Bristol to Reading - on road bikes?

[Rabbit]

I am hoping to do the Bristol to Reading canal route ride this summer with my wife and young daughter - we all have road/touring bikes and I was wondering if these would be suitable. I've looked at some previous posts on the Avon and Kennet and there seems a mix of opinions with some suggesting full on mountain bikes and others happily running bikes with skinny wheels. If anyone has done this recently on a road bike (we have 700 x 28 tyres and a 700 x 25) I'd be interested to know how you got on!

[whoof]

The section from Bristol to Bath is tarmac and can be done with any tyres/bikes. Just beyond the centre of Bath to Trowbridge you follow the canal tow path. I have ridden it with either a mountain bike with road tyres or a road bike with 28 mm Schwable marathon (or plus) touring tyres. This section certainly does not require knobblies but neither is it suitable for Schwable Ultremo or Michelin Prorace. In good weather most of it is reasonably smooth with some gravel. However it is not flat like a tarmac road has a lot of hollows a few inches deep and these can form a series of puddles if it rains. Yesterday there were really heavy showers and sections were dotted with puddles ranging from a few cms to over a metre long .

[andrew_s]

The towpath has a good compacted gravel surface until just after Devizes. It is suitable for road tyres, although maybe not as smooth as you would like.
West of Devizes, the towpath is unsurfaced - i.e bare earth/grass. I've gone as far as Honeystreet (Alton Barnes) on a road bike with 700x28 in the dry, and found it rideable but a bit slow and bumpy.

[breakwellmz]

I often cycle Bath-Trowbridge,probably the`worst`of surfaces.I`m 14 stone and have ridden that stretch several times on 23s with no problems or regrets.It obviously limits your speed,but it`s not a race track but a very enjoyable route with plenty to take in.
Go for it!

[Richard Fairhurst]

From Devizes to Marsh Benham (near Newbury), NCN route 4 actually follows country lanes in preference to the towpath, and I'd suggest going that way rather than religiously sticking to the towpath the whole way. From there to Reading it's mostly gravel again.

[Rabbit]

Thanks - I've heard that the stretch west of Devizes and beyond Pewsey is the most difficult - some say poor signposting on Route 4 and also quite hilly?

[stubbo66]

I'm doing it this weekend with my neighbours but from Reading to Bristol (in amongst the showers) with a B&B stop over in Pewsey.

Happy to provide an update after the ride if you need current conditions.

Two of us are on 29er hard tail mountain bikes, one is on a Hybrid.

[Rabbit]

Thanks very much - be interested to know how you get on, and if you think it's suitable for inexperienced cyclists (Mrs Rabbit and junior!). Good luck...

[Redvee]

I know you want to do the canal path but why not divert through bath along the Two Tunnels route? You'll have to do a bit of road riding to get from the path to the Limpey Stoke viaduct but only 2 miles.

[mercalia]

I'm doing it this weekend with my neighbours but from Reading to Bristol (in amongst the showers) with a B&B stop over in Pewsey.

Happy to provide an update after the ride if you need current conditions.

Two of us are on 29er hard tail mountain bikes, one is on a Hybrid.

So how did it go? you didnt come back on this.

[gplhl]

I'd concur with andrew_s, just after Devizes (my home town) isn't great, I'd want to be on 30 or 32 cyclocross tyres to do that bit. If it's wet you won't do it on road tyres, sorry don't know that much after Devizes but from Bristol all ok other than puncture risk on certain parts.

Regards,

Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk

[jgurney]

I have walked along part of the towpath between Pewsey and Hungerford and found it so muddy that despite being in hiking boots I had to tread carefully. This was an unexpected problem which meant I progressed a lot slower than expected ( a bit under 2mph rather than the 3mph+ stride I had been expecting to maintain) and only just caught my bus at the far end of the walk.

[san0]

I'm hoping to ride this with ReadingCTc this summer, but I want to know if these on-road routes are similar to what you all have ridden?
My objective is to use a sportive bike with 25c tyres, roll comfortable enough on the mixed terrain as plotted. If anyone can share their GPX file that will also be handy to compare. Thanks.

Bristol Templemeads to Bath Spa (Using the railway path)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970377615

Bath to Devizes (On road avoiding as much of the rough K&A canal as possible but reach the locks)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970395715

Devizes to Bedwyn (I think this is NCNR4?)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970402073

Bedwyn to Newbury (Following the NCN route 4 on road, I chose these points incase others want to return earlier by train)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970406337

Newbury to Reading (Avoiding the rough Kennet and Avon path, so going a back route)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970414931

[nosmarbaj]

Bedwyn to Newbury (Following the NCN route 4 on road, I chose these points incase others want to return earlier by train)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970406337

Unless you specially want to follow the canal, I think you'd be better bearing right out of Kintbury via Hampstead Marshall, Skinner's Green Lane and the Enborne Road into Newbury. These are pleasant country lanes, undulating but no killer hills; the towpath is rough in places and can be busy with dog walkers etc as you get close to Newbury.

Newbury to Reading (Avoiding the rough Kennet and Avon path, so going a back route)
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/970414931

Your route looks fine if you want to get to Tilehurst rather than central Reading. For central Reading, I would turn right in Theale, and cross the canal at Sheffield Bottom, then follow the road (bearing left where there's a choice) then left onto the Burghfield Road towards Reading, then right onto marked on-road cycle route through Southcote into the centre.

If you find yourselves short of time, the A4 is faster and not very horrible between Hungerford and Theale.