Grand Union canal routes

Hiya,
I'm trying work out the best route to ride from Harlesden, NW10 to Great Portland Street. I'd really like to use a Grand Union canal but struggling to find a site with decent maps.
Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Baggy

Ive tried to do the same thing recently, Couldn't find any decent maps either. They exist I'm sure, just dont know where to find them yet? It can be a bit off road in places, Doable but will rattle your teeth out on certain stertches if your on a road bike. Let me know if you come up with any decent maps.

I am pretty sure you can just follow the canal path from Ladbroke Grove Sainsburys to the tunnel in Little Venice.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Harlesden&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=20.088699,57.128906&ie=UTF8&ll=51.525861,-0.226293&spn=0.020586,0.05579&z=15

follow the blue line

Canals are fucking unpredictable. Went on a 20mile canal ride the other day, took the mtb yet well sketchy, long sections were actually more challenging than when I have actually gone 'mountain biking'. Maps give you no idea of what to expect.

Expect mud, lots of mud. Very bumpy dirt surfaces, very bumpy brick surfaces, uncleared leaves, flooded sections, awkward stairs & ramps, multiple bridge crossings where the paving runs out. Low tunnels.

Crazy people, crazy animals etc.

Canals are fucking unpredictable. Went on a 20mile canal ride the other day, took the mtb yet well sketchy, long sections were actually more challenging than when I have actually gone 'mountain biking'. Maps give you no idea of what to expect.

Expect mud, lots of mud. Very bumpy dirt surfaces, very bumpy brick surfaces, uncleared leaves, flooded sections, awkward stairs & ramps, multiple bridge crossings where the paving runs out. Low tunnels.

Crazy people, crazy animals etc.
thats birmingham normally, innit?

from harlesden to gt portland no mud all tarmac all the way

You will have to come off the canal at Paddington basin-area and it's a bit fiddly round there. You are probably best (fastest) to go by road to around Lisson Grove, where you can get on the canal. Go along 1.5-2 miles to the Zoo. After you go through the zoo bits, before the 90 degree bend, peel off up to your left and go back round over the canal into Regents park. Round & down to Gt Portland St.
google Regents Canal or use tfl routefinder cycle option.

..and that bit of canal is all tarmac and fast.

Canals are fucking unpredictable. Went on a 20mile canal ride the other day, took the mtb yet well sketchy, long sections were actually more challenging than when I have actually gone 'mountain biking'. Maps give you no idea of what to expect.

Expect mud, lots of mud. Very bumpy dirt surfaces, very bumpy brick surfaces, uncleared leaves, flooded sections, awkward stairs & ramps, multiple bridge crossings where the paving runs out. Low tunnels.

Crazy people, crazy animals etc.

Think you can check with British Waterways about maint' works / collapsed paths etc when planning a journey along the canals.

No use if you're just exploring of course, but useful if you know upfront where you want to go.

This is the boating link, I'm sure there's a pathway one too if you click around - my mate mentioned it to me after he wrote complaining about bits of the canal path up here being un-passable on a ride and they wrote back telling him there's bits out of commission from time to time.

http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/stoppages

other option is just ride down harrow road turn left at sutherland ave and take the back roads there to regents park and then down to great portland.

i usualy just ride down harrow road straight to marlybone

London Transport do some excellent maps. The canal routes are well signposted anyway - follow the water!

You've probably worked out your best route now but I cycle Harlesden - Farringdon and tried using the canal but you keep having to come off or stop for pedestrians or dodge crackheads under bridges, it's neither fast nor pleasurable. I find Harrow Rd/Marlyebone Rd/etc is the best way but it depends how much you enjoy riding in traffic, otherwise try going through Maida Vale and round Regents Park.

British Waterways are the most ineffectual money grabbing wrong doing government funded body, yet!

just sayin....

I cycled from further west (Alperton) and this stretch of canal is quite easy. The only issue is near Kensal Town which is quite busy and there are few nutters who hate cyclists. Order cycling mpas from TFL: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11682.aspx
Florent

I used this route to get to Gunnersbury recently. From Camden and around Regent's park is quick, but then before you get to the Little Venice tunnel, there's a long section of canal boat moorings where cycling isn't possible (the water supplies/electric hookups cross the path and have been built up to bottom bracket height) Each one was marked with a 'no cycling' sign and I have heard that this stretch is designated as non-cycling officially. You have to briefly leave the canal here, after going up the steps to go over the tunnel, however it's pretty easy to find the water again. The canal remains forbidden to cyclists until just past Little Venice basin, so you cross the bridge and then turn right, there's a cycle path parallel to the canal at first which merges with the canal path a little later. From there it is a direct blam as far as you want to go, although there are some abrupt steep sections a bit before you get near Wormwood Scrubs. Altogether it's a nice ride, although if I'd known about the mooring area on the Camden>Little Venice section, I'd have considered coming off the canal before then.

I.... although if I'd known about the mooring area on the Camden>Little Venice section, I'd have considered coming off the canal before then.

You have to come off anyway because the tunnel below the second elec. substation / edgeware road has no towpath.

If you did leave the tow path earlier you'd have had Prince Albert Road and the crappy Wellington / St Johns Wood road roundabout to deal with, and then the inevitability of getting left hooked just after the Lisson Grove junction on St Johns Wood road.

It's worth noting that the canal is unridable for the first 400m after the basin going west- follow Delamere Terrace to the footbridge then go straight through the park to the right of the church and re-join by the Harrow Road. The canalside raised pavement on Delamere Terrace isn't actually a cycle path, so you need to use extra care when using it when going west to east.

Anyone ride the Brentford section?

Looks like I might have to commute to near West Drayton from Tooting. 17 miles each way is a stretch everyday but my potential new place of work is right beside the canal so it might be more feasible if a good chunk is on the canal.

it get a bit messy towards the river around brentford, a few steps to climb and a few bridges to cross the thames, some old warehouses you have to ride through etc, but a mile from the thames it goes to proper canal path and is a decent surface for a few miles / as far as the t-junction where you choose if you want to go to central london or birmingham
as far as i recall it get a bit muddy once you leave the M25 heading nw ish but you can probably take a section of that canal way towards west drayton

there might be a bit you can use but it seems a bit out of the way plus the canal moves nw out of london and you want to go more west ish

Cheers dicki. If it's rubbish around Brentford then I might look at joining the canal from after Osterley Park, from there it looks pretty straight to Stockley Park which is where I'll probably be working.

Was rather hoping I could avoid the whole A4/Syon Lane area as it looks like a mess but admittedly I've never ridden there before. Nothing for it but to try it I guess.

Hiya,
I'm trying work out the best route to ride from Harlesden, NW10 to Great Portland Street. I'd really like to use a Grand Union canal but struggling to find a site with decent maps.
Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Baggy

From Harlesden, go towards the Car Supermarket, and instead of turning right, go past the roundabout and join the canal.

That will take you to St Johns Wood and to Edgware Road.

From there is its best just to ride the Euston Road to Gt Portland St.

You can do the Regents Canal but its busy and not as much fun.

There are some decent back roads on the south side of Marylebone road to get to Gt Portland road

I rode from brentford to hayes for a few years, it's only 10 mins further to W/Drayton.
the route isn't bad at all. 1 low bridge, all the barriers have since been removed so there is no stopping, etc.. a bit rough ground near old southall, but other than that, it's pretty ok.

I've used that route out of Central London for a while to my folks in Bucks- both the Paddington arm and the one from Brentford. Interesting as in peaceful but not fast. It's a bit slippy if icy which does tend to focus the mind rather