Birmingham’s traffic-free routes are largely based on the canal system. This will get you comfortably to Edgbaston and Selly Oak, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton, or Gravelly Hill and Erdington. The city also has a small number of cyclepaths through country parks. The best is the Rea Valley route, part of National Cycle Network route 5, which wends attractively out from the city centre to Kings Norton and Longbridge.

A new set of Sustrans routes has recently opened in the north of the city, around Erdington and Sutton Coldfield. These connect with the canal paths to provide a safe, enjoyable alternative to the notorious A5127.