Roads I've driven in their entirety....

[trickstat]

I think the only one of the F99 I have driven all of is the A10. The stretch between Buntingford and Royston is not of much use to me but I think I first drove it a few years ago when I went for a round trip drive in a car I'd just bought.

[Owain]

I'm afraid I haven't progressed by much on my own F99 challenge, having only added the A6 (which TBF is quite a long one) since November. With a total of 41, I'm still in need of 58 F99 roads. I'm looking at getting the full A17 and A57 done sometime soon though.

The 17 is easy in one go, but I'm finding the 57 a right fiddle!

Congratulations on the A6 - I'm just missing Manchester to Preston now.

[rileyrob]

I've managed to tick off a few more over the weekend, by taking the scenic routes to Coventry and back. Ok, perhaps not the quickest way, but certainly interesting, with stunning scenery and so many places I wanted to stop and explore that it could have taken a fortnight!
A real mixed bag of roads, with fast dual carriageways, slow rural routes, mad speed limits, slow tractors and lots of other bizarre sights along the way.

A67
A684 - The eastern end finished off
A660
A514 - The Swakestone Causeway is a remarkable thing, and if it hadn't been nearly 9 o clock at night I would have stopped!
A444
A447 - I had forgotten how flat the English Midlands were, and then found myself at the top of a 'hill', about 30m higher than the distant horizon!
A512
A60 - I got lost somewhere in Loughborough, so may have missed the actual start.
A162 - I loved the big empty D2 coming off the A1, obviously the former A1 route, but is it ever busy?
A659 - Amazing route heading down into Otley, with stunning views.
A61 - mostly done on Saturday evening, and it was remarkably easy to follow through Leeds, Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Chesterfield and Derby, with no major traffic hold ups. Of course, the average speed was mid 30s instead of 70ish on the motorway!
A68 - I forget how good the roads in the Borders are. The A697 was stunning last year, and the A68 no less so this year.

My tally of F99 is now up to 39 completed, and another couple of sections of A1, A5 and A38 ticked off too.

[Owain]

A60 - I got lost somewhere in Loughborough, so may have missed the actual start.

If I had a pound for every time I've had to pull over to check the map to make sure that I've got it right ....

[rileyrob]

A60 - I got lost somewhere in Loughborough, so may have missed the actual start.

If I had a pound for every time I've had to pull over to check the map to make sure that I've got it right ....

Actually I was quite proud of myself - Loughborough was the only place I went wrong at all, and I was only using a 2013 4-mile atlas to navigate.
I got into the centre of Loughborough on the A512 no bother, and ended up going north on the A6 to the 'ring road'. Realising my mistake, i followed a sign for the A60 back into the centre, and from GSV appear to have missed the next one, so going back to almost the same point on the A6. At the time I thought I was right, but a nagging doubt proved right when I checked this morning. In fact, I'm not even very sure where I did go!

[Owain]

A60 - I got lost somewhere in Loughborough, so may have missed the actual start.

If I had a pound for every time I've had to pull over to check the map to make sure that I've got it right ....

Actually I was quite proud of myself - Loughborough was the only place I went wrong at all, and I was only using a 2013 4-mile atlas to navigate.
I got into the centre of Loughborough on the A512 no bother, and ended up going north on the A6 to the 'ring road'. Realising my mistake, i followed a sign for the A60 back into the centre, and from GSV appear to have missed the next one, so going back to almost the same point on the A6. At the time I thought I was right, but a nagging doubt proved right when I checked this morning. In fact, I'm not even very sure where I did go!

It is odd that the A60 begins slightly to the south of the town centre. I would have thought that sending it along the B589 to meet the A6 at the end of Bridge Street would have made more sense. The A60 itself has the feel of needlessly taking you down backstreets for quite some distance!

When I drove it I did so in the opposite direction, so ended in Loughborough without any problem. It's hardly the most exciting F99 road, but there are some lovely stretches towards each of the northern and southern ends; especially on a glorious summer day.

[danfw194]

I'd love to do the A470 in its entirety - ala http://www.cbrd.co.uk/photo/a470-end-end

I've driven all of the A55 - a great road. And the A511 - a rubbish road. Probably a few others that I can't recall at the minute.

A514 - The Swakestone Causeway is a remarkable thing, and if it hadn't been nearly 9 o clock at night I would have stopped!

I'll be driving this at the end of August. Hopefully it's a lovely sunny afternoon, I plan on taking a stop at the pub garden by Swarkestone bridge.

