joe 90
New Member
- Location
- Nr Harrogate Nth Yorkshire
Hi there whoever might be interested, I posted some questions about riding the canal tow path earlier in the year and completed my ride in June and "Snorri" suggested I summarise my experience in this section, so here goes.
The Canal is 127 miles long stretching from the Liverpool waterfront across the Pennines to Leeds. Originally I planned to do it in two sections either side of an overnight stop, in the event I had my wife drop me and the bike off at Grassington, Nth Yks and rode 80 miles to my daughter's house at Ormskirk Lancs.It took me 10 hours and proved a really interesting experience because of the variety of the areas the canal passes through.
The first thing to say is that riding the canal requires a permit, a simple matter of printing one off the internet, it gives advice on dos and don't s and safety tips.
The track surface is variable and includes tarmac,cinders. cobbles, packed earth and paving. I suppose my bike is a hybrid not built for speed or off road but it performed really well not least due to the fact that the earth surfaces were dry and compacted, mud would have given me problems. There are lots of barriers and gates around the locks designed to prohibit motorcycles and places where the it's necessary to carry the bike up steps and cross roads, a spot near Colne with a 1 mile tunnel has no tow path, that means a road detour. Clearly the pace of the ride is slow despite being amazingly flat.
The most fascinating aspect of the trip was seeing canal life, the people the boats, the houses, businesses, tourist attractions and landscapes it winds through. From the outstanding beauty of the Dales to the decaying backwaters of a bygone era of industrial prosperity.
I was very tired at the finish and it took me a couple of days to recover but it was a great ride which I'd recommend to anyone of average fitness. I'm 66 and ride about 35 miles a week in a hilly area. I didn't take any energy drinks just lots of water some tea and sandwiches and I was fine. I would say though try and pick a good day when the ground has been dry for a while it will make a difference. If you have a general interest in the things around you, you'll love it.
Joe 90
The Canal is 127 miles long stretching from the Liverpool waterfront across the Pennines to Leeds. Originally I planned to do it in two sections either side of an overnight stop, in the event I had my wife drop me and the bike off at Grassington, Nth Yks and rode 80 miles to my daughter's house at Ormskirk Lancs.It took me 10 hours and proved a really interesting experience because of the variety of the areas the canal passes through.
The first thing to say is that riding the canal requires a permit, a simple matter of printing one off the internet, it gives advice on dos and don't s and safety tips.
The track surface is variable and includes tarmac,cinders. cobbles, packed earth and paving. I suppose my bike is a hybrid not built for speed or off road but it performed really well not least due to the fact that the earth surfaces were dry and compacted, mud would have given me problems. There are lots of barriers and gates around the locks designed to prohibit motorcycles and places where the it's necessary to carry the bike up steps and cross roads, a spot near Colne with a 1 mile tunnel has no tow path, that means a road detour. Clearly the pace of the ride is slow despite being amazingly flat.
The most fascinating aspect of the trip was seeing canal life, the people the boats, the houses, businesses, tourist attractions and landscapes it winds through. From the outstanding beauty of the Dales to the decaying backwaters of a bygone era of industrial prosperity.
I was very tired at the finish and it took me a couple of days to recover but it was a great ride which I'd recommend to anyone of average fitness. I'm 66 and ride about 35 miles a week in a hilly area. I didn't take any energy drinks just lots of water some tea and sandwiches and I was fine. I would say though try and pick a good day when the ground has been dry for a while it will make a difference. If you have a general interest in the things around you, you'll love it.
Joe 90
