Preparing to pass under a canal bridge when whoosh front wheel washed out. I was forced into a text book dive into the water. Me, my bike, everything fully immersed. I somehow managed not to ingest any water. Jesus it was scary. Once I'd got out I thought "oh shit my bike". And there it was covered in weeds but afloat so I knelt down in the tow path and pulled it out. All I lost was a medical dressing from my backpack. It was a cold eight mile ride home I can tell you. I am now drinking a stiff vodka and thanking my lucky stars.
Where you in possesion of a cycling permit from Btitish Waterways.
Weils disease 😯
Hahahahahaha I have ridden down the canal from bury to bolton many a time and those cobbles are bloomin lethal at this time of year.
Woah, not pleasant. My commute goes along the canal and I've had a couple of times when I've panicked.
This happened to me on a bridge over a small river that runs through our woods. I didn't think I had swallowed any, but I have never been so sick from both ends in my life.
Oops! Been scarily close on occasion but never actually gone in. Whiskey is the answer. Warm you up
You are gonna need more vodka...
but I have never been so sick from both ends in my life
Now is not the time to be eating anything with sharp edges. 😯
You are going to be ILL 
Hard luck. I was once saved a similar dip by crashing into a canal boat. There was a great big BOING as I hit it, quickly followed by a red faced fellah appearing wanting to know what was going on 😳
Thanks for the encouraging comments chaps. I will keep you posted about the onset of black lagoon syndrome.
PICTO from this ere forum is an expert canal diver as well although his big wheel kept his bike afloat 😆
No photos?
DS.............nice one mate
hope you have dried behind your lugs 😆
I often wonder if/when this will happen to me. At least you got your bike back.
I remember as a child I dropped my bike in the canal and it totally submersed and we couldn't get even locate where it was yet alone get it out.
We didn't know what to do so we called the fire brigade from the local phone box 😆
Neil,
Were you on your own or was Lee with you to fish you out?
It may be worth getting some medical advice. When Trish took a dip she needed to have jabs in A&E.
I did exactly the same !! My screen name on here was chosen by all the club members of the woollybacks mountain bike club and it's the same on their forum !! We had a little presentation evening whilst staying at glentress and I had to get up to receive my award .............arm bands and a rubber ring !!
You never know what's been in that canal water:
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Christ.... hope you stay well Neil.
but it did make me laugh (sorry)
LOL mate - what Wors said. I know the canal and the bridges well if its the same Wors says.... Sketchy indeed. You have my sympathies. Did anyone see you? 🙂
You'll be fine 🙂
I guess it depends on where you live.. our local canal is one of the oldest man made waterways in the country and is clear as crystal along much of it's route..
Lush for swimming in as long as you avoid the 30lb Pike and shopping trollies..
Feeling okay up to now. On Stella now. toss - nobody witnessed my entry or exit from the canal. Hmmm an experience I really don't want to repeat. Glad I didn't hit an Asda trolley or half a Honda 70!
You'll soon be overtaken by an overwhelming urge