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^ & ^^ yes, when I worked for them I was mystified by the quantity over quality strategy, although iirc this was funding driven.

Even experienced cyclist find some of the route horrible

NCN21 at Woldingham golf club is a downhill mud/cobbled bridle path, chewed up by horses and entirely unfit for purpose. I found that out in white sidis on fancy wheels and haven’t trusted an NCN since.

Garmin routed me along this in Dorset last year. Just about rideable, if it weren't for the nettles forcing a dismount.

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I had similar near Llandrindod Wells, went back to work & spoke to the NCN team to politely suggest they make it clearer on signs that muddy stuff would be in store long the route. They weren't interested.

I’m amazed that anybody expects anything other than a dog shit death trap if they see an NCN sign.

quantity over quality strategy

It's not just sustrans that do this. I regularly hear politicians congratulate themselves of X number of miles of cycling routes added. Makes me cringe.

The last section before the golf club is full on rock garden these days. Amazing views mind.

To be honest, NCN21 to Gatwick makes me laugh. I wonder how many cycle tourists decide to use it rather than the Gatwick Express (which I think is pretty bike hostile?) then find out they are on a mountain bike trail.

politicans

They're the fucking reason a charity is responsible for the cycling network. Imagine if the highways agency had been left to evolve from a group of volunteers forming a charity after tarmacing a local unused farm track.

We're gonna have a bash at the brand new sustrans way of the roses coast to coast next month. Will cry on here if it's too knarley.

Worked with mudguards when @amey and me did this route.

As a counterpoint, I have thoroughly enjoyed NCN21 the last few dry months on 1.5" tyres. The bit just West of Fickleshole is surely more challenging though, where you cross a small but steep valley with washed-out ruts.

We hadn’t got to the pick the most challenging section yet. The Fickleshole one, in either direction, is up there though.

If you don’t mind getting debris caught in your mudguards and locking a wheel without warning, then any route is possible with mudguards. I rode the section under discussion ten days ago, and the section before you enter the golf course is as challenging as I’ve ever seen it. Some big old rocks to negotiate around.

Stop, take a photo of the Llama field, gaze at the view, then YOLO at high speed.

^ & ^^ yes, when I worked for them I was mystified by the quantity over quality strategy, although iirc this was funding driven.

The Sustrans 2018 review of the NCN is here if anyone's interested. It sets out why quality (including accessibility) is now key and mentions the step that's just been taken.

On the NCN66 (I think) we came across a 20m+ long pitch black mud filled tunnel that need head torches to navigate through..... which was ‘interesting’

On several occasions I thought we’d taken a wrong turn as we were directed down 5ocm wide strips at the side of 60mph roads, was shocked with how bad some of it was, good thing for them to remove sections that aren’t up to scratch....

Gatwick NCN is hot.

Sustrans is a bloated charity that has long sucked up funding for cycling and walking that could be used much better in other ways. Like most charities, it is rather self-serving. To be sure, I've known very good Sustrans officers who have delivered good work (but the opposite is also true), and Sustrans has kept quite a lot of rights of way open, which is a notable achievement, but as has been noted, in many places their paths are suitable for walking at best, and often not even that. I'm also afraid that my general opinion on old railways paths is that they should become railways again, even in the case of the very popular Bath-Bristol path.

So turns out if you don't look, there's no evidence it happened is the conclusion of the Russia report and you can run now run around saying No Evidence Found of Russian Interference when questioned on it

Bit like Trump's approach to the coronavirus: If you don't do tests, the number of detected cases won't go up!

It would be interesting to see which % of Tory party funding vs which % of Labour/other parties funding is linked to Russians friendly with the Putin government. Via Russians that have naturalized, Brits that have close links to Russia etc...

Yeh they redacted the bit on Tory party funding from oligarchs

People wearing masks getting abuse now:

https://twitter.com/StefSimanowitz/status/1285328042265645057

That was very obviously brewing way before the mask chat tho?

It's a joke. Quite well acted.