1 that goes through Holkham Park. It’s very scenic. Paladian mansion, ornamental lake, fallow deer. Follow the sustrans route down to the Pinewoods and along through the woods. The sustrans route is the track on the back edge of the woods if you look at the map – go into the woods and ride the singletrack path as near to the beach as you can and you’ll be rewarded with surprisingly fun riding. Have a look out on the beach on the way. It’s lovely. Ride down the bank next to the tidal inlet to the quay at Wells-next-the-Sea.

Even better on this part of the route would be to turn left just before the lake in Holkham Park and then turn right on the meadow to the west side of the lake to the church. Cross the main road and follow the track down to the pinewoods there. Also ride into the woods and ride singletrack that runs towards the beach side.

From Wells you can ride the track on the edge of the salt marshes all the way to Blakeney. It’s rough in places but it feels wild and wonderful. Marsh harriers, sea lavender, distant seals on the Point. You won’t be near a road for most of it.

At Weybourne head down to the beach then take the path that runs along the top of the cliffs all the way to Sheringham. A little bit of height with a view out across the sea and the wind at your back will be nice finish. To make this off road section even longer you can take the track from Salthouse to Kelling Hard and along to Weybourne from there but it will mean a bit of pushing in places on a shingle beach.
All the above will be much more interesting than the Peddars Way route (nice as it is).

Let me know if you’d like a gpx.

We ride from Bury to Castle Acre quite frequently, stop for a spot of lunch then back to Thetford for a play and home the long way round. My bike of choice has always been a rigid Swift. We did it one year on crossers and while it was well within the capability of the bikes, it wasn’t spectacularly comfortable. There were also a couple of big punctures, courtesy of the flints.

As johnnystorm mentioned above, any bike will do, some will let you arrive in more comfort than others.

cheers for the responses. the road bike is pretty steep angles, and very narrow 80s drop bars, so I’ll probably go for the comfort of the 29er – should make the singletrack bits more fun!

Kunstler – thanks for the detailed post, if you could email a gpx (email in profile) I’d be very grateful.

Now just need the weather to play ball…

I grew up on the Peddars Way, as you drop into Ringstead, just before the Tarmac starts, the first house on the right with the huge oak tree, spent 20 years there. 🙂

Never had a road bike growing up, any friends who came round quickly found their road bikes with punctures. There’s loads of sharp flint and sneaky hawthorn. I think a 29r hardtail with some reasonably fast tyres would be perfect.

I can also confirm most of the Northern section can be ridden on a Raleigh Strika or a Raleigh Burner with mags. 8)

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/6521072

This is the official biking route that misses out the footpaths. Its pretty much the same.

Thinking of doing this late summer so following with interest.

Interested in knowing more about the terrain, how much fast rolling road/dirt track vs actual off-road single track etc etc

cheers

@jimfandisco

If you are planning on riding from Bury you will encounter (probably) fire road in Kings Forest, flinty hell up to New Zealand Cottages, deep sand in parts, normal field boundary stuff, some absolutely cracking trails around Knettishall Heath, some boarded sections, road, the odd bombhole, the A11 (mercifully only crossing it) and almost everything inbetween.

We usually take in Thetford on the way back for our singletrack fix but it is a bit of a detour and turns it (CA and back) into a 100 odd mile day.

My knowledge only really goes up to Castle Acre. I can say however, the return trip is far more fun than the outward leg.

@jimfandisco

If you are planning on riding from Bury you will encounter (probably) fire road in Kings Forest, flinty hell up to New Zealand Cottages, deep sand in parts, normal field boundary stuff, some absolutely cracking trails around Knettishall Heath, some boarded sections, road, the odd bombhole, the A11 (mercifully only crossing it) and almost everything inbetween.

We usually take in Thetford on the way back for our singletrack fix but it is a bit of a detour and turns it (CA and back) into a 100 odd mile day. Anyway, the actual siingletrack %age up to CA is quite low.

My knowledge only really goes up to Castle Acre. I can say however, the return trip is far more fun than the outward leg.

Normally ride the top section up to hunstanton for lunch and then back again at least once in the summer, from Great massingham or thereabouts.
Normal long travel 26er, the Ti one beats me up a lot less than the ragley blue pig used to.

I reckon it’d be a perfect ride for my Decade Tripster ATR and I may well do it on that this year.

Can be flinty and rough/bumpy especially if its dry, and every time we`ve done it seems to be the day after they have cut the hawthorne hedges 🙁

You might be able to use some of this route………….. Sheringham Coast Ride

The Peddars Way has been on my “to do” list for ages. I’ve walked a few sections, and some of the coastal path. Looks ideal for the tandem.

YGM acsevens.

many thanks Kunstler.

Now all I need to do is man up and persuade myself that the foecast torrential rain for tomorrow night will just add to the excitement of my first solo bivvy…

You’ll find good shelter under many of the beach huts at Wells beach. My first bivi this weekend too. Not likely to be solo as there’s about 100 of us on the Capital Trail.

Well I set off. And then…

First time I’ve ever snapped a frame. Managed to limp back to bury and get the train home. Not a happy chappy! Hopefully kona will replace under warranty.

Fwiw from the short section I did I was glad to be on an mtb rather than a cross bike.