# Good bike rides around Bristol



## Termite Man (Sep 9, 2012)

I'm looking for some good bike rides around Bristol, I know the Bristol to bath cycle path and I've got a route that takes me over the suspension bridge  but are there any other good rides I can do, ideally I'm not looking for anything over 20miles and it would need to be  a loop starting and finishing in bedminster because I don't want to be getting a train to (or back) from the start/finish point.


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## Geri (Sep 10, 2012)

Have you tried the Bower Ashton - Pill path? It's about a 15 mile round trip from Bedminster and follows the river Avon through Leigh Woods.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Sep 10, 2012)

I used to enjoy my cycle from Westbury to Bath, but it only really gets good when you get on the canal at Bradford on Avon. 
Maybe a bit to gentle. If you take the roads there can be some good hills.


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## gentlegreen (Sep 10, 2012)

Termite Man said:


> I'm looking for some good bike rides around Bristol, I know the Bristol to bath cycle path and I've got a route that takes me over the suspension bridge but are there any other good rides I can do, ideally I'm not looking for anything over 20miles and it would need to be a loop starting and finishing in bedminster because I don't want to be getting a train to (or back) from the start/finish point.


Are we talking weekday evenings or weekends ?
When the roads are quiet I would think a loop around chew valley lake would fit the bill.
There via Dundry, back via Norton Malreward and Whitchurch - or vice versa.


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## Termite Man (Sep 11, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> Are we talking weekday evenings or weekends ?
> .


 
Weekends only, I tend to go out early for the rides anyway so the roads are normally quiet


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## gentlegreen (Sep 11, 2012)

If it's weekends, why not a longer ride ?

You could try the Avon Cycleway.
I think it's 80 miles all the way around - but there are "spokes" where you can get off or on.
http://avoncycleway.info/

I'm working on a 50 miler with some hills. I'm lucky enough to live very near the start of the railway path - so it's Railway path - mangotsfield station - pucklechurch - Dyrham - Marshfield - Bathampton - choice of 3 downhills - (one including St. Catherine) - 3 miles of canal path - LUNCH at Angelfish Cafe  - Monkton Combe - Midfield- Wellow- Priston - Stanton Prior - Saltford - railway path.
Clearly getting from Bedminster to the start adds a few miles ...

When the Two Tunnels route is open it will make things a lot easier for a shorter circular southern route based around the railway path.


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## Termite Man (Sep 15, 2012)

I've just done a ride to kingswood to collect a package , I was surprised how nice a ride it was and going down 2 mile hill was fun


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## bi0boy (Sep 15, 2012)

How about Chew Valley Lake: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sadd...MdEkjY_w&mra=mrv&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8&t=m&z=12


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## Geri (Sep 15, 2012)

If you do try the Ashton - Pill path, I would not recommend going in any of the pubs in Pill - they sometimes do not take kindly to strangers. The Anchor at Ham Green would be safe enough, or The Rudgleigh. Or you can carry on to Portishead, or go over the Avonmouth bridge and come back along The Portway.


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## Termite Man (Sep 15, 2012)

gentlegreen said:


> If it's weekends, why not a longer ride ?
> 
> You could try the Avon Cycleway.
> I think it's 80 miles all the way around - but there are "spokes" where you can get off or on.
> ...


 

is that left at mangotsfield instead of right towards bath then? I do like the railway path but I'm looking to go west and south more.  The chew valley one looks good.

I haven't really properly been out on my bike for about 1 year so I need to work up to the longer distances and I getting the enthusiasm for a long ride is hard at the moment because I'm spending 7 hours a day commuting to work (by coach) and finding it difficult to motivate myself to do things at the weekend.


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## gentlegreen (Sep 15, 2012)

Termite Man said:


> is that left at mangotsfield instead of right towards bath then? I do like the railway path but I'm looking to go west and south more. The chew valley one looks good.


Yes.
Further to Geri's Portishead suggestion, the next notch up is a loop featuring Clevedon as a cake stop.

When you get more adventurous there's what lies South of the Mendips and a gentle return via the Strawberry line.

Or if you're a hill-climbing animal you can do it more or less the other way around and ride back up the steep way.

----------------------------------------------


Ooh look -

Sun 16-Sep 10:00am Arnolfini Chew Valley Lake

We'll leave Bristol via the river path and Arnos Vale, following the Whitchurch path, past Whitehall garden centre to the lake for a picnic or cafe lunch, then back via Chew Stoke, Winford Manor, Barrow Gurney and Long Ashton.
Wendy Staff 07551 970772 Medium 25 miles YES Chew Valley Lake cafe

http://www.bristolcyclingcampaign.org.uk/diary/

I may even consider that one since I don't have anything better planned ... though I'm a lapsed member (pretty certain you can come along as a guest for a couple of times in any case).


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