CORSHAM TO BATH?

swh535001

Hi, I'm about to move to Corsham and will be working in Bristol. Hoping to ride to work. The Bath to Bristol cycle path seems like a good option for most of the way, but I'm looking for suggestions about a (safe) route from Corsham into Bath. The A4 (Box Road?) looks pretty bike-unfriendly, at least on google.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks,

SWH

mark1964

I used to live in Box (nice place, Peter Gabriel has his studio there). The A4 into Bath is awful, fast, winding in parts with complete twatty drivers. Then once you get to Bath, it's a 14 mile route along the Railway Path into Bristol. So I reckon you're looking at potentially a 40 mile plus round trip once you add it all up, awful in winter!. Frankly, you'd be better off cycling to Chippenham, locking the bike up at the station and getting the train to Bristol. A work colleague used to commute to London like this.

Silly question, if you work in Bristol, why not move here?. You could do what I do and live on the outskirts, cycle in via the Railway Path.

reformedfatty

I'm going to take a guess the OP has been posted to abbey wood and given quarters in corsham?

Obviously a few people go that way so lift sharing is a possibility. On the bike id be using the railway path, although the last 3 miles once you get to the ring road path is a frustrating mix of poor surfaces and frequent junctions.

Mad_Malx

If you are keen on the exercise then there is a nice back route to Bradford on Avon via Atworth .
Train from Bradford to Bristol about same cost as Chippenham, so you aren't saving time or money. If the Filton guess above is correct you can get trains direct Bradford to Filton, which I don't think you can from Chippenham (but easy connection).
Don't want to put you off but I agree that the full ride is a long way. You have to get across all of bath before you are on the cycle route, which will be slow, and it then takes a long loop round to Bristol.
The A420 past Marshfield to North Bristol isn't a bundle of laughs either.

mark1964

I wouldn't ride the A420. Drivers along that road frequently make attempts on the land speed record :shock: . I once came down from Togg Hill on that road though, bit of an adrenalin rush but scary being overtaken by fast cars.

redvee

I've come down Togg Hill to the petrol station and maxxed out at 47mph, a bit gutted I couldn't achieve 50mph. Can't remember much traffic being about though.

whoof

I've ridden the B3109 from Corsham until it reaches the A365. Cross the A365 and then go past Kingsdown Golf Club to Bathford. I've only done this at the weekend and there is very little traffic.

I used to live next to Abbey Wood and commute to Bath, from FAW to the East side of Bath is about 20 miles each way. Come off the Bath Bristol Railway path just before the Staple Hill tunnel and up onto Signal Rd.
Then Teewell Hill, Broad St, Victoria St, Pleasant Rd, Shubbery Rd, Croomes Hill, Frenchay Rd, cross the river Froome (foot cycle path), Pearces Hill, Begbrok Park, Old Gloucester Rd, Filton Rd to Cold Harbour Lane and follow the cycle path around UWE and Hewlett Packard to FAW.
The alternative is follow the ring-road path but this is longer in distance and you have to cross 4 lanes of traffic a few times and can spend quite a lot of time waiting at the lights.

redvee

whoof wrote:

The alternative is follow the ring-road path but this is longer in distance and you have to cross 4 lanes of traffic a few times and can spend quite a lot of time waiting at the lights.

There are a few sections of the ring road path which are unlit too.