London - Bristol - London // Offroad Weekend (route help needed)

@Simba and @JesperXT are joining me for a weekend of Bespoked in Bristol.

We are planning to ride from London or somewhere outside of London to Bristol.
We would like it to be bridle path / offroad all the way. So we are looking for route suggestions.
We are planing to camp/and or sleep in hotel on the way up there friday, going to Bespoke saturday, and riding home Sunday.

You could get onto the Ridgeway in Wendover and follow it to the end at Avebury, not sure how you'd get to Bris from there offroad.

Thank you

The Kennet & Avon canal would cover a good chunk of the route. Mixture of surfaces from gravel towpath to going across a few fields.
It's a Sustrans route (http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/kennet-and-avon-cycle-route)

Before that, to get to Reading, you can follow either the Thames from SW London towards Reading. Much of that is off-road. Or the canal from Hanwell / Southall. They both meet up around the Jubilee River near Windsor.

Use The Ridgeway - 40 plus miles between Streatley and Swindon and then down to Avebury - epic off road and fantastic views. If you fancy a reccy I'm organising a West to East Ridgeway ride as soon as the chalk is dry!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Swindon,+UK/Streatley,+Reading,+West+Berkshire+RG8/@51.5563308,-1.6048402,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x4871444f3ddbe4e5:0xa556bf37e9c5949a!2m2!1d-1.7797176!2d51.5557739!1m5!1m1!1s0x4876bd37ca765c9b:0x836dbcf6ec7827!2m2!1d-1.1488225!2d51.5225588!3e2

I was researching this a while back. Really would love to ride off-road/traffic-free to Bristol.
Personally would stay on or near the Thames path (longer) to Reading then hit up the K&A canal like Frank says.

Dull and flat...but easier if you're on tourers.

Ridgeway is do-able on a hardtail MTB.

Actually that's a tad harsh. Love canals and not dull at all.

my folks like just across the severn from bristol
have thought many times about riding home to see them

if there are any scrutineering rides to check out the ridgeway or the K&A give me a shout, i'd be up for a ride out that way in the coming months

Thank you. I will look into that.

That sounds fun. Count me in!

I am either on gravel grinder or hardtail mtb.

ridgeway isn't too bad. for most of it, it's compacted gravel stuff. would be easy enough on 32c. but hardtail would def be more suitable.

if there are any scrutineering rides to check out the ridgeway or the K&A give me a shout, i'd be up for a ride out that way in the coming months

Me also!

Did you ever do this ride? Am planning to ride London to cheddar following the canal path for most of it so any route advice welcome. Cheers.

Nah, was hoping @dicki was going to organise, but alas.

Well, let me know if it happens befor August. Need to get into shape for the 100miles in late Aug so if I do a reccy I'll let you know.

We did 60 or 70 km of the route from Reading. It was fun but there are better routes unless you bring kids. Then it's perfect.

I would do it in sunshine

Hmm. I've been told there's a similar route that doesn't follow the canal in https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lonely-Planet-Cycling-Britain-Travel/dp/1741040426 so I may splash out on a second hand copy and take a look

If the company were the same I would do it pouring rain (again) anytime.
But our ride from Bristol to Salisbury had so much more to offer in vistas and great landscapes. I suspect it was because we weren't riding on a completely flat path with trees on both sides to block the view

A few years back British Heart Foundation did Egham to Bath off road,,it was hard, i was knackered, ... last bit was canals, i remember the ridgeway, descending to Avebury then a long climb over to the canals,,, will see if i can find it somewhere,,,,

http://www.cycle-route.com/cycle-events/British_Heart_Foundation_Windsor_to_Bath-582.html