What is it with Norfolk?

[bonio]

Sunny day, some (rare) time on my hands so I head off up towards Cromer, then down the coast and back home. Some nice views from the coast road, but apart from that what a sad ride. Endless streams of traffic. 50s and 40s everywhere. More traffic. And bumpy old roads (ok, everywhere has bumpy old roads). 

I still nurse a dream of going to Norfolk and finding open roads with smooth bends in different sizes and the space to enjoy them, but every time I head out over the Waveney my hopes suffer one more death blow*. It is just my bad luck? Are there any decent routes for riding in Norfolk?

 

*Ok, not 100% true. I've found nice roads between Harleston and Attleborough. 

[Steve_M]

12 hours ago, bonio said:

Sunny day, some (rare) time on my hands so I head off up towards Cromer, then down the coast and back home. Some nice views from the coast road, but apart from that what a sad ride. Endless streams of traffic. 50s and 40s everywhere. More traffic. And bumpy old roads (ok, everywhere has bumpy old roads). 

I still nurse a dream of going to Norfolk and finding open roads with smooth bends in different sizes and the space to enjoy them, but every time I head out over the Waveney my hopes suffer one more death blow*. It is just my bad luck? Are there any decent routes for riding in Norfolk?

 

*Ok, not 100% true. I've found nice roads between Harleston and Attleborough. 

The North Norfolk coast road has been awful for as long as I can remember. It has a few high spots, but is generally to be avoided when on a bike. There are some decent routes but none use the coast road.

 

I used to ride down to Suffolk to find decent roads when I lived in Norwich…

[Gerontious]

I think you should take wifey on holiday  somewhere lovely hilly and bendy fall in love with the place, (check there’s a Waitrose - obviously) and relocate on a whim.

 

you know.. like what you did last time.

[Steve_M]

4 minutes ago, Gerontious said:

I think you should take wifey on holiday  somewhere lovely hilly and bendy fall in love with the place, (check there’s a Waitrose - obviously) and relocate on a whim.

 

you know.. like what you did last time.

It worked for me (though we’re shacked up rather than married).

 

Checking a nearby Waitrose was a failure on our part but we have found that they   deliver from Hexham, a stroke of luck.

[bonio]

Always aspired to a Waitrose lifestyle, but some ended up with an Asda one. 

Edited September 30, 2023 by bonio

[bonio]

5 hours ago, Gerontious said:

I think you should take wifey on holiday  somewhere lovely hilly and bendy fall in love with the place, (check there’s a Waitrose - obviously) and relocate on a whim.

 

you know.. like what you did last time.

We're running out of options. Don't want to live further north (darker winters). Don't want to live further south (cos it's the south innit). Don't want to live further from a railway station. Don't want to live further from the sea.

So it's basically here or Aberystwyth.

[Bungleaio]

On 30/09/2023 at 16:34, bonio said:

Always aspired to a Waitrose lifestyle, but Fortnam and Mason are the only place for me after I saw someone in a tracksuit in Waitrose once. 

Fixed that for you 

[bonio]

21 minutes ago, Bungleaio said:

Fixed that for you 

Hate it when people actually *know* you on this internet thing.

[D.J]

The coast roads are rubbish, and I live near them. No matter when you go you’ll always get stuck behind someone doing 35, during the week it’s OAPs then at the weekend it’s holiday makers. Although there are some good roads around Norfolk, mainly Watton to attleborough, Diss, we usually head into Suffolk 

[Steve_M]

4 hours ago, D.J said:

The coast roads are rubbish, and I live near them. No matter when you go you’ll always get stuck behind someone doing 35, during the week it’s OAPs then at the weekend it’s holiday makers. Although there are some good roads around Norfolk, mainly Watton to attleborough, Diss, we usually head into Suffolk 

Let us not forget the B1108 to Watton, the B1145 Banningham to Mundesley… The unclassified road from Long John Hill to Hempnall and then on to Starston (takes you on into some grand Suffolk Roads). Then there’s the road from Aylsham past Blickling then join the B1354.And, errr, that’s about all I can remember.

 

Suddenly feeling spoilt having moved away from Norwich… 

 

I will add that your local RoSPA group has a library of routes based on Route 11 and Swaffham… but you’d have to join them

[bonio]

3 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Let us not forget ... the unclassified road from Long John Hill to Hempnall and then on to Starston

I first stumbled across this one - from Starson to Hempnall at least - just this summer gone. It's nice.

All useful information, thanks. It's good to know I'm missing out on fine Norfolk riding for want of finding the right roads. I'll stop trying to look for what doesn't exist, and stick to Suffolk and Essex.  

[Steve_M]

11 hours ago, bonio said:

I first stumbled across this one - from Starson to Hempnall at least - just this summer gone. It's nice.

All useful information, thanks. It's good to know I'm missing out on fine Norfolk riding for want of finding the right roads. I'll stop trying to look for what doesn't exist, and stick to Suffolk and Essex.  

That was one of my favourite “escape routes” when I lived in Norwich. I lived 2 miles away from Long John Hill, just around the ring road, so it was quite convenient for me.