The Route

As you know, we're cyling the entire length of the River Thames.  We'll be starting off in Kemble, just outside Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and ending at the Thames Barrier in east London.

Our route will follow the river as much as possible; there is a national trail along the entire route. However, the Thames Path National Trail is not a long distance route for cyclists, and most of it is a public footpath. The majority of the ride will therefore be on roads. In London, some boroughs allow cycling on the Thames Path, but it is a disjointed picture.

That said, the route has been carefully planned to ensure that every bend in the river is accounted for, giving good distances between each way point, stop-off point, and the start and finish points. We aim to start on a Friday, meaning that riding through Central London will be on Sunday, which will be less busy. The trip will be done over three days

More after the jump...


Day 1: Kemble to Oxford, via the Source
We will start at Kemble, Gloucestershire, taking a short detour to see the official Source of the River Thames, and then continue towards Lechlade, and finishing the day at Oxford. This will be approximately 50 miles. Google Map links are provided below.

Day 1: Morning Ride
Day 1: Afternoon Ride

Day 2: Oxford to Windsor
Rejoining the rest of the cycle path in Oxford, we’ll head down to Caversham. There is one useable cycle route on the Thames Path, Reading Bridge to Sonning Bridge, and we’ll then use roads, finishing the day at Windsor. This will be about 65 miles. Google Map links are provided below.

Day 2: Morning Ride
Day 2: Afternoon Ride

Day 3: Windsor to the Thames Barrier

There are two cycle routes before we reach the capital, one through Staines, and one from Weybridge through to Hampton Court. After Hampton Court, we’ll carry on to Kingston-on-Thames, and then through Central London. We’ll journey past Greenwich before arriving at the Thames Barrier – and the finish! This is approximately 47 miles. Google Map links are provided below.

Day 3: Morning Ride
Day 3: Afternoon Ride

We will be using the Thames National Trail cycle paths as much as possible, which is why you may see gaps in our routes above. Here is the Google map link for the Thames National Trail.