Following on from the Cube Nuroad gravel bike that I tested and reviewed for Cyclist, I have tested another gravel bike, the Canyon Grail women's bike. The Canyon Grail was first launched in 2018 as a carbon fibre version. Since then an aluminium version has become available, making it a more accessible price point, at £1,699, than the carbon fibre bike. The thought of a women-specific gravel bike was something to look forward to, particularly from a company that prides itself in researching women's geometry.
However, I must say upfront that the geometry of this bike is no different from the men's bike, which is now referred to as a unisex bike.
The colours are different with his being silver, and hers being claret, and there is a women-specific saddle, the Sella Italia X3 Lady. A comfortable saddle is useful, I guess.
Canyon marketing department have said that from their research, women riding a unisex gravel bike is less detrimental in its handling than when riding a road bike. When doing gravel riding the technical and changing nature of the terrain, as well as constantly changing speed means that the positioning and the handling on this bike varies, so a women-specific geometry becomes less important than on a road bike.
As a company they have taken women's measurements across a wide range of women of varying shapes and sizes, and have found that the unisex measurements caters to this range. So the stem of the bike is shorter than would be expected and the reach for a man and a woman of the same height would be the same, where normally the women-specific bike would have had a shorter reach.
So, that's the explanation regarding the lack of women-specificity in the women's Grail. It's not so much a case of shrink it and pink it, but just be bold and burgundy.
That aside, the fit of the Grail was fine for me when I took it out on my local trails and I found that the reach and the width of the handlebars were perfectly fine.
The bike came with 40mm tyres on 700c wheels, which is standard for gravel bikes.
The frame does allow clearance for wider tyres though, if you prefer something fatter to allow for lower tyre pressures and a more comfortable ride.
You can also put on smaller, 650b wheels and get even wider tyres on the smaller sized frames. This also avoids the possibility of your toe overlapping the wheels when negotiating twisty trails.
It is recommended that to get the best fit with tubeless tyres it is good to have the same make of valves and rims - in this case DT Swiss. And the Schwalbe G-One tyres seem to be the most popular tyres used on these types of bikes and in the Canyon Grail this is no exception.
Still on the subject of wheels, the rims come ready to fit tubeless tyres - recommended when doing gravel riding as punctures simply repair themselves and there are no annoying interruptions to deal with punctures during the bike ride.
When pedalling along I was struck at how smooth and reactive the bike felt. At 9.37Kg the bike is lighter than the Nuroad that I tried, but is not the lightest gravel bike. It is more mid-range in terms of weight.
However, the groupset on the bike, a Shimano GRX810 helps in the pedalling and smoothness of the ride, as this new groupset is specially designed for gravel bikes.
This gearing is an 11-speed 11x34 cassette with the double 30/46 chainring. That's a good range of gears to get up the short sharp ramps that I crested on local trails in Surrey and Kent.
As mentioned earlier, the saddle is the cut-away Selle Italia X3 Lady. For me, this saddle was comfortable and did the job. I would recommend it, but I know that saddle comfort is a personal thing for each rider.
There are mounts to put on mudguards if you don't want too much of a splattering off-road or on-road.
The one gripe that I do have is the lack of means to carry luggage. Bike packing is quite fashionable, and so with that there is space to put a rack - though it is limited space. One rack that is recommended is the Tailfin, though it would be a case of shopping around to see what other racks fit.
As someone who is more used to old-school panniers there are no mounts for this type of carrier mechanism, which is a shame. And putting a seatpost rack on, is not ideal given that it is made of carbon fibre.
I would therefore be interested to know how others do bike packing with the Grail.
Overall, the "women's" Canyon Grail was a comfortable, enjoyable ride. and felt like a bike I could depend on as I went around the Surrey bridleways and woodlands. The disc brakes and smooth changes across the wide range of gears meant that I had the tools needed to deal with varied, undulating trails.
This lovely jersey was designed after a group of riders did the Paris Brest Paris audax ride in 2011, and wanted to produce a jersey that was comfortable for wearing over long distances such as 1200km. It's designed to keep warm and dry as you go through the potential elements over the long distances.
