Kennet and Avon Canal

[Nigel182]

In May me and 2 mates will be riding along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading to Bath with an overnight stop at a Hotle in Devizes.
This is as a tryout for a longer trip we are hoping to take next year and ride along the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham.

As the hotel is booked it gives us the incentive to get the trip done.

Possibly the London to Brum trip we may decide to camp instead if anyone has any suggestions of campsites would be gratefull of any advice.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Can' help you with camp sites Nigel, but I envy you your K&A trip. It is a beautiful waterway with plenty to see along the way. Enjoy it.

 

[Norm]

It's a great ride, and fairly easy. I did Pewsey to Maidenhead (obviously only as far as Reading on the K&A) a few years ago without any preparation at all, and the previous longest ride I'd done was about 15 miles.

Some of the sections near Reading are very agricultural (the guide books will tell you there's no cycle access, only footpaths) and there's a fair few gates and stiles near Crofton... I want to go again just thinking of it.

 

[Nigel182]

Thanks for the replies well pick up my new Genesis Day One Alfine on Saturday so plenty of time to get used to the Hub Gears and get it prepped for May.

Although i've a good few distance rides before then to recover from the Xmas Expanding Waistline and Decreasing Fitness Syndrome.

 

[bikepacker]

I find some campsites here: http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/

Also the Fell Club have a good campsite list for cycle-campers. Their website is: http://www.fellclub.org.uk/

 

[Brains]

We did the K&A a few years ago, great route, almost European cycle path standard in sections (and depressingly English cycle standard in others).
Get the Sustrans map of the route, we found it very accurate, several sections where they take you away from the canal and suggest local roads we ignored and then found out that they were right all along.

We did Greenwich to Hampton Court
Hampton Court to Hungerford
Hungerford to Bradford on Avon (well worth a look around)
Bradford to Bristol

We did not plan ahead and stayed in pubs, B&B's and cheap hotels

 

[Oneleggedtoad]

The canal path from Newbury to Hungerford is cracking. I live in Newbury and in the summer, if I have a crap day at work, I come home, jump on the bike and cycle out to Hungerford along the canal path for a bag of chips. I love it and its a great way to wind down. Being a 20mile round trip, I can kid myself that the ride works of the fish and chips....

Reading to Newbury is also okay, once your under and past the M4.

 

[Nigel182]

Thanks for all the replies will be checking out the webites for campsites....
Now looking forward to going even more.....

 

[Barbelier]

Yeah did Bristol to Reading a few years back in 3 days. Really enjoyed it - some great pubs along the way!

Only slight downside is avoiding the constant walkers and stopping to open gates. But if your not in a rush its great.

 

[Nigel182]

Yep we definetly out for a Chill Out Trip......

Been up the River Lee a good few times to Waltham Abbey and Ware....but those were just days out......really looking forward to trying something a bit different.

Will Probably end up with the Touring Bug afterwards.

 

[Nigel182]

We are all thinking if we feel good after a night in the hotel we may even push on to Bristol instead of ending the trip at Bath,although as the train is booked from Bath we may have to ride back.

 

[andym]

We did the K&A a few years ago, great route, almost European cycle path standard in sections (and depressingly English cycle standard in others).

My experience in France, Spain and Italy is that standards in the rest of Europe vary just as much as they do here and the issues are often the same: maintenance, signage (great when you're on the route but often non-existent off it, or non-existent when you might need it most), 'shared-use' paths, routes that thread their way through back alleys of cities etc etc. The flagship tourist routes are not typical of the norm.

 

[Norm]

The flagship tourist routes are not typical of the norm.

I am indeed atypical in many key areas.

 

[Norm]

... I want to go again just thinking of it.

And, only 2 months later, all of these threads have got together and beaten me up in the middle of the night so I'm just heading off for the train to Bedwyn.