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

itboffin

I can assure you all that road tyres will not cut it, the amount of snow and rain we've had will guarantee the unpaved (mostly) sections will be muddy and rutted, road tyres will be painful at best.

Road bikes should be okay so long as you have some grip on the tyres and dont mind reduced braking

Fireblade96

I did it on the MTB and that was ideal. Depending on the weather I may use the Pompino this time. It never gets exactly steep, it follows a canal after all, but the path has some interesting grassy/muddy slippery patches sloping towards the canal. The GF nearly ended up in the water after losing front wheel grip on one of these.

(I was oblivious to this drama, having "gone on ahead")

gbsahne001

time to fit CX tyres to the hybrid

Cafewanda

Hmm, looks like I might need to wear a lifejacket for the canal section .

I currently have Schwalbe Marathons on Babygirl. Should I change to CX tyres given the proposed terrain?

itboffin

Mrs itboffin runs along the canal most days, she was only complaining just yesterday about how muddy it is, seems some sections are so wet even walking is problematic, So I guess that's why that section of route 4 leaves the canal and heads through our village, but surely the better thing to do would be fix the canal path?

Besides there are lots of semi perm boats along that section, maybe that's another reason the route splits?

Tiz very pretty tho

We'll just have to MTFU and get muddy

Jay dubbleU

I've got Schwalbe 700/35 Racing Ralphs on the Cube - good grip on most surfaces including snow but high pressure means they roll OK on tarmac

mudcovered

itboffin wrote:

Besides there are lots of semi perm boats along that section, maybe that's another reason the route splits?

Based on my commutes along the Bradford On Avon to Bath section recently it is almost as bad on the bits where route 4 actually follows the canal although it is probably still okay on anything but 700cx23 road tyres. The route is so heavily used that any stone/gravel surface they lay over the top of the mud gets worn away in about 6 months. Mind you if they sorted out the drainage/level of the path then conditions would be much better as there would be a lot less puddles when things get wet. These puddles eventually develop into massive potholes

Mike

Fireblade96

Of course, if we did this in the summer then the path should be drier, less muddy, less slippery.

Warmer weather.

Longer days.

More pub stops.

Just saying.... ;-)


CW - Marathons should be OK if it ain't too muddy, that's what I've got on the Pompino.
OTOH, I'm off to browse on-one's Schwalbe tyre sale for fast-rolling MTB tyres as a backup plan.

itboffin

A little update for you.

Due to the amount of rain and now the sudden freezing temps most of the route 4 section from bedwyn through burbage and I suspect pewsey is now a sheet of solid ice, I remember from last year that even my spike tyres struggled in those conditions.

If this continues then mid Feb is looking unlikely.

I'll be riding home along the canal tonight, in the dark on frozen hard mud, can't wait...

Cafewanda

Body armour, just in case 8)

robni.s

hi all,

I'd be interested in joining if the group's not too big already, somewhat dependent on weather and arranging childcare! I know the Reading end, out to about Thatcham, very well. Pompino+CX tyres, so I'll be slow but I shouldn't fall in

itboffin

robni.s wrote:

hi all,

I'd be interested in joining if the group's not too big already, somewhat dependent on weather and arranging childcare! I know the Reading end, out to about Thatcham, very well. Pompino+CX tyres, so I'll be slow but I shouldn't fall in

Cool, welcome to the group, good to have more local knowledge.

itboffin

Well i'll eat my hat, I took the canal path this evening and it was perfect :P

Hard but not slippery and best of all great fun, will def be doing that again tomorrow 8)

mudcovered

itboffin wrote:

Hard but not slippery and best of all great fun, will def be doing that again tomorrow

Frozen solid is good. The conditions on the road end up being more dicey.

Mike

Jay dubbleU

Cafewanda wrote:

Body armour, just in case 8)

Thought that was standard commuting kit for you Londoners

itboffin

I did the burbage to Hungerford section of canal path yesterday, I'd class that as unridea le for all but the most stupid, fallen trees aside the mud was so bad even giving 110% barely had me moving forward in most sections, would it kill the swarms of fishermen to move their CF poles blocking the entire canal, outside of a comp I've never seen so many people fishing.

I won't even go into the herds of dog walkers grrrr

I did have fun bunny hoping and generally sliding around, it took a good half an hour before I relaxed everytime the wheels slipped, a most unnatural feeling for roadies.

