Hello All,

I’m planning on riding from Liverpool to Leeds along the canal in one day for charity. I use the canal around Liverpool,Melling,Haskayne as far as Wigan regularly. I’m OK with the rules bell giving way etc. The only couple of concerns on the ride are the detours round the 2 tunnels on the canal ( Foulridge and Gannow?) and there is a lot of bad press about the Blackburn part being a bit err…hooky.

Basically are the detours well sign posted to get you back to the canal at these points? I have an inbred specialized skill for getting lost easily and as I’m doing this solo I don’t want to be cycling in circles for hours and is it safe?

Any help is really appreciated.

Cheers..

.

From memory the Foulridge one is fine. Even if you miss the turn just head towards Barnoldswick and you cross the canal again within a few miles.

The Burnley section is fine and the foulridge tunnel divert is well indicated.

I’ve done the Leeds Burnley section in the past and it’s been good as well if a bit busy with walkers dogs prams etc

I think doing it in day would be a struggle because you won’t be able to go that fast. I found the constant stop start nature of my long ride quite tiring

Midweek may be different

Thanks for that. 🙂

I do intend to do the ride not mid week but on a Friday. So hopefully not as busy.

I’m giving myself 141/2 hours to do it in.Going off my times/ mph that I’ve averaged over rides along the Livepool to Wigan part of the canal over the winter with some badly rutted muddy sections and taking into account tiredness.

Gotta love an optimist..

Best of luck with it – if you’ve done Liverpool-Wigan bit you’ll know it can be hard going on the muddy canal banks once you’re out amongst the cabbages. Worth waiting for a dry spell as would make all the difference.

Wigan to Blackburn no probs at all 🙂

What he said the section from Wigan to Blackburn is pretty decent and all hard packed except for a 4 mile section from Withnell fold to Blackburn- still ok ish even after lots of rain but does get muddy.

I have sailed my boat through Blackburn and it goes through some rough ish areas but the worst i ever got was “gangs” of moderately disinterested yoofs doing nothing in particular quite near me.

Kingfisher Cafe at Reedley Marina in Burnley is a great place to refuel.
You can sit next to your bike too.

Let me know when you’re planning to ride, if I’m off I’ll meet you somewhere with a cake.
🙂

Muddydwarf has done this BTW, I’m sure he’ll be along soon.

No joke, definitely put a bell on your bike

Hi Dave

Sounds like you are local to me, if you fancy a spin out give me a shout.

If you know what it’s like to Wigan, then be prepared for it twice and bad up near Skipton.
when I rode it 2 years ago the draggy grass really lowered my average speed and affected my overall time.

Wait until the route past the Blue Elephant near Wigan is completely dry then you know the rest of the route should be a a lot easier.

South of Blackburn watch for where the tow path crosses the canal with a foot bridge, this is easy to miss and you end up going up a dead end canal.

As for the bridges, my advise is while you are waiting for the route to dry out, throw your bike in the car and go and reccie the route around the tunnels, it will make it so much easier on the day of your big ride.

Rather than carrying lots of water, about every 20 to 30 miles you should find a locked tap for boaters to use.
Buy this key (but test it before you set out) to get fresh tap water along your way
Click here Canal drinking water key

Just wondering,how are you organising the logistics?
Are you getting a early train to Leeds or staying there overnight & starting early.
The reason I ask is that one day I want to do it & wondered how I’d go about it.

I summer commute between Bingley skipton and currently nr gargrave to/from skipton. Until I went tubeless I used to have a puncture every week from the hawthorns especially spring when they cut the hedges back. So my advice would be tubeless, puncture resistant and/or good repair kit. And/or Probably worth making sure the tyres are ones that are easy to unseat

Also they surfaced Skipton to Bradley this winter which used to be pretty potholed in places

I remember a few years ago directing someone to the bike shop in Ormskirk as he had ran out of patches/tubes between Liverpool & Ormskirk 😯
He reckoned it would take him 2 days after that set back…
Plus it was pouring down & he looked like a drowned rat..

Bustaspoke – Member
Just wondering,how are you organising the logistics?

Personally I rode to the start at first light (Late May I think)
Got to Leeds planning to ride back the next day so stopped in a hotel (work paid 😉 ).
But the drag via Skipton and the strong head wind facing back to Liverpool was enough to make jump on a train home.

B.A.Nana – Member
Also they surfaced Skipton to Bradley this winter which used to be pretty potholed in places

Have they re surfaced any of the trail from Barnoldwick to Skipton as yet?

Buy this key (but test it before you set out) to get fresh tap water along your way
Click here Canal drinking water key

I’ve never come across this before. Can you tell me (us) a bit more about it? Where it’s used and so forth?

I have one of those keys in my CamalBak but I bought it direct from Canal and River trust, cost about £7.

They are used at the service areas on the canal network and allow access to the standpipes and the toilets.

Handy to have but you do get some strange looks off the boaters who think you are trying to break into the loos…..

Have they re surfaced any of the trail from Barnoldwick to Skipton as yet?

