Canal towpaths can offer responsible cyclists a relatively level and stress-free environment to enjoy exploring the local area.
The Montgomery Canal which runs from a junction on the Llangollen Canal at Frankton Locks to just short of Y Drenewydd (Newtown) in Powys is an idyllic canal which is predominantly rural in nature and offers some great cycling.
The canal itself has been the focus of much restoration effort for a good number of years and as the canal itself is restored so too is the adjacent towpath.
At the time of writing the canal is accessible by boat to Crickheath near Oswestry where a basin allows boats to turn round.
South of Crickheath, a section of the towpath is unrestored and so passible by bike only with care and an all-terrain bike would certainly be preferable to a road bike. From Llanymynech onwards the towpath is well made and offers ideal cycling, though with road crossings that need to be navigated on foot for safety.
Talking of safety, many of the canal bridges across the Montgomery Canal provide only enough headroom for a narrowboat and a small Welsh cob pony, so even with a cycle helmet care is needed.
On overview of the route
From Newtown there is a riverside cycle/footpath and from the Newtown Active Travel Bridge this tarmac path follows the line of the disused canal to Dolfor Lock. National Cycle Route 81 follows the towpath from Newtown to Buttington just outside Welshpool and is stone surfaced.
The Friends of the Montgomery Canal have organised triathlons for a good number of years and the cycling section starts at Newtown.
There are a number of road crossings where canal bridges were flattened when the canal was abandoned and cyclists will need to dismount at: Bridge 141 at Fron, Bridge 136 at Penllwyn, Bridge 132 at Garthmyl, Bridge 129 at Refail, Bridge 117 at Gallowstree (Welshpool), Bridge 103 at Arddleen, Bridge 102 at Maerdy and Bridge 96 at the Vyrnwy Aqueduct.
The condition of the towpath however is very good and kept clear by Canal & River Trust groundwork contractors, though as anywhere, undergrowth and branches might be an issue in the summer.
North of the Vyrnwy Aqueduct, the towpath is complete and will take you under Llanymynech Bridge (92) where you will cross the border into England. On the opposite side of the canal, you will see Llanymynech Canal Wharf visitor centre which is open in the summer on weekend afternoons. Just cross the bridge to visit (bikes will need to be carried up some steps to get to the bridge).
At the end of the isolated section of canal next to the interesting Llanymynech Heritage Area, the towpath is uneven and unmade for a mile and a half through the village of Pant in Shropshire.
From Waen Wen, just north of Pant, fantastic restoration by volunteers of the Shropshire Union Canal Society has included improvements to the towpath allowing cyclists access to flat paths again all the way to the junction with the Llangollen canal at Lower Frankton.