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Super late reply, sorry. River route is very bumpy (as in, sharp rocks) between the M25 and the north circular. I have been doing it on 35c tyres, but prefer the A10. Most people are on MTBs. There are also sometimes horses on the path near the reservoir, which is fun but also quite annoying. More people/cyclists/dogs the further in you get (so, once you're past walthamstow).
Marron-
Hmm, think I'll avoid the towpath then. Cheers for the info :)
Met two other cyclists on the way home tonight, one chap heading to Hertford and the other to Cheshunt so invariably ended up caning it. Rode the last seven miles alone, by which time I was absolutely spent; cold and with calves and hamstrings cramping up. All I could think about was drinking a huge mug of sweet tea and eating anything and everything.
Aiming to ride again tomorrow unless I completely seize up tonight.
TurtleRecall
Haha thanks, I'll need all the luck I can get, if all goes to plan my weekly mileage will be increasing from around 100 to about 280...
And yes, all the lights on the old A10 are a shame, also the road surface isn't great and there's not much in the way of bike lanes or separation from traffic until you hit the bus lanes inside the north circular (if I remember correctly).
How did you find the river route? How much slower was it? Would it be do-able on a roadie with 28c tyres? Are there a lot of other people/cyclists/dogs etc using it?