Also three small pockets, plus a large zip pocket at the back allows you to carry quite a few provisions along the way. You don't need to ride anywhere near that distance to qualify to wear this jersey, but when wearing it during your rides over the winter you can be sure that the blend of merino wool in the fabric will keep you warm.
As well as that, wool has really good wicking properties if you work up sweat. I must say it feels cosy and warm on my skin, and I really like the feel of it.
I particularly like the horizontal strips across the chest and back, which make you highly visible. There are now newer incarnations of the jersey that I have (which is what is pictured), with reflective stripes across the arms and available in a wider range of colours.
Rapha Women's Brevet jersey II: £130
On top of the Brevet jersey, and for additional warmth why not wear the Souplesse insulated gilet as well. Insulation at the front means the gilet keeps you that bit warmer, and the fabric is also windproof and quick-drying too in you get caught in a shower. As the fabric is breathable it makes it efficient at regulating body temperature so you don't overheat while riding. Another useful piece of kit for winter days.
For a bit of holiday reading, you can't go wrong with this inspirational read by one of the UKs leading ultra distance bike riders.
Emily's autobiographical talks about how she came to do the Transcontinental Cycle race in 2016, and was the first female finisher in that race. You also hear about other tales of triumph and failure of her fellow bike riders on the ultra cycling circuit, as well as dealing with the grief following the death of her friend, Mike Hall.
A highly recommended read, as per my recent review.
Where There's A Will: Hope, Grief, and Endurance in a Cycle Race Across a Continent (Hardback): £12.99
I had the opportunity to try out the 2019 version of this bike when I rode the Festive 500 last year.
It handled pretty well off road, and coped in the times when I went into muddy areas such as on the Marriott Way in Norwich, and the Longdendale Trail in the Peak District.
There were also areas I went where the terrain was quite rugged, for instance on the Pennine Bridleway, and I had no problems handling the bike. I would just recommend putting on detachable mudguards on the bike at this time of year! The spec of the 2020 bike doesn't seem to have changed much from last year, apart from the frame colour. Here is the review I wrote for Cyclist.
This neatly packaged box contains a wide selection of brushes and sponges to use for shifting the dirt from the hardest to reach nooks and crannies on your bike, and of course you have the signature bike cleaner and the bike protect sprays included.
I've used Muc-off for years and it never fails to leave my bike sparkling clean, even after the dirtiest of bike rides with my cyclocross bike.
And if you really want to be treated, see if your nearest and dearest will gift you one of the popular Muc-Off pressure washers too.
I woke up feeling pleased that the challenge was almost over, save for the small matter of riding 80km to reach my journey's end in York.
I had ridden to York before, going along the Transpennine trail, with a run into the city via the Selby-York rail trail. That route is largely traffic free and goes along farm tracks and canals.
Today's route would also be mainly traffic free, but would go slightly further north, and via two rail trails. I was slightly nervous about what condition the Hudson Way and the Bubwith rail trails would be in, knowing that this would determine how long my ride would take.
Having previously ridden the Hudson Way I knew that would be on a not-so-well manicured trail and could be slow going depending how muddy the trails would be after the drizzly conditions from weekend.
I had no idea what the Bubwith trail would be like, and guessed that it would be smooth given that that Google map had recommended it as a route from Market Weighton, where it had not recommended the Hudson Way when cycling from Beverley to Market Weighton.
During yesterday's ride it took me almost 90 minutes to cover 10 miles, as the Longendale trail was in such a muddy state. Riding at that pace today was not an option today, so I was prepared to ride on the parallel road. The nearby roads were not particularly busy, but I wanted to stay as true as possible to the off-road theme for the Festive 500. At least the Selby-York rail trail would be fine as that is tarmacked.
Cafe Velo
The main thing for me, was to get out of the house in a timely way - something which I had not done at all, apart from on the first day. On this day though, I made an effort, despite the sky looked uninviting.
From my hotel in west Hull it was a pleasant traffic-free ride up to Beverley, and along the way the sun came out. Whenever I go to Beverley I normally like to stop off at Cafe Velo and look at the beautiful Minster, but on this day I preferred to just push on, as I did feel a slight sense of urgency.
I would definitely recommend stopping at these two places though. Gary, who runs the cafe is a former racer and a very friendly guy too. And Beverley Minster looks as impressive as York Minster, but without loads of crowds.
