Canal Cycle Routes

Author
Discussion

Sycamore

Original Poster:

1,726 posts

117 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Hi All,

I commute from Wolverhampton to Birmingham each day and use canals where I can. The state of the roads and other peoples driving ability around here is awful, so I'd like to stick to the canal a lot more than I currently do, the problem being that the network is so twisty and comprehensive round here, I'm not fully sure on the way to go..

Is there any sort of mapping direction service which could be used ? Ideally something I could enter the canal entrance closest my house along with the canal exit nearest to work and obtain a route? Taking a look online I only seem to come across maps which aren't all too accurate biggrin

Thanks

G321

574 posts

203 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Try this....
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/in-your-area?gclid=...

You're lucky having canals to commute in by. I commute into Birmingham from the west and there is nothing but roads with terrible driving standards. I've had 2 shouty exchanges in the last 3 weeks!

fuzzymonkey

406 posts

224 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Google Map?
Its got almost all cycle routes on it now and you can happily browse away and find stuff you never knew existed.

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Cyclestreets.net I suspect would help.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map

sustrans have some good cycling route maps, they're the people who run all the national cycle networks. On the map, purple is on road, green is off road. It covers the canal routes in your area.

You can do similar with google maps and select cycling routes in directions or view the cycle routes as an overlay.

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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http://www.opencyclemap.org/ should show them all.

2volvos

660 posts

200 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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The free Cycle Hub app on my phone is good for that sort of thing

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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fuzzymonkey said:
Google Map?
Its got almost all cycle routes on it now and you can happily browse away and find stuff you never knew existed.
This - the satellite or aeroplane (if you're lucky) pics give you a sense of the quality and condition of the towpaths. I live South of Brum and have tried to arrange leisure rides partly using the towpaths for the past few years. They are *very* variable. Most are passable - in other words you can actually pass - but many are in very poor condition. Deep (6+ inches) mud in places. The ride from Solihull to Lapworth, through Knowle, used to be one of my favs but has been very messy the last couple of years.

I'm trying Shirley to Hockley Heath soon - only a short section as a part of a longer ride. I have hopes it'll be better than the Knowle route was last time I tried it.

Vocal Minority

8,582 posts

151 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
G321 said:
Try this....
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/in-your-area?gclid=...

You're lucky having canals to commute in by. I commute into Birmingham from the west and there is nothing but roads with terrible driving standards. I've had 2 shouty exchanges in the last 3 weeks!
I freakin' detest cycling in Birmingham - fortunately I am back on the canal between Gas Street and University (where I get the train) now it has been spruced up.

batbuilder92

92 posts

223 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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On reading this yesterday I thought I would try the canal towpath as an alternative route home last night, in Sheffield. Plus points: No traffic , very few pedestrians. Minus points: Mud the bike needed a wash when I got home, the path is less than 1m wide at some points obviously James Brindley had not considered disable access to the canal tow paths. One wobble and you are going to get very wet. There are also mooring rings, rocks , concrete , fishermen's long poles and an angry goose to contend with. So speed was reduced compared to the road route.
However lack of traffic and traffic light trumps all of the above minuses, so I might do it more often ( when it is drier).

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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I love towpaths for that feeling of being away from the madding crowds but to commute on one with the mud would necessitate some clean-up when you got to work.

This made me laugh:

batbuilder92 said:
an angry goose to contend with
They're bds aren't they? laugh