The 2-day, 150 mile, Grand Union Canal cycle trip was tough enough anyway. It was named after the Prince Regent, later George IV, and is part of London's Grand Union Canal. The group had its first long distance cycle trip together and got good experience in puncture repairs, what not to pack and in adapting when things go off plan. We actually caught them up just after lunch about 40 miles in, mending what turned out to be Martyn’s second of seven punctures. But it's not just for teenagers. For a 3 day trip, Leighton Buzzard is a good Half-way point between Braunston and Brentford.A mountain bike is essential for this trip due to the "rural" surface for much of the first section. The thorns which were previously part of the hedge were now covering the towpath and were finding their way into everyone’s tyres.
That was the plan anyway. He was in no mood to repair it so walked the bike the final few miles to meet us at the pub at the end.By now it was clear that we needed a Plan B. We reached the end of the canal at Brentford Lock just after 16:00. I didn’t get the puncture repair experience, but I did learn not to ride 85 miles on a massive hangover. Fortunately that turned out not to be the case, but I did have 60 miles of cycling before Brentford. As a learning experience the weekend did its job. The other 4 were just behind, not feeling the need to do a 5k run on top of the 85 miles that day. Along its length it has an impressive 158 locks. The trip was the main training weekend for the Lands End to John O’Groats trip in July. Despite these being the start and end point of one of Britain’s engineering masterpieces, there was barely anything to celebrate the achievement. It’s also a great place for those looking for more of a touring challenging. His wheels were a different size to Reggie’s and mine so his only option was to get a taxi to Halfords in the next town and stock up on tubes.By 18:30 we were back in action with 30 miles via roads to the hotel in Milton Keynes. Sprawling through impressive, lush countryside, the Grand Union is a great place for a multi-day adventure. A quiet and atmospheric waterway, Regent's Canal passes by parks, a zoo, Camden Market, Victorian warehouses and celebrity hangouts.
As with the start of the canal at Salford Junction, the end was quite underwhelming. I went ahead with Neil and Reggie and made it 3 miles short of Braunston Junction before Neil’s last inner tube blew. Scottish Geographical Magazine.
For either option I recommend Birmingham to Braunston (approx 50 miles) as the target for Day 1.
On Saturdays and Sundays the roads in Camden are awash with indie and arty types looking for that alternative accessory, one-off clothing item, piercing or tattoo. Starting an 85 miles off-road cycle ride with an epic hangover probably wasn’t a great idea. The Hertford Union Canal or Duckett's Cut is just over 1 mile (1.6 km) long in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. The Grand Union Canal links London to Birmingham, passing through rolling countryside, industrial towns and peaceful villages. The canal is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) long. The plan was to travel up to Birmingham on the Friday night, start cycling on the Saturday morning, and arrive at the end-point in London with an over-night stay in Milton Keynes. The other group had made it there shortly before and had already made it to the bar ready for beers and a post-ride debrief.It because clear very quickly that I was going to be on my own for Day 2.
Make sure you have good tyres with a healthy tread and ideally use a puncture-proof set. On a 2-day trip Braunston to Brenford is very long but significantly easier than Day 1 due to better paths. The 137-mile Grand Union Canal stretches from Birmingham to London. That way 1 group could make some progress whilst the other fixed punctures. Apart from a couple of grassy miles near Leighton Buzzard, it was a solid and thorn-free route all the way. It was originally built to link the huge Grand Junction Canal's Paddington branch with the River Thames, but now is mainly a place of leisure for Londoners and visitors alike.Regent's Canal was designed by John Nash and finished in 1820You can also do a kayak tour of Regent's Canal with In 1811 John Nash transformed Henry VIII's former hunting ground into the landscaped gardens you see today, with lakes, playing fields and rose gardens.
They had already decided to come off the canal and take the roads to Milton Keynes.
We were further ahead, but had no spare inner tubes for Neil’s bike. ( There's a " Grand Union Canal Run ", an annual foot race from Gas Street basin in Brum to Little Venice in London. It connects the Regent's Canal to the Lee Navigation.
It is our longest canal, the ‘trunk route’ of the system, and helps thousands of people to live healthier, happier lives.
It wasn’t long before Brian had the great suggestion of splitting into 2 groups of 3. I'm sure that this was a major reason why I was the only one one the group not to get a puncture on the whole trip.
The others had got through all of their inner-tubes and continuing along the towpath would have been too risky. This was very much a learning weekend for the group and I had learnt my main lesson very early on.On Saturday morning we headed off in 2 groups. Regent's Canal, London. A quick look at the guide-book reassured us that we could do a small detour by road then get back on the canal at the next bridge. Regent's Canal starts at Little Venice and ends in Docklands. This is the toughest section with the highest chance of punctures so planning to go any further is risky. The trip was the main training weekend for the Lands End to John O’Groats trip in July. Course record is 22:15 men, 27:26 women. The 2-day, 150 mile, Grand Union Canal cycle trip was tough enough anyway. I got a bit over excited by the event and had a bit too much wine, hence the hangover the next day. Take at least 2 spare inner tubes plus tyre levers etc.There's large stretches of the canal without pubs or shops. 39 (2): 73–99.