Hudson Way
Anyway, it was onwards to the first rail trail, the Hudson Way, which runs for 10 miles from Beverley to Market Weighton. The initial section, to my pleasant surprise, had been surfaced and was now a wide gravelly, well drained trail.
Start of the Hudson Way - nicely resurfaced just at the start
That didn't last long though, and afterwards, became a farm track, interspersed with short stretches of gravel, and then a descent surface in the last mile before Market Weighton. The trail also crossed a few country roads - sometimes with steps or steep slopes to take you down to and up from the roads.
The main difference between this trail and other trails that I had done during the week was that the Hudson Way was not touristic. It was more like a local trail with comparatively few people on it, and locals taking their dogs for a walk. There was a picnic site at the disused Kiplingcotes train station, but it still didn't seem like a trail for a recreational afternoon out with the family.
I guess most people would prefer to go out nearer to Beverley, with its pastures, or further into the Wolds in places like Millington Dale. Having said that there were some pleasant views of arable fields, some of which may have inspired the likes of David Hockney in his paintings of the area.
A splash of colour at St Helen's Well
One noteworthy thing along the Hudson Way, is just outside Market Weighton when the trail goes through the woods. I am not sure what St Helen's Well represents, but it added a splash of colour to my ride.
With lots of colourful ribbons hanging from the trees it certainly made for something that broke the monotony. If anyone knows what the tradition is here I'd love to know!
Market Weighton to Bubwith Rail Trail
After Market Weighton, I then reached the Bubwith rail trail. This was not the easiest path to find. It did involve going along a 3-mile stretch of the main A614, and it was only by keeping my eyes peeled that I found the right-hand turn to get onto the trail.
In fact, initially when I found the gap in the hedge I wasn't sure if I had reached the correct place, but after riding for around 400m I found a sign-post marked "Market Weighton-Bubwith Rail Trail". Then it was just a case of going straight on for around 10 miles.
This was barely a rail trail at all. It was a narrow track, sometimes a single track and there were no tell-tale cycle tyre tracks to show this path was used by cyclists. There were just horse-hoof marks for most of the way with the ground being cloddy, and in some places churned up by the horses. All along the way were paddocks and nearby stables.
It felt like I was in a cyclocross race - especially because I was working hard, trying to ride quickly over this challenging terrain, and removed my jackets on this mild winter's day.
Over the 10-mile stretch I saw two or three walkers and just one cyclist, but I did see five horse riders. The trail seemed hidden away like a little secret just for the landowners in the area and their horses.
There was practically no human life around; the horse was definitely king! Needless to say there was no picnic site! In fact, I kept thinking someone might pop up and have a "get off my land" moment!
The route was pretty bumpy, and well suited for mountain bikers, though the Cube Nuroad, with its Schwalbe G-One tyres still coped fine. Then, just when I was wondering how long I could be bumped around for, the path finally reached Bubwith, and my bottom got some rest.
Selby to York Rail Trail
At this point, I began to feel good about the fact that I was now in the county of North Yorkshire, and therefore not so far from York. After a pleasant interlude through the Skipwith Nature Reserve I arrived at Riccall and picked up the final rail trail of the day, the Selby-York rail trail.
This was on lovely smooth tarmac, albeit with ruts from pushed-up tree roots, but it was straight-forward. It was completely straight and flat, and child's-play to navigate. This is a popular path, used very much as a commuter link between York and Selby. As commuter paths go it is scenic, with various sculptures along the way related to the solar system and the planets.
On this day there were a few challenging moments when I was buffeted by a few gusts on this slightly windy day. Although there were plenty of sections to take a seat along this nine-mile stretch. I sucked up the wind and focused on reaching my destination - York Minster.
Once the path ended, the run into York was easy to follow. From the racecourse it was a case of following the Transpennine Trail signs which led to the River Ouse, and before I knew it I was in York City Centre.
Finally at the finish line, in York Minster
However, at that point my Garmin was only showing 75 km on the counter. So I carried on along the riverside, up to the Youth Hostel and then rode back into the centre of York on the opposite side of the Ouse, to reach Lendal Bridge and York Minster.
I had done it - and before sunset! I couldn't have chosen a nicer place to end my Festive 500 - on the last day of the year, in front of one of the most famous landmarks in England.
