Whitstable / Canterbury / surrounding villages etc - rides anyone??

I've moved to Whitstable and thinking there must be locals in the Whitstable / Canterbury / Herne Bay / Faversham and surrounding villages. Am up for:
road fixed
geared loops
trendy surface bridleway type stuff in the woods
MTB-lite amateur radness (I have a 90s Gary Fisher in great condition) but no crazy downhill shit.

Let's chat here for rides, and also happy to guide out London and others as best I can.

Tl; Dr Please can I have ride buddies in Kent

Few route ideas:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31335566

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31493919

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31493907

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31335501

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31466656

I'd be up for any of these :'(

Also, wtf is up with the formatting here?

YAL’s broken the internet

It's a trap

Sorry I didn’t get back to you, still a big yes, but variously been ill/working/distracted by politics

I studied in Canterbury once upon a time. Not there any more, but of you're interested in routes-

Have a look at Blean woods (nature reserve?) for graveley stuff and xc.

There's a pleasant gravel cycle track goes from Whitstable to Canterbury through some woods with lots of gentle off-roady stuff going off it.

There's a nice circular national cycle route going from Canterbury to Dover and back, about 50 miles on road.

And many, many country lanes to explore.

And many, many country lanes to explore.

If you can navigate the maze of dumped fridges, sofas and asbestos.

The lanes out here are genuinely so good. Beddlestead feels quite a ways away.

Also edited second post with route ideas

Can't believe you've not mentioned how much you love riding up and down the A2?

That last route should be done in reverse - 20km downhill!
There needs to be a TNRC foray out that way sometime

Yeah, who needs those silly little winding lanes when you've got a proper Roman road? :)

I'd be interested in getting out there at some point.

You'd be more than welcome! I'm away next week but weekend of the 14th and 21st are clear. Could possibly do a quick ride on the 8th as well.

@jaeyukdapbap and @cagimaha came out yesterday and we did the Winkle and Crab route. Kings Woods were beautiful!

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Why not use the costal path from Reculver to Westgate in your Planet Thanet route?

Can you get away with a 700x28c wheel on a route like that, if you have a "relaxed" attitude to what constitutes a sensible bike?

'Tis a route of my design... You'd be fine going through kings wood in dryer months. The rest of it you'd get away with a-ok! There's some fun looking alternatives to coming into Whitstable through Clowes and Thornden Wood about half way along the Crab and Winkle.

Good question with two sort of boring reasons: 1) is that the concrete seams on the coastal path sea wall are hell on a fixie with bodged p-clip mudguards and 2) I do it quite a lot on trips to Margate going that way so was just looking for an alternative roads to explore (I've not actually done that route yet)

Those routes are just ideas of places we can go, not routes I'm keen to stay locked to.

Anyone around for a ride tomorrow (mabye to Sanwich)? I'd really rather not go out with Canterbury CC. All that titanium, deep carbon and golden pensions is usually a bit much for a Saturday morning.

Fair enough. Myself and another ex Londoner are in Broadstairs, both kind of newish to the area. We've been riding out to the lanes in the Elham valley south of Canterbury - Stelling Minnis, Kingston, Derringstone, Wingmore, Pett Bottom. Lots of very quiet lanes with iffy surfaces and some short sharp climbs. Been here 3 years and I'm still learning. You're welcome to join us, we mainly ride gears and our pace isnt frantic as we're both middle aged bastards.

Ah great. After a few months now I'm getting out and I recognise some of those villages. My route list has expanded as well.

I'll drop you a PM so we can link up!