Cycling from South Wales to London

I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.

So, although it's highly unlikely I'll do it, I've been pondering using
the idea of cycling to the wedding as extra motivation to get on the
bike during the winter. If I can lose a bunch of weight and get my peak
rides up to 50-60 miles by April, it's probably doable.

So, does anyone have any suggestions for a route? The choke point is of
course the old Severn Bridge, with its cycle path. I only really have
two options to get there - Caerphilly - Newport - Chepstow, or Cardiff
- Newport - Chepstow, and both are much of a muchness (the former a
bit hillier than the latter). However, Aust - Feltham is where I'm not
sure what's best.

Ideally, I'd just take NCR4, which goes all the way to London. However,
reading up about it, and seeing some of the detailed maps of the route,
it seems typically roundabout as a result of its desire to avoid busy
roads at all costs. Now, I also want to avoid busy roads, but I'd still
rather do a mile on one than 5 miles of back-streets. I'm also not sure
about doing long distances on a canal tow-path - sounds like a recipe
for frustration.

I want to avoid long stretches on narrowish roads with fast traffic,
especially uphill. I'd like to see some nice countryside. I'd need to
stop halfwayish (no way I'm doing 170 miles in one day) at somewhere
with a selections of B&Bs. . If I could always be within 20 miles or so
of a railway station, even better (if I need to bail out, I still need
to get to the wedding). I'd like to avoid busy/complicated town centres
(especially Reading, if possible).

So, does anyone have a route from Aust to Feltham that they can suggest,
preferably from personal experience rather than looking at maps (I've
spent hours doing that myself :-))

I'm thinking Aust - Bristol (somehow), then to Bath on the railway
cycle path, then maybe either the A4 itself, or roads roughly paralel to
it. I've driven along the A4 several times, and the traffic seemed
pretty fast, but not too dense. I could stop at Chippenham or
Marlborough. I'm not sure how to avoid Reading without testing my map
reading skills, though.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"Suspected murderer of Tupac murder suspect murdered"

"Keith Willoughby" wrote in message
...
I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.
snip
Find someone who has a tomtom satnav. Allows to plan a bicycle route. Seems
to avoid main roads where possible. Says 112 miles in 9.03 hours.

Ken.

"Kenneth Clements" writes:

"Keith Willoughby" wrote in message
...
I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.
snip
Find someone who has a tomtom satnav. Allows to plan a bicycle route. Seems
to avoid main roads where possible. Says 112 miles in 9.03 hours.

Cheers. I didn't know TomTom did bike routes. I know someone who has
one, I'll have a look at it.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"I was an angry young man in need of an icon
and Leonid Brezhnev fell short on several counts"
-- Mark Steel

"Kenneth Clements" wrote in message
news

"Keith Willoughby" wrote in message
...
I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.
snip
Find someone who has a tomtom satnav. Allows to plan a bicycle route.
Seems to avoid main roads where possible. Says 112 miles in 9.03 hours.

Ken.


I have cycled on the A4 on the Hungerford to Newbury Section and although it
is pretty fast moving the road is particularly wide and I have rarely if
ever been bothered by traffic.


cheers
Jon_H

"Jon_H" writes:

"Kenneth Clements" wrote in message
news

"Keith Willoughby" wrote in message
...
I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.
snip
Find someone who has a tomtom satnav. Allows to plan a bicycle route.
Seems to avoid main roads where possible. Says 112 miles in 9.03 hours.

Ken.


I have cycled on the A4 on the Hungerford to Newbury Section and although it
is pretty fast moving the road is particularly wide and I have rarely if
ever been bothered by traffic.

Thanks. That helps some (and confirms what I thought might be the case
from my point-of-view in a car)

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"And we were singing hymns and arias"

Keith Willoughby wrote:

So, does anyone have any suggestions for a route? The choke point is of
course the old Severn Bridge, with its cycle path. I only really have
two options to get there - Caerphilly - Newport - Chepstow, or Cardiff
- Newport - Chepstow, and both are much of a muchness (the former a
bit hillier than the latter). However, Aust - Feltham is where I'm not
sure what's best.


