For those that missed this first time around back in July, Graham Burgess will be leading this ride again.
The full 48 mile route will start from Wharf Road Carpark in Devizes, meeting at 9:15 for a 9:30 departure. The route follows the canal towpath down past Caen Locks and continues through Semington and Staverton to Bradford on Avon where we will meet anyone opting for the shorter 23 mile route at the Lock Inn Cafe at around 10:45 for an 11:00 (ish) departure so time for a quick coffee and cake!
The route then continues along the canal path past Avoncliff and the amazing aquaduct through to Brassknocker Basin. From Brassknocker, it picks up the “Sustrans” 13 mile Two Tunnels loop which continues along the canal past Claverton, Bathampton and Bathwick before passing through the suburbs and into Bath centre.
The route then follows the River Avon for a short while before picking up the gentle uphill gradient path through to the Two Tunnels which are an impressive 800 metres and 1672 metres long. From the Tunnels the route goes over the Tucking Mill Viaduct to Midford where we will stop for a pub lunch at the Hope and Anchor.
The route then takes to single country lanes for a mile or two with a couple of short sharp climbs through to Monkton Combe where it drops back down to Brassknocker Basin to rejoin the canal path for the return route back to Bradford on Avon and onto Devizes with the gradual climb up past Caen locks to finish back at the Wharf Road carpark.
This is an entirely non-technical route that will be at a moderate pace and suitable for anyone looking to add a few miles to their repertoire without the fear of big hills or scary bits….. Lots of opportunities along the way for cafe/pub stops and emphasis is on having fun and social day out doing something a bit different. NO ONE will be left behind….
Parking fees are £5.20 at Devizes and £4.00 at Bradford on Avon
It is anticipated that the canal path will be reasonably busy with other cyclists and walkers so a bell would be useful if you have one. The tunnels are lit and well surfaced but is advisable (although not essential) to have a small commuter light for this section.
Start points: Full route – Wharf Road Carpark, Devizes SN10 1EA
Shorter route – Lock Inn Cafe, Bradford on Avon BA15 1LE (nearest 15carpark Baileys Barn BA15 1BX)
Hi Graham.
I’ve recently got back into mountain biking again after a long time, I wanted to know if this ride is open to anyone.
Hi Mark,
The short answer is “yes, just be sensible/realistic when picking the 48 or 23 mile option”.
The longer answer is that we always try and accommodate everyone on the ride, whatever their ability. That said, there should always assumptions/expectations from both the organisers and participants.
For example, we’d assume that anyone taking on the 48 mile option would be pretty fit, so the expectation is for a faster pace to/from where it meets the 23 mile option. The time provided for the start of the 23 mile option is based on that happening.
The 23 mile option, effectively the main part of the ride, is obviously much shorter and flat, so we can expect the entire spectrum of rider abilities. As such expect the pace to be slower and actually it really doesn’t matter what that pace is, we’ll just go at the speed that suits the whole group (i.e. the slowest rider!).
Non-members of the club are always welcome to come to an event or two before joining the club, so don’t worry if you’ve not joined yet.
Any other questions then please ask.