Longest Recreational Distance

[nick crisp]

What's the longest distance anyone's done just for an enjoyable days riding? From Oxfordshire I'm considering 2 possibles.

1. Day ride to Snowdonia, with blatting about in the region before heading home. Approx 200 miles to Snowdonia (Beddgelert)
2. Day ride to Snake Pass, Peak District. Approx 150 miles one way, + blatting around.

Too much?

[chris.biker]

An interesting question, I enjoy once a year going to the spring meet, which is a 140 miles it does not sound that far but I take the non motorway route so it takes 4hrs and is shear bliss. So need to consider time in the saddle maybe.

[ChristoT]

On the Brum rideout, my bike clocked up 300 miles. At 30mpg, that was an expensive day!!  :eek :eek

It was good fun. But owee, was I sore the next day!!!  :lol

[Dead Eye]

I've done longer rides obviously, but I've managed to do a couple of 200+ mile unplanned trips. I just sort of decide I feel like going out for a ride and don't want stop - a few hours later I figure its time to head home

[pilgrim]

Seem to remember on the North West Foccers Scottish raids a few years back (2007/2008) clocking up about 430ish miles in a day. Good rides, nice scenery over the border, chippy at Moffat is pretty good
But I'm an ex courier who has done many 500+ mile days, so my parameters are slightly skewed

[Arfa]

Did around a 200 mile trip from central London up to Shrewsbury once (then back couple of days later). Straight across Cotwalds, plenty of stops and rest breaks, took about 6 hours total... Although first hour was just getting to outside of M25!

If the weather is nice, go for it. Just stick to a scenic route, enjoy it, pack lots of refreshments and take plenty of pitstops.

[stevierst]

It doesn't matter how far you go, just ride along, get to a junction and say "ill go that way", then ride it. Next junction, and just pick a road.
Some of my best rides have been done this way.

[Dead Eye]

That's pretty much exactly what I do - pick a direction and go ^^

[andybesy]

If you decide to do Peak District (my local stomping ground) then let me know and I'll hook you up with the best roads in the region.

But off the top of my head highly recommended are:

A6:
A bit chuggy chuggy now-a-days but "on any given Sunday" it'll be full of Bikers and leads directly to Matlock which generally has a good few hundred bikes parked up.
http://www.bikersarewelcome.com/images/j...k_bath.jpg

Via New Gellia Road (Matlock to New Haven):
Leafy, scenic, technical road. Fantastic, probably my favorite, just watch out fro speed traps.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philwirks/4...#lightbox/

A515 (Ashbourne to Buxton, or pickup at New Haven)
Not fast but nice views of the peaks and connects directly to via new gellia

Cat and Fiddle Road (A537)
Famous biker road, often described as the most dangrous in the UK. Very technical (the 50MPH average speed cameras won't stop you having fun)
http://stigvista.co.uk/pa/walks/dkpeak/c...dle_07.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_and_Fiddle_Road

Winnats Pass castleton:
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/92/40/9...4e664d.jpg
Short but scenic and nice villages etc nearby

Snake Pass (Glossop to Sheffield via LAdybower Resoviour, Northern Peaks)
Fantastic road, did this last weekend
http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/d/...-m9925.jpg
http://www.greatest-drives.com/images/dr...376234.jpg

A628 (Glossop to Sheffield, the one to the North of Snake Pass)
Big open moor road

There are more but I have to go do stuff!

Personally I'd ride up during the morning, have the afternoon to explore, stay in a YHA over night, pub during evening, another morning next day then head home during the afternoon.

If you find yourself this way and fancy company let me know when and I might be able to come out for a ride?

Andy

[JZS 600]

I did ten and a half hours to the Nurburgring once, the guy leading must have planned the route for 6 months as we hit most of the B roads from Calais through Belgium and Luxembourg on the way to Germany, then we had to pitch the tents! Focced.....

[Mick-H]

Used to nip down to Box Hill from Bolton A49, M4, M25 for a coffee or two then blast back all motorway, 550 ish round trip, fuels to expensive nowadays for that type of trip.

[robby boy]

We regularly ride out to the west coast, (Ullapool or loch Carron) and back about 130 miles one way, easy manageable in a day

[john roche]

I go down to Bordeaux every June for a weekend, 750 miles door to door avoiding motorways once I get off the chunnel. I used to do it in a day but I'm starting to feel my age. A couple of years ago I was so knackered I was first to leave the bar on the Friday night, not good. I now take 2 days, stopping in a different place each time. I enjoy the ride more and get to see more. 

Cheers

John

[nick crisp]

I've figured that the Peak District is within reach for a ride out, and still have time to do some enjoyable riding whilst there before heading home same day (have done a few similar length ride outs before). Snowdonia is a bit more of a stretch for me tho'. To Beddgelert (just to pick a fairly central point in the region), is about 200 miles. I would be thinking probably fastest A road/motorway route to get there, then hoping I could enjoy some good fun riding time, again before heading home same day. Probably talking a total of 500 miles +.
I think I'll just have to suck it and see!

Andybesy, thanks for the route suggestions, I'll peruse them more closely shortly, think I'll try Peaks first. I have ridden in that area before, hence my mention of the Snake Pass as I'd never heard of it before I stumbled upon it, and definitely want to ride that one again. But I don't know the region well, so your local knowledge will be a real boon.  :thumbup
I'll try it first, if it works out ok, I'll let you know and p'raps we can meet up for a spin sometime.

Mick-H, yeah that's a slog on motorways all day. I don't mind doing the m/ways to get to a destination but want time to enjoy better roads/explore a bit whilst there, before heading home same day. That's what I'm trying to gauge, how far can such a day be taken?

Pilgrim, that's the kind of distances I'm probably looking at. Done 350 ish, maybe a bit more and was still fairly fresh at the end of that, looking to try a bit further afield - what's-accessible-from home,-returning-home kind of thing?

Thanks to all so far, nice to see others don't blink at these kind of mileages.

[Bornagain again]

For Foc-U rideouts
Luton to Ashford to start. Ashford to Brighton for the ride, not direct, Brighton back to Luton (in torrential rain with no waterproofs)(Fazerman did the same rideout from Wales)

For the Fazerman Welsh rideout.  Luton to Stafford, drop the wife off, on to Wales.  Ride-out was about 140-160 miles.  Back to Stafford to get missus then Back to Luton. Bestest rideout ever.

[Grahamm]

The longest rideout I've been on was 200 miles. It wasn't meant to be that long, but a road on the route the Leader had planned was closed and we had to divert past Stonehenge

[lew600fazer]

I go down to Bordeaux every June for a weekend, 750 miles door to door avoiding motorways once I get off the chunnel. I used to do it in a day but I'm starting to feel my age. A couple of years ago I was so knackered I was first to leave the bar on the Friday night, not good. I now take 2 days, stopping in a different place each time. I enjoy the ride more and get to see more. 

Cheers

John

I have done that ride many times and being a tight arse it is always back roads (route nationals) for me , It is a pleasure to just take in the scenery and meander through the villages and country side.

[john roche]

It's not being a tightarse, it's about seeing the country 

Cheers

John

[budgiemurray]

400 miler on saturday. BORDERS TO PENRITH THEN OVER TO YORK AND HOME.. 3 FAZERS, a kwak Z1000 and a SV650.  fun had by all

Budgie

[boxer1]

That was 424 miles  yep York a fantastic city  :lol