After taking a couple of photos I had a celebratory snack at Cafe Concerto, opposite the Minster. It had been a varied and pleasant ride, and is highly recommended.
These 500km covered this week have taken me to different parts of England and it's been an enjoyable ride. It's a bit of a blur now, but I'm glad I took enough photos to remind myself where I went and the nice time I had.
Middlewood Way and Londgendale Trail - Northwest and Peak District
Stats Kms ridden: 43 Running total: 420 Kms left: 80 Refreshments: 250ml water; Clif Bar; tortilla chips; walnuts Weather: light rain, drizzle, hanging mist; 12 degC Highlights: Seeing the sun set over Torside Reservoir and Woodhead Pass; getting an extremely muddy bike from the trails
Start of the Middlewood Way just outside Macclesfield (medieval labrynth just behind)
No cyclocross for me
Today was probably the worst day so far in terms of weather, which also impacted on the riding too. I had hoped to get out early and ride the Middlewood Way before my planned race in Macclesfield. However, at 8am it was still pitch black (Sun rises later up here than in London!), misty and raining. I really wasn't ready for this, so I waited for things to clear up a little.
In a way, if I were doing one continuous ride during the day that would have been easier to manage. At least once you stop riding you know you've finished for the day. However, my plan had been to do a ride, then stop to do a cyclocross race, then get in the car to drive somewhere else and do another ride. So taking off and putting back on drenched kit wouldn't have been great, and given that I was on the move there wasn't the facility to dry my clothes - logistics....
So after waiting an hour or so I ventured out, but the weather had only marginally improved. Then I began to worry about doing the cyclocross race. Last week when I raced in similar conditions at the Mendips Raceway it was at least 90 minutes after finishing racing before I could get going. That's how long it took to clean myself and my bike up after getting covered in mud. I couldn't afford to spend that much time again, knowing the other things that I had to do.
So in the end, I had to choose between doing the cyclocross race or doing the trails. Well, given that a cyclocross race only gives about 10km as opposed to a trail ride giving me double that amount in the same time period, for the purposes of getting the 500km-challenge done, I had to leave out the cyclocross race. It was sad to have to leave it out because Macc Supacross is a good event, and I have fond memories of going to South Park in Macclesfield.
Middlewood Way
Without too much crying over spilt milk I got on with the task of riding the Middlewood Way. I am familiar with this trail as part of it was my regular commute when I worked in Macclesfield. It was great to ride or run on it, through the woods, to get to Tytherington.
That section near Macclesfield is fully tarmacked. However, with the damp weather it was still a messy affair with all the leaves and mud on it. The surface is still fairly compact through Kerridge, and up to Bollington. Then after the bridge in Bollington it becomes a forest trail, which is very muddy in the wet.
Picnic time! Middlewood Way near Poynton
Still, the weather didn't deter people and there were lots of folks out - more groups of mountain bikers than leisure cyclists. Lots of people were on lunchtime walks too. In fact, the picnic area near Poynton was quite popular even on this dreary day, as was the nearby Boars Head pub!
Some years ago, I wrote an article for the now closed magazine, Cycling Active. I remember having a good day out when we did the photo shoot here.
I didn't do the full 10-mile trail, which runs from Macclesfield to Marple (near Stockport), but instead turned around at Middlewood train station and returned to Bollington via a road route, just to give the bike respite from the mud. The road route is still pleasant, and passes along the edge of Lyme Park. It burns more calories than being on the trail though, as there are a few steep climbs to get through the village of Pott Shrigley. Thankfully, there's a handy coffee shop along the way.
Longendale Trail
After the Middlewood Way, I jumped into the car and made my way over to Glossop, to ride the Longendale Trail.
The last time I was in this area was when I rode the Transpennine trail from Southport to Hornsea a couple of years ago. Discovering this trail was a real delight, especially when the weather was so much nicer than on this day.
Torside Reservoir shimmered beautifully in the sun, there were loads of brightly coloured flowers of early summer, and near the Woodhead Tunnel people were even sunbathing. Not so today!
Torside reservoir seen from the Longendale trail
It was misty and damp, there was low cloud on the hills, and the trails were very muddy. People had shied away from coming out today, as there weren't many people at all.
