Bikepacking to Wales (Bournemouth to wales)

This is one of them routes that is probably a bit of an in-between of beginner and intermediate because if you check the elevation profile it has a lumpy section which can at times be a little testing with some of the climbs being quite steep and grassy or rutty making them a little slow-going, but I think as long as you have a little experience riding off-road most people will be able to manage this route.

This route from Bournemouth to Newport, south wales. It is one I use quite often, it’s my go-to route when I need to get to wales and I feel like not taking the train. It’s mostly all off-road and traffic free up until Bristol, then it follows the back lanes along the Sustrans cycle route over the bridge into wales. Then follow the quieter back lanes into Newport.

The ride consists of bridle ways and gravel track pretty much all the way to Trowbridge where you will follow the canal to bathe then jump on the bath-Bristol old railway line cycle route.

A gravel bike or MTB will be fine along this route, there are plenty of nice gravel tracks as you go through the Salisbury plain area. But there are a few trails that are a little rutty and sometimes the grass is very over grown for a few sections, but I have ridden it at all times of the year and I have always managed to get through, sometimes easier than other though.