German tourist seeks advice about Grand Union Canal
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German tourist seeks advice about Grand Union Canal
Given recent events I'm inclined to suggest an alternative route but can anybody advise about the surface of this tow path?
I'm a rider from Leipzig, Germany, and am planning to profit from a business trip with a road bike ride from Birmingham to London (Kings Langley station to avoid the city traffic of London) next Tuesday. I was wondering whether I could take the path next to the Grand Union Canal to leave the center of Birmingham without to much traffic. As I didn't find clear information on the internet, I'd like to ask you if you could tell me if this path (starting from Bordesley station through Olton and Elmdon Heath into Catherine-de-Barnes) is fully covered with tarmac or rather a gravel road?
Thanks a lot for the information!
Hendrik Zwiener
I'm a rider from Leipzig, Germany, and am planning to profit from a business trip with a road bike ride from Birmingham to London (Kings Langley station to avoid the city traffic of London) next Tuesday. I was wondering whether I could take the path next to the Grand Union Canal to leave the center of Birmingham without to much traffic. As I didn't find clear information on the internet, I'd like to ask you if you could tell me if this path (starting from Bordesley station through Olton and Elmdon Heath into Catherine-de-Barnes) is fully covered with tarmac or rather a gravel road?
Thanks a lot for the information!
Hendrik Zwiener
Eat cake before you're hungry
- petemarshall
- Posts: 663
- Joined: 17 Jan 2014 16:40
- Real Name: Pete Marshall
- Location: Stourbridge
Its fine, if a little muddy in places. Tarmac as far as Small Heath, then gravel down to Olton (although some pretty big pot holes) after that it's mud with a few gravel sections down to CdB. I suppose it really depends on your style of riding, but do able on a road bike, in that I do it, but after a bit of rain it is better with mudguards.
Go as fast as you can through the section behind the Ackers (now tarmaced) and don't stop for anything, although after the recent fuss the kids may be avoiding that area for muggings for a while. Loads of dog walkers from Acocks Green through to CdB.
If he is in a hurry then better to use the roads. There is a decent way marked route down through Digbeth, crossing the inner ring road with a crossing, up through Small Heath and after that the Coventry Road is not a real problem.
Or use R5 to Stratford, which would be my way of cycling to London. Make a route from there or carry on down R5 to before Oxford and then head to London on country roads mainly, or the A40 if insane.
Go as fast as you can through the section behind the Ackers (now tarmaced) and don't stop for anything, although after the recent fuss the kids may be avoiding that area for muggings for a while. Loads of dog walkers from Acocks Green through to CdB.
If he is in a hurry then better to use the roads. There is a decent way marked route down through Digbeth, crossing the inner ring road with a crossing, up through Small Heath and after that the Coventry Road is not a real problem.
Or use R5 to Stratford, which would be my way of cycling to London. Make a route from there or carry on down R5 to before Oxford and then head to London on country roads mainly, or the A40 if insane.
Last edited by petemarshall on 17 Oct 2015 22:50, edited 1 time in total.
- petemarshall
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- Joined: 17 Jan 2014 16:40
- Real Name: Pete Marshall
- Location: Stourbridge
Even better, he can stay on all the way to MarlyleboneCakeStop wrote:As it sounds like he's staying in the city centre, unless he's keen to cycle all the way, I'm tempted to suggest taking a local train to the outskirts eg Solihull or Dorridge.
Let's face it, other than a few hills in the Cotswold, until you get to the Tamar there not much going for Britain south of Solihull.
- Andy Terry
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Re: German tourist seeks advice about Grand Union Canal
Don't tell him PikeCakeStop wrote:Given recent events I'm inclined to suggest an alternative route but can anybody advise about the surface of this tow path?
I'm a rider from Leipzig, Germany, and am planning to profit from a business trip with a road bike ride from Birmingham to London (Kings Langley station to avoid the city traffic of London) next Tuesday. I was wondering whether I could take the path next to the Grand Union Canal to leave the center of Birmingham without to much traffic. As I didn't find clear information on the internet, I'd like to ask you if you could tell me if this path (starting from Bordesley station through Olton and Elmdon Heath into Catherine-de-Barnes) is fully covered with tarmac or rather a gravel road?
Thanks a lot for the information!
Hendrik Zwiener
Les