Up until now my clip-on mudguards on the bike had done a good job. But with today's conditions were probably a big ask, and the bike plus my ankles and shoes were covered in cack.
Once again, I didn't ride the full 8.5 miles as it was just too dark, damp, and miserable. The riding was very slow-going, and I needed to get to my lodgings in East Yorkshire that day.
So I turned around after around 5 miles and returned to the car via a minor road. It was lovely seeing the sun set over the hills and the reservoir, with the lights from the towns in the distance. In a strange way I felt lucky to have the chance to ride along this road through the Peak District at this time of the day.
With my Proviz jacket and Exposure lights, plus a high viz cover on my rucksack I was sure that any vehicles would have seen me, so I felt pretty safe. The road wasn't busy in any case. This route was slightly longer, and hillier (naturally) than the Longendale trail, but nothing too steep. The best bit was the long descent into Padfield, which made the road route worth it.
I still have around 80km to ride, and I will have to do it all tomorrow. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too difficult. I would prefer not to deal with a lot of mud though!
This was a day to look forward to, as I had heard a lot of good things about the Monsal trail. It appears to be one of the most popular rail trails in the country, yet for all my cycling in the Peak District I had never been on it. So it would be good to finally make it onto the trail.
One of four tunnels along the Monsal trail
There was also a cyclocross taking place. That's my favourite type of racing. Mind you, these days it's the only type of racing I do!
So after another longish drive cross country to reach Bakewell I checked out the Monsal trail. Again, I was limited on time because I needed to be back in time to sign up and prepare for the race. By prepare that just meant getting my bike out of the car and putting on my race number. There wouldn't be time to pre-ride the course, so I would be racing it blind - something that I quite regularly do!
Monsal Trail
At least today, I would be nicely warmed up after a quick blast along the 8.5 mile Monsal trail. Finding the trail was easy enough because it was right behind where the race was taking place. I just had to navigate around the various tapes across the field, which was fun and games given that racing was already in progress!
The start of the trail from Coombe Lane
The first section onto the trail involved a steep ramp and I feared that it would be this steep all the way along. In fact, this was the only ramp on the ride. There are many places to enter and exit the Monsal trail, and all of them will involve a steep ramp given that this trail is above the village and the dales.
Immediately onto the trail and I could see that it was definitely popular. This trail had more people on it than I had seen on any of the other trails I had done during the Festive 500. There were groups of walkers, groups of cyclists - leisure bikers and mountain bikers - even a group of horseriders. It seems everyone was on the Monsal trail, and those who weren't were at the cyclocross race!
The surface is compacted earth and gravel that drains well, so it was not muddy. Along the way were refreshment stops in the disused railway stations - notably at Harrop.
One of the main features of this trail is the tunnels. There are four of them, each being around 400m long. They are fully lit in daylight hours, though I think it woud be good to still have lights on the bike just to alert walkers. When travelling towards Bakewell the route goes slightly downhill so you can pick up quite a speed if you want. So from a safety standpoint a light would be a good idea.
Views over the Derbyshire Dales and the Peak District
I went through two of the tunnels and then turned back in order to get back to my race in time. In the afternoon sunshine the Monsal trail is a lovely place to be. There are beautiful views over the Peak District and the surface is very easy to ride on, and easy to navigate. This was definitely my favourite trail to date during the Festive 500 week.
Notts and Derby League Cyclocross race
Once back at the Bakewell Agricultural Showground I set about preparing for the cyclocross race. Although the temperature was advertised as 10 degC, the windy conditions made it feel a lot colder, and for the first time since I can remember I actually did the race in long tights. I didn't overheat either - not even on the testing climbs.
As with races in the Notts and Derby league, the women's field was pretty big. There must have been at least 30 women signed up for it. The level would also be quite high as I recognised a number of names of people who race the National Trophy series of races.
For me, this was just a chance to do a cyclocross race and get my pulse rate working a bit higher than the plod I had mainly been doing over the rail trails.
Conditions were nowhere as claggy as the two races I had done the previous week in Tonbridge and at Mendips Raceway. There were still a few sticky patches though. More importantly there were some tough climbs and a very tricky descent that was steep with loads of bumps. I have no idea how I managed to do it without crashing. In fact as I bounced down the hill with my body being thrown around like a ragdoll, there was a "whoa" from the crowds as they were expecting me to stack it. But somehow I stayed on the bike. I guess it's called focus and core stability!
