I'm outta here...

[vernon]

For a few days while I pedal back to Leeds along the Leeds - Liverpool canal.

Have talked too much about riding and need to get some miles in if I'm going to cope with a pie ride later in the year.

 

[mcshroom]

Good luck and have fun

 

[dan_bo]

Same here. Done knack all all weekend and now it's time for the feet (or indeed tyres-its too warm for comfy running) to him the street! In a bit!

 

[coffeejo]

Have fun!

 

[funnymummy]

Have a great ride x

 

[dan_bo]

Yep good that. A quick (for me) 50 round hebden bridge and halifax in 3 hours 05. Nice.

 

[Paladin - York]

Sounds absolutely fine.

Re recent C2C kayakers - beware of the ASBO swans.

 

[vernon]

Sounds absolutely fine.

Re recent C2C kayakers - beware of the ASBO swans.

Funny you should mention that. About six miles from Wigan i met a rather timid man on a bike who asked me if I could help him. I though he'd been mugged or something until I saw the cause of his agitated state - three large white guard geese blocking the tow path. He'd been held at bay for fifteen minutes. They were fierce as soon as we approached their territory they extended and lowered their necks hissed and generally looked scary to the faint of heart.

I was having none of it!

I got the chap to form a chevron with me and we advanced upon the geese using the bikes as shields. He was unsure but as the lead goose advanced and tried biting through my front tyre and rim, I gave the handle bars a quick wrench and shook it off. Undeterred it cam back for more but this time I hit it back first and cracked it around the head with my rim. Slightly dazed it backed off as did its mates.

I think it realised that there was only one step after goose, concussed and that was goose, dans cruste.

 

[coffeejo]

Welcome back!

 

[vernon]

By the way I am back having discovered that tow path touring is not for me. Too many 'bike trap' gates that are a serious impediment to progress, rutted single path route in places and surprisingly demanding. I know that not all of the tow path is cyclable but I thought that I'd give it a go. I got as far as Blackburn before bailing out. I doubt that I will return to do the second half of the canal.

I discovered that I feel very uncomfortable cycling on a tow path with the canal to the right of me. I had to dismount and push to go under many of the bridges that would not bother me had I been cycling in the opposite direction.

Strange or what?

There were some pluses.

I saw a swan see off two canada geese the three of them were flying low over the canal and there was an incredible sound created by the wings of the swan as it swept them up and down.

I saw a kingfisher.

I was entertained by Wigan's village idiot who insisted that he could get my bike through a 'bike trap' without having to take the panniers off. Having been through six of them already and was well acquainted with the necessity of their removal to successfully pass through I let him struggle for five minutes and watched him 'suceed' having failed with both panniers, fail with just one pannier, fail with no panniers then finally twigging that the bike had to be reversed into the trap because the handebars were too high to go through conventionally. His parting piece of advice was sound though - "it's easier by road if you are going to Leeds"

I was woken by a woodpecker this morning and I saw a couple of others elsewhere in the field where I was wild camping.

I saw a barge with a superstructure and conning tower that resembled a U-boat. I had to do a double take.

I quite fancy a small barge but it's a non starter after my wife was the first one to fall in the canal when we hired a barge with another family for a weeks holiday. Having five kids between us, the wise money was on one of the kids to have the first dunking. She even got a pre-emptive strike in on my return this afternoon - 'I hope you haven't set your heart on a barge'

I can feel a cunning plan coming on.

 

[Paladin - York]

Welcome home after your trip out.

I wonder if all canals have that impediment? I've travelled alongside a few in the Skipton area but I don't recall too much inconvenience. I've got the Canal du Midi in mind, ie part of the C2C France style, ie Atlantic to the Med'- I'll have another look now.


ps no white guard geese 'drumsticks' then to accompany your pies?

 

[vernon]

It was particularly bad in the urban stretches to prevent tear arse motorcycling youths from using the towpaths as race tracks. The rural stretches are impediment free.

It's a sad indictment that the urban locks had to have anti-tamper devices fitted to the paddle and sluice mechanisms to prevent major loss of water by having them left open by vandals.

The French canals have superior quality towpaths and cycling along them is a pleasure. I pedalled along stretches of them in Brittany and while they are nice, I wouldn't want to spend all of my cycling time in France on them as they often bypass places of interest.

Having said that I'll be cycling along the banks of the Doubs, Rhine and Danube from Beaune to Vienna this summer with plenty of detours into major towns and Cities to take in some sights.

As for the geese - they are too greasy for pie making and general eating. I couldn't believe how fearless and vicious the lead goose was. It met its match with me though.

 

[swee'pea99]

Love the U-boat barge! We went barging on the Kennet & Avon a couple of weeks back, and when we got to the centre of Bath there was a 'U-boat' conning tower in the middle of the flow, just below the main weir. Never did find out what it was doing there.

Have to say you've given me pause for thought - I had been vaguely thinking about travelling a distance along towapths this summer, but hadn't considered the 'bike trap' gates. Having done a few miles last w'end, down to the Olympic site and back, I know exactly what you're talking about, and I can imagine that having to negotiate 15 or 20 of those a day could get a bit...wearing.