Yellow Hobbs winter beater of distinction (WBOD)

[Jonny69]

I nipped into Woking earlier to pick up a few things and on the way back decided to check out the canal that I could see from the main road (I’m still new to the area). Wow, turns out there’s a lovely towpath down there that goes on for miles. Took a snap at Lock 6, which is a very original-looking manual lock, and there was a nice little bridge I could use to get back onto the road after a quick check of the map to see where I was. Will definitely be going back there for a longer explore

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke_Canal

 

[averagebiker]

I nipped into Woking earlier to pick up a few things and on the way back decided to check out the canal that I could see from the main road (I’m still new to the area). Wow, turns out there’s a lovely towpath down there that goes on for miles. Took a snap at Lock 6, which is a very original-looking manual lock, and there was a nice little bridge I could use to get back onto the road after a quick check of the map to see where I was. Will definitely be going back there for a longer explore

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke_Canal

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I like a ride along that canal towpath myself. My best tip if you are new to the area is that in the winter some sections of towpath between Woking and Frimley can turn into deep mud. Make the most of it in the summer

 

[Jonny69]

I like a ride along that canal towpath myself. My best tip if you are new to the area is that in the winter some sections of towpath between Woking and Frimley can turn into deep mud. Make the most of it in the summer

Thanks for the tip - might pass you down there one day then! This wasn’t really the right bike to be riding down there tbh. 25mm slicks weren’t the right choice for that surface so next time I’ll either take the Herse or go on a mountain bike.

 

[Mark Manley]

I rode the entire canal a couple of weeks ago and it was fine on 40mm tyres although as has been said thing could change after rain, either way I second the suggestion of doing all of it, there is even an old castle to visit at the other end.

 

[averagebiker]

In the summer a rigid mtb, hybrid or gravelly type bikes are perfect. As would be a classic steel road bike that can cope with 30ish+ mm tyres.

I used to ride the towpath a lot while the early evening traffic was bad, then head back home on the roads when they were quieter.

Every year or so I also cycle along it West to the Greywell tunnel. Then I head back the same way. Approx 30 miles in total from Farnborough.

 

[Jonny69]

Awesome, I was trying to gauge the distance from Weybridge to the Greywell tunnel and if it was all rideable. Must be about 25 miles then.

 

[averagebiker]

I have done East to the Wey a couple of imes too.

One day I will the full "circular" thing in a day...... Farnborough to Greywell, back the other way to the Wey, the back to Farnborough in time for tea

Will have to get back to proper levels of fitness first lol