Drives within 60 minutes of E14, London
Discussion
Does anyone have any recommendations for good driving roads with a start point within 60 minutes of E14, London? Normally it takes 30 mins or so to get through the Blackwall Tunnel (if heading south), or even 90 mins to get across central London if heading west! So options seem rather limited, but am interested in your recommendations.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Edited by klan8456 on Sunday 18th February 20:07
klan8456 said:
Normally it takes 30 mins or so to get through the Blackwall Tunnel (if heading south), or even 90 mins to get across central London if heading west!
Why would you want to do either of those? Go east. 
https://goo.gl/maps/ejBDemjpe9P2
then
https://goo.gl/maps/irW8Bv3TV8u
Beyond Great Dunmow the roads form 3 stacked loops.
The route I have plotted, clockwise throughout, is but one variation
The reverse produces another. However the top two loops can be run in either direction.
So combining them in different ways yields several more.
Best time to go is early on a Sunday and home in time for a late breakfast/brunch.
As said above, heading into Essex is your best bet. I'm based in E12 myself and have a few routes based on drives out with another car forum. Always useful to join an owners forum to see if anyone is local and has some good routes. I park on the Isle of dogs during the week too so will keep an eye out for you 
I tried going through Kent today (following some roads from the Best Biking Roads app) and it was an absolute flipping disaster. Car is running KW Clubsports, weighs 1500 KG and has plenty of HP, so what it really needs is wide, billiard table smooth roads (like you find in Germany or Luxembourg).
Instead I spent most of the day in 20 or 30 mph zones, navigating speed bumps and parked cars. When I finally did get a 60 mph road, it was either too bumpy (to the point that it was hard to see!) or I was stuck behind someone doing 35. Even the front numberplate threw itself off in protest.
So, I will head East tomorrow instead!! Thank you for the suggestions.
Instead I spent most of the day in 20 or 30 mph zones, navigating speed bumps and parked cars. When I finally did get a 60 mph road, it was either too bumpy (to the point that it was hard to see!) or I was stuck behind someone doing 35. Even the front numberplate threw itself off in protest.
So, I will head East tomorrow instead!! Thank you for the suggestions.
klan8456 said:
I tried going through Kent today (following some roads from the Best Biking Roads app) and it was an absolute flipping disaster. Car is running KW Clubsports, weighs 1500 KG and has plenty of HP, so what it really needs is wide, billiard table smooth roads (like you find in Germany or Luxembourg).
Er, you'll be lucky: this is England where maintenance is patchy to say the least. 
I have coilovers too. A great many people make the mistake of having them on too hard a setting for road use.
klan8456 said:
Instead I spent most of the day in 20 or 30 mph zones, navigating speed bumps and parked cars. When I finally did get a 60 mph road, it was either too bumpy (to the point that it was hard to see!) or I was stuck behind someone doing 35. Even the front numberplate threw itself off in protest.
Kent is my back yard. I have no idea what roads you were using but they were clearly the wrong ones. klan8456 said:
So, I will head East tomorrow instead!! Thank you for the suggestions.
All of the roads on my link are B roads. Billiard table, no, but not too shabby.Some sections are quite twisty and challenging. But that's what makes them fun.
It's not all about V-Max everywhere. YMMV.
Right, so I tried these roads today. The car is set up as a pure track car (by previous owner), so is running aggressive spring, damper and alignment settings. Overall, the road condition was ok and I could actually see out the windscreen, unlike yesterday’s venture out in Kent!
It was awfully cold, wet and foggy though which is certainly not Cup 2 weather!! So I just trundled along and took in the sights.
Appreciate the recommendation, well worth the journey. If you have any others, please do share!!
It was awfully cold, wet and foggy though which is certainly not Cup 2 weather!! So I just trundled along and took in the sights.
Appreciate the recommendation, well worth the journey. If you have any others, please do share!!
Get out to Chigwell then follow the A113 up to Ongar which continues on to the B184 out to Dunmow and the hop on the M11 back down to the A12 and home.
Lots of other little roads off the A113 but do this first and then re-explore at a later date.
There's a cracking road called Hook Lane in Lambourne End, it's not very long but whenever i was testing a car i would run it through there to get the measure of it. Very narrow in parts and can be used as a cut through so caution is required.
Lots of other little roads off the A113 but do this first and then re-explore at a later date.
There's a cracking road called Hook Lane in Lambourne End, it's not very long but whenever i was testing a car i would run it through there to get the measure of it. Very narrow in parts and can be used as a cut through so caution is required.
Red Devil said:
klan8456 said:
Normally it takes 30 mins or so to get through the Blackwall Tunnel (if heading south), or even 90 mins to get across central London if heading west!
Why would you want to do either of those? Go east. https://goo.gl/maps/ejBDemjpe9P2
then
https://goo.gl/maps/irW8Bv3TV8u
Beyond Great Dunmow the roads form 3 stacked loops.
The route I have plotted, clockwise throughout, is but one variation
The reverse produces another. However the top two loops can be run in either direction.
So combining them in different ways yields several more.
Best time to go is early on a Sunday and home in time for a late breakfast/brunch.
crispyshark said:
Get out to Chigwell then follow the A113 up to Ongar which continues on to the B184 out to Dunmow and the hop on the M11 back down to the A12 and home.
Lots of other little roads off the A113 but do this first and then re-explore at a later date.
There's a cracking road called Hook Lane in Lambourne End, it's not very long but whenever i was testing a car i would run it through there to get the measure of it. Very narrow in parts and can be used as a cut through so caution is required.
Hook Lane is brilliant if you can get a clear run through it. If you don't want to head north from there, Theydon Bois to the Epping New Road is a cracking run and there to the M25 junction at Waltham Abbey (which can get very busy).Lots of other little roads off the A113 but do this first and then re-explore at a later date.
There's a cracking road called Hook Lane in Lambourne End, it's not very long but whenever i was testing a car i would run it through there to get the measure of it. Very narrow in parts and can be used as a cut through so caution is required.
https://goo.gl/maps/6wfrRwwqZ7E2
klan8456 said:
..........what it really needs is wide, billiard table smooth roads (like you find in Germany .......
To find billiard-table smooth roads in Germany you will need access to a time machine set to pre 1990.Since re-unification Germany's roads have deteriorated very badly, and while nowhere near as bad as the roads in the UK, could no longer be descrbed as "billiard-table smooth" unfortunately.
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