Danger spots

Bristol’s Inner Ring Road is its least appealing feature. By common consent, the St James Barton Roundabout is Bristol’s blackspot. Stokes Croft meets Broadmead here, making it an essential part of many cyclists’ commute. It’s also known as the ‘Bearpit’, and cycling round it does rather feel like a bear fight.

At some locations on the ring road, such as the Redcliffe Roundabout near Temple Meads station, cycle crossings provide an alternative to mixing with the traffic. Cycling is permitted on the pavement around Cabot Circus. Still, if possible, it’s better to find a route that avoids the ring road.

The harbourside in front of the M Shed museum might not seem like a danger spot. But there’s one very present danger here: the old Bristol Harbour Railway. It’s all too easy to get your wheel caught in the historic rail tracks. There’s a safer, if less attractive, alternative route behind the museum.

The stop-start traffic up the hill to Clifton, on College Green and Park Street, requires cyclists to stay alert. All the arterial main roads require care: the bus and cycle lanes have a tendency to disappear at junctions or narrow sections. Needless to say, these are all potential locations for conflict, especially where left-turning HGVs are involved.

Much of what’s colloquially called ‘Bristol’ is outside the formal city boundary. Though Bristol City Council has a reasonable reputation for listening to cyclists, the same isn’t necessarily true of (say) South Gloucestershire; provision is generally of a lower quality once you cross the border.

Whitchurch and Brislington to the city centre

The cycle path along the River Avon provides an easy way into the centre from eastern Bristol. Residential roads connect this to the Whitchurch Railway Path, a short (one mile) but useful traffic-free route paralleling the A37 Wells Road. The railway path was extensively upgraded as part of the Cycling City programme, being widened, resurfaced and regraded. It’s signposted as part of National Cycle Network route 3.

Hartcliffe and Bedminster to the city centre

The Hispanic-sounding Malago Greenway is actually named after the tributary of the Avon that rises just south of Bristol. (The river is built over downstream of Bedminster, so hard to trace.) Much of the route is traffic-free, with a new cycle path along Hartcliffe Way providing a safe alternative to this busy road. It’s reasonably direct, too, and no hillier than it needs to be: the route falls slowly and steadily from Hartcliffe. You arrive in the city centre at Prince Street Bridge having crossed the Avon on Gaol Ferry Bridge.

Henbury and Westbury-on-Trym to the city centre

The Downs Way is the new name for the long-established National Cycle Network route 4 into the city. It’s essentially just a set of residential roads joined together; still, the section across the Downs and along Hollybush Lane is enjoyable, and the extra mile on the five-mile journey is arguably worth it to keep away from the busy A4018.

As an alternative route between Henbury and Bristol, you can use the permissive road through the grounds of Blaise Castle. This is slightly shorter, has the same amount of climbing, and avoids some of the faffing on residential roads.

Stapleton and Stoke Park to the city centre

As an alternative to the Concorde Way from Filton, the Frome Valley Greenway runs slightly to the east, starting at Stoke Park. The riverside section is very pleasant, though inevitably there’s a climb once you get away from it! Take care at the awkward motorway crossing, where there’s a shared use path along Stapleton Road. The route joins the Concorde Way at St Werburghs.