Reading To Bristol - Day 1

[@davidcollier6520]

Thanks for sharing this, I really enjoyed the information about the route and your presentation was very entertaining. I watched this because I'm thinking of doing the ride - I think it's better to wait until the other side of spring and use a mountain bike rather than hybrid. After part 2, I've lined up more of your youtubes. That'll brighten up my indoor workouts no end.

[@JethroJessop]

It will definitely be a nicer ride in friendlier weather. Its a great route for taking advantage of pubs and cafes along the way which is always nicer in the sunshine. It does get a bit muddy on a few sections as well. Glad you found it useful though and I hope you enjoy the rest of the vids too! If you start from this one then you have a fair old list to binge through ;) There are even a few that are older than these but I'll admit the quality and coherence does fade as you go back ;)

[@davidcollier6520]

@@JethroJessop Thanks for the response. I watched more of part 2 on a workout then had to share it so I re-watched this, part 2 and then Rotterdam to Amsterdam and the Swindon ride with my wife tonight. Not only are they highly entertaining and humorous they epitomise how we feel about cycling. The Swindon ride in particular focuses on how special the excitement of exploration is, rather than the speed aspect which is more popular with UK cyclists. Earlier this year we enjoyed cycling around Bath and then on to Bristol along the disused railway line. I'd really recommend a quick one in the Bath Ales pub adjacent to Bath Spa station if you ever start/end there. We're looking forward to watching more and you and Alan should be commissioned by the BBC for a benefits/joys of cycling series.

[@JethroJessop]

@@davidcollier6520 I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I'm definitely all about taking it at your own speed and just enjoying the ride, wherever it may take you. There is plenty of nice riding to be had around Bath so I will keep your recommendation in mind, thank you. I hope you find a few more viss in the back catalogue to entertain you further 😉

[@TheEulerID]

The river Kennet does not run to Bristol. It rises near Avebury in Wiltshire. The river that the Kennet and Avon runs alongside as far as Bristol is called the Avon, and rises in Didmarton in Gloucestershire. I have cycled almost this route (between Maidenhead and Bristol) on a few occasions, and in both directions. I found it better to do it in reverse as it's easier to book a train spot west and not to have to rely on catching a particular one on the way back. I used to do it as a one-day route, but generally did not used the canal tow-path except, sometimes, the part between Bath and Bradford on Avon.

[@JethroJessop]

Hence the name - Kennet & Avon ;) I did know that. Its wise to mistrust most things I say in my videos, sometimes I'm confused or ignorant of the truth, mostly its just because I don't really plan my pieces to camera and I rarely do retakes so the stumbles tend to make the cut. I really like tow-paths for riding although they can get a bit crowded at times and the narrow width makes for less sociable riding if you are out with someone else. Don't think I could do it it in a day though. I've never been good at big days!

[@jimbojet8728]

That was a nice ride fellas. Presented perfectly by you both, I have enjoyed this vid.

[@JethroJessop]

It was a good ride. Thanks for watching :)

[@madaprak]

Hey Jethro thanks for all videos I am really enjoying them. Would you by chance still have the GPX link to this ride? If so could you link it?

[@JethroJessop]

It is just Sustrans Route 4 : www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-4 You can probably get a GPX from their site or if you have an app/device that can load OpenCycleMap map tiles then it will be marked on there.

[@madaprak]

@@JethroJessop thank you sir

[@JethroJessop]

@@madaprak My pleasure. Just shout if you have any questions about the route. It was a long time ago but I'll cast my mind back if I can ;)

[@alexlewis6998]

Dear Jethro, I loved watching this video, thanks for sharing! Highly entertaining but also very realistic about the route (!), especially during the wind and muddy towpaths! Keep up the brilliant work!

[@JethroJessop]

Thank you very much, I appreciate that 😃 Not much long distance riding to be had these days so I'm resorting to gear reviews and spending hours just looking at maps and planning. Hopefully I'll bet something in before the summer is over but who knows. Watch this space!

[@adilali7378]

Good luck

[@JethroJessop]

Thank you kindly :)

[@hungkc007]

You done amazing ride I done Bath to London I stay the night in Newbury then went to London South Kensington.

[@JethroJessop]

Nice. I've not tried the route east of Reading. Is it a good ride? I imagine it is quite different as you get into London

[@hungkc007]

@@JethroJessop very good ride 20 miles from reading to Newbury by the river themes.

[@derricklewis5397]

absolute mad lads !

[@xtrailz]

These are great videos. You definitely have the right personality to make them interesting. Music's a bit loud though.

[@JethroJessop]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed them. Sorry about the audio, it is my constant nemesis. Partly my fault for not really knowing what I'm doing and partly due to recording and editing on a phone with crappy headphones. You are not the first person to mention it and I am trying to up my game in that department :)

[@siljehjelmeland8330]

Håper du får det fint i Norge om noen månder, velkommen :)

[@JethroJessop]

As an English person I have to rely on the embarrassing truth that everywhere I go people will inevitably speak English better than I speak the local language. My grasp of Norwegian is just enough to get the gist of this comment. Tusen takk!

[@siljehjelmeland8330]

@@JethroJessop you're welcome. The reason I came to your yoytube channel was to consider buying three tents. Tentsile. but I wonder if it is too heavy to carry. not convinced.

[@JethroJessop]

They aren't light, that's for sure. Maybe OK for biking but probably too much for back-packing. They are really good fun and comfy to sleep in but not so great to do anything else in like get changed or just hang out if it rains. You have to do all that on the ground using the tent as shelter. You also need trees of course. I tried pitching mine on the ground a few days ago as an experiment and it does not work at all! (Video of that coming soon). I'm still toying with the idea of bringing mine with me on my Norway ride but I'm not decided yet. I have this idea that finding flat places to pitch a normal tent will be harder than finding three trees to pitch a Tentsile in Norway - is that right or am I assuming wrong?

[@dangerussrussruss]

Entertaining as always Jet, are you using a Hero 7?

[@JethroJessop]

Filmed, edited, rendered and uploaded entirely on my phone. It's not even that new - Samsung S7 Edge

[@dangerussrussruss]

@@JethroJessop nice one!

[@Maazyazdani1]

My 10 year old son has a question for you. "where's his helmet?"

[@JethroJessop]

It is a valid question. I don't have a good excuse for not wearing one but really I only do when I'm in traffic or riding trails. I'm not proud of it, I don't recommend it (especially for kids) but it's just the truth.