British Riders
 

I enjoy watching GCN but it seems from the videos that there are many roads with beautiful scenery, winding roads and no traffic. A question for those who ride or have ridden in UK: are there really such roads or do they close them for stretches while they film these videos? If there are places like that I may move there in my retirement.

Yes, there are a lot of areas with minimal traffic once you get out of the large cities and their 'sphere on influence'. I've got relatives in Northern Ireland, northern England/Scotland (near the border, they waffle as to who they owe allegiance to ;) ), and its pretty easy to get out on narrow country roads with lots of greenery. Usually the roads are just used by locals, so that's where the 'minimal' traffic flow comes from, but I'd bet they still have to get permission to shoot a video on public roads from the local government authorities. Lots of greenery, but its also rains a lot more over there than where I live (Southern California).

I’m not British, I’m just an American working over here. I live in Cambridgeshire and there’s some uncrowded rural roads...

..they’re flat, boring with super sketchy surfaces too. I mean bone jarring teeth rattling **** roads.

You can avoid traffic where I am, but the roads suck to ride on for sure. Never thought I would be spoiled by good ol PNW roads. Who knew.

Cars seem a bit more “aware” of cyclists than back in the states. But the flip side is that they’re hell on wheels for pedestrians.

I really liked riding in Wales quite a bit, Gospel Pass was a treat.

Yes, there are quiet roads with not much traffic. Plenty of busier roads as well unfortunately.

I live in North Somerset incidentally, where GCN film quite a few of their videos; always interesting to see a video made on local roads

Thank you Gentlemen, I need to look into a possible cycling vacation there to take a look for myself.

Yes, indeed, just not where I live in Surrey. My daughter lives in Kinlochewe in the North of Scotland. I can tell you there are some absolutely stunning roads around there with very little traffic. I'd certainly recommend it for a cycling holiday - just be prepared for bad weather. And I'd recommend camping as accommodation is remarkably expensive up there. Just take a look on Streetview - drop in at the Glen Docherty viewpoint on the A382 West of Kinlochewe and turn to the East and tell me that isn't one of the most stunning views in the world! And not a car in sight.

You wanna go to England, go to England. That's cool. But there are lots of places where this

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...02abee1000.jpg

really isn't all that far from this:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dffd446133.png

So many folks I know - including a lot of cycling friends - just don't have the paradigm that there are roads around other than the ones they drive on every day.

One of my better UK rides
 

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8acfdcb65.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...02a670402.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dee1b99ea.jpeg
Wales. Gospel Pass.

A great ride...

We were over there in 2015, and I brought my riding kit, helmet, shoes and pedals, thinking I would rent a bike somewhere. Just watching the crazy traffic made me keep my stuff in the suitcase. I'm used to riding the mean streets of Los Angeles and I wasn't prepared for the cut and thrust of British traffic. The #1 sport here in LA is hit and run driving, seems like one cycling or pedestrian fatality most every week. Never mind that riding UK would be the "wrong" side of the road. I saw very few Sport cyclists, mostly commuters and college kids. I did decide to try to rent in Portsmouth, but all I found were heavy "city" bikes, and decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Our last trip over there was 1978, and the traffic and congestion have increased substantially, as it has here, but at least its familiar ground at home. Probably a missed opportunity. We did drive over 1000 miles in two weeks, which provided excitement enough.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c1aa454c87.jpg
I did find some cool cycling souvenirs at the Goodwood Revival vintage car event, of all places.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...83d294b60d.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dace8e6f11.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a733f5033.jpg

I'd say it's much the same as most countries that there are gorgeous traffic free rides to be had with amazing scenery as well as highly congested cities rammed with cars .... it's just a matter of knowing where to look.

I often get envious looking at some of the amazing looking rides in the US that are posted in the Gravel Ride Pics forum and wishing we had more like that here.

@Slightspeed .. Sounds like you may have been in the wrong places to a degree ... where I am you hardly ever see a commuter or college kid on a bike but "sports cyclists" are in an abundance, if you were around Portsmouth way (a horrendous place to cycle) the New Forest wasn't far afield which has some pretty good cycling mixed cycling on quiet roads and over 100 miles gravel tracks.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...4dUDCAc&uact=5

My family took a vacation to Scotland last year. You could go from bumper-to-bumper crowded, to totally empty, in about 1/2 a mile. One thing I noticed was that the popular tourist destinations are of course mobbed with tour buses and crowds, but for every such place, there's an equally cool place a few miles away, that's empty.

Here in Wisconsin, the farm-to-market roads tend to have relatively low traffic.