National Cycle Network - offshoot!

[Sunny Portrush]

Admins feel free to amalgamate this with the other NCN thread if you wish but I didnt want to hi-jack it.

Given how many people say its rubbish, I was just wondering how far people have cycled exclusively on NCN paths?

The furthest I`ve done is about 55 miles - Dunbar to Dunfermline

Maybe Im just lucky as I know I could go further, all on well paved paths, I can do it on 23c tyres!

 

[Slick]

If you are being pedantic this might not be quite exclusively path as you do have to cross the very odd road and it does link up using an industrial estate at one point but it must be much the same 55 miles from parkhead to Tarbet on loch lomond.

 

[tommaguzzi]

my main issue with the NCN is the unclear signage.

 

[Slick]

Just checked, it's only 37 miles.

 

[Sunny Portrush]

Just checked, it's only 37 miles.

That`s pedantic enough for me lol. And yes, mine did cross the odd road (but not very many if i remember correctly) linking up different NCN routes

 

[pjd57]

Done Glasgow to Edinburgh all on the canal paths.
Forth and Clyde , Maryhill to Falkirk is fine.
Union canal is not a good cycling experience.

Glutton for punishment , we went there and back the same day.
It's about 53 or 54 miles each way, as the Union meanders about a lot.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

About 10 miles but lots of stupid barriers in those miles.

 

[rogerzilla]

However many miles the Bristol to Bath path is. It's the jewel in the crown, being tarmac all the way, although ir's a bit stabby and muggery in the inner city bits. It's actually congested these days.

 

[Drago]

I live within a mile of Route 6. Never done more than a couple of miles on it. Some of it is road, some of it is gravel path and reasonable, some of it is bridleway churned up so badly it's all but impassable on a bike at any time of year.

 

[marshmella]

Route 5 on my door step and have cycled probably 20 odd miles on it.

 

[NorthernDave]

It's impossible to do any significant distance here as although there are several NCN routes, they're not particularly well joined up so you have to go "off route" on roads to link sections together.

I've done the York Solar Cycle Way to Ricall which is about 7.5 miles (NCN 65) but it's impossible to get to or from without cycling on roads and is all shared path.

At a guess I'd say the longest run exclusively is about 9 miles on NCN 66, but for much of that the NCN route is on the road.

 

[DCBassman]

I have done perhaps 80 miles of NCN27, in different stages, biggest single lump from Ilfracombe to Meeth, 51 miles, including one inadvertent off-route detour. About half of it is actually worth cycling on if you've narrow tyres.
And the signage is ludicrous to non-existent in places.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

Bowling to the Kelpies then back to the Falkirk Wheel thenon towards Edinburgh (Union Canal) then back to Falkirk? my longest I think...
that includes Port Glasgow to Bridge of Weir (75)then across to Erskine Bridge (road)

I use 75 nearly every day, use it for jumping on and off and return back the same, cracking surface.
I've travelled all the Scottish canal routes (except Monkland), been as far south as Kilwiinning 7, been across into Argyll on 75, up as far as Killin on 7, all through the coastal parts of Fife to St Andrews, up to Arbroath(?), west through Fife on (?).
Part of 78 after doing the first half of the Great Glen Way, the Hebridean Way amongst others...
I can't remember the numbers of them all but no complaints about signage and path condition up here....

 

[HLaB]

I cycled the NCN1 loop of Fife when it used to go up Binn Hill a 10% off road muddy climb in deep woods I've done the badly signed NCN Round the Forth too when they were giving out the maps for free but now a days I would only cherry pick sections of their routes.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Apart from the same routes done by @Slick and @pjd57, I did a few of the ones @Bobby Mhor rode - plus a few years ago CC Ecosse went on tour from Glasgow to Inverness mainly following route 7.
I think this trip was around 250 miles, we did it in 4 days.
Route 7 is the Lochs and Glens route.
On advice of @Edwardoka, who was with us and had done it before, we skipped a few off road bits.