All in all a fun but very hard ride, if this ride is going to happen then it'll need to be after a cold snap with an early start.

mudcovered

itboffin wrote:

I did the burbage to Hungerford section of canal path yesterday, I'd class that as unridea le for all but the most stupid, fallen trees aside the mud was so bad even giving 110% barely had me moving forward in most sections, would it kill the swarms of fishermen to move their CF poles blocking the entire canal, outside of a comp I've never seen so many people fishing.

They are pretty bike aware round here. I've not actually had to stop for a long time even when they are spaced about 5 metres apart on the bank. Rode the Bath->Bradford On Avon section this morning and its muddy in places but I'd say ridable on pretty much any bike.

itboffin wrote:

I won't even go into the herds of dog walkers grrrr

I did have fun bunny hoping and generally sliding around, it took a good half an hour before I relaxed everytime the wheels slipped, a most unnatural feeling for roadies.

Some dog walkers are utterly hopeless at making room for bikes. :evil: Others are really good.
As for the wheel slippling, even on road I find that happens reasonably regularly in the wet so I rarely worry about it. Perhaps that's my offroad rider nature showing through.;)

Mike

jzed

ITB - still planning to do this?

itboffin

Yep I rode a 14 mile section yesterday and it was amazing, beautiful weather too, the path was yesterday hard enough for MTB or CX but bumpy oh so bumpy in sections I could easily avg 13 mph, however a whole day of that would be pretty knackering as my shoulder today confirms.

So again I say this ride is open to all and dont be scared about the distance you can join or leave at any time, there are loads of FGW stations right on the route.

There WILL be beer stops, many many beers stops 8)

Cafewanda

Got a date in mind?

the other me

I did the Newbury to Reading stretch of the canal on Saturday.
'twas lovely, the weather was glorious and the path in near perfect condition for riding.

itboffin

I'm planning on doing Burbage to Reading tomorrow, then Burbage to Bath'ish later in the week.

Lovely sunny weather this week I hope.

night_porter

itb I am working tonight but if you would like some company on the "later in the week" ride I would be up for it? You are not that far from Oxford are you?

Also I would love to do the whole route assuming I am not working at the time (5 nights on and 4 days off) does anyone fancy riding it on my tandem with me? I don't mind sharing the pilot duties.

Dave

Citizen Smith

itboffin wrote:

I'm planning on doing Burbage to Reading tomorrow, then Burbage to Bath'ish later in the week.

Lovely sunny weather this week I hope.

ITB - can try and meet you for a post ride pint in Bath if you ride on Thurs/Fri. DM me if you're keen.

itboffin

Alrighty then, I did home to Newbury and back this morning, unbeknown to me it must have rained last night because the canal path was basically a bog in places and generally rutted bumpy mess elsewhere.

Thankfully my on-one inbred coupled with racing ralphs tyres saved me from complete and utter exhaustion, 17.5 miles in I had that deep deep hunger feeling, so a quick detour to the butchers in Kintbury for a yummy home made pasty (not Cornish) all good local beef.

Anyway back to the canal path I turned off just before Newbury and opted for a couple of short sections of Sustrans route 4 on the way home, lets than ideal conditions at the moment that's for sure.

itboffin

Mkay time to get the ball rolling on this one.

I rode part of the canal path yesterday morning twaz dry & hard, just about perfect for riding a MTB or CX bike.

In order to make this social less of an endurance event and more of a social I think it would be more fun to split and or shorten the route. ..??

jzed

When you thinking?

itboffin

ASAP before it rains non stop and I get back into the rat race.

I'm good all week this week or most of next week then I fear it'll have to wait a while.

jzed

itboffin wrote:

ASAP before it rains non stop and I get back into the rat race.

I'm good all week this week or most of next week then I fear it'll have to wait a while.

Am away on a car rally across Europe from Thursday so only free day, subject to missus approval, would be Saturday 7th.

itboffin

JZed wrote:

itboffin wrote:

ASAP before it rains non stop and I get back into the rat race.

I'm good all week this week or most of next week then I fear it'll have to wait a while.

Am away on a car rally across Europe from Thursday so only free day, subject to missus approval, would be Saturday 7th.

Works for me but will depend on the weather leading upto if it rains hard we may as well not bother, it'll be a mudfest