Grand Union Canal Commute?

WisePranker

I'm thinking about starting to commute to work and I was looking at the option of commuting along the canal from Hayes along the Paddington Branch then leaving the canal somewhere around Park Royal to head towards Hampstead.

Is the Grand Union any good for commuting along? Are there decent paths alongside it?

redhanded

There is a path righ along the canal but quite a few sections are unmade gravel tracks so fine on a MTB but I wouldn't want to do it on 23mm tyres.

Annoyingly, there are gates every so often where you need to get off and carry the bike around or through.

You could take the canal all the way in to Little Venice (where you need to get into the roads anyway) then head up to Hampstead for there.

Give it a go and see what you think. It will certainly be quieter than the roads but I wouldn't fancy cycling alongside the canal in the dark!

Even if you don't use it for commuting, it is a good trip for recreational cycling and you can go all the way around London from Brentford to Limehouse with just a few sections on the road. Quite a few pubs to stop at on the way, as well.

WisePranker

redhanded wrote:

There is a path righ along the canal but quite a few sections are unmade gravel tracks so fine in a MTB but I wouldn't want to do it in 23mm tyres.

Annoyingly, there are gates every so often where you need to get off and carry the bike around or through.

You could take the canal all the way in to Little Venice (where you need to get into the roads anyway) then head up to Hampstead for there.

Give it a go and see what you think. It will certainly be quieter than the roads but I wouldn't fancy cycling alongside the canal in the dark!

Even if you don't use it for commuting, it is a good trip for recreational cycling and you can go all the way around London from Brentford to Limehouse with just a few sections on the road. Quite a few pubs to stop at on the way, as well.

If I was to commute along there I'd do it on my MTB which has some Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tyres which should be ok for a towpath.
I might try to head along there some time over the next couple of weeks while I'm off work to see what it's like as far as Little Venice.

ex-pat scot

It's not bad but a little narrow in places. Would need a good light!

Ran along there recently - it's nice and flat

John B

I use this path from Horsenden Hill to Little Venice, about 7.5 miles, usually on a Carrera Subway. It's mostly a fair surface although a lot of it has been re-shingled recently which is a bit skiddy until it settles and there are a few narrow points, especially under the bridges. There is only one gate on my ride and that's at the beginning. I tend not to use this route in winter or at night. otherwise I would recommend it, lots of wildlife and industrial archaeology to see as well.

rickyrider

I commute along this route too - join it around Greenford and then 8 miles to Little Venice. Would agree with comments above - surface pretty decent, and although narrow in places, it's no big deal at all. Occasionally it gets a bit irritating having to navigate pass lots pf peds, but compared to the road its fantastic imo. Traffic free and cruising in on a sunny morning is beautiful. Have done it at night too - fine providing you have a powerful light!

I use an old rigid cannondale with semi slicks, but am looking to change to a crosser which would be best tool for job by far

redhanded

Now that I think about it, I think it is the branch of the Grand Union going out to Slough that has more gates.

Danny1962

Wow this takes me back. I was brought up near the Black Horse in Greenford, and West London was my playground. As a child I often used to roam around on my Triumph Rodeo bike, using the canal as a shortcut. This was in the very early 1970s, the canal was dreadfully polluted at the time with dead fish and nasty scum often floating on the surface. I was told that if you fell in you had to get your stomach pumped.

I was able to roam far and wide, alone and unsupervised. I kept maps in my saddle bag and learned how to use them. I did have a few close shaves with some unsavoury characters but I always got away in time and unharmed. Kids now are more protected but just don't get the chance to develop a high level of confidence and independence.

It sounds like a nice commute, and the canal is a lot cleaner now. It's level, fume free and greener than the roads. Go for it!

Danny1962

You might be able to get an idea of how things look by checking out these photos

http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=23099866 (for the Southall / Greenford / Alperton stretch)

http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=23109628&page=2 (for the Harlesden area)

Some pictures will be irrelevant but I can't screen them out easily using the search terms available.

John B

Large oil or petrol leak along the canal in the NW10 area. The surface looked almost psychedelic this morning. Didn't half pen and ink though.