Peregrine Trail

[Achilles]

I am planning on spending next weekend in the Symonds Yat area with my wife who's idea of a prefect cycle route is flat and smooth! I am keen not to put her off so would the Peregrine trail on a hybrid be OK? The profile should be OK next to the river/ in the valley but what are the off road bits like?

I showed her a 17 mile route N of Ross on Wye which would push her a bit but might be an alternative

Thanks in advance

[AlexxelA]

I assume you mean the new Sustrans path from Monmouth to Symonds Yat. You can start in the car park near the start of Hadnock Road in Monmouth. This give around a mile of fairly level tarmac on a quiet lane to get to the path. There is an alternative car park here. From here it is very smooth new lovely gravel (the newly laid path) passing fields for another mile or so. Then smooth fire road to Symonds Yat. Hybrid will be fine. From Symonds Yat consider carrying on along the road 2 miles further to Goodrich Castle for the views. Also in the area there is a circular 9 mile traffic free family route starting from the Pedalabikeaway shop near Canop Ponds. Also here is the FODCA red MTB trail.

[Achilles]

Thanks for the quick reply - sounds just the job!

[FasterFerret]

Rather than start a new thread I thought that I would ask my question here. Hopefully it will make any answers easier to find.

Reading through various LEJOG posts there are a number of recommendations to use the Peregrine Trail to link between Monmouth and Goodrich.

I was wondering about the current state of the trail?

I will be traveling by road bike, unloaded but with 25mm tyres; could anyone with local knowledge give me a heads-up on suitability?

[hayers]

Rode it in the spring - me on 28mm marathons my mate on 25mm gatorskins - no problems - a bit slidy in the wet but quite rideable

[Richard Fairhurst]

Agreed, it should be fine (rode it last summer). It's a little gravelly but not bumpy.

[FasterFerret]

Many thanks. Much appreciated.

I will add that to my route.

[mattsccm]

Use it regularly on my road bike. Tarmac for a bit, then loose gravel. Then hard paced FC type stuff. Fine for hybrids. About a mile + from the Yat to the river and nearly that up the hill to Goodrich.bYat to Goodrich is all fairly quiet road. Take it gently on the loose bit. Flat but some blind bends and plenty of walkers. Currently lying in the bath trying not to wet the whopping scab left from an off on the gravel.

[FasterFerret]

Now that I am finished, I'm trying to 'report back' on all the help that I had putting my JOGLE route together.

I used the Peregrine Trail as part of my route all the way from the Saracens Head/Canoe centre car park, popping out on the Hadnock Rd. My approach was from Ross-on-Wye, through Walford and Goodrich.

I was riding a carbon road bike with 25mm Conti GP4000II tyres.

Had no problem at all with the quality of the trail, a little bumpy but generally a good track from start to finish. It wasn't the kind of surface that had me worried about punctures.

Got there at about 11:30 on a Sunday morning, so it was quite busy with people walking and cycling, but it was very easy to keep a good pace without being discourteous along the way.

The whole of the Wye Valley was one of the highlights of the trip. I would recommend this route to anyone doing a LEJOG or JOGLE