London to York

A63 and A19 From Howden to York

The A19 is unfortunately a bit of a race track in this area and is best avoided.There are many
country lanes in this area which,whilst not giving a direct route,are infinately more preferable.A
suggestion is to take the A63 towards Hemingborough (to get across the river)and then go right
before Hemingborough across country to Barlby.From here there is a cycle route ( ??
65 ) which goes on quiet roads to Riccall.From Riccall there is an off-road route on a disused
railway line straight into York.Ordnance Survey Sheet Landranger 105 will show it all
clearly.The cycle way from Riccall to York is clearly shown as ' Railway Path and Cycle Route'.

Hope this helps.

Sam Salt

Richard Goodman said:

Next month I have to go to York for work and I'm thinking of combining business and pleasure and
taking some time off to cycle up. I've been looking at the maps for a good route and noted what
seems to be the route that was used in the millenium ride done by Tony Raven (and no-doubt
others). It seems to be possible to do quite a bit of it on unclassified or 'B' roads without
zig-zagging too much but I must say that, when thinking about the distance, long straight A roads
start to look quite tempting - on the map at least. However, I'd rather avoid such roads when
they're all but motorway in name - or are very narrow and high speed.

Has anyone ridden the following roads and/or could tell me what they're like for cycling on, or
suggest better alternatives? I'm looking for a direct, rather than 'scenic' route but don't mind
the scenic option where it's just as direct or avoids positively dangerous sections for cycling.

- The A10 from Waltham Cross to Royston
- The A14 from Royston to Huntingdon
- The A1 from Huntingdon to Peterborough
- The A15 from Peterborough to the junction with the A18 near

Quoted message said:

- And the A63 and A19 from Howden into York?

TIA

Rich

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"Richard Goodman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Next month I have to go to York for work and I'm thinking of combining business and pleasure and
taking some time off to cycle up. I've been looking at the maps for a good route and noted what
seems to be the route that was used in the millenium ride done by Tony Raven (and no-doubt
others). It seems to be possible to do quite a bit of it on unclassified

or

Quoted message said:

'B' roads without zig-zagging too much but I must say that, when thinking about the distance, long
straight A roads start to look quite tempting -

on

Quoted message said:

the map at least. However, I'd rather avoid such roads when they're all

but

Quoted message said:

motorway in name - or are very narrow and high speed.

Has anyone ridden the following roads and/or could tell me what they're

like

Quoted message said:

for cycling on, or suggest better alternatives? I'm looking for a direct, rather than 'scenic'
route but don't mind the scenic option where it's

just

Quoted message said:

as direct or avoids positively dangerous sections for cycling.

- The A10 from Waltham Cross to Royston

OK

Quoted message said:

- The A14 from Royston to Huntingdon

This is actually the A 1198

Quoted message said:

- The A1 from Huntingdon to Peterborough

This is now the A1 (M) i.e. no cycling. You would have to use the parallel B 1043 which joins the
A15 directly at J16 of A1M.

The A15 is not too bad once you get into rural Lincs. Very nice villages
and pubs. Gets a bit hilly south of Lincoln and the A15 has lots of fast
traffic north of the city. I would go Lincoln - Gainsborough on A1500/A156,
then Gainsborough - Goole on A 161 ( a lot quieter) and finish with ---

Quoted message said:

- And the A63 and A19 from Howden into York?

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

In "]news:[email hidden], Richard Goodman <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Has anyone ridden the following roads and/or could tell me what they're like for cycling on, or
suggest better alternatives? I'm looking for a direct, rather than 'scenic' route but don't mind
the scenic option where it's just as direct or avoids positively dangerous sections for cycling.

- The A10 from Waltham Cross to Royston

Narrow, fast and busy except for the dual carriageway bits

Quoted message said:

- The A14 from Royston to Huntingdon

No longer the A14! Ditto the A10 but not so busy these days and a reasonably pleasant ride

Quoted message said:

- The A1 from Huntingdon to Peterborough

Avoid - 8 lane dual carriageway. But the old road runs just a few meters to the east and is quiet
and flat although a bit boring

Quoted message said:

- The A15 from Peterborough to the junction with the A18 near

Quoted message said:

- And the A63 and A19 from Howden into York?

Pass, out of my neck of the woods

The Ally Pally to York Millenium ride was 219 miles. The RAC route planner has the shortest route,
avoiding motorways, as 205 miles. For the small difference I would take the back roads.

Tony

Instead of the A19 from Howden to York try the B1228, I rode this for the first time last Sunday
from Elvington to Howden and it was very good for riding on, almost traffic free (on a Sunday)

"Richard Goodman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Next month I have to go to York for work and I'm thinking of combining business and pleasure and
taking some time off to cycle up. I've been looking at the maps for a good route and noted what
seems to be the route that was used in the millenium ride done by Tony Raven (and no-doubt
others). It seems to be possible to do quite a bit of it on unclassified

or

Quoted message said:

'B' roads without zig-zagging too much but I must say that, when thinking about the distance, long
straight A roads start to look quite tempting -

on

Quoted message said:

the map at least. However, I'd rather avoid such roads when they're all

but

Quoted message said:

motorway in name - or are very narrow and high speed.

Has anyone ridden the following roads and/or could tell me what they're

like

Quoted message said:

for cycling on, or suggest better alternatives? I'm looking for a direct, rather than 'scenic'
route but don't mind the scenic option where it's

just

Quoted message said:

as direct or avoids positively dangerous sections for cycling.

- The A10 from Waltham Cross to Royston
- The A14 from Royston to Huntingdon
- The A1 from Huntingdon to Peterborough

Quoted message said:

- And the A63 and A19 from Howden into York?

TIA

Rich

Richard Goodman said:

- The A1 from Huntingdon to Peterborough

Is now a motorway.

However, the B1043 runs parallel to it, is pretty flat and has no traffic on it.

Quoted message said:

- And the A63 and A19 from Howden into York?

There are two NCN routes that might be helpful to you here:

NCN62 from Howden to Selby (Trans Pennine Trail), largely on minor roads, some track of varying
quality: fine on a road bike, but a bit iffy on a racer. It crosses the River Derwent on a bridge
over lock gates - some maps don't actually show the bridge, but it is definitely there, because I
cycled over it yesterday!

When you get to the village of Cliffe, leave NCN62 and head back up to the A63 towards Selby. When
you get to the A19, continue straight on into Barlby, and pick up NCN65 to York, which runs through
that village and the next, then picks up a disused railway line; dead flat and good surface, and you
can cycle the full length of the solar system. Deposits you near York Racecourse.

--
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"Sam Salt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

.From Riccall there is an off-road route on a disused railway line straight into York.Ordnance
Survey Sheet Landranger 105 will show it all clearly.The cycle way from Riccall to York is clearly
shown as ' Railway Path and Cycle Route'.

Thanks Sam and others. The last time I cycled to York, which was my first time, I did actually take
that cycle path - I cycled the whole of the Sustrans London - Oxford, Oxford - Derby via Birmingham,
and Derby - York national cycle routes, which seemed like a good idea at the time.. I didn't quite
realise it would be well over double the distance by a more direct route, not that it would have
made any difference at the time - I visited friends along the way in Oxford, Birmingham & Derby and
had a deliberate intention of doing those routes. Sometimes it was nice, pleasant cycling and but
there were often places where the route would seem to deliberately go off on some long complex loop
through parks and tracks just to avoid a short stretch of road, which got to be a bit annoying.
Anyway, that cycle path from Riccall had, and I presume it still does, a scale model of the solar
system along its length, supposedly culminating in the Sun at the end, which I had it in mind to
mark as my 'official' arrival point. Unfortunately and frustratingly, I didn't find it! Somehow I
reached the end of this path where it disappears into streets in the outskirts of York, lost the
signs and didn't pick them up again until somewhere along the road by the race course, and missed
the Sun entirely. Very annoying! Is it still there somewhere?

Rich

Richard,

The Sun is still there to the best of my knowledge.At the end of the railway track it goes under a
bridge and into a small housing estate.If you follow the signs it should take you by the side of the
A64,across the racecourse ( look out for the smell from the chocolate factory ) and enter York by
the side of the river passing the Millennium Bridge en route.Very pleasant.

Sam Salt

Richard Goodman said:

"Sam Salt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

.From Riccall there is an off-road route on a disused railway line straight into York.Ordnance
Survey Sheet Landranger 105 will show it all clearly.The cycle way from Riccall to York is
clearly shown as ' Railway Path and Cycle Route'.

Thanks Sam and others. The last time I cycled to York, which was my first time, I did actually
take that cycle path - I cycled the whole of the Sustrans London - Oxford, Oxford - Derby via
Birmingham, and Derby - York national cycle routes, which seemed like a good idea at the time.. I
didn't quite realise it would be well over double the distance by a more direct route, not that it
would have made any difference at the time - I visited friends along the way in Oxford, Birmingham
& Derby and had a deliberate intention of doing those routes. Sometimes it was nice, pleasant
cycling and but there were often places where the route would seem to deliberately go off on some
long complex loop through parks and tracks just to avoid a short stretch of road, which got to be
a bit annoying. Anyway, that cycle path from Riccall had, and I presume it still does, a scale
model of the solar system along its length, supposedly culminating in the Sun at the end, which I
had it in mind to mark as my 'official' arrival point. Unfortunately and frustratingly, I didn't
find it! Somehow I reached the end of this path where it disappears into streets in the outskirts
of York, lost the signs and didn't pick them up again until somewhere along the road by the race
course, and missed the Sun entirely. Very annoying! Is it still there somewhere?

Rich

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M Series said:

Instead of the A19 from Howden to York try the B1228, I rode this for the first time last Sunday
from Elvington to Howden and it was very good for riding on, almost traffic free (on a Sunday)

This can be nice to cycle on, but can also be a bit of a speedway through the twistier southern
sections of the road, so if you're traveling at a busy time of day, it might be a bit hair-raising!

--
Stevie D \\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the \\\\\\\__X__///////
common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs" ___\\\\\\\'/
\'///////_____________________________________________

"Sam Salt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Richard,

The Sun is still there to the best of my knowledge.At the end of the

railway

Quoted message said:

track it goes under a bridge and into a small housing estate. If you follow the signs it should
take you by the side of the A64,across the racecourse ( look out for the smell from the chocolate
factory ) and enter York by

the

Quoted message said:

side of the river passing the Millennium Bridge en route.Very pleasant.

Ah, good to know the Sun is still there. Perhaps I'll have another look for it this time;-). Last
time I got just into the estate and then the signs suddenly disappeared. I didn't pick them up again
until the point where the track comes out of the racecourse, after which I did manage to follow them
past the Millenium Bridge into York. Nice to see it completed - the last time I was there before
that they were still building it.

Rich

Richard Goodman said:

- The A10 from Waltham Cross to Royston

The first few miles of that is exactly the kind of road you say you want to avoid: fat fast trunk
road. I suggest not joining the A10 before north of Ware (which is just north of Hertford).

The A1010 just a short hop to the east runs parallel to the A10, and goes through Cheshunt,
Wormley, Broxbourne and Ware. Most of that is suburban main/high roads but the bit towards Ware is
very pleasant.

~PB

----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 4:30 PM Subject: Re: London to York

Quoted message said:

The Ally Pally to York Millenium ride was 219 miles. The RAC route

planner

Quoted message said:

has the shortest route, avoiding motorways, as 205 miles. For the small difference I would take
the back roads.

Yes, I think you're right - for such a small difference the back roads seem like the better option.
The only problem with back roads though, is that it's usually easier to get lost!

Rich

In "]news:[email hidden], Richard Goodman <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Yes, I think you're right - for such a small difference the back roads seem like the better
option. The only problem with back roads though, is that it's usually easier to get lost!

When are you going. I've probably still got the route sheets I can copy for you but it probably
won't be for a week or so. That plus I cut out strip maps from a £1.99 offer road atlas for if/when
I went wrong.

Tony

Richard Goodman <[email hidden]> wrote:

: Ah, good to know the Sun is still there. Perhaps I'll have another look for it this time;-). Last
: time I got just into the estate and then the signs suddenly disappeared.

THat's a very, very badly signed bit in Bisthorpe Village. If you want to do that route, I'll post
directions. It's only about 100m through the estate before you rejoin the path.

Arthur

"Arthur Clune" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

THat's a very, very badly signed bit in Bisthorpe Village. If you want to do that route, I'll post
directions. It's only about 100m through the estate before you rejoin the path.

Thanks for the offer Arthur, actually someone else emailed me the directions off-list. Losing the
track at that point seems to be a common experience, so maybe Sustrans/York Council or whoever's
responsible should do something about it!

Rich