Advice please Kennet tow path etc

[pablo666]

Dear readers,
I am considering touring the Kennet cycle path. I have a few questions and have searched here without success. First is how easy is it to travel by train with cycle? Is it a special ticket bought in advance? Is it only on special trains etc? Secondly, are the sustrans maps any good? The reviews on Amazon and other places are mixed. They are 5 pound each (two needed), which is ok if good value, but are they good value? Thirdly what's the best route Bath to Reading or the other way?
Hoping you can help.

 

[Brandane]

I set out to do this route a few years ago, and I have to say I was less than impressed. In fact, it was probably one of the worst cycling routes I have ever come across! I was intending to do it east to west, and started off in Windsor. It was very pleasant on the nicely paved path as far as Reading, but shortly after that I found that:.......

The paved path runs out and becomes a bumpy and in parts muddy affair along the side of the canal. In parts, it was hard to even make out the path; it was more of a narrow rut through fields. There are gates, and plenty of them. Designed to be a real PITA if you are carrying panniers as I was, as they are too narrow to get through whilst loaded. So you have to dismount, remove panniers, navigate through the gates, then re-load the panniers. Not much hassle you might say, but when it seems to happen every couple of miles?

On reaching somewhere near Hungerford I was getting really hacked off with the whole experience and asked a group of cyclists coming in the other direction if the route improved further west. Their answer was not encouraging, so I ended up getting the train back to Windsor, finding a hotel and spending the remaining few days (which I had set aside to get to Bristol) doing some very pleasant tours around Berkshire and the Chiltern hills.

Re trains, I had no problem getting the bike on the local services (no extra charge). I know that Virgin trains insist on the bike having a reservation, and again this is at no extra cost.

 

[vt2]

Dear readers,
I am considering touring the Kennet cycle path. I have a few questions and have searched here without success. First is how easy is it to travel by train with cycle? Is it a special ticket bought in advance? Is it only on special trains etc? Secondly, are the sustrans maps any good? The reviews on Amazon and other places are mixed. They are 5 pound each (two needed), which is ok if good value, but are they good value? Thirdly what's the best route Bath to Reading or the other way?
Hoping you can help.

The Kennet and Avon towpath is rideable for its whole length although between Devizes and Hungerford is a muddy track at this time of year [NCN 4 which generally follows the canal diverts off to loacl roads for this section. It is easy enough to travel by train between Reading and Bristol, but there is only limited space for bikes and in theory space should be booked at the same time as you buy your ticket. I rode the K&A in September from Bristol to Reading [taking the train from Reading] in theory with the prevailing wind but with more ascent if you can call it that than the other way round. It was quite comfortable over two days using a flat bar tourer with knobblies. The rougher bits of the towpath might make it more of a challenge on road tyres in the winter. If you take the towpath you cannot really get lost and the road sections are quite well signed. I used Viewranger on a mobile phone with OpenCycleMaps as a backstop for navigation off the route and did not bother with any guidebook.

I have also ridden part of it as a day ride from Bedwyn to Reading. Bedwyn is the end of the line for the local trains, adjacent to the canal and with trains taking up to 4 bikes every hour.

 

[Davidc]

The bit from Devizes to Bath isn't bad (or good!) and is better than a few years ago. Have done it in 2 parts this summer on a tourer with 700c 32 tyres.

Haven't ridden the rest for a long time so don't know.

Bikes on trains are OK, except when there's an organised ride using the trains.

 

[EltonFrog]

My wife and I did did it this spring. We took our bikes on the train from Bicester to Reading, the we rode from Reading to Bath over two days, taking it easy. The tow path from Reading to Hungerford is rideable but bumby in places, you wouldn't want to be riding it on this tyres, it's also very rooty which can be slippery when wet.

After Hungerford on the way to Devizes it's rideable but the path gets very narrow in places, a bit like a single track off road route, there is a Sustrans quiet road route as an alternative, which easy to find and sign posted.

After Devizes towards Bath the path is very good, but can get muddy and lumpy but it's mainly on a slight down hill.

It's a great ride, not difficult but it does have its challenges. My wife and I used our hybrids with front suspension but with road tyres, and fully loaded with luggage for a week away. There's lots of places to eat/ stay on the way.

In my opinion you don't need to buy any maps, just googlemap it and print it, and download and print the Kennet and Avon PDF brochure from their website.

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/leaflets/KAcycleguide.pdf

After Bath there is a fantastic cycle path following and old train line to Bristol, it's about 17 miles. It's wide, traffic free, a great ride.

Edit: Reading to Bath is slightly down hill, Calne Locks is a great fast down hill for about half a mile.

 

[Norm]

I have ridden the K&A about 8 times in the past 4 years, on a hard tail and on a CX-style bike, and I love it. I do it at least once a year in September, and most years I'll have another run along it, just for the giggles.

The points above about the trains to Bedwyn are spot on, I usually train down to Bedwyn then ride home, which is about 65 miles. From the Bruce Tunnel to Hungerford is pretty muddy but the route from there past Kintbury and Newbury to Theale is pretty sweet. If you follow the canal from there to Reading, it's through fields again but there's a parallel route on the NCN4 which is on Tarmac or gravel. There are two gates just east of the M4 which you have to dismount for, but the kissing gates from there up to Theale are ok, for gates. There are two gates near the pumping station just above Bedwyn which are a pain, you might need to lift your bike over them.

 

[Binka]

I've been looking at doing this next year and had been thinking about going west to east, the idea was I'd be less likely to have a headwind???

There's a good journal of this route on crazy guy. A mum and her 8yo did it west to east.

 

[flatflr]

I ride the section between Hungerford and Newbury fairly regularly and the section between Hungerford and Kintbury and a mile or two beyond is pretty muddy at the moment with a claggy clay and the canal has flowed onto the tow path in a few places, with a MTB fitted with Panaracer Rampage tyres it's still quite slippy in places.

This part of the route is well marked, but you just need to follow the canal.

If you want some company for part of it, drop me a line.