Route tips for Dover to Liverpool 2022 Classic TT

[luxybob]

Hi,

Would be great to get any tips on routes from Dover, to Wales and then onto Liverpool, background is we will be travelling from Switzerland for the 2022 Classic TT and have a few days to spend on roads in England and also Wales. Rough schedule is going to be something like this:

D1 - Dover to Stroud
D2 - Stroud to Aberystwyth
D3 - Aberystwyth to Liverpool

Any suggested routes would be really appreciated, cheers

[wessie]

I can help with D2 as I live about 16 miles from Stroud and I was born not far from Aberystwyth.

D1 - from Dover to Stroud I would normally take the motorway as I want to get home as soon as possible after a long trip! There isn't a natural route to take to avoid the very large towns in SE England.

Stroud to Cardigan Bay - personally, I stay in Aberaeron, a smaller town just south of Aberystwyth. Sadly, it seems the pub I stay in is a casualty of Covid and has closed. Several other options. 

You have to cross the River Severn and you either do this over the Old Severn Bridge from Aust to Chepstow. Taking this option a good route would be https://goo.gl/maps/qnQyhSJx7FT4p1or5 to include the Old Severn Bridge built in the late 1960s. Across the River Wye into Wales. Across Wentwood into Usk. On to Abergavenny and the Brecon Beacons. Over Mynydd Epynt into the upper reaches of the River Wye at Builth Wells and Rhayader. Then through the Elan Valley (optional loop around the reservoir dams) and onto Devil's Bridge and the River Ystwyth valley (Cwmystwyth).

If you cross the Severn further inland then you can do this at Gloucester or a but further upstream at my preference, Haw Bridge at Tirley. This gives you the choice of an alternative route to Rhayader https://goo.gl/maps/D6L5gEEdeAkbm6mN8 or skip the Elan Valley to ride the infamous A483 from Crossgates to Newtown https://goo.gl/maps/eJV5EcbGAGPMsH3t8

There are plenty of other add on loops if you want a longer day but the routes I have suggested allow for plenty of time to stop and take in the scenery.

[Gazk]

https://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcycle-roads/country/united-kingdom

This is quite a good site.

I've just come back from dumfries and galloway and as I don't know that bit of Scotland that well I used it to give me a few roads to go and do.


Dover to Stroud, London is in the way as ever, so I'd just get on the M20 or A20 then hit the M25 boring but sort of has to be done M4 or M40 A40 either or A40 can be very busy but so is the A4, it's all a bit crap for your first day.

Stroud to Aberystwyth, much more fun to be had! Go do the road off the A44 from Dyffryn Castell to Pontarfynach the B3434 then on to the A4120 to Aberystwyth. To get up there I'd do the road Gloucester the up to Hereford the cut over to the A44 see the rest.

Aberystwyth to Liverpool: do your self a favour and go to Portmeirion (https://portmeirion.wales/) on the way good couple of hours round the village interesting place. 
It depends on how much time you have but pick a road like A470 and enjoy then on to the A494.

[Winger]

The Dover/Stroud route is just one of those things you’ll have to take on the chin i’m Afraid.

After that rather than giving you road numbers, places to go that a great biking haunts assuming the weather is good, Shobdon airfield, Crossgates cafe, Ponderosa cafe gift shop on the Horseshoe pass.

Anyone of those 3...get rocking up with a Swiss reg biking will soon start a conversation  , all 3 are great biking haunts when the weather is good, how you get there...i’ll Leave up to you after you have googled them 

Do not forget the finger when you pass a camera van 

[Becksy]

Disagree on the negative comments on day 1. Plenty of scenic routes. Get yourself  across the South Downs to Winchester, on to Stonehenge then up into the north Wessex downs via Avebury stone circle.  And from there you could go via Bath or Cirencester on to Stroud. This gives plenty of stopping options at historic locations. Could be a long day without any motorway though. I love heading down to the Downs for a day trip and am thinking of doing so this weekend.

[Winger]

Pre Covid you may have a point, but pos Covid that’s just attempt to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear and current traffic in the UK is completely bonkers with little sign of it changing but here’s hoping.

[Antares]

Originally Posted by Becksy

Disagree on the negative comments on day 1. Plenty of scenic routes. Get yourself  across the South Downs to Winchester, on to Stonehenge then up into the north Wessex downs via Avebury stone circle.  And from there you could go via Bath or Cirencester on to Stroud. This gives plenty of stopping options at historic locations. Could be a long day without any motorway though. I love heading down to the Downs for a day trip and am thinking of doing so this weekend.

This. I ride those routes many times, definitely will be longer than just straight motorway, but if anything it's the opposite of what people are saying, recently, EVERY SINGLE DAY I go out on the M25, whether it's at 10 am, 3pm or 8pm it's literally packed and constant 40mph on the variable speed sections.

Something like this is definitely possible in the day plan, it'll be longer both time and mileage wise but those are some decent routes:



this is just a rough guide but I'd go below Tunbridge, and hit as much of the High weald as possible, or you can take the A272 the whole way around, very nice road but a bit busy for riding at pace. otherwise I'd go just off the 272 then once you get about Crawley, shift up a little, hit surrey hills, gorgeous area, then right about go towards Basingstoke, from there you have 2 nice options, either go through North wessex towards Chippenham or straight up towards Oxford, but then turn towards Lechlade, the 2nd option will take you through the Cotswolds' marshes and water parks, then you can head up to Bibury, a magical little village. The west route, through Chippenham you can head to Dunkirk and take the A46 up or you can go on one of the many great B roads that will lead you up there, depends on your pacing and how tired you're at this point. I barely ever encounter traffic on any of these roads and usually if I do it's as I go onto major roads, not going around on the A--- or B roads

[luxybob]

Hi,

Many thanks for these suggestions and info, hopefully by next Aug the traffic situation will not be as bad as it appears to be at the moment. Especially for all you in that area.

Also, its always better to have this local info than relying only on Calimoto, there are only so many farm tracks that you can cope with.

Cheers
Robert

[Becksy]

Originally Posted by Antares

This. I ride those routes many times, definitely will be longer than just straight motorway, but if anything it's the opposite of what people are saying, recently, EVERY SINGLE DAY I go out on the M25, whether it's at 10 am, 3pm or 8pm it's literally packed and constant 40mph on the variable speed sections.

Something like this is definitely possible in the day plan, it'll be longer both time and mileage wise but those are some decent routes:

Quite right Antares, you should know being located in Staines. I was on the M25 on Sunday (in a car) and it wasn't nice. One thing worse than being on a motorway on a bike and that is being on a motorway and filtering for miles on end (though you can give a smug smile in your helmet to car drivers). Oh, and it's actually worse if its the M25, as the standard of driving is pretty poor.

[Antares]

Originally Posted by Becksy

Quite right Antares, you should know being located in Staines. I was on the M25 on Sunday (in a car) and it wasn't nice. One thing worse than being on a motorway on a bike and that is being on a motorway and filtering for miles on end (though you can give a smug smile in your helmet to car drivers). Oh, and it's actually worse if its the M25, as the standard of driving is pretty poor.

It's both a blessing and a curse haha... But yea, M4 to AT LEAST the M3 is always a 40mph with either standing or barely moving traffic, but generally it extends waaaay further south from further north (M1,M40 to A24 or even to the M23) occasionally there are breaks in the traffic but you'll definitely not be cruising at 70mph for the whole time. I like going through the smaller towns around here it's usually fairly quiet and some pretty scenery.