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Birmingham to Oxford?

8 Sep 2022
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Hi

Just looking at the suggested route which is OK but just wondering if it's possible to do the entire journey along canal towpaths i.e. Grand Union canal initially then down the Oxford canal. Has anyone out there tried this?

Greg

Comments

Fri 9 Sep 2022, 10:11

I wouldn't recommend it! The Oxford Canal towpath is very rough, as is much of the Grand Union - it's essentially flat singletrack. Fine if you have an MTB but otherwise you'll do better on lanes.

Sat 24 Sep 2022, 14:14

I'd second that. I recently cycled the Oxford Canal towpath on a hard tail mountain bike with rear panniers; the section between Heyford and Banbury was so rough that my rear rack failed in two places with stress fractures. Never again!

Wed 5 Oct 2022, 23:21

Thank you for that detail!