[Closed] bristol to reading ride

Reading "local" here, what sort of thing are you looking for as 'secure'?

As a starting point, i would suggest the Reading Oracle centre; plenty of places to grab food and lots of open public space bike racks. I recommend Tampopos in the Oracle for lunch food; you can sit outside and there is bike parking within sight if you are worried about security. It is also next to the K&A canal if that's your route from Brizzle on the cycle route. If that's not secure enough, there is an Evans Cycles just over the road from the Oracle, so that might be worth a polite ask on a quiet Monday!

It's quite an average town centre, so not sure what i can suggest as secure bike parking beyond that. There are bike racks at the station near the museum, but again its pretty standard stuff.

Thanks, I am taking the kennet and avon canal way. Is there much to see and do in reading, apart from the museum

Hmmm... I don't want to sell the town short, but it isnt a major tourist destination in all honesty! The prison has some famous past guests, but they don't do tours AFAIK. The Abbey ruins are still there and accessible,the museum has the replica Bayeux Tapestry and there is the river Thames, but its not much to compare to what else you might see on the Bristol to Reading route in general. Reading is a normal average town - food and shops, no worries of course, but i would consider spending more time on the route (Bath etc) than on any particular aspect of Reading.

Reading? Lived there. It has no redeeming features.

Reading? Lived there. It has no redeeming features

Knew this sort of comment would come up. Its not true not now adays anyhow.

It is however much more of a working/shopping/drinking town that a tourist spot or a cultural highlight.

So off the top of my head I can really think many tourist attractions.

It is however much more of a working/shopping/drinking town that a tourist spot or a cultural highlight.

Which was my point, sort of.

A mixed bag of spanners then. It be the furthest I have rode, 200 miles total over the 1.5 days, on no sleep. So I look forward to what I see. It be a good sense of achievement doing that mileage and building up over the next couple years to do Lands End to John O Groats - which I know be very hard work, but rewarding at the same time. So many people have inspired me, that I want to do. A once in lifetime opportunity

There are bike lockers in the Riverside car park at the Oracle.

Not much to see in the Town really. The Abbey ruins are closed for h&s reasons. Forbury Gardens at the back of the museum are nice but unless you like chain shops nothing to write home about.

[url= http://www.thejollyanglers.com/ja/ ]This[/url] was my local when I lived there. Down by the canal. Looks like they've gone a bit more upmarket...

Good luck with your ride.

Bit different from it has no redeeming features is nt it !

Was great living there as a student 🙂 and I live nearby now, countryside side to the north and along the river is cool.

Also town centre is pretty smart looking now adays not many round down buildings.

Knew this sort of comment would come up. Its not true not now adays anyhow.

Go on then, name a redeeming feature of Reading?

The most recent improvement to the town center is widening the rail bridge east of the station to speed up the number of trains that can get through the station without having to que to get out. Pretty much sums up Reading

Bit different from it has no redeeming features is nt it !

No. It was the closest pub to where I lived.

Go on then, name a redeeming feature of Reading?

The most recent improvement to the town center is widening the rail bridge east of the station to speed up the number of trains that can get through the station without having to que to get out. Pretty much sums up Reading

Strikes me your just externalising negative personal feeling on to your surroundings.

What do you want me to say ? The Thames is well well nice for a walk to cycle along, or if your into rowing.

The town centre is always busy and there is a feeling that things are happening there moving forward and there is real employment (not like some town were everything is shutting down.)

There is some nice Architecture esp round the town hall and above the shops leading to the station.

The university must be one of the best for student life in the country ie does almost all subject so good range of students, great sport facilities, brilliant campus.

I dunno what is it you want from the town ? Where would you say is a nice town ?

Im originally from Staffordshire and was brought up in Lichfield. Personally I think its a great town/city and I'll happily admit its nicer than Reading. But it hasnt got all of Readings facilities ie University/Shopping/Cinema/Clubs/ClimbingWall etc

If I was to compare Reading to the nearest similar towns ie Tamworth/Burton-on-Trent/Even Sutton Coldfield I'd say the town centre is much better than any of them.

So by saying Reading has no redeeming features in my book your condemning most of the town in the UK.

To be honest theres only a few places in the UK I've been where I've struggling to spot a few redeeming features
1. Obviously some boroughs/area of London
2. Some of the towns in the welsh valleys, my mate lived in Treharris for a bit and on a cold damp grey day I struggled to spot many positives.
3. Some of the towns on the Cumbrian coast ie Whitehaven/Millom on a bad day they look pretty grim.

Strikes me your just externalising negative personal feeling on to your surroundings.

I've spent the last year living in an old mining village on the outskirts of Midlesbrough and view it as an improvement 😛

Architecture? In Reading? The town hall isn't anything to write home about, the fourbury square and the blade might get a passing mention, but don't forget such delights as the Thames Tower, Abbey Gardens (I think it's ironic, the only green thing is the glass) and the station roof that looks like the scaffolders left their kit behind in the 70's.

Clubs, well it's £15 drinks in Sakura or fighting with the chavs in Q-bar.

Nightlife, might be an urban myth but doesn't Reading have more wetherspoons per capita than anywhere else?

Rowing I'll give you, and the Thames is nice for a walk/ride. Road ridings good too, MTB's a bit mehhhh, Swinley for fun, Chilterns for briedleways.

nearest similar towns ie Tamworth/Burton-on-Trent/Even Sutton Coldfield I'd say the town centre is much better than any of them.

Reading's in the West Midlands?

I didn't say it was the worst town in the country, I said it has no redeeming features. The fact we're struggling to come up with ideas for someone visiting to do other than go for a ride out on the path he cam in on or visit the shopping center????????????? I spent my first year in Reading living in Whitley, at least that has the redeeming feature of local character!

I'm from that area, lived up in the Chiltern's with parents for years, school in Henley and then lived in Reading for a bit for work. As a teenager I always though it was an orrible place but its really changed.

The shopping center is ok if thats your thing, some half decent places to eat on the canal bit (Jamies italian,Wagamammas, awesome burrito place etc. Some half decent pubs in the centre and some pretty decent options for later as well (Oakford social club was our favourite) or the legendary purple turtle for when all other options have failed.

The climbing wall is actually pretty awesome as well and there's some half decent riding from the town centre if you know where to go (Across the river and towards Mapledurham)or up into the Chilterns.

For some context I now live in Perth WA and in some ways actually miss Reading :p

if you need somewhere secure to store your bike i manage a building very close to the town centre (5 minute walk down a hill to get into the centre) and you're more than welcome to leave your bike at my building, i can keep it secure and/or you can lock it up of course.

i'll be working til 5pm but if you needed to pick it up again after 5pm i'd make sure my support workers know you'll be coming back for it....

if this would help i'll send you an email 🙂

philconsquence - If you could send me a email that be great, thanks