Uk Divide Route?

Questions and answers about routes.

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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

ianfitz wrote:
Ray Young wrote:OMG, it's a monster. That's 1,500 miles, wonder how long it would take to ride?

Any clever bods able to overlay that on the watershed map?
I can merge the two gpx files on bike hike easily enough.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8699872 is the two gpx file merged. If you download and put it on bikehike it will scroll the map as you trace along the elevation profile
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ScotRoutes »

ianfitz wrote:So a bit more cutting and pasting has made this -https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8689767

There are still a lot of improvements we could make, but it is quite scary to see how long the route is at 2450km/35,500m, and how tough some sections of it are.

Pretty sure I've included everyone's routes up to now. From memory we are waiting on suggested routes around the hebden area from Greg and the highlands between Fort augustus and glen golly from Alan, but I wonder if Colin may have some ideas there too. Also to decide is the avon loop issue. I've put the version I made in there for now, but feel like that could be improved considerably - not least by reducing the c.200km of urban riding in the midlands!

As always any suggestions, feedback or improvements are encouraged.
I'll have another look later today/tonight. As with the other sections I suspect it'll be trying to balance watershed proximity to rideability and trail "quality".
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

If the Welsh watershed was included you could miss the dull midlands bit out :-bd
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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

ScotRoutes wrote:
ianfitz wrote:So a bit more cutting and pasting has made this -https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8689767

There are still a lot of improvements we could make, but it is quite scary to see how long the route is at 2450km/35,500m, and how tough some sections of it are.

Pretty sure I've included everyone's routes up to now. From memory we are waiting on suggested routes around the hebden area from Greg and the highlands between Fort augustus and glen golly from Alan, but I wonder if Colin may have some ideas there too. Also to decide is the avon loop issue. I've put the version I made in there for now, but feel like that could be improved considerably - not least by reducing the c.200km of urban riding in the midlands!

As always any suggestions, feedback or improvements are encouraged.
I'll have another look later today/tonight. As with the other sections I suspect it'll be trying to balance watershed proximity to rideability and trail "quality".

Cheers Colin. The new start of the HT550 is pretty close, and it largely very rideable, that gets to Fort August area. the sections there that I'm sure that'll be, erm, interesting is arround Loch Fannich and kinlochhourn area. There plenty of areas the route passes through where they may be better riding than I picked - Torridon for one - so please point is in the direction of those little known sections of flowing singletrack where the sun always shines and the midges don't go...
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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

Bearbonesnorm wrote:If the Welsh watershed was included you could miss the dull midlands bit out :-bd
do you have a gpx for that Stu? I have one for the cambrian way walk, which says it roughly follows the watershed. it would certainly add, erm, some interest to the route...
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

do you have a gpx for that Stu? I have one for the cambrian way walk, which says it roughly follows the watershed. it would certainly add, erm, some interest to the route...
No, I started to map it out but never completed it ... I'll take a look after the weekend if you like?
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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

Bearbonesnorm wrote:
do you have a gpx for that Stu? I have one for the cambrian way walk, which says it roughly follows the watershed. it would certainly add, erm, some interest to the route...
No, I started to map it out but never completed it ... I'll take a look after the weekend if you like?
SUre, I'll email you the Cambrian way walk GPX for reference too.

The middle section of the english watershed really doesn't look very interesting and as we set out to make a route which was good to ride it makes sense to at least look at wales.

I've heard they have some good riding there (and carrying too) :wink:
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Ray Young
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Ray Young »

Bearbonesnorm wrote:If the Welsh watershed was included you could miss the dull midlands bit out :-bd
Now that would be something. The England, Wales, Scotland Divide. :-bd
ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

Ray Young wrote:
Bearbonesnorm wrote:If the Welsh watershed was included you could miss the dull midlands bit out :-bd
Now that would be something. The England, Wales, Scotland Divide. :-bd

EWSD has a certain ring to it...
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Catbaiter
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Catbaiter »

While the idea of adding the Welsh divide is certainly tempting, in my opinion it differs too much from the geographic divide as defined by the topography of the UK landmass. Sure, it ticks a catchy geopolitical box, and the chances are better than good that the riding would be great. But to me, it's not quite right (nothing against Wales, honestly!!).