Overall, the race was hard work and I languished near the back, as usual sparring with a couple of local women from Ilkeston and Derby, fighting not to be the lanterne rouge. I think I finished third last in the end, but I was just happy to have got round without any incident. I felt reassured to know that I could do this race even after all the other stuff I'd been doing.
It remains to be seen how much energy I have tomorrow when I tackle another cyclocross race as well as two rail trails! Whatever happens tomorrow, I can say that today was a good day.
This was a long and a short day - long because I had an early wake-up call in order to do my chores before leaving the house for a few days; I stopped off briefly to visit my sister before getting in the car to drive to Norwich to do a more Festive 500 riding.
As ever, due to cramming in various other chores I set off later than planned, and by the time I started my bike ride it was 2.30pm.
I had bemoaned starting my Brighton stage at almost 1pm, or starting my Kent coastal ride at midday. But I felt I really had surpassed myself today by setting off in the mid-afternoon!
The plan had been to ride Marriott's Way and another nearby trail called Bure Valley path, but I realised that the latter would be done in darkness. That was something that bothered me - not necessarily the idea of riding in the dark. After all, my USE Exposure lights would have been perfect for illuminating my trail.
For me, the issue was that when riding somewhere for the first time, particularly somewhere scenic it's nice to be able to appreciate the beauty of the area. That's not something you can do in pitch black!
I started the trail from near where I was parked in Hellesdon - I was too much in a rush to take any other photos
So I resigned myself to just getting on with it, while understanding that not seeing the landscape around the Bure Valley path is my penance for setting off late.
From the Hellesdon neighbourhood of Norwich where I parked, it was a short ride to reach the Marriott's Way. This is a very pleasant woodland trail that passes arable fields and parks.
It would have been nice to just zoom along this path to reach Aylsham, the end of the Marriott's Way and the start of the Bure Valley path.
However, it wasn't to be as the trail was slow-going. This was a forest bridleway, with a lot of muddy sections - the polar opposite of the smooth tarmacked Bristol-Bath path. Furthermore, this was not a continuous off-road path. Sections of it would go on-road and I had to keep my eyes peeled for the blue signboards indicating the directions to the next section of the trail. At one point I missed the sign and ended up completely lost. Even when I asked one of the locals about how to get to the Marriott Way she was clueless. Do the locals here really not give a toss about their rail trails?
I eventually found my way after having lost a bit of time, but as the going was soft I would not have been able to match the speeds I had done on other rail trails.
Maybe the lady I had asked for directions was not representative because there were actually quite a lot of people on the trails - walking, on family bike rides, and a few horse riders.
Onwards I pressed until my route came to an abrupt halt when a bridge over the River Wensum was closed, meaning I had to make a diversion via a busy main road.
Initially I stood there lamenting at the possibility of another delay to my ride. In the end I saw it as a blessing in disguise. I had ridden far enough to return to Norwich while still getting in a reasonable mileage.
I decided I wasn't going to do the Bure Valley Path, and instead I would make my way over to my lodgings and enjoy a relaxing evening. Well, with all this travelling around I think I deserved a rest. So back to Norwich I went!
My return to Norwich was quite fast - it may have been that I felt motivated to get back to my car, but it was more the fact that the path was slightly downhill.
After a quick spin around the city centre, which I can't tell you much about because it was dark, I returned to my car and made tracks to Wisbech where I would stay for the night.
This is definitely a place I will return to next year, and do the Full Monty of trails. But for today I was satisfied with my taster.
Whenever I'm in London on Christmas day I always do a bike ride around the city. It's probably my favourite day to ride a bike.
I love travelling through this great city with hardly any traffic around, and seeing the sights and the architecture in their full glory, without needing to have too much added focus on the crazy traffic!
Also, the Christmas lights and many folks out walking with their families just adds a feelgood factor to the atmosphere.
For today, rail trails had to be put on hold as there are hardly any in London. There are disused underground stations, but that'll be for another day, and I think cycling underground might present some problems!
