NCN4 Bristol - London. Anyone done this lately?

[loz]

Hi all, was wondering whether anyone had used the sustrans ncn4 between bristol and london recently? I ask as the posts i can find are a few years old and i'd like to know more onthe current state of the surfaces.

From what i can see some is tarmac but some is loose. I'm planning on taking the route soon with a fully loaded tourer so i can't really deal with long sections of pot holes etc

Any info appreciated

Thanks

 

[Brains]

I did it, on a fully loaded tourer, but it was quite a few years ago. Pot holes were not an issue then, but mud was. There is a section around the tunnel near Marlbrough where you need to follow the Sustrans route and not try and stay on the canal

 

[Brandane]

I tried it a few years back, and from what I have read nothing has significantly changed. I travelled from Scotland to do the London to Bristol ride, and to say I was disappointed is an understatement.

It's fine out past Reading, but then ... Narrow tracks through fields; and gates which you can't get a pannier laden bike through - on the NCN, WTF? Gates were quite regular too, and involved stopping, detaching panniers, pass through gate, re-attach panniers.

I gave up at Hungerford and went back to London; that's how bad it was. It's as much a cycle route as fly in the air. I met cyclists coming the opposite direction and asked them if it improved further west; their answers were my reason for bailing!

Sorry to be negative about it, but I wouldn't like anyone else to waste time and money on this. There are other much better cycle routes to consider.