By all means carry on with that idea, who am I to try and stop you? But for me I'm going to try and stick as close as reasonable to the geographic line. Especially as I have every intention of trying to ride the bugger next year. And (probably to my detriment) that also means at least paying some heed to the now infamous Severn Loop! Though it may well turn out to be 200miles of horrible crap.
mat_swan
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by mat_swan »

How is the welsh divide defined? Is between water that ends in the sea and water that goes via England first?
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

How is the welsh divide defined? Is between water that ends in the sea and water that goes via England first?
Simply the line that seperates those rivers flowing west from their source and those flowing east.
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mat_swan
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by mat_swan »

Ah, ok- I just wondered as I thought it might be harder identifying the start and finish points with less distinct 'seas' around the country.
Scott L
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Scott L »

A hopeful bump of this back up the thread after rereading the post...
Any further info? Is there going to be an attempted ride through this year by anyone?
ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

Stu and I mentioned it at the weekend. Not in terms of having a go though.

I have a proposed route but large sections are totally unknown to me.

Mainly the section south of Yorkshire. Also needs to be decided how close to the water shed the route will go as the section that goes through urban Birmingham will not be up many peoples street!

The Scottish section uses the ht550 route from tyndrum to Glen golly as the true watershed would be hike a bike tastic

From memory the version I cut and pasted ended up being 2500km.

I think it needs to be a route based on the watershed as a route that sticks to it will have a dodgy mix of urban south and unridable Scotland.
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ScotRoutes »

ianfitz wrote:the section that goes through urban Birmingham will not be up many peoples street!
Actually, I reckon that would be quite a good thing to have on the route.
mechanicaldope
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by mechanicaldope »

ScotRoutes wrote:
ianfitz wrote:the section that goes through urban Birmingham will not be up many peoples street!
Actually, I reckon that would be quite a good thing to have on the route.
You want to watch out for the canal towpaths - wet smooth red brick can be treacherous! I know a few people that have ended up in the drink (note: don't drink it whatever you do!).
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GregMay
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by GregMay »

*cough*

So where are we with this at the moment?

I find myself with time on my hands at work and need something to occupy myself with.
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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

GregMay wrote:*cough*

So where are we with this at the moment?

I find myself with time on my hands at work and need something to occupy myself with.
Was thinking about this recently too.

There is links above to some early versions. Mostly completely unridden though.

I do wonder if 'just' the northern section, say from the peak to the north coast would be a more logical first step. 1200-1500km and avoids the dilemma of what to do about that Avon loop.

100km++ of urban Midlands roads doesn't sound like any fun to me!
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GregMay
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by GregMay »

ianfitz wrote: 100km++ of urban Midlands roads doesn't sound like any fun to me!
Might come as a logical break TBH, if it's only 1-200km it's only a days riding.
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PaulB2
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by PaulB2 »

ianfitz wrote:100km++ of urban Midlands roads doesn't sound like any fun to me!
Would it be a cheat to come down the other side of Stoke to Stafford, through Cannock Chase to Lichfield and then Tamworth before rejoining the gpx route near Nuneaton? That cuts out Stoke, Wolverhampton and Brum while still staying within 30 miles of the original line.
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Scattamah
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by Scattamah »

Wouldn't be cheating at all. IIRC, Tour Divide has leeway somewhere in this range.

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giryan
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by giryan »

There's cycleroute 5 through Birmingham, which is mostly non-road(judging by their key at least)
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-5
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ianfitz
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by ianfitz »

PaulB2 wrote:
ianfitz wrote:100km++ of urban Midlands roads doesn't sound like any fun to me!
Would it be a cheat to come down the other side of Stoke to Stafford, through Cannock Chase to Lichfield and then Tamworth before rejoining the gpx route near Nuneaton? That cuts out Stoke, Wolverhampton and Brum while still staying within 30 miles of the original line.
I had looked even further west thinking that there's some good riding over in the long mynd. Could cost the junction of Severn and Avon and at least give a nod to the rivers.

Feel free to suggest some route or even better plot then out on bikehike or similar.

Let's get it moving again :-bd
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mechanicaldope
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Re: Uk Divide Route?

Post by mechanicaldope »

Cycled from Cannock into brum last week. Maybe 1 mile at most on road. Cannock to brown hills then canal all the way to the city. Pretty sure there is canal all the way out the other side to Clent or the licky hills. Not the most exciting section of a UK divide but wouldn't have thought there would need to be a long road section.
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