Anyone here prefer off-road routes?

[Andrew Bird]

Just joined this group - would be interested in feedback for this proof of concept - https://intervillagesuperhighway.co.uk/.

Use our off-road network to build an alterntive network for cycling in and around Ipswich...

Appreciate for most it will be summer days demand.

Andy

[Roger Allum]

No choice if cycling to Needham Market.  A short stretch of single track road just after the A140 then a gravel path disturbed by horses, If you have the right maps it's called Sally Woods Lane.

Another is, this time heading north, Sandy Lane. beginning on Lower Road Westerfield is useful for cycling to Henley.

I have a touring bike not a mountain bike, so walking it as well for the best part.

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[Leo Borwick]

Hi Andrew,

This looks like a great initiative. Welcome to Cycle Ipswich.

Leo Borwick 

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[Chris Taylor]

Hi Andy,

Nice idea to bring known off road routes together in one place. I’m sure we can all add one to your map if we put our mind to it.

I’m currently working on a project to introduce “Quiet Lanes”, across the county. A lot of them naturally connect with PROW’s. You might be interested to look at our website for more information and see if you can extend some of the routes by using them.

https://www.quietlanessuffolk.co.uk/

regards Chris Taylor

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[Andrew Bird]

Hi, Not quite with you - is your view that the off-road bits to Needham are not good?

[Andrew Bird]

re Quiet lanes - I live on a road which could/should be so will speak to parish council. I also live near a road which should be but is used as a rat run by all in the area!

[Chris Taylor]

Hi Andy,

IMHO nothing wrong with the NCN route into Needham via Sally Woods' lane, once you are across the 

A140 from the Shrubland Norwich Road or the coddenham B1078 its largely a gravel track. 

There is an option to turn northward towards the Highway Man Pub on the A140

and then either turn west towards Creeting St. Mary or go across A140 and in to Coddenham Green

and across the airfield towards Stonham Aspal, although this section is on farm track sized footpaths

rather than bridleways ...

I've covered this all on a offroad Hybrid with 50mm tyres quite comfortably.

regards Chris

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[Roger Allum]

"Quiet Lanes" is a distraction/waste of our money  For example Haschkerton Lane at Easton, but to reach it cyclists have to avoid a traffic calming scheme that pinches vehicles and cyclists together.  I wrote to the village clerk requesting its removal but just referred me to SCC.  In the future there will be a purge on unnecessary road signs and all the quiet lane signs will end up at  Sackers metal recycling depot.

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[Chris Taylor]

Hi Roger

I beg to differ on your comments regarding the traffic calming scheme in Easton and Hasketon Road Easton, as a Quiet Lane.

Both schemes have gone through a public consultation process which demonstrated support from residents and formed an opportunity to raise comments and objections.

The small traffic calming feature near the Kennels, whilst it does not contain segregated cycle lanes has been in my opinion tastefully integrated into what is a rural road and, takes me as a cyclist about 15 seconds to negotiate. Given that the road is narrowed to one lane as ’the pinch point’ it does not offer the opportunity for drivers to close past. In an ideal world clearly a straight through cycle path on each side would have been an improvement to the design, probably at considerable extra cost and with the disbenefit of creating a more urban style road feature with more tarmac and concrete than the current soft landscaping and grass verges.

It’s a sad fact of life that drivers need to be warned via signs that other more vulnerable road users such as walkers, cyclists and horse riders may be found lawfully in the roadway. The assumption that drivers ‘should know’ these things is just that, an assumption. The signs serve to remind drivers of their responsibilities under rule 218 of the highway code and that they should allow vulnerable road users time to get to a place where they can be safely passed.

Regards Chris

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[james elms]

Hello, thank you for the link to the scheme Andy. My cycling needs are to be able to travel. Off road cycling is messy and slow from a travel perspective. The scheme gets my support from the point of view of promoting leisure cycling, where people will choose this path. 

However it is no substitute for smooth tarmac between our towns and cities, anything less than this in the name of using cycling as a mode of transport is substandard.

Frequently I cycle from Ipswich to places such as Bury, Pin Mill, Colchester, Cambridge, Ely, Bourne, on day rides averaging 10mph. England has great cycle infrastructure already, only it is a shame cars run on it as well. 

Regards 

James 

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[Hamster on a Dawes]

christay's reply has made me very angry.  We need to end this trend of using cyclists as traffic calming measures.  The latest one on Richmond park can be seen on Twitter

[Shaun McDonald]

Hi Chris,

I disagree that there is nothing wrong with the NCN route from Ipswich to Needham Market. It’s really not suitable for families with bikes, or cargo bikes. I’ve just moved up to Falkirk and cycled 25 miles to Glasgow last week. Far far nicer route, and one that I’d be comfortable taking the cargo trike on. In the 8 years I had a cargo bike whilst living in Ipswich, I haven’t dared to take it out to Needham Market due to the road surfaces and levels of motor traffic.

To make a route truly family friendly it needs to have a wide smooth well drained surface with minimal motor traffic. Off road routes are fine for people who enjoy that sort of cycling, however if we are to get many many more people on bikes we need protected cycle tracks and quality surface. I’d like to see the day in the UK where local school trips are done by bike, just like in The Netherlands. Not going to get that with tracks that become muddy when it rains.

Potentially muddy off road road track have their place, and have to be marketed as such.

Thanks,

Shaun

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[Chris Taylor]

Hi Shaun,

I couldn't agree more with you TBH.

When i comment on things I tend to factor in a degree of real life into the equation in terms of the cost of doing things other priorities etc.

Scotland seems to be much further ahead with this sort of thing. I've covered a fair part of it over the last 5 years or so, although not the Falkirk area yet

I did come across a brand new tarmaced cyclepath across some fields near Loch Ness on one occasion...it seemed to connect to a rural primary school.

But then again in another section on NCN 1 they had turned a path into a cyclepath that was more like a roller coaster, they locals actually use the road to avoid it

Enjoy Scotland ..regards Chris

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[Andrew Bird]

re Sally Woods lane to Needham - my view is its a good route and fine for many to use but its not a good enough surface for utility riding or town/road bikes. Think someone said council asked landowner but they didnt any get any further. Prob no funding.

The whole route (NCN51) though has issues right through to Stowmarket so this is just one.

Andy

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