Cycling The Thames Thames Path V Sustrans 4

[Disco Bike]

Hi,

I organise small trips away for groups of 20-30 people, (it's a business of sorts). We do lots of other things as well so cycling is more of an occasional thing for us. However there are a lot of cyclists on board and I cycle to work 16 miles round.

I'm planning a trip down the Thames from somewhere about 75 miles out of Kew. It would take up 3 days and be a really easy trip, suitable for anyone who rides a bike a bit. Not for hardcore cyclists who would be very bored, it is more of a social thing riding some of the way in the sun and spending lot's of time in the pubs.

Day 1 30 miles,




day 2 25 miles - so can have a beer at end of day




day 3 20 miles



I really wanted to do this on the Thames path but have been looking around and there's loads of very annoying yet possible true advise taht you are not allowed to cycle on the Thames Path. You should use Sustrans 4.

so things I'd be keen to get words of wisdom on are

1. Where to start? It needs to have a train station to get everyone out there (I am planning to use a bike transporter to get all the bikes out, as I am expecting they won't all fit in the bike carriage!)

2.Is it really a bad idea to cycle down the Thames, I was really keen to go along the river, and not use roads. Does the Sustrans route 4 do that? I was looking at the the sustrans mapping tool here http://www.sustrans.org.uk/map?key=London&type=RG#501885,169536,3
and I can't see the river ( I think the route might be drawn on top of it?)

Any advice welcome, also will need to find B and B's fro the group and most imporatantly pubs, so would be great to hear from anyone in the know.

Thanks!

 

[Bodhbh]

I tried to cycle down the Thames path from Windsor-ish into London last year and sections of it are definately non-cyclable. I was on a MTB, but even so it becomes more trouble that it's worth with gates/stairs/pedestrians and you'll end up taking the road. Once you start getting into London it becomes a wide and decently surfaced path, but out there definately no.

 

[Disco Bike]

hmmm thanks!

 

[Bodhbh]

No idea on B&B's, I'd probably arrange to have overnight stops in Henley and Eton/Windsor as they look okay places to hang out for the night and have a few beers by the river. If it was me, I'd go right thru to the Thames barrier in the East, the ride across London via the river is well worth doing inself although maybe you all Londoners and want to get out of town rather than thru it.

 

[Norm]

I must have cycled a different path to Bod as I've ridden from Windsor to Kew along the Thames without a problem - one of my bestest memories was a day cycling from Maidenhead to Kingston along the Thames, then back on the A308.

There are some sections where you aren't actually cycling right beside the river (Staines and Walton, for instance) but you'll generally be within a few metres and if you are "only" doing 25-30 miles a day, you won't be harem-scarem amongst the walkers anyway.

 

[sheddy]

bookmarked

 

[Disco Bike]

I must have cycled a different path to Bod as I've ridden from Windsor to Kew along the Thames without a problem - one of my bestest memories was a day cycling from Maidenhead to Kingston along the Thames, then back on the A308.

There are some sections where you aren't actually cycling right beside the river (Staines and Walton, for instance) but you'll generally be within a few metres and if you are "only" doing 25-30 miles a day, you won't be harem-scarem amongst the walkers anyway.

Were you actually on the Thames Path Norm? or were you on the Sustrans route 4? I'm currently thinking I'll take maps for both and do which ever works best...

really appreciate all of you guys comments )

 

[Bodhbh]

I must have cycled a different path to Bod as I've ridden from Windsor to Kew along the Thames without a problem - one of my bestest memories was a day cycling from Maidenhead to Kingston along the Thames, then back on the A308.

There are some sections where you aren't actually cycling right beside the river (Staines and Walton, for instance) but you'll generally be within a few metres and if you are "only" doing 25-30 miles a day, you won't be harem-scarem amongst the walkers anyway.

Hrmm the path i was following was directly by the river, there unless there's one futher out or the otherside. Maybe more of it is ridable then I remember, but I deffo got turfed off onto the road at least a couple of times. North side I think, you don't cross till the ferry at at Shepperton iirc?

 

[dellzeqq]

I've cycled back from Windsor and you do have to mess about a bit at Staines, but the only big choice you face is where NCN4 cuts out a loop of the Thames at Barnes. Actually it's not much of a choice - NCN4 is dull, and the Thames path is do-able all the way to Deodara Road in Wandsworth, although it requires patience - there are lot of walkers and some of the path has tree roots across it. You do have to take a small diversion in around the Fullers brewery in Mortlake

East of Deodara Road you should really walk the bike through Wandsworth Park. You then get on to small roads that take you to a cycle bridge over the Wandle Delta (not quite as big as the Mississippi or Nile Deltas, but big by South London standards) which then takes you on to an unlovely road past the dump.

