Cole Valley ride

John Bennett reports - 

A great Birmingham Cycle Ride - 30 miles of traffic free paths

We started in Bournville, took the Stratford canal then the Chinn Brook and the newly surfaced Cole Valley paths to north Solihull, then back through Sheldon Country Park and the Grand Union towpath via Digbeth and on to the River Rea cycle path.

Each section of the route is well signed and completely traffic free (apart from the road crossings and a mile of streets in Sheldon and Digbeth).

Surfaces are good throughout.  Some of the road crossings are busy and require you to wait and walk.  Some of the barriers are both unnecessary and unfriendly, and some of the vegetation is overgrown but, heyho, it was still a great day out, with plenty of rest stops and watering holes en route.

Photos from John Tourt