Reading 2 Bath - You want it you want it bad!!!!!

itboffin

So the weather is pants, you're XX lbs overweight from Xmas, you're summer fitness is a distance relative - meh!

I laugh at your .... er completely normal life.

Peeps C+ this month (Feb 2011) had the cheek to do the Reading to Bath canal ride, following the Kennet & Avon right past Château itboffin, this WILL NOT do.

Therefore I am planning to do the same route, either starting from Bath or Reading depending on the company, I think it 80-ish miles but 95% along the pan-flat canal and avg speeds on the canal can't be more that 10-12mph.

Being a "local" of Wiltshire now I have access to local knowledge of the route, I therefore expect this ride to take the entire day, with MY scheduled pit stops :roll:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/247633

stuaff

Make it Reading and I might fancy this, looking for some big-mileage riding to prep for my LeJOG in May.Definitely one for MTBs/CXs etc rather than road bikes. And if I get left behind again at least I'll know the route etc

Fireblade96

Ooh, I did this a few years back, Bath - Reading.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you where the good pubs are along the route ;-)

It's not a fast ride, there are lots of walkers and in places the path is narrow. Completing it in a single day will be challenging....

Jay dubbleU

Sounds like a plan 8)

Mark Elvin

Sounds like a great idea, I'd be up for it, from bath end

itboffin

Why does the Newbury to Devizes section of the sustrans route 4 NOT use the canal path and instead takes the back lanes?

Admittedly certain sections of the canal are basically mud & grass but even so still perfectly do able on a MTB or CX.

Citizen Smith

Sounds good. I'll opt for a Reading start and I can plan for a suitable watering hole for the finish in Bath.

mudcovered

Citizen Smith wrote:

Sounds good. I'll opt for a Reading start and I can plan for a suitable watering hole for the finish in Bath.

I'd potentially be up for that. Prefer the reading start as I'll effectively be riding home then.

Mike

redvee

Citizen Smith wrote:

Sounds good. I'll opt for a Reading start and I can plan for a suitable watering hole for the finish in Bath.

Come off the canal at Brassknocker and ride to Claverton Down Road. Nice pubs along there

Jay dubbleU

I live halfway along so I'm not really fussed which end we start - probaly train to the start point

Wooliferkins

Doable in a day. Did it with a friend starting at Bath finishing at Thatcham but my mate on his MTB discovered the weakness of cheap tyres and not enough tubes when we went to do the east to west run last summer. All rideable, did it on the road bike (CK7) the only time you have leave the towpath is to go over the tunnel . You need to note where you cross the canal to stay on the path. Devises to Bath is nearly all metalled. The section leading up to Devises from the east can be wearing as it is more field than track but my novice and very large mate did it without problem and my fillings are still in my teeth.

itboffin

Good sounds like we have enough to make this worthwhile.

I had planned to do the ride in two halves today and tomorrow, just to test the conditions but it seems I have sinusitis so no riding for me just yet.

I know the middle section very well already, I've created an OSM garmin route for the whole journey but someone with local knowledge of each end would be better.

I suggest then that we start in Reading, stopping at least every 20 miles?? and defo a lunch stop in the middle, this is NOT a race just a friendly social, NO one get left behind - pace WILL be sedate :roll:

Personally I've had more than a few PF visits along the canal, much of the Marlborough to Devizes path is hedged with thorn bushes, pack enough tubes and or patches :evil:

I recommend CX or MTB but any bike with suitable tyres should do, It is muddy so it would be nice/kind/polite to fit some mud guards or at least ride at the rear.

Given the abundant access to train stations along the route, its very doable to join or leave at any stage, so if you dont feel up to 84 miles then simple pick a point to join/leave and I (we) will estimate our ETA at that location.

All we need is names and a date (poll to follow).

Name........Dist..........When itboffin..........Full..........Jan

Fireblade96

itboffin wrote:

All we need is names and a date (poll to follow).

I'm happy to help out with guidance from Reading station to the start of the canal path, not that it's that tricky but given I live locally it would be rude not to. However bear in mind that we pass the first good pub less than 10 miles in.

Now, not to be a wuss but it's winter, this would be a lot more pleasant once it gets a bit warmer.

Name.............Dist..........When itboffin.................Full..........Jan Fireblade96.........most........Spring!!

stuaff

Fireblade96 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

All we need is names and a date (poll to follow).

I'm happy to help out with guidance from Reading station to the start of the canal path, not that it's that tricky but given I live locally it would be rude not to. However bear in mind that we pass the first good pub less than 10 miles in.

Now, not to be a wuss but it's winter, this would be a lot more pleasant once it gets a bit warmer.

Name.............Dist..........When itboffin.................Full..........Jan Fireblade96.........most........Spring!! StuAff..................Full..........Whenever!

I think FB has a point about the weather- probably going to be a lot more pleasant when it's warmed up a touch, particularly if we're pootling- but happy to go along with the majority.

dhope

StuAff wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

All we need is names and a date (poll to follow).

I'm happy to help out with guidance from Reading station to the start of the canal path, not that it's that tricky but given I live locally it would be rude not to. However bear in mind that we pass the first good pub less than 10 miles in.

Now, not to be a wuss but it's winter, this would be a lot more pleasant once it gets a bit warmer.

Name.............Dist..........When itboffin.................Full..........Jan Fireblade96.........most........Spring!! StuAff..................Full..........Whenever!