From that point on it's not easy - you have to dodge back and forth on to roads, and I'm guessing that the connection north of Battersea power station is still a way off. On the other hand there are some lovely lengths of path - having stopped for coffee in Battersea Square you get to go around St. Mary's Church and then past Montevetro. At Vauxhall you can wind your way around the MI6 Tempietto (I'd tell you all about it, but I'd have to kill you afterwards) and on past St. Thomas's - although Lambeth has tried a non-legal closure of the path at St. Thomas's. You should walk past the Saatchi gallery, because Charles Saatchi, go-cart racer and collector of tat, owns the Embankment, and you should also walk past the Oxo Tower. Some of the path between Tate Modern and the Globe is closed at present, but it's worth persisting and going on to the Golden Hind, under London Bridge, and on to Tower Bridge and the Design Museum. From here it gets kind of awkward as various freeholders ignore their planning agreements and keep the riverside path gated, and there's big construction activity west of Woolwich. It might even be worth taking a diversion north of the Thames through Canary Wharf, although don't attempt to park your bikes outside unless you want to front out the security guards...

East of Woolwich the path winds around the O2, past A Slice of Reality, although, again, there is some development and periodic closures here. You do, however, get to see the Barrier, which is nice.

My suggestion would be to pm Topcat1, who is the Thames Path Expert.

 

[Norm]

Hrmm the path i was following was directly by the river, there unless there's one futher out or the otherside. Maybe more of it is ridable then I remember, but I deffo got turfed off onto the road at least a couple of times. North side I think, you don't cross till the ferry at at Shepperton iirc?

The ferry at Shepperton was indeed part of my route.

Now you mention that bit, you are right and there was some road required between Staines and Shepperton.

I was travelling without a map (I'd only intended to go as far as Windsor) and I can't remember exactly where it was but it was generally (aside from near Chertsey bridge, IIRC) pretty quiet. Most of the tarmac sections were surfaced access rather than public roads.

 

[Disco Bike]

oh brilliant, that's great, really useful. I am actually finishing at Kew, but I'm getting tempted to schedule in another through the city from there to the Thames barrier with all this good advice!

I'm currently mapping a route using a combo of footpaths and the sustrans, using map my ride and the cycle streets mapping tool (why won't map my ride just show me the map with the cyclepaths on it unless I'm not logged in! Grrr!). I'll share it when I'm done.

So I think we've got from Windsor covered, I wonder if anyones done west of Windsor. I'm gettng quite excited, thanks for all your help!

 

[andym]

The Thames Path/riverside is pretty doable east of Tower Bridge and on down through Greenwich and the Greenwich Penninsula. There are one or two places where you need to head back inland eg at Dockhead in Bermondsey, but nothing that presents any significant issues.

Sections of the route (eg Richmond) will be busy at weekends but quiet the rest of the time. The South Bank is always busy and would be problematic with a large group of cyclists: the most considerate thing would be to get off and walk for a bit on that section.

 

[Norm]

West of Windsor? That's my back garden, that is. The first 7 or 8 miles west of Windsor are easy cycle track to the north of the Thames, skirting the Eton Rowing Lake (one of the 2012 venues).

There is a section of around 200m just before you go under the M4 which should be walked, but I usually ride it slowly without a problem.

Under the Sounding Arch and you come to Maidenhead Bridge, cross to the south bank and follow the road as far as Cookham. It's not a bad bit of road, over Widbrook Moor with Cliveden visible across the river, but I'm not sure what it's like from there to Marlow and onwards.

 

[Bodhbh]

It's not a bad bit of road, over Widbrook Moor with Cliveden visible across the river, but I'm not sure what it's like from there to Marlow and onwards.

Reminds me, the Rebellion Brewery and shop are at Marlow (well Marlow bottom)

If any fuel needed putting in the tank, moral needed lifting, medicine was required, etc.

 

[Disco Bike]

Reminds me, the Rebellion Brewery and shop are at Marlow (well Marlow bottom)

If any fuel needed putting in the tank, moral needed lifting, medicine was required, etc.

Probably all three!