[Owain]

Flicking through this thread after RileyRob's update, I was reminded of this post:

F99 roads I have never driven on -

I posted a list of F99 roads on which I have never driven at all at the time, but it's now overdue a big update. There aren't many:

21
22
25
26
28 (not sure - I might have strayed onto it in Canterbury)
29
87
94
95
96
97
98
99

I'm looking towards my summer holiday (catching the ferry from Newhaven) as a chance to do the A26 on the way down and A22 on the way home.

I'd love to do the A470 in its entirety - ala http://www.cbrd.co.uk/photo/a470-end-end

I can recommend it! I'm just missing the section north of the A487 multiplex, and Lloyd George Avenue in Cardiff.

I've done about half of the A483, which is well worth a detour too.

[rileyrob]

I posted a list of F99 roads on which I have never driven at all at the time, but it's now overdue a big update. There aren't many:

Surprisingly, my list is a little shorter:
A10
A16
A17
A18
A23
A24
A29
A52
A56
A62

However, routes which I've driven no more than 2 miles on (invariably in a multiplex) would add:
A21
A25
A51
A53
A58

[Owain]

I posted a list of F99 roads on which I have never driven at all at the time, but it's now overdue a big update. There aren't many:

Surprisingly, my list is a little shorter:
A10
A16
A17
A18
A23
A24
A29
A52
A56
A62

However, routes which I've driven no more than 2 miles on (invariably in a multiplex) would add:
A21
A25
A51
A53
A58

The western half of the A52 and the whole of the A53 are pleasant drives; the A51 has its moments too. The A24 has some lovely stretches of old dual carriageway, and well worth making a detour. The part of A23 that has been bypassed by the motorway also has a bit of a retro feel, although it's mostly in urban areas and progress is slow.

The A58 is awful; probably my least liked of the whole F99 so far! It hops from one miserable semi-derelict urban area to another, and you don't see a single NSL sign until you're up in the Pennines, almost halfway along! The A58(M) is great, though, especially at night.

[danfw194]

The A52 is a interesting one, of which I've nearly but not quite driven all of. It takes in the southern edge of the Peak District, passes through two cities in Derby and Nottingham, some flat, relatively quick sections across Southern Lincolnshire, before losing it's primary status as it becomes very twisty onto Mablethorpe.

I can recommend it! I'm just missing the section north of the A487 multiplex, and Lloyd George Avenue in Cardiff.

That's interesting because the only section of the A470 I've driven on is north of the A487 upto Llandudno!

[vlad]

...the whole of the A53 are pleasant drives...

The bit between the A52 and A523 is dreadful!

[crb11]

The A52 is a interesting one, of which I've nearly but not quite driven all of. It takes in the southern edge of the Peak District, passes through two cities in Derby and Nottingham, some flat, relatively quick sections across Southern Lincolnshire, before losing it's primary status as it becomes very twisty onto Mablethorpe.

What's it like between Skegness and Boston? I made that journey yesterday afternoon, but both Google Maps and the signage suggested A158/A16, so I went that way, despite being quite a few more miles. I would happily never drive any of the Skegness/Mablethorpe stretch again, but we have a friend who lives there, so I'm probably not going to avoid it!

[danfw194]

What's it like between Skegness and Boston? I made that journey yesterday afternoon, but both Google Maps and the signage suggested A158/A16, so I went that way, despite being quite a few more miles. I would happily never drive any of the Skegness/Mablethorpe stretch again, but we have a friend who lives there, so I'm probably not going to avoid it!

I'd like to know when the re-signing took place exactly and for what reason, as Skegness used to be signed for the A52, now its just Wainfleet. It's definitely changed within the last 10 years. Perhaps the high accident rate on the A52 influenced the change; a colleague of mine lives in Old Leake and not so long ago there was a fatality with a HGV. There's speed cameras and some tight bends, so not a great stretch to drive on. That said, it generally passes by all the villages, there's no signals/junctions that'll stop your progress, and the scenery is half decent. Personally I'd choose A52 over A16/A158, which from memory isn't a particularly high quality route in itself.

[crb11]

I'd like to know when the re-signing took place exactly and for what reason, as Skegness used to be signed for the A52, now its just Wainfleet. It's definitely changed within the last 10 years. Perhaps the high accident rate on the A52 influenced the change; a colleague of mine lives in Old Leake and not so long ago there was a fatality with a HGV. There's speed cameras and some tight bends, so not a great stretch to drive on. That said, it generally passes by all the villages, there's no signals/junctions that'll stop your progress, and the scenery is half decent. Personally I'd choose A52 over A16/A158, which from memory isn't a particularly high quality route in itself.

