Cycling UK Forum

Thanks to all of you for the advice and help. If I can't find the way to do it from the various websites, I probably shouldn't be out on my own on a bike!

Hi
I've followed a number of NCN routes in the past and like the fact that they are generally very well signed, use cycle tracks and quiet lanes and provided you keep an eye out for the signs, you can't get lost. I am looking for a reasonably comfortable route that is accessible by train from the start and finish which is why I was interested in this particular route. The fact that it takes you from two such lovely cities was the main attraction. To be honest, I wouldn't trust myself to do my own route! One of the good things about the NCN is that you can just take off and enjoy the ride without worrying about stopping every few miles to check you're on the right path! But thanks for all of the useful comments. I'll have a look at the map and see if I can work it out.

Hi
thanks for that - I see what you mean. I have tried emailing Sustrans but got no reply.

Does anyone know if route 51 between Oxford and Cambridge is fully signed? I can't seem to find a map of the route on the Sustrans website.

3 weeks ago a friend and I cycled from Bristol to Reading on road bikes and followed route 4 the whole way. We found the towpaths fine except for a fallen tree at one point (which we reported and has since been removed) and no problems with lifting bikes close to Reading, as someone reported. We did meet some cyclists coming in the other direction who said they'd had to lift their bikes over kissing gates but it seems they missed the cycle path and took a footpath along the canal as they left Reading, by mistake. We had one day in really heavy rain, this was a stretch pretty much all on road, but the next day we were back on the towpath and it was perfectly passable, not really muddy at all. Someone talked earlier about running out of towpaths but that may have been when it wasn't as well signed, as we never did. Hope that helps.