Birmingham’s best-known and busiest traffic-free route, this length of NCN 5 runs from Lifford to the centre. It’s traffic-free for the first 60%, passing through Cannon Hill Park, then drops onto quiet roads. (NCN 5’s entrance to the city centre, via Hurst Street, is admittedly horrible.) A very worthy alternative to the Pershore Road, it’s popular both with rush-hour commuters and weekend leisure riders. The tarmac surface is preferable to the canal alternative.