I’m currently living by the canal between East Marton and gargrave and commuted on the canal to Skipton a few times in the last couple of weeks. I’ve also been running along the east Marton section.
No not between East Marton and Skipton, not sure about the East Marton to Barnoldswick section. All still mostly grass apart from thru gargrave and Skipton. Haven’t been on the new surfaced section but it’s all on the other side of Skipton from what I understand

Bank Newton to Gargrave is a reasonable hardcore surface about the width of a trail centre track. Gargrave to Skipton is grass (or mud depending on time of year) and technically isn’t open to bikes though that hasn’t stopped me or many others. Skipton to Bradley is newly upgraded towpath, not been on it yet. Bradley to about a mile past Silsden (http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=405352&Y=444172&A=Y&Z=120) gets increasingly rough then it’s a national cycle route and a good surface all the way to Leeds. I think they’ve tarmacced the final few miles into Leeds over the last winter.

That’s where I live at the moment. East Marton to bank Newton at that bit you can see the canal continue a short distance on and yet it weaves around so much it takes 15 mins making virtually no real progress

about every 20 to 30 miles you should find a locked tap

Almost always near the locks and each pound has a number of these

Not always on the tow path side but from Wigan to Blackburn there are
6 but three of those are on the non tow path side though you can get to them all
EDIT: about every 5-10 miles depending on pound [ the bits between locks] length
Probably easier to just fill at the toilets which tend to be near locks/ lockeeper cottages

Gargrave to Skipton is grass (or mud depending on time of year) and technically isn’t open to bikes

Really? 😯

That’s a bit rubbish, it’s probably one of the nicest sections!

There’s a sign at this point http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=394943&Y=453555&A=Y&Z=120 (I think) heading towards Gargrave indicating no bikes. It’s a Canal and Rivers Trust or British Waterways sign (not been for a while so can’t be sure)

Not sure if it’s an old sign but I’ve never had a problem when biking along the bank. Then again I can’t remember seeing anyone else on the towpath when I’ve been there. Not seen one in the opposite direction.

@B.A.Nana Yep, there are some serpentine bits of the canal 🙄

I regularly commute between chorley and Blackburn on the canal
It’s a bit muddy around withnell at the moment

When the sun’s out there are a few local drunks in the ewood area of Blackburn , harmless ones through

A bridge was blocked off last week in the whitebirk area of Blackburn last week, didn’t see a diversion signposted either but there’s an obvious route to follow

Never had any trouble commuting other than the usual with oblivious dog walkers

Seven years ago a mate and I did this ride.

My thoughts ,
Make sure you are happy with riding the distance.
The bit from Gargrave to Skipton sucks a massive amount of energy from you.
Plan your food and drink and try not to push through using energy gels ect.
A support vehicle that can give you a bit of backup is a really good idea.
Riding back the following day!! you’re sick!
Getting back on a bike was the last thing on my mind the following day mainly due to the 50p sized patch of skin that had worn away on my perineum 😯

We got our support vehicle ( a mate who had a day off) to take us over to Liverpool , we set off at 6am and got home to Leeds at just after 9pm so I suppose if you’re fit then 14 1/2 hours is a fair guesstimate. Good luck with the ride.

OK all.

Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom. For some reason I’m not able to quote from forum posts so this post may make no sense!

I’m doing the ride from Liverpool to Leeds and staying over for the weekend. I “technically” have a support vehicle. In as much as the missus is dropping me at the start then driving to Leeds.She has offered to meet half way to make sure all is OK.

The advice about the water and the key and feeding GREAT! I attempted the south downs way for the BHF last year and bombed out big time just before half way by trying to survive on energy gels and energy drinks.( Actually made me physically sick).
Also the days out riding sections I’ll take that on board.

The news of bridges being closed and no marked detours. I’ve been on the BWT website to check for planned works and tow path closures.

The puncture thing. I’ve suffered the same fate around Ormskirk/Haskayne its a real bind. Ive since gone “tubeless” and have had punctures but have been able to ride on.
Also good to see paths being upgraded.

Looking at mid June for the ride so hopefully should be dry. That bit around the Elephant…Grrr!! Had me on the floor a few times and always when there was someone to witness it with glee!!

Thanks again! This has helped a lot with the planning.

I did it in July 2008.

It rained nearly all day and it took me just under 18h 😳 on a Stumpy HT. I met a friend at Skipton for some sarnies & tea, no punctures, lots of swearing into obscene headwinds at times.

Anyhow, I found this site brilliant for planning.

http://teamaldi.blogspot.co.uk/2007/07/team-aldi.html

Good luck!

Thanks Bear!

Found my blog about it
https://johnclimber.com/2014/12/11/a-ride-along-a-canal/

Nice one John

I can confirm the last few miles in to leeds is now smooth tarmac so good for cruising on tired legs.

We did it in a day, also for charity. I was the only ‘experienced’ cyclist in the group of five and it took a bit longer than we expected due to various factors.
Personally I found the Gargrave to Skipton section the worst, unpaved and rough going on a rigid hybrid. Plus, the canal meanders like a drunken sailor – we could see Skipton in the distance but never seemed to get any closer. All down to James Brindley’s method of ‘contouring’ I believe – one day I’m going to dig that bugger up and wee in his skull!

EDIT – take time to photo stops, Wigan Pier has some interesting Orwell related stuff, and there is the memorial to the Polish bomber crew near Skipton.