Are there any parts of the Thames that you cannot cycle along?

Most of it, it’s quite deep you know!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha I knew I was opening myself up for a beating 🙂

On a marginally more useful note, you should be able to see which parts of the Thames you can cycle alongside here: London Cycle Network map 😉

I think you need the Thames Path National Trail website

See here for some on-line advice

There is lots of foopath, all rideable, with the usual caveats – no right to ride etc. It is prohibited, with good reason, to cycle through locks. I rode the whole lot, from the tidal barrier to the source with a friend several years ago, fully prepared to push some sections of the landowners objected – there was no conflict with landowners or other users of the paths. There were a few sections where the path moves away from the riverside for a while.

An example of that conflict is in Reading… last year the council decided that as it was (in their view) a footpath, they’d put up no cycling signs on the section between Reading and Caversham bridges (notwithstanding the fact that this effectively broke the national cycle network and pushed people onto a horrible urban dual carriageway).

This seems to have been to appease some batty residents of the riverfront. I’ve seen a horrible woman yell at people down there before (e.g. when I ambled just off the path into a tiny unfenced gravel car park bit to let people past… she came storming out yelling at me about how it was private property. “Yes, stupid that, isn’t it?” didn’t go well with the old goat).

And then Reading council got egg on their face when it turned out to be a British Waterways towpath and therefore legal to cycle and not their jurasdiction. They’ve settled for a couple of chicanes to slow people down… fair enough.

with Jules.b, cycle it quite a lot (mainy W of Oxford and Reading), the only people who appeared to have a legal right to complain were cheery and happy, waving etc, look out for pill boxes and dog sh!t I’m afraid
(*some stiles but check as some can be opened)

Most of it, it’s quite deep you know!

😆

I ride the Gravesend to London Bridge sections on a regular basis- most of it is the Thames Path and offroad. The road sections are mostly around industrial sites/ factories etc although up to Charlton there are’nt many. I’d say 99% of it is offroad.
The section from Marion Park in Charlton to the Thames Barrier you have to take to the road and then youre fine all along to Greenwich. After that it breaks up a bit more but again it’s about 90% offroad.
Dont go through Thamesmead or Deptford on your own as theres some dodgy estates to go through! If you have to on your own go faster and DONT stop to look at the scenery 😉

Hope this helps…..