Regents Canal near Victoria Park
Having said that, I did find lots of traffic-free places to ride, notably on the Regents Canal towpath. It's a lovely thoroughfare where you see the different architecture and degrees of stylishness as you go along.
Industrial ride
I joined the towpath at Mile End, over in East London, and continued past Hackney and Victoria Park (the people's park). These areas were quite industrial-looking with urban graffiti, with some parts looked a little bit run-down. I have to say, I like these scenes though because there is character in these places and there are always interesting stories to find out about the history of these places - something else to do for another day.
Then as I got nearer to Islington the path became more stylish as I went past the backs of design studios, and hip cafes.
I did leave the towpath at Islington to head North to Highgate and Hampstead, but rejoined it later on at Regents Park, where this section of the towpath had a regal feel, particularly as it passed near some of the most affluent parts of London like Primrose Hill and St John's Wood.
I finally left the canal at Little Venice, which must make for one of the most alternative addresses to have, for the folks who live on the boats moored there.
Little Venice
For this London loop I had considered riding all the way up to Alexandra Palace, but given the time constraints I just went as far as Highgate. Once again my ride included another pretty arduous hill - Highgate Hill.
Living in Crystal Palace, I am no stranger to hills in London, and I always thought the that the steepest hills can be found in and around my neighbourhood.
In fact, Highgate can't be discounted as having the steepest hills in London. This hill went on for about a kilometre and was a real grind. This should not have been a surprise to me as this hill runs parallel to Swain's Lane, a road I have competed on in the past for the Urban Hill climb. So therein was the clue that this road wouldn't be flat!
Beautiful Belsize Park
Once the road levelled off I was able to "recover" by doing a stretch across Hampstead Heath. One of the great things about having the Cube Nuroad gravel bike is the freedom to get onto gravel trails at will, which is what I did on the heath.
Even at times I completely off-pisted it by riding across the sodden grass. The tyres aren't specifically adapted for riding on wet or really muddy trails, but the Nuroad still coped over those short stretches - as it had done along the River Avon trail yesterday.
After these capers I then made the homeward run via the sumptuous neighbourhoods of Belsize Park, Primrose Hill, and down through Chelsea to get home and enjoy some Christmas dinner.
One really interesting find for me during this ride was the Waterlink Way - a traffic-free, tarmacked cycle route very close to where I live, that goes through Sydenham, Catford, and Lewisham, all the way to Greenwich. It is a very pleasant ride that basically follows the River Ravensbourne.
I almost feel ashamed that I didn't know about this route earlier. It is a much more pleasant way to get to Lewisham than on the road route, and I would highly recommend it.
I guess that's the thing about a Christmas ride in London - it is the chance to discover new places and new routes that I generally feel too much in a rush to bother looking for during my busy schedule at other times of the year.
After more than a month of planning, the day finally came for me to begin the quest for those all-important 500 kilometres between today and New Year's Eve, to attain the challenge.
Even though I have done various cycle tours over the years I still felt quite nervous about this one. It was probably a combination of starting the ride somewhere far from home, that I was not familiar with, a weather forecast that didn't look great, not knowing what the state of the trails would be like, and also using new equipment.
My steed for the Festive 500 - Cube Nuroad WS gravel bike
I had a new bike to test - a Cube Nuroad WS women's gravel bike, new lights for off-road biking, and a new portable hydration pack - none of which I'd had the chance to rehearse with.
I wasn't altogether happy with some of my old equipment, notably my mountain biking shoes. They were in a pretty damp and muddy state after having spent the two previous days in back-to-back mudfests (also known as cyclocross races!) particularly after yesterday's soggy conditions at the Mendips Raceway.
This year's theme for my Festive 500 is rail trails. I will ride as many of these converted disused railway lines as is practical.
Today's ride started from the village of Easton-in-Gordano just outside Bristol, and went out to Portishead, then back to Bristol via the Ashton Court Estate, and onwards to Bath via the Bristol-Bath rail trail.
From Easton-in-Gordano I found an off-road path known as the Sheepway, part of the Avon Cycleway network and that took me straight to Portishead. The trail was a mixture of gravel and compacted earth. It was slightly muddy, but nothing excessive.
Although I was quite near the coast I wouldn't have known it because there were various industrial parks nearby blocking the view. However, the sound of seagulls couldn't be concealed.
