The Idea

Following our 1997 hilly excursion along the Sustrans “West Country Way” cycle route Su decided that we* should go for a flatter group cycle outing in 1998.
Question: What follows contours, providing a flat route, and has a traffic-free cycle path along its length?
Answer: An eighteenth century canal.

* we = Su, Keith, Pat, Bob, Sheila and John (see “West Country Way” for more)

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The Plan

A weekend excursion from Coventry to Oxford would be just perfect.
Level cycling, good lunchtime canal-side pub opportunities and also plenty of scope for an intermediate B&B stop.
Hybrid or mountain bikes would mean another outing this year for the Pink Peril and the Trek mountain bike, but less challenging than our previous tour along the C2C.

Our Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Day 2


Day 3

Su . Pat . Bob . Sheila . John . Keith

Travel by train from Brockenhurst to Oxford in the evening after work (John and Sheila)
Travel to Oxford by car in the evening after work (Pat, Bob, Su and Keith)
Rendezvous at a B&B in Oxford
Train from Oxford to Coventry and set off along the canal
Continue along the canal to Oxford
Su, Keith, Pat and Bob travel back home by car
John and Sheila continue cycling south towards home to reach Lambourn
Continue over the Berkshire Downs along bridlepaths where possible to return to Lymington

83 miles from Coventry to Oxford beside the canal
and a total of 170 miles including the extension back to Lymington

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Click on the link below to read the story

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