The best gravel rides around Padworth

Pure Bliss! had a super lunch of gels, carb mix and bars ver the sweeping vistas of traffic and noise! Jokes aside a highlight of my ride back to Bristol from London. I don't know why.

Not a gravel riding track. Only suitable for mountain bikes due to the road conditions, big rocks, and large potholes. If you must ride a gravel bike here, do not cruise and always go slowly.

All cyclists are able to pass the toll bridge for free

Christchurch Bridge is one of those post-2010 structures that still looks vaguely futuristic if you squint through the drizzle, all brushed metal and angled cables, stretched over the Thames like someone thought Reading needed a statement piece on a budget. Built in 2015 to connect the town centre with the north bank, it was meant to be a step toward sustainable transport. These days, it’s more of a tactical crossing point. At 138 metres long, it offers a decent line across the water, provided you can navigate the walkers, the slow, unpredictable pedestrians who drift across both lanes like confused drones. They’ll stop dead, veer diagonally, or pull a 180 with no warning. Bells are useless. Polite coughs do nothing. Try “on your right” and you’ll get a sideways glance that says, “You chose threat.” The bridge itself is solid, no major structural issues, not yet, and the view isn’t bad if you’re into Reading riverside aesthetics or watching trains roll by in the middle distance. There’s usually a breeze, and sometimes the air carries a strange scent, incense and diesel or something like that, perhaps old factories nearby were smouldering. Two wheels have to treat the crossing like an obstruction. You ride steady, but ready, always prepared to dodge a wayward commuter or canine unit on a retractable leash stretched to trip-wire length. There’s no room to be indecisive, and definitely no time for mid bridge photo shoots unless you’re ready to become a cautionary anecdote. The incline is gentle, but if you’re hauling supplies or riding on a loaded frame, you’ll feel it by the halfway mark. Still, it’s a crucial part of the west-east route along the Thames Path. If you’re avoiding roads and staying off-grid, this bridge is your best shot across the river without backtracking for miles. At dawn or dusk, you might get lucky and cross it clean, no walkers, no noise, just the creak of your drivetrain and the water below, quiet and grey. At peak times, though, it’s a gauntlet. Urban survival, one careful pedal stroke at a time.

Although most riders finish King Alfred’s Way in Winchester, I wrapped up my journey in Reading—making this stunning Ridgeway section into Streatley one of my final and most memorable stretches. The open chalk track offers incredible views over the Thames Valley, followed by a flowing descent into Streatley & Goring—an ideal place to pause, refuel, and take in the last big skies before rolling to the end. 🚴‍♂️ Fast but rideable chalk descent (even in damp conditions), watch for walkers and ruts. 📍 Café and rest stop options in Streatley/Goring.

Not only are these old Cold War Cruise missile bunkers but Star Wars used them in the Force Awakens film as the rebel base

Best way across the Thames in Reading and it links the station and city centre to the beautiful Christchurch meadows and the Thames path. Nice colour lights in the dark too

Watermill was the setting for the 1st Black Sabbath album cover. Now open to the public on occasions it's a fascinating visit