London to Birmingham via Grand Union Canal?

[Scaleyback]

I did London to Leicester via the Grand Union many years ago. This was just me raising money for a local children's charity. I cycled from home to Leicester Station then train to St Pancreas.
I left home Monday started cycling from p.m Monday and arrived back home Thursday. I remember early in the ride the tow paths were great. It started to rain on the Tuesday and never stopped. I was riding a flat bar hybrid bike. As I got further into the ride the tarmac paths etc became rural paths across fields and with the constant rain the paths became 'mud baths' I had mudguards fitted and the mud build up between guards and tyres necessitated me keep stopping and scraping the mud out from under the mudguards. It was a bloody nightmare and I was totally knackered when I got home. In total I cycled about 165 miles. Probably the toughest thing I have ever done ? And this includes 12 years in the armed forces.

 

[Blue Hills]

i find long trips up canals tiring - I have used the Bridgewater Canal a fair bit but have taken to using the parallel road a fair bit. The Bridgewater is surfaced but even on surfaced towpaths you often get bumps of one degree another - often I think because towpaths, particularly in urban areas, can be used for buried utilities and ground settles. Wide tyres a good idea.
Many canals also of course (not the Bridgewater) take an extremely indirect route.
So I find canals nice for bits, not for long trips.

 

[ColinJ]

i find long trips up canals tiring - I have used the Bridgewater Canal a fair bit but have taken to using the parallel road a fair bit. The Bridgewater is surfaced but even on surfaced towpaths you often get bumps of one degree another - often I think because towpaths, particularly in urban areas, can be used for buried utilities and ground settles. Wide tyres a good idea.
Many canals also of course (not the Bridgewater) take an extremely indirect route.
So I find canals nice for bits, not for long trips.

I feel the same way.

I used the Bridgewater Canal a couple of times to get from Walkden to Cheshire for forum rides but decided that 10 or 15 minutes of towpaths is as much as I like to do; an hour was too much for me. Since then I have found a road/cycle path alternative which I prefer.

I had the same experience on the towpath from Foulridge/Colne to Burnley. It just seemed to drag on, and I was on skinny tyres which were a bit lightweight and sketchy on the rougher sections.

 

[Blue Hills]

I used the Bridgewater Canal a couple of times to get from Walkden to Cheshire for forum rides but decided that 10 or 15 minutes of towpaths is as much as I like to do; an hour was too much for me. Since then I have found a road/cycle path alternative which I prefer.

the A56 which parallels it for much of the way is not as bad as it might seem. Though potentially fast (two lanes each way) it's essentially through a built-up area so lots of traffic lights/bus lanes etc and bus traffic to calm things. Also, at least when I was on it three weeks or so ago there are some wide temporary covid cycle lanes on it. Progress far faster than the Bridgewater.

 

[fossyant]

The A56 is no fun through Stretford. I used to drive it enough.

 

[Blue Hills]

The A56 is no fun through Stretford. I used to drive it enough.

In August I was up it with this lot.

maybe the traffic was scared of me

I admit that there are a few bits where you have to have your wits about you.

Are the new cycle lanes still there?

 

[fossyant]

Not sure if the temporary ones are still there. It's not a great road in rush hour.

 

[palinurus]

We started a ride on the Oxford Canal a few months ago. Part of it was Tarmac and about one yard wide. However this soon changed, to a compacted mud path about a foot wide, which was close to the edge of the canal one side and overgrown brambles, nettles on the other.

Years back did part of the Oxford Canal on a narrowboat (it has a really long lock-free section from Rugby to a little South of Coventry!). Some awful sections of towpaths, in early spring just a long succession of muddy puddles.

 

[ColinJ]

the A56 which parallels it for much of the way is not as bad as it might seem. Though potentially fast (two lanes each way) it's essentially through a built-up area so lots of traffic lights/bus lanes etc and bus traffic to calm things. Also, at least when I was on it three weeks or so ago there are some wide temporary covid cycle lanes on it. Progress far faster than the Bridgewater.

We came up with an easy 22km alternative from Walkden...

The reason we chose Walkden for a start/finish is that there is a cheap direct train there from Todmorden and there is a good 'escape route' from Manchester/Salford. From Walkden station we took the fine Roe Green loop line cycle path down to the Bridgewater canal. We then do only 1km on the towpath, use a cyclepath and a couple of back roads to get to the A57. There is a cycle path along the A57 to Irlam Locks where we cross the ship canal to Urmston. A few minor roads and a track along Carrington Moss get us to lanes which take us to Dunham for our Cheshire loop.

 

[cougie uk]

I've done an ultra run on the canals. The surface was often crap for running let alone cycling.
And if you are going to do it - do it the downhill direction. Canals aren't flat.

 

[ColinJ]

Canals aren't flat.

They pretty much are!

The towpaths might not be though...

 

[Tenkaykev]

I've done an ultra run on the canals. The surface was often crap for running let alone cycling.
And if you are going to do it - do it the downhill direction. Canals aren't flat.

If it was Ruchill Park in Glasgow to Edinburgh, the only non flat bit is the short climb from the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union Canal at the Falkirk Wheel. The Union Canal between Falkirk and Edinburgh meanders about as it follows a contour line so as to avoid locks. ( I think at one stage you are almost running back in the direction of Glasgow )
EDIT:
If it was Gas street Basin to Little Venice that you ran, then Chapeau sir!! you are truly a bit bonkers and a legend among men 😎

 

[Blue Hills]

The Union Canal between Falkirk and Edinburgh meanders about as it follows a contour line so as to avoid locks. ( I think at one stage you are

yep canals far from direct - there are cases where a boat ahead of another appears to be coming back towards it.
East Marton to Skipton (Leeds and Liverpool) is a good example of extreme indirectness/fannying around.

 

[cougie uk]

They pretty much are!

The towpaths might not be though...

If they were flat we wouldn't need locks ! 😁

 

[ColinJ]

If they were flat we wouldn't need locks ! 😁

The WATER is flat! (Except when you open the lock gates.)