Poor quality National Cycleway.

[T4tomo]

NCN routes should always be viewed as loose guide - at least the sustrans map does designate between surfaced and un surfaced as do good route planners like cycle.travel / RWGPS.

Canal tow paths should generally be avoided when cycling, they either turn to mud / overgrown micro corridors, or have too many fishermen, pedestrians, youths looking to mug you or other such hazards to make any decent progress.

 

[annedonnelly]

sounds like the American way of measuring stuff

I know my hand span - roughly 7" - and the width of my closed hand - 4". It's handy when I'm shopping and want to estimate the size of some random thing.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I know my hand span - roughly 7" - and the width of my closed hand - 4". It's handy when I'm shopping and want to estimate the size of some random thing.

Wouldn't it be easier to take a hedgehog??

 

[T4tomo]

1 metre wide (roughly 4 hedgehogs width, assuming regular 25 centimetre long hedgehogs).

I think we should be measuring widths of things in widths of hedgehogs, using hedgehog length for a width just seem wrong, particularly as they are much shorter when curled up in a defensive action.

 

[Ajax Bay]

it was a well maintained path around 1 metre wide (roughly 4 hedgehogs width, assuming regular 25 centimetre long hedgehogs).

Tank you for the catalyst to learn more about hedgehogs!
"adult hedgehogs range in length from 24 to 35cm of which 2-5cm is the tail."

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I think we should be measuring widths of things in widths of hedgehogs, using hedgehog length for a width just seem wrong, particularly as they are much shorter when curled up in a defensive action.

I was thinkg about what to use for length

it needs to be something commonly found on cyclepaths

and I thought "Shitzu"
(reminds me - must get flu vaccine)

anyway - I see a lot of them on the paths around here - mostly on leads which makes them easier to catch

but they are a well know length and seem about the same as each other

I reckon three Hedgehog width is equal to 1 Shitzu in length for conversion purposes???

as they are normally walking when on paths (I assume- their legs are pretty much invisible on paths) then the problem of curling up doesn;t apply


maybe this problem of measurement is the reason why cycleway maintenance is so patchy

Our new measurement system may be the things that unblocks the problems in the system and allows for a great revival in the quality of the paths and tracks and a great resurgence in cycling in the UK

I can see CycleChat being feature on News at Ten in a few months as the country celebrates the great revolution in green transport!!!

Edited to show 3 Hedgehogs - 1 SHitzu

honestly - no-one else noticed the mis-type
I don;t think you lot are taking this seriously

 

[biking_fox]

Ah, Google Maps, that well-known arbiter of quality cycle routes that thinks sending you along the A30 dual carriageway is appropriate.

Equally appropriately sending you over style a style and down a footpath through a field, which isn't even signposted as a bridleway. Evidently thinks all cyclists ride on footpaths.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Canal tow paths should generally be avoided when cycling, they either turn to mud / overgrown micro corridors, or have too many fishermen, pedestrians, youths looking to mug you or other such hazards to make any decent progress.

OTOH some. like the one from the southern end of the Great Clen /Caledonian Canal are just sweet (but not tarmac).

Both images getting on for sunset.

There's another similar section later from Oich Bridge to Ft Augustus.

 

[Oldhippy]

In the UK we are used to the half a*sed approach to any cycle infrastructure of any kind. When, on the odd occasions it is done right it's a marvel. In most of Europe good and outstanding infrastructure is relatively normal.

 

[T4tomo]

OTOH some. like the one from the southern end of the Great Clen /Caledonian Canal are just sweet (but not tarmac).

yes, I was more thinking of Canal & River Trust network in England (and maybe wales, although I've cant personally confirm that having never met a welsh canal.

That is indeed a grand exception, and one I plan to cycle at some point as part of the Caledonian Way.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I've ridden portions of the canal path from Brecon to Talybont - was ok.
Also the Grand Western canal from Tiverton towards Taunton and the canal from Taunton looping round towards North Petherton. The downside of those two was negotiating the low bridges, having a care for peds and others coming the other way, with minimal visibility till already committed.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Canal tow paths should generally be avoided when cycling, they either turn to mud / overgrown micro corridors, or have too many fishermen, pedestrians, youths looking to mug you or other such hazards to make any decent progress.

That tends to be my view too. I sometimes find them awkward to walk along because of the fishermen and bloodycyclists.

HOWEVER ... I rode a fairly long stretch of the Bridgwater and Taunton canal heading NE from Taunton a while ago. I hadn't planned the route myself - I would have avoided it. I feared the worst but it was really good. I was pleasantly surprised Mind you it was on a weekday so fairly quiet. Here's an image from Google

 

[wiggydiggy]

Weekdays are definitely the best time for a canal side ride, weekends especially nice weather weekends are too busy.

My favourite canal ride so far has been the Lancaster canal, it's dead flat so no locks and as it's isolated from the rest of the network (though passage is possible through the Ribble Link) it's not busy at all. I rode it a few years back for it's useable length, and then explored a few miles beyond until the M6 motorway cuts it into pieces. It's one of the prettiest canals I've ridden.

My bucket list canals to ride are the Llangollen in Wales and the Caledonian in Scotland. And there's a grand dream of the Eyrie Canal in the USA, one day....

 

[FlyingCyclist]

Whose responsibility is path maintenance?

Thought it would be the Canal & River Trust🤷‍♂️

 

[Mike_P]

Thought it would be the Canal & River Trust🤷‍♂️

Yes
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/specialist-teams/maintaining-our-waterways