Bishopston bike ride

This Satuday (27th June) we will be leading a small group on a gentle bike ride from Bishopston up the Bristol-Bath Railway Path to Warmley and back.

We'll head out from St Andrews Park at 10.30am (meet at the paddling pool end of the park), make our way over to the Bristol-Bath Railway path, and then we'll head along the path to the Waiting Room Cafe at Warmley for a snack, before turning back home. You can check out our route on a map here.

We're taking a nice flat route at a gentle pace, and expect to be home by 2.30pm. The ride is open to all and we'd love to see you there. If you'd like to come along it would be great if you could RSVP our office on 0117 315 5110 or info@cyclingcityclub.com.

Bike maintenance videos

Here's a series of useful videos on bike maintenance, including how to fix a puncture, how to adjust your saddle to the correct height, and how to do basic bike maintenance. In addition (and very important in Bristol) how to stop your bike being stolen.


Bicycle Maintenance: How To Fix A Bicycle Puncture


Bicycle Maintenance: How To Adjust Your Saddle To The Correct Height


Bicycle Maintenance: How To Do Basic Bicycle Maintenance


Bicycle Maintenance: How To Stop Your Bike Being Stolen

Chew Valley Lake via the Whitchurch Railway Path

The feeling amongst the team here is that our previous blog post ended a little prematurely. Why not continue the ride along an almost completely traffic-free route through south Bristol and out to the beautiful quiet country lanes of North Somerset? we all shouted in unison. So here goes.

View Chew Valley Lake Circuit in a larger map

This ride is a leisurely 25 miles from the city centre to Chew Valley Lake and back - perfect for a Saturday or Sunday outing. It follows the route of the previous post as far as the hospital, heading south out of Bristol from the St Phillips Causeway near Temple Meads station, then along the Whitchurch Railway Path. Like any route out of our beautiful and undulating city you'll find the first and last few miles a little hilly - but don't despair! The trick is to make full use of all your gears and go at a comfortable pace - even if sometimes that pace is walking rather than riding. You should never be afraid to get off your bike and push...

Heading south out of Bristol, pick up National Cycle Network route 3 from Temple Meads and follow the signs until you reach the Whitchurch railway path, which takes you off-road down to Whitchurch itself. From here the route takes you back onto quiet country roads with some lovely sweeping downhills into Chew Magna, out of the village and on to the lake side. Part of the circuit around Chew Valley lake itself is on road and part is on an off-road cycle path, and on a sunny afternoon you're bound to see plenty of other cyclists. You'll also see plenty of bikes outside the cafes around the valley, both the Chew Valley Lake Teashop which looks over the Lake and the New Manor Farm Shop round the corner in Bishop Sutton.

Which brings us to the best bit of this route (and any weekend ride if you ask our office of hearty cyclists) - the cafe stop. There are refreshment stops aplenty on this ride, Chew Magna and Chew Stoke both have good country pubs and there's also a farm shop that does cream scones and roast dinners on Sunday.

Keep heading round the lake clockwise and enjoy the views from the dams. Heading back you can take a slightly less hilly route by heading North out of Chew Stoke towards Chew Magna on the B3114 rather than jumping directly onto the signed cycle route; on a weekend it won't be any busier. Take it slow and you'll be on the railway path for a gentle wander back into Bristol in no time.

Happy riding!

An accompanied commute from Bishopston to Brislington

We are now over a month into our work in Bishopston and have been busy helping dozens of people – new cyclists, those returning to cycling, and people who would like to improve their confidence on a bike.

Following an appointment with one Bishopston resident, Emily, it became clear that her main issue was finding a morning rush hour route to her workplace (Callington Road Hospital in Brislington) that was direct, flat and used relatively quiet roads. A bit of a challenge!

One of our cycling advisers assisted by planning a suitable route, riding the route on his own to check how suitable it was. Then, one morning, Emily and our adviser rode the route together, with our adviser leading.

Emily said: “I took up the offer of an assisted commute because it was free and fitted in with my day, and also because I wanted to be shown the best route possible for my cycle to work”. “The cycling adviser led me at a nice gentle pace and showed me parts of Bristol like the river path that I had never used before, so yes, it was very worthwhile, and I’ll now use the route whenever I cycle to work”.


View Bishopston to Callington Rd Hospital

The exact route is as follows:

1. Starting from Brynland Avenue, go via North Road to miss most of Gloucester Road, through St Pauls along Brigstocke Road and Dean Street before using the toucan crossing (bike friendly) by John Lewis.

2. Head south along Bond Street using the cycle lanes before turning left onto Avon Street away from the traffic.

3. Turn right at the Avon Street/Feeder Rd junction toward Temple Meads and cycle for about 100 metres before turning off the road and heading onto the river path - St Philips Greenway - signposted as National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 3. Once on this it’s a doddle to get to Brislington, as you just follow the blue path signs/stickers.

4. At St Philips Causeway, go under the road, up the ramp and across the river. Stay off the road using the lovely big shared path towards the Sainsburys supermarket.

5. A short tootle down the Bloomfield Road link, over the A4 and through Arno’s Court Park, onto Kings Road and then turn left all the way up the quiet Hampstead Road, taking care when crossing the junction with Kensington Park Rd.

6. On the other side of the road you’ll see an off-road cycle path - follow this for a minute or so past the allotment and you’re there, right outside both the hospital and the neighbouring supermarket.

If you’d like a route planned for you or think you would benefit from an accompanied commute, just give us a call on 0117 3155110 or email info@cyclingcityclub.com. Remember, we can help with all things cycle related!