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traffic-free cycle trails south east england. nick cotton & kathy rogers. vertebrate publishing softback 175pp illus. £20

traffic free cycle trails cotton & rogers

the concept of traffic-free is one that rarely exists nowadays, other than across gravel tracks, or alternative offroad scenarios. and to a certain extent, that's where the new-kid-on-the-block, the eponymous gravel bike makes its strategic play. many of the 'gravel' tracks that exist across the nation, have been there for years, often longer than any nearby stretches of distinctly non-traffic free tarmac. and given that cyclocross has existed since the early 20th century, i continually ask myself why these have only come to the fore in recent years?

another of vertebrate publishing's authors, markus stitz, has made a tidy career out of researching gravel and offroad routes across scotland, almost all of which have been available to us for many a long year, yet apparently unrecognised in their own domain. some, of course, have featured in the world of mountain biking, but it has seemingly taken the advent of the gravel bike to make any inroads to their use.

of course, it could well be that the never-ending increase in motor trafiic, along what where once quiet country lanes, and the acknowledged deterioration of driving standards (noticeable even on islay), has encouraged more of us to look for alternatives. it's an unavoidable fact that if the bicycle goes head to head with the motor car, there's only going to be one winner, and it's probably not going to be us. whether this has been fostered by the gravel bike, or is simply a happy coincidence for those in business of making them, is somewhat beyond the scope of this review.

traffic free cycle trails cotton & rogers

however, rest assured, whether you own a gravel bike or not, the majority of the routes depicted by authors nick cotton and kathy rogers, are traversable on virtually any type of bicycle, though you might want to check your tyres before travelling.

the proof of the pudding, when it comes to cycling guides, is whether they instil a sense of confidence and adventure in folks like me, who have never visited many of the regions with which the publication is concerned. in this particular case, i've rarely visited south-east england, so, on the offchance that an opportunity comes to pass, would i feel comfortable taking my cyclocross bike with me?

the answer is a resounding yes.

however, before getting down to the nitty gritty of each individual ride, there's a short chapter covering what might reasonably be referred to as frequently asked questions. things such as 'how do i find a trail near me?', or 'what sort of bike should i use?', all of which are clearly answered, along with any salient advice the authors feel should be imparted to the unwary. the book is divided into sections dealing with different terrain and style of riding: forestry, mountain biking, national cycle network and other rides which don't fit into those categories.

The routes themselves are sub-divided into colour-coded regions, including southern counties, western counties, greater london and eastern counties. the beginning of each chapter sports an ordnance survey map on which each ride is clearly numbered, allowing a choice of route perhaps nearby the existence of which had passed you by. each is standardised in a remarkably clear and concise format, offering a brief overview of the ride and the area.

traffic free cycle trails cotton & rogers

'The name, centurion Way was suggested by a local schoolboy and is based on the fact that the path crosses the course of a Roman road. [...] The Chichester to Midhust railway was opened in 1881 and was finally closed in 1991. In 1994 the county council purchased the railway line and the old railway line was converted for recreational use.'

alongside descriptions such as the above, are details of which you might wish to take note. items such as the starting and finishing points, the total distance and the authors' categorisation. the majority of rides are well under 20km, so these are the sort of routes along which you'd saunter, rather than of expedition distance; probably the sort of routes along which you could take the kids, if you were of a mind to do so (in fact one or two of the routes feature illustrations of parents doing just that.)

this is not a book from which you'd derive your bedtime reading, but assuming you fancy a quiet ride in the country, untroubled by motor traffic, there's plenty from which to choose. that said, none are of a length that would encourage the hike from the hebrides, but if you just happened to be in the area...

friday 16 september 2022

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