Grand Union Canal London to Brum.

Afternoon All.
Am planning next years Mad Adventure
And have decided on London to Birmingham via the Grand Union Canal.

Most reckon we are Certifiable but it looks well do-able.

Have UTFS and am now armed with Maps and guides just looking for any Recomendations of Boozers / B&B's.

Looking to go next April

also found its the route of a Race in May so will aviod then to miss the mass of runners.

I have a few friends who have ran the Grand Union Canal Race (http://www.gucr.co.uk/) and it might be worth talking to people who have done it about the state of the towpath which in places might be pretty difficult to ride on. But it sounds like a great adventure!

that should be a good run through not sure of BnB's but most canal side pubs are good. good luck with it.

Squirell:
Yeah thought about that and we are planning to stay Towpath as much as possible only using the road as Last Ditch options rather than ditching in the Canal

rg37:
Thanks there are plenty of Boozers and will eventually book B&B in advance .
And will updat thread with progress...

I'll be doing it Singlespeed and may even convert my mate to the Darkside before we go and get him to leave his Hybrid at home.

The paths meant to be too pants for road bikes. Theres a thread here somewhere...search the travel thread i think.

Cyclo X bike would be ideal

n3lson
have found a couple of threads on here covering small parts of the canal....
it was done by one of the cycle mags during winter with a support car and photgraphers aswell so reckon April and unsupported should be doable so that's why we are aiming for it.

And any Long Ride on the bike is a Bonus at present.

been up to watford along it, some parts are terrible fixed with skinny tyres.
singlespeed will be fine though

Thanks 31trum
couldn't get a circle round the r though.

ive done birmingham to warwick on a mtb. at least a third of that was just about rideable on fat knobby tyres. good fun though. good luck. and bring good set of lights!

https://www.lfgss.com/thread31070.html

I think this the thread i meant...

Great idea, might want to start from Brentford lock.

Thanks for all replies so far

nslson:
just had a look at the thread you linked...cheers

RPM:
Start is Purfleet Essex and riding up to the City not using the Train When we go....
Just to Confirm our Madness / Insanity

Roll on April !!!!

I've ridden the canals a bit. It's fine fixed but doing it long distance at any more than a pootle I'd 'prefer' to use an ss MTB.

ive done birmingham to warwick on a mtb. at least a third of that was just about rideable on fat knobby tyres.

That used to be part of a regular training run for me when I lived in Birmingham and most of it was easily doable on a crossbike. "just about" makes it sound a lot more extreme than it is.

@ Nigel182: Would not want to do it on a roadbike, and depending on what it is, would have concerns of using a hybrid. If you are expecting decent gravel surfaces and thinking easily rideable for it's entirity you are wrong. Think muddy singletrack.

Lots of the early bits of the canal get really boggy and muddy during wet spells.

Anybody interested in doing this now-ish? I might be up for riding to london from birmingham if someone else is game. might be a bit too boring otherwise.

Sorry DFP
We down for next May heading your way
Still if you do ride it please let us know how you got on ....would really appreciate it