I've only been up there a couple of times, but I think it's pretty good for that area of the country. With the exception of a mile or two through East Keal which is signed 40 and has some 20-25mph bends, I think there's only one bend you can't do at 50, and two or three roundabouts. Plus you get the famous Mavis Enderby/Old Bolingbrooke sign, or at least its successor.

[Euan]

I don't drive yet but I have done quite a bit of travelling as a front seat
passenger. I have been on many minor roads for their entire length, but some of the main roads that I can think of include the M74/A74(M), A76, M77, A78, M80, A86, A87 and A830. There are a few routes that I have almost completely travelled on with the exception of short urban sections such as the A82, A84, A93 and A835 within Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Ullapool respectively.

[Owain]

A bit of boredom today has led me to try to work out when I completed the F99 roads that are in my signature. As far as I can tell, it looks like this:

Before 2013 (2)
A42
A37

2013 (1)
A7

2014 (1)
A55

2015 (1)
A44

2016 (14)
A15
A19
A43
A45
A46
A53
A58
A59
A63
A65
A68
A69
A70
A75

2017 (29)
A1
A5
A12
A14
A16
A17
A23
A32
A33
A34
A35
A36
A41
A47
A49
A50
A51
A54
A56
A60
A61
A62
A67
A74
A76
A82
A84
A86
A88

2018 (10)
A8
A10
A39
A71
A72
A73
A78
A79
A80
A85

The idea of driving lengths of A-roads that looked like reasonable and interesting alternatives to motorways really came to me in 2012, but the idea of driving the F99 in their entirety was something I decided on at some point in 2016 or 2017. I'm hoping to get them completed by 2020.

[rileyrob]

I started a lot earlier than you, but am lagging way behind now! I think the A82 and A84 were the first completed way back in 2001. Back down south, the A36 was complete as early as 2002, and the A37 and A42 around the same time. The A87 was done in 2004 and the A85 and A86 were completed in 2006. I am hoping to tick off a couple more this weekend, perhaps finishing the A31 and A35, but it depends how early we leave Blandford on Saturday.

[Owain]

I started a lot earlier than you, but am lagging way behind now! I think the A82 and A84 were the first completed way back in 2001. Back down south, the A36 was complete as early as 2002, and the A37 and A42 around the same time. The A87 was done in 2004 and the A85 and A86 were completed in 2006. I am hoping to tick off a couple more this weekend, perhaps finishing the A31 and A35, but it depends how early we leave Blandford on Saturday.

The first one I completed would have been the A42, in 1998 (I know because I drove my dad's car to Nottingham to collect my brother at the end of his first term at university). However, at that time it would never have entered my head that I'd aim to do all of them!

Your location doesn't exactly make it easy for you! I dread the thought of trying to complete the 2-zone (London and far-side of London! ) and because of where I'm based the absence of any 9-roads from my list isn't really surprising (although I'm looking forward to the 9xs every bit as much as I'm dreading the 2xs!).

Good luck with the A31! This is another road that I thought I'd completed, only to find out later that it stretches east of the A3 into the centre of Guildford.

[someone]

I dread the thought of trying to complete the 2-zone (London and far-side of London! )

Whilst for me it means I have done almost every A and B road in that zone. The only one I could complete as the only one entirely within a day trip's distance of London. Still a few pockets with a couple classified road I have never been on in places like Brighton, Folkestone, and Thamesmead though.

I count each direction separately though to consider it complete. So of the 2-zone F99 I have done the A2 and A20 eastbound; A21, A22, and A23 both ways; A24 southbound, A25 both ways; A26 southbound; A27 and A28 westbound, and A29 southbound.

The others I have completed the A10 (south), A11 (north), A12 (south), A13 (east), A3 (both), and A32 (south). Almost finished the A36 (west) but for a bit in Salisbury (that I have done in the other direction), and the A4 (east) but for the very centre of Bristol, as some roads were closed for a cycle event when I visited Severn Beach.

If the weather stays as good as forecast this weekend I plan on doing the A354 (southbound) end-to-end to visit Portland Bill. I did consider taking the entire of the A31 home for the sake of it, but decided on a different route. Once I get to Ringwood I would have completed it eastbound anyway, both via the A3090 and M27/M3, so will go a different route from there as I have done the Winchester to Guildford (town centre!) section plenty of times.