I think FB has a point about the weather- probably going to be a lot more pleasant when it's warmed up a touch, particularly if we're pootling- but happy to go along with the majority.

+1 for better weather (around April/May when C2W rolls around and I get a CX)

gbsahne001

Name.............Dist..........When
itboffin.................Full..........Jan
Fireblade96.........most........Spring!!
StuAff..................Full..........Whenever!
GBSahne..........Full............when there's an "r" in the month

live relatively local, so can also help out if needed at Reading end

apreading

Me and my lad are going to do Reading-Avonmouth(Bristol) this summer - but doing it over 3 days with the longest stretch from Reading to Devizes. Not sure we could do Reading to Bath in one day...

Some of the stretches I have done in the past (e.g. Pewsey-Bedwyn) you really need to go on road as the towpath is virtually impossible to cycle - I tried to defy this advice but it is so bumpy and difficult to navigate that I got really fed up with it.

See http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files ... eguide.pdf for a great map and take note of the road stretches.

Jay dubbleU

dhope wrote:

StuAff wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

All we need is names and a date (poll to follow).

I'm happy to help out with guidance from Reading station to the start of the canal path, not that it's that tricky but given I live locally it would be rude not to. However bear in mind that we pass the first good pub less than 10 miles in.

Now, not to be a wuss but it's winter, this would be a lot more pleasant once it gets a bit warmer.

Name.............Dist..........When itboffin.................Full..........Jan Fireblade96.........most........Spring!! StuAff..................Full..........Whenever! Jay Dubbleu.........Full..........Feb >

I think FB has a point about the weather- probably going to be a lot more pleasant when it's warmed up a touch, particularly if we're pootling- but happy to go along with the majority.

+1 for better weather (around April/May when C2W rolls around and I get a CX)

Better weather gets a plus from me

Jay dubbleU

Day length might need to be considered - if we're doing 80 miles at ave 10mph thats 8 hours plus pub stops

notsoblue

Sounds like a great idea! Having friends in Bath I'd be well up for something like this, but the canal path is just too sketchy for my road bike. Did Bath -> Devizes on my hybrid this year and it was fine, if a little slow and gravelly in bits. Between Devizes and Reading it gets a bit bumpy with some proper off-road sections. Very scenic in places though, and some nice pubs.

Planning a London -> Bath ride (avoiding the canal) when the weather gets a bit better, will be posting for route recommendations in the new year

redvee

One thing we haven't thought of is the logistics of getting XX number of bikes and bodies to Reading for an early morning start. the train is an option but if we all decide to get the same train service then it will soon fill up the bike seats available.

itboffin

redvee wrote:

One thing we haven't thought of is the logistics of getting XX number of bikes and bodies to Reading for an early morning start. the train is an option but if we all decide to get the same train service then it will soon fill up the bike seats available.

FGW are fine with bikes on non rush hour services but yes some planning would help

stuaff

itboffin wrote:

redvee wrote:

One thing we haven't thought of is the logistics of getting XX number of bikes and bodies to Reading for an early morning start. the train is an option but if we all decide to get the same train service then it will soon fill up the bike seats available.

FGW are fine with bikes on non rush hour services but yes some planning would help

Alternative: South West Trains service via Waterloo. Not ideal I know (it actually takes longer for the direct service than if you change at Paddington!) but it could make the logisitics easier.
For me, early start not too much of a problem as long as it's not ridiculously early- Saturday definitely better (earliest train on Sunday doesn't get in till 9.30).

Jay dubbleU

Guys - really useful mapping - includes cycle layer

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

waddlie

Did a very leisurely Bristol - Reading over three days a couple of years ago and Bristol - Devizes last year. A couple of thoughts...

The NCN route east of Devizes as far as Hungerford (IIRC) is indeed away from the canal, apparently due to the quality of the towpath. However it is lovely quiet country lanes, fairly flat and thoroughly enjoyable.

The towpath between Bradford-on-Avon and Devizes can be extremely thorny; if you time the ride wrong as I did last year they'll have just trimmed the hedges and then you're really stuffed. I had 5 punctures in one day on chunky MTB tyres. There is a bike shop in Bradford about 50 yds from the canal if you need supplies.

I might be in depending on the when and the where. Fitness is diabolical at the mo so will see exactly what is planned before committing!

itboffin

Indeed, I live in that middle section, route 4 runs through my village and as you say the thorn bushes are a bloody pain, I had 3 visits in 100 yards, for some reason they seem to cut the bushes very regularly.

Nothing worse than looking down at you wheel and seeing a section of thorn bush deeply embedded - seriously why with the thorns?

Jay dubbleU

Stops lions eating sheep, cattle etc

itboffin

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Stops lions eating sheep, cattle etc

Funny that all the farmers I pass cutting the hedges seem to be chuckling :evil:

Mark Elvin

I'm going to have to dip out by the looks of it, 7-- 23c are not going to be any good in the mud.

mudcovered

redvee wrote:

One thing we haven't thought of is the logistics of getting XX number of bikes and bodies to Reading for an early morning start. the train is an option but if we all decide to get the same train service then it will soon fill up the bike seats available.

That could be a little bit of a challenge. Still interested though and like others I'd prefer to wait until there is a little more daylight around.

Mike

gtvlusso

Any thoughts on dates for this - up for it!