The Bridge ( singular ) Ride 75% off road / traffic free

Not wanting to step on MA3K's toes have been researching The Bridge (Singular ) ride. Taking in the one bridge we don't on the Bridges ride. Dartford Bridge / Crossing.
Route roughly goes past : Greenway, Creekmouth Barking Rainham Purfleet taxi service across the bridge, then back along the south bank of the thames. Northern section takes in east londons horrible industrial side but once across the river we ride through river meadows and along the thames for about 20 miles

Planning on doing it in the next couple of weeks.
The roughest section from Dartford Crossing from Belevdere has been done before by the forum as the first stretch of a Kent ride it is rideable on 23c tyres. It is rough pebbly pathway for about 7 miles.

Keep an eye on the thread for firm date.

It should be the bridge between Denmark and Sweden :)

well, we are starting off in the right direction .... small breakaway / splinter group can head for the channel if they want

doing a third reccie this afternoon if anyone is interested
leaving about 1 - 2 ish

Sounds excellent, would love to come along if not clashing.

Done lots of exploring down there. How will you get everybody over DC, ring ahead for a coach?

Also we were able to ride underneath DC on the north side across a post-industrial-nightmare landscape. Access through a hole in the fence near Purfleet station which takes you all the way through to London Rd.
Path is marked on maps but it looked like someone had actively blocked it.

spoke to the guy who whipped me across the last time he said if we had large numbers he could just get a van from the roadways agency and take 10 or so at a time plus the pickup we could get across in two loads without doubt and probably in one load ... numbers dependant

he just said we should phone early and give them a heads up

easy access to the bridge from london road which in turn can be got to easily from purfleet marshes didn't have any issues in this area

there is a big access road no issues on getting to the bridge and the transfer point

^ It should be the bridge between Denmark and Sweden :)

Drove over it at the wrong time of day, 65 Euros in my van !!!!!

sounds like fun to me.

Can we stop off at taco bell in lakeside?

did another reccie yesterday, route now 95%
was planning on doing this next week on the sunniest day
check the weather maps

Did you go through the sea wall part near the station it gets overgrown it's local to me could check for you if ya like ?

which station ?
if you mean down near dartford i went from the darent river down to the crossing along the thames, possibly the sea wall, a new section i discovered this last time when io did it south bank going east and north bank heading back to london, previosly i had done north bank to dartford and south bank back to london ... a nicer way to do it
it runs in front of the big power station you come out in an industrial estate to the east of the crossing then just hop over the m25 to the dartford bridge control office, where you get the lift across the bridge from

Sorry meant the bit near Purfleet Station down the road from me as mentioned earlier by John Mack it occasionally get blocked off at the entrance

ah yes , he mentioned that today, some section through an industrial wasteland, as he phrased it, but it seemed to blocked of at the east end, if you fancy checking that section it might be a nicer route than i have currently ...... along london road from purfleet marshes and for about a mile on that road, across the train track at purfleet station below the national opera building and up onto the bridge

Will have a look for ya tomorrow

cheers nigel

Just got back
The entrance just before Purfleet Station is partially blocked but easily passable,although further along the sea wall some building work is going on and it's no go through that part even though I was on a MTB.
Best avoid this part of the route.....still have a good one when you about......if I'm around might meet up on part of the Essex side for a few miles.

Dicki, I'd love to do this ride, any chance of scheduling over the next bank holiday weekend?

Thought I'd add this you may find it useful to plan getting over the bridge.....

Interested

@dicki wondering if this could be revived for 2015?

have done this once so far this year, as nice as always, will be doing another in the coming weeks

also have done a nice ride from stratford to hampton court and back lasty week, another ride with a good off road section
will be doing this too next week or the week after

rides will be extremely sociable, taking in as many of the capitals fine off licenses and green spaces as possible

Sounds ace. Will watch plans develop and hope that I'm free!