Portishead town centre looked pretty, though being Christmas Eve the high street was very busy. Somehow, because I had been thinking so much about doing rail trails I hadn't thought much about cycling up hills anywhere.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
In fact, I ended up doing a pretty big climb on the run back into Bristol - 2km up Naish Hill. It was pretty steep, and quite unexpected. As I struggled up it, a club rider flying past in the opposite direction shouted "Keep going" across to me. I was grateful for the encouragement as I was only half-way up at that point!
After that, it was then a rolling road to get to the Ashton Court Estate, where I got onto an off-road trail to reach Clifton Bridge. I do like this bridge.
It's quite picturesque, as far as suspension bridges go, and judging by the number of people hanging around there it seemed like more than just a bridge, as there was a visitor centre, as well as the nearby Leigh Woods and Ashton Court Estate, making it a pleasant day out. Ashton Court Estate is also popular with mountain bikers where there are a few technical trails plus a novice trail to try out too.
Once in central Bristol I did a lot of stop-starting to find my way to the Bristol-Bath cycle path, and that probably cost me a bit of time - not really what I want when trying to get in the miles. Eventually I found the path, which started from the St Philip's area of the city.
I've gotta say it wasn't the prettiest of venues to start the trail, and I hoped things would look nicer as the ride progressed. Thankfully, once past the rough urban streets I was again back into Bristolian leafy suburbia.
This rail trail is the former Midland Railway Bath to Mangotsfield line, which was axed along with loads of other trails around the country, following the Beeching Report in the 1960s. Nowadays it is a very popular path with walkers and cyclists.
The whole 15-mile route between Bristol and Bath is tarmacked so you can ride it quite quickly when there's no one around. The remains of Warmley station, with it's platform are still there and the old building is now a mini cafe with toilets. There is also a cafe further along, at Bitton.
Along the way, I saw a few leisure cyclists, and a lot of club cyclists on training rides. One person I spotted was someone in Team Sunweb kit who was particularly going for it.
Initially I thought it was someone in replica kit, but something about their lean frame and concentrated look made me think it must be an elite cyclist. It was only after I passed the rider that I realised it was Pfeiffer Georgi - previously in Team Jadan-Weldtite, now part of Team Sunweb.
Avon Valley Railway briefly runs parallel to the Bristol-Bath rail trail
The last time I saw her was when she won the Queen of the Mountains at Stage 1 of the Tour de Yorkshire earlier this year. If only I had had my wits about me to talk to her today. Mind you, I'm not sure if she would have wanted to stop given that she was in full flow!
The rest of this trail has other attractions, like sculptures, the Avon Valley Railway, on which a vintage train passed through while I was there. For other off-road rides there's the River Avon Trail, the Avon Cycleway and the Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath.
These attractions definitely give me a reason to come back here in future.
As things were though, I had to push on to Bath, where the end of the trail was definitely prettier than the start. All that regency architecture definitely makes the city appealing, and it was heaving with shoppers and tourists alike.
I had just enough time to do a quick spin around the city centre before getting the train back to Bristol Temple Meads and do the 10-mile route back to Easton-in-Gordano. By the time I reached Bristol it was 4pm, and getting dark.
In fact, night fell while I was on the River Avon Trail en route to Pill. Thankfully I was able to use my mountain bike lights.
To be honest, as there were a few hardy souls out running along these trails I felt it would've been inconsiderate to dazzle them with both of my lights. The Lezyne was enough of an annoyance for them!
The River Avon Trail is not a rail trail but it is a popular off-road cycle route. You go along the River Avon gorge and for a long section of the ride there is a great view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge above, as spectacular rocky outcrops tower over you. You'd almost forget you were in a city if it wasn't for the fast Portway road on the other side of the river.
Given all the rain from previous days the trail was quite muddy in parts, but the Cube Nuroad coped well. I was very glad to have put mud-guards on the bike. I was completely dry at the end of what ended up being a pretty messy end to my day.
The bike will need a bit of a clean-up before I set off again tomorrow, but I don't mind. Considering how apprehensive I was feeling beforehand, if a muddy bike at the end of my day is the biggest hardship I can't complain. It was a good first day!
