The joy of towpath gravel
With no proper infrastructure or access rights in England, I have to get creative when planning traffic-free rides.
Some of my favourite routes make use of canal towpaths. These off-road arteries can take you some seriously long distances and right into the centre of busy towns and cities by the back door.
The Kennet and Avon Canal has helped me access the Ridgeway largely off-road, the Caledonian gave us a fabulous family ride through the Highlands, and the Forth and Clyde took me to marvel at the engineering of the Falkirk Wheel. I regularly find myself riding the towpath of the Worcester and Birmingham canal, using it to escape the web of busy roads that surrounds the towns along its route. And there are plenty more towpaths on my wish list – including a trans-Pennine trip on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.