The Beacon Message Board

I'm thinking about putting my 'cross bike to more use than commuting and after some route ideas.
Has anyone suggestions on towpaths, gravel tracks, byways etc. heading south from Birmingham. I'm looking to make a 40 mile route similar to the Tour of the Black Country.

Apart from canal towpaths and NCN off-road routes I've struggled to put any decent routes together. Public bridleways have varied from rideable off-road trails and beds of streams to muddy quagmires and heavy undergrowth in a fairly short distance. I've found a few decent sections but they're just short interludes between country lanes. Other parts of the country do much better but I haven't found a great deal round here sadly.

This map illustrates the limited and fragmented off-road (green) opportunities around here...

http://tinyurl.com/zh6dst6

Thanks Steve. I'd looked on Sustrans and expected to find more too. I remember when I first moved to Birmingham I rode some of NCN5 on my race bike and wished I was on my cross bike then