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My girlfriend has decided that so long as we b&b it this sounds like fun. Question is where: we'd like to be away from all, but without much climbing or anything technICal. We'd thought about Scotland, might do day on the bike, day off.
What does the panel recommend?
Depends where you are based - plenty of sustrans/off road routes here in Derbyshire, mostly flatish
Not sure how off road you want to go, but Norfolk/suffolk would be a nice intro to touring
Do you mean off-road as in off-tarmac or away from busy roads? If it's the latter then the bike paths of Holland and Belgium are great. Scotland 'proper off road' carrying your gear, even if not camping, would not be very 'gentle'!
EDIT: re. Norfolk: it's not as flat as you think!
This is gonna sound "odd", but how much do you really need to be off-road? I only ask because somewhere like the Western Isles (Barra, Uists etc.) would provide reasonably easy road riding but with very little traffic.
You suggest you'd like to be "away from it all" but that really means taking tracks and paths into areas with little or no accommodation. Typically, these tracks and paths are therefore not ideally surfaced so you need to accept there will be a bit of climbing and usually some sort of "technical" skill involved.
What sort of duration were you thinking of?
We enjoyed Somerset levels.
Also see Galloway forest tracks and general area. (Glentrool, Clatteringshaws etc etc)
Also have think about canals (Brecon is a brammer) and try the sustrans website map bit as that might highlight an area.
Take her somewhere flat with nice weather - that rules out most of Scotland.
Some of the showcase Sustrans routes that are well travelled might do the job... e.g. Coasts & Castles route.
The ridgeway? Pretty gentle (in the summer anyways). Lots to see and lots of places to stay along the route. Just make sure you do it east-west. Finishing at Avebury is bloody excellent.
From experience, somewhere flat. Charlie the bike mongers tour of the French coast looks ideal. How long have you got?
Cheers for this guys, really helpful
Probably looking aT a week max I expect
🙂