I'm in the Chepstow area and cycle into Bristol from time to time - you
can get into Bristol from the North or South along pretty decent roads
- Olveston , Tockington - Almondsbury on the Avon cycleway is my
favourite, although you're on main roads into Bristol (A38) after that.
It's not too bad though. (Looking at the map, you might be better off
staying North of Bristol and heading into the Cotswolds).

On the Welsh side I'm less sure. I did see a London to Cardiff cycle
ride (support vehicles, police escort) sometime this year on the A48
between Newport and Chepstow - it's wide, flat and a bit dull. Going
North of that, Usk to Chepstow is beautiful but hilly. That is the deal
with South Wales...

"Simon L" writes:

Keith Willoughby wrote:

So, does anyone have any suggestions for a route? The choke point is of
course the old Severn Bridge, with its cycle path. I only really have
two options to get there - Caerphilly - Newport - Chepstow, or Cardiff
- Newport - Chepstow, and both are much of a muchness (the former a
bit hillier than the latter). However, Aust - Feltham is where I'm not
sure what's best.


I'm in the Chepstow area and cycle into Bristol from time to time - you
can get into Bristol from the North or South along pretty decent roads
- Olveston , Tockington - Almondsbury on the Avon cycleway is my
favourite, although you're on main roads into Bristol (A38) after that.
It's not too bad though. (Looking at the map, you might be better off
staying North of Bristol and heading into the Cotswolds).

Well, that was the other option I was considering. I don't know that
country at all - 'Cotswolds' says 'hilly' to me Now, if I can't do
hills by then, I won't be doing it at all, but still, the flatter the
better.

On the Welsh side I'm less sure. I did see a London to Cardiff cycle
ride (support vehicles, police escort) sometime this year on the A48
between Newport and Chepstow - it's wide, flat and a bit dull. Going
North of that, Usk to Chepstow is beautiful but hilly. That is the deal
with South Wales...

I'll probably do Caerphilly - Newport, mostly off-road (I've done that
bit before) then Newport - Caldicot - Chepstow along the minor
roads. It's a bit zig-zaggy, but I'd prefer that to 15 miles along the
A48.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"Living in a jungle, living in a tent. Better than a prefab - no rent."

In article
Keith Willoughby wrote:
snip
Well, that was the other option I was considering. I don't know that
country at all - 'Cotswolds' says 'hilly' to me Now, if I can't do
hills by then, I won't be doing it at all, but still, the flatter the
better.

You won't say that if you meet a headwind :-)

Rob Morley writes:

In article
Keith Willoughby wrote:
snip
Well, that was the other option I was considering. I don't know that
country at all - 'Cotswolds' says 'hilly' to me Now, if I can't do
hills by then, I won't be doing it at all, but still, the flatter the
better.

You won't say that if you meet a headwind :-)

Oh, man, don't remind me. I did the Newport - Cardiff bit along the
Wentloog Levels road a couple of years ago. I was expecting a nice flat
ride - as it happens, I barely managed 8mph into a brutal headwind, and
had to stop every half a mile to get my breath back. I'd probably have
been crusing along at 20mph in the other direction.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
ETAOIN SHRDLU

"Jon_H" typed



"Kenneth Clements" wrote in message
news

"Keith Willoughby" wrote in message
...
I'm going to a wedding in London in May. I've been using it as
motivation to lose weight - seriously, this time. I'm down nearly a
stone in a month so far.
snip
Find someone who has a tomtom satnav. Allows to plan a bicycle route.
Seems to avoid main roads where possible. Says 112 miles in 9.03 hours.

Ken.


I have cycled on the A4 on the Hungerford to Newbury Section and
although it
is pretty fast moving the road is particularly wide and I have rarely if
ever been bothered by traffic.


I have used the A4 to cycle from Slough to Bath. It's really not too bad.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.