Sustrans 403 Chipp'n to Avebury

[james01]

How difficult are the offroad bits between Chippenham and Avebury? I'm leading a few middle-aged cyclists this summer on touring bikes. We're happy to take our time and wheel the bikes where necessary. Any advice much appreciated.

[foxyrider]

sorry i can't advise on the whole thing - i did manage the first bit out of Chippenham on my road bike last year, it was a bit muddy in places but you shouldn't have too much issue with touring bikes.

[andrew_s]

Chippenham to Calne is ex-railway, and whilst it was originally fine, a lot has had grass encroachment so it's twin track.
There's about half a mile leaving Calne (Sands Farm to Andrew's Patch (25k map names)) that seems to be single track/worn field grass
There's about half a mile just after leaving Yatesbury that's a narrow path down the edge of a field and may have encroaching vegetation (rideable last time I was there, but that's quite a while ago)
(Google aerial links)

[james01]

Back from tour: feedback, in case it could be of use to anyone : the offroad route passed through beautiful countryside. Recent heavy rain meant mud and puddles, but apart from a minor stretch or two of walking the bikes it was passable.

[leftpoole]

Sustrans!
Cycle by road-it is much safer, cleaner and quicker plus better views!

[griggsy]

Did it a couple of years ago in the dry on gravel/touring bikes. Good fun, mostly smoothish, very peaceful gravel tracks and lanes, the field bit as you get near Avebury was overgrown but not as bad as it looked.

[mjr]

Sustrans!
Cycle by road-it is much safer, cleaner and quicker plus better views!

Much of the Sustrans network is roads. It used to be two-thirds but it probably fell in the recent network pruning.

Most of the rest is fine and you'll be missing some great riding if you avoid them unconditionally. The bits that aren't tend to be obvious on a map (the approach into Wisbech from the east, for example: a long dog-leg and contortions through housing estates), obvious from cycle.travel (long sections labelled "rough unpaved" and highlighted in green) or pretty notorious (that field in Northumberland).