My wife and I are headed away for a post-Christmas get-away. We're staying in Rugby, but planning on venturing to Coventry, Stratford upon Avon, Nottingham, and possibly the southern part of the peak district. My wife has decided that she wants to take the bikes to make exploring a bit quicker/easier (we are known for covering up to 25 miles on foot per day when we're on holiday), which I am all for. Are there any nice cycle/tow paths in these areas, perhaps with pubs/coffee shops along the way? I have a road bike and my wife has a hybrid/flat bar road bike. We're probably looking at covering 20-25 miles/day max at a leisurely pace.
Cycling around Coventry, Rugby, Stratford upon Avon, Nottingham areas
- Thread starter rivers
- Start date
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
The area directly south of Rugby (Napton on the Hill, Southam, Shuckburgh etc) is very pleasant, and I've ridden through it on a number of occasions. There are two canals (the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union) that running through it. But I've never ridden the towpaths.
No route suggestions, sorry, but I'm sure that if you just went out and meandered a bit round there you'd have a good time, and you could start straight from Rugby, no faffing around with the car. Much of the rest of that area is nicely smooth (Note that Napton on the Hill is ... on a hill). The terrain rears up to the SE, and gets hilly at about Priors Marston.
No route suggestions, sorry, but I'm sure that if you just went out and meandered a bit round there you'd have a good time, and you could start straight from Rugby, no faffing around with the car. Much of the rest of that area is nicely smooth (Note that Napton on the Hill is ... on a hill). The terrain rears up to the SE, and gets hilly at about Priors Marston.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
The area immediately outside Coventry seemed to be a cycling infrastructure disaster zone. Expect to be on naked roads or suffer a choice between substandard junk paint+sign paths and optimised-for-motoring road designs. A ride report is at https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/coventry-kenilworth-stoneleigh-coventry.194406/
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
There's some lovely lanes around the Coventry and Rugby area. Unfortunately I don't have any routes that start in Rugby. You could look at leaving Rugby past the hospital and going straight across the Ashlawn Road towards Barby, theres a substantial climb there but once up there there're some nice lanes to explore, and the barby garden Centre is worth a visit. If you are coming to Coventry there are some quiet lanes around the City and some quiet routes into the city but its a typical busy city. If you are going to go into Stratford try and go through Tidington its a quieter route into the town.
From Rugby you can head out to Draycote Water, a quick lap around then head to the disused railway and along the canal from Offchurch through Leamington as far as you like. Other option is to divert on rural roads to Stratford and onto the old railway there. All of them will require a bit of rural road, unless you drive to Draycote water and park up.
