Day 4: Statford to Birmingham

Finally, and uneventful day!

We cheated a bit and took the train over about 15 miles of hill bits in the middle, but all in all it was a nice day, The route was mostly on country roads and back lanes, almost all paved with just a few sections thru the woods.

We had a bit of consternation when we reached the outskirts of Birmingham -- the route we had planned (from maps and the Sustrands National Cycle Routes) had us following an old canal into town. But when we got where we'd join the canal there was massive construction going on and the signposts showing our route (NCR 5) went off in a different direction.  We decided to trust the signposts. It took us on a route mostly thru parks and eventually got us to the city center from a different direction and it took us a while to figure out how to get there but we finally made it

LocaToWeb - Real time GPS tracking

Day 1: London to Maidenhaid

Well, sort of.

We took the tube from Kings Cross to Earl's Court to Richmond, so we didn't have to ride thru central London. We had to wait for a number of trains until there was room for us and the bikes. But finally just after 11am we we actually riding. The first part was thru Richmond and then Richmond park and it was generally OK.

Then we hit the Thames. The bike path there is really the Thames tow path hiking trail. It was rough, often with tree roots and big holes. And full of people walking their dogs who mostly made room for cyclists. A couple of times it was just a dirt rut thru a field.

Needless to say we didn't make very good time. There was also a small diversion to find a bike shop as I had a gear cable that looked, as they say here, "dodgy/" The first bike shop provide by Google wasn't a bike shop but I guy with a van who would come to you, but he was on vacation. The next one was too busy to work on my bike but did sell me a cable.

Anyway it was getting on to 5pm and we still had 20 miles to go on these terrible trails, so we bailed and took a train. That is itself was an adventure., but more on that later.

LocaToWeb - Real time GPS tracking

Follow along on our rides

I use an app on my smartphone called LocaToWeb which uploads our actual GPS ride in real time. If you send me an email I can even add your to an alert list that will email you when we start a ride that day.

Y
ou just have to promise not make fun of our (slow) speed or if we get lost often

Google Earth Videos of Our Planned Route

Turns out Google Earth will let you do a virtual tour of a GPS track. So I've embedded some videos made from Google Earth...

Day 1: Richmond to Maidenhead

Day 2: Maidenhead to Oxford

Day 3: Oxford to Stratford-upon-Avon

Day 4: Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham

Day 5: Birmingham to Darby

Bicycle Tour This August!

With my long time cycling companion Tom, we are doing a ride from London to York. We are not taking the most direct route but will pass thru Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, Derby and Sheffield. Some good beer to be found along the way!

Here is our planned route...

Day One: London to Maidenhead...




Day Two: Maidenhead to Oxford...
 


Day Three: Oxford to Stratford-upon-Avon...




Day Four: Stratford to Birmingham...



Day Five: Birmingham to Derby...



Day Six: Derby to Worksop...



Day Seven: Worksop to Sheffield...



Day Eight: Sheffield to Pollington....




Day Nine: Pollington to York...