Riding the Canals, ever do it?

Used to ride along regents canal often on my old MTB, have been avoiding it since upgrading to my road bike, can imagine it being quite bone shaking.
Is it bad for the bike? riding on those kind's of surfaces?

it doesn't really get all that bumpy to be truthful
there are sections of concrete slabs - smooth just watch that front tyre going in between the slabs and tracking
sections of mud - usually tamped down by millions of footengers and numerous bikes pretty smooth really
sections of gravel - around wormwood scrubs area again lovely and flat

the worst sections encountered are on the leevalley north of springfield parks and that really only is bad for a mile or so

so in summary it's fine on a road bike with 700c x 23's MTB's are really required
have done from limehouse basin to the thames in brentford many many times and it's a great ride