F U R T H E R East (ish)

Share your rides with us.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

User avatar
Boab
Posts: 2176
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:36 am
Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land
Contact:

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Boab »

redefined_cycles wrote: Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:31 am I just realised that it's not too far from me (relatively speaking). Please may I ask if this is a gravrl ride and would 32c gravel tirws suffice for it do you think? Always wanted to ride around there but never really had the chance to go. Legend has it there are some white tailed eagles not far from there (considering that they have a 70 mile span of territory).

Sorry if the info is in the reports which I need to read/reread...
You're going to get chucked around at various points on the route, for example there's a few field crossings, five in succession at one point. While there's plenty of road, there's also plenty of grassy bridleway. The main reason for running the highest volume tyres you can fit, while running the lowest pressure you can get away with, is the sea wall bridleway across The Wash. It nearly broke me and I was on 45c tyres, I personally wouldn't go anywhere near it on 32c tyres. YMMV though...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by redefined_cycles »

Thanks Bob... But you reckon an mtb might be overkill for the overall/entire route? Really going to look into this though...
User avatar
Boab
Posts: 2176
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:36 am
Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land
Contact:

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Boab »

redefined_cycles wrote: Thu Jul 07, 2022 1:00 pm Thanks Bob... But you reckon an mtb might be overkill for the overall/entire route? Really going to look into this though...
It's definitely a gravel bike route, unless you like riding a MTB on the road of course...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
User avatar
godivatrailrider
Posts: 691
Joined: Sat May 30, 2015 8:46 pm
Location: Ludlow
Contact:

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by godivatrailrider »

Great write up Boab ! It's funny when you see places you know ... I lived in Northampton for 2 years 18 months ago so know the area reasonably, so the Salcey ( somewhat disappointing place to ride imho, couple of reasonable trails if you go cheeky)... Looks like Harlestone Firs before the Golf course and Brampton Halt and BVW . Those tunnels are really disorientating if you haven't got good lights !!

Looks a good route.
User avatar
Blackhound
Posts: 1467
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Blackhound »

I used an mtb as I don’t have a gravel bike as well. I used WTB Riddlers in a 45 size (for the first time) and was happy with them overall. Some of the fields were tough, the one into Salcey forest being the worst. The sand around Thetford was hard work and I would have walked whatever tyre I used.

FWIW I found the initial 7km stretch after Spalding much harder than the 10km but I think Boab found it the other way round. I also had an idea what was coming up thanks to Boab so maybe knowing I was in for some slow progress helped me mentally- I wasn’t disappointed.
Image
User avatar
Blackhound
Posts: 1467
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Blackhound »

This GCN film is on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/EPvP-4yXxYk

It lasts about 30 minutes. If you have a GCN subsctiption there is a 51 minute version.

I enjoyed it, recognised a lot of the locations from my jaunt a couple of weeks ago in drier conditions.
Image
User avatar
Boab
Posts: 2176
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:36 am
Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land
Contact:

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Boab »

Blackhound wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:50 pm This GCN film is on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/EPvP-4yXxYk
Thanks for posting that, couldn't help but laugh at some of it. The editing was terrible, they showed most of the sections out of order! It made for confusing viewing, as the railway tunnel on NCR6 came before the tree lined avenue, which in reality is way before the railway tunnel. The cafe he stopped at for coffee is after the A11 underpass that they showed immediately after, and also after the next section down Dead Man's Grave that they showed after that.

That field that had cows in in, was where I got blocked by the two people tending a pen of sheep, so had to back track and go round. I remember Harold Co-op as well, as they were all out of veggie options, so I sat on one of those benches on the green and had a Magnum. My moving time was over seven hour longer, and total time far, far more than that. Bonkers.

Amazed at how little kit some of them were carrying, I suppose if it had been pissing it down, they might have carried more. A totally different ball game to our touring of the route...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
User avatar
Blackhound
Posts: 1467
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: F U R T H E R East (ish)

Post by Blackhound »

I suspect a bit of artistic licence in editing the locations which threw me a couple of times but was unsure how much was my memory. They were roughly in the right place so I was happy enough if it made a better film.
I did not stop in Harrold as I stocked up in Bedford Sainsbury's as I recall.
The track They started on was daylight for me and dry as a bone.
As you say, Boab, a few were not carrying a lot, I had camping kit and BB meths stove etc but I was after a different experience.
I was moving for 42+ hours so 10 more than Simon but with a lot more kit and rest. I was actually surprised the gap was so small.
Image
Post Reply