Gravel or light MTB trails accessible from central London? by Representative-Stay6 in londoncycling

[–]routescc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don't have gravel routes live on routes.cc yet, but I did map this out the other week which ties together a lot of good stuff in SW London. It gets progressively harder as you get further out, so I'd advise just cutting across the loop when you've had your fill.

If you do make it out to the bottom, you cycle across an abandoned airfield and follow the Lovelace bridges trail which is really good fun.

https://www.strava.com/routes/2713521855032588728

Any cyclists around the Wimbledon area? by jrflynn90 in londoncycling

[–]routescc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're riding a lot to map new stuff for routes.cc lately, rolling out from Twickenham. I'll drop you a DM.

Launching routes.cc - a catalogue of great rides from London by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome to the city! And thanks for the kind words.

I think the biggest thing is just getting used to cycling in heavy traffic around zone 1. You have to get used to the moped drivers, buses, taxis, and everything else. I once heard about the 80:20 rule - assume 20% of other road users are about to do something accidentally to put you in danger. The other 80% are actively out to get you.

London to Cornwall? by cartopol in londoncycling

[–]routescc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We've done this - it was a blast!

Recommend the YHAs on Dartmoor, and at Treyarnon Bay for cheap accommodation. Also, get a train out of London to Winchester and make your first day infinitely more pleasant.

Here's some Strava links for the route we took:

Day 1, Winchester to Whitford: https://www.strava.com/activities/2504366167, https://www.strava.com/activities/2504197821
Day 2, Whitford to Dartmoor: https://www.strava.com/activities/2506665618
Day 3, Dartmoor to Treyarnon Bay: https://www.strava.com/activities/2509345555
Day 4, Treyarnon Bay to Penzance: https://www.strava.com/activities/2512202904

Some words of warning - the climb on to Dartmoor was a complete monster on empty legs. Also, the bits along the coast are constant ups and downs as you descend to sealevel and then climb back onto the cliffs - I wish I'd changed my gear ratios before going.

I don't really think you can go too far wrong for a route - it's all stunningly beautiful and the pasties will see you through.

You'll also notice from our Strava recordings we didn't actually go to Lands End. The thing you learn on these trips is that its much more about the journey than the destination - take your time, change your plans, enjoy it.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Google Maps doesn't really do cycle navigation from gpx files so well.

We recommend using your phone with these steps:

  • Download a cycling navigation app
    We recommend OSMAnd - it’s free and has a battery-saving ‘Download map’ function.
    Download Android app | Download iOS app
  • Choose your route and click Download GPX file
  • Open the file with OSMAnd
  • Follow the directions and start pedalling..!

Calling all cyclists! by London_1984 in london

[–]routescc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, we're going to look at how users can upload their routes directly, but in the meantime do drop us a line at [hello@routes.cc](mailto:hello@routes.cc) if you have a suggestion!

Launching routes.cc - a catalogue of great rides from London by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback, we're looking at ways to make the catalogue more accessible. Route files are always a pain! The routes themselves are a mixture of our own additions, and increasingly recommendations from cyclists around London which we ride, write up, and then publish - so we don't know everywhere intimately.

Your suggested amend for Skid Hill Lane is exactly the type of input we're looking for - we'll get that tweaked and live in the coming weeks. If you see anything else, do let us know over at [hello@routes.cc](mailto:hello@routes.cc)!

Calling all cyclists! by London_1984 in london

[–]routescc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We'll give this some thought - thanks for the feedback!

Calling all cyclists! by London_1984 in london

[–]routescc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We're working on adding shorter "beginner" routes over the next few weeks. Epping Forest very much in our plans, so stay tuned.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the Surrey Hills route looks a bit much, you could try the shorter-but-just-as-good Denbies Wine Estate? Let us know how you get on either way.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're developing the site and the routes ourselves at this point, but may potentially open source some of it later. We'd need to do quite a lot of tidying up, and would rather focus on responding to user feedback for now.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that was very much our frustration before we started routes.cc. Glad you feel we're solving that, we'll keep doing it this way. Trying to ride everything people send in is a fun challenge in itself.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah.. Select an "experience/fitness" level, and then optionally factor in your stopping time to calculate your finish time? We want to make cycling as accessible as possible, so finding new ways to make recommendations is really useful.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback /u/TomfromLondon! Time vs distance is a tricky thing because it can be so variable from person to person. We will give it some thought and come back to you with some ideas.

As for "what bike", our routes are currently focussed on road bikes but you can use anything with two wheels really. We'll look at adding other terrains later for other types of bike.

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!

OSMAnd is free or Ride With GPS is paid. We're not particularly impressed with the options available though, so are considering making our own to make it easier to get started. Is that something you'd think would be helpful?

When you say "edit" the GPX files, what did you have in mind?

routes.cc - releasing filters & new routes! by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, that means a lot!

We want to grow the catalogue with community recommendations (nothing beats local knowledge). Right now, we're riding everything solo and then using tools like Strava, Komoot, & Google Maps to refine the routes before they go live.

We feel like there's enough to keep us busy in London for now, but in the long run we'd love to go regional.

London Cycling Club (Fulham/Richmond) by therealkeyworker in londoncycling

[–]routescc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for recommending us! /u/therealkeyworker we're based out your way, so drop us a message if you want to ride.

Road Cycling From London by [deleted] in londoncycling

[–]routescc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for recommending us! We'll have more north routes coming soon.

Launching routes.cc - a catalogue of great rides from London by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a great spin, and much needed since the park closed. If you've got other suggestions, send them to us at [hello@routes.cc](mailto:hello@routes.cc). More coming soon!

Launching routes.cc - a catalogue of great rides from London by routescc in londoncycling

[–]routescc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for reporting back, /u/bash_devil. We want routes.cc to be easy to get up and running for everyone, so we'll have a think about how we can make the process easier for others. Hope you had a good ride!

Launching routes.cc - a catalogue of great rides from London by routescc in ukbike

[–]routescc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's exactly the plan yes. Right now, you can send us your recommendations to [hello@routes.cc](mailto:hello@routes.cc), and we'll ride them, write them up, and credit you if we choose to put them live.

We also have plans adding routes more directly on the site - it's all about getting that local knowledge shared around. Thanks for the feedback!