Bristol to Newbury to Bristol

[nomm]

Anyone got a well tested and pleasant route? 60-80 miles?

[barrym]

River Avon and Kennet & Avon canal perhaps.

Not done all of it myself but I know much of it is good. Certainly pleasant.

[nomm]

so mainly 'route 4'

[recumbentpanda]

Be prepared for rough surfaces and narrowness on parts of the canal towpath. Slow going, but yes, very pleasant.

[whoof]

If you don't want to ride out and back on the same route Amesbury to Salisbury on the NCN 45 and Salisbury to Warminster on the 24 are really nice. You can then go to Upton Scudamore and pick up the 254 I then usually head for Norton St Phillip, Hinton Charter House and Midford where I join the two tunnels route (behind the Hope & Anchor pub) into Bath. Something like the route below 150 km.

[nosmarbaj]

I assume your 60-80 miles is for one way only? It's at least 60 miles/100 km each way.

I'd agree with the suggestion to make a circular route rather than out-and-back.

Also, as suggested the K&A route is very pleasant, if rough in places, and potentially muddy. It is all cycleable, though - I've done it more than once, though a few years ago. (You will have to carry your bike for a short distance to get past the Bruce tunnel near Burbage). You can use the Bristol/Bath cycle trail to get to/from the K&A in Bath.

I remember being confused in a few places where the towpath chages sides, in Bath, Avoncliff, Devizes, and at the aforementioned tunnel. (Typically the path leads you onto a bridge over the canal and it's not immediately obvious where to get down to rejoin the path on the other side. It can take half a minute's thought to find the way.)

Route 4 more or less follows the canal, though only some of it uses the towpath. The road sections are of course smoother than the towpath (even taking into account the usual poor road surfaces), but it's a bit further and also somewhat hilly in places.

[Bmblbzzz]

How about:
Railway Path to Bath.
Bannerdown - long hill but steady gradient and beautiful on the top. Have a look for the Three Shires Stone on the left just after the first woody bit.
Follow the road round to the right just before the airfield, through Colerne, Slaughterford, Biddestone into Chippenham.
The old railway from Chippenham to Calne - but gets muddy at the Calne end.
Then route 403 Cherhill, Yatesbury, Avebury, the Avenue, pick up the A4 - it's very quiet here - into Marlborough.
At the end of the High St/Marketplace turn left then immediately right, through Mildenhall and Ramsbury.
In Ramsbury turn right towards Froxfield. At the bottom of the hill, just after the bridge, turn right along a bridlepath. It's a good surface (was when I was there, could depend on weather of course) and takes you past a country house hotel I've forgotten the name of, into Hungerford.
Over the bridge in Hungerford then left to Kintbury. Either join the A4 at Stockcross, use the canal or the lane up round the back of the big park, depending on final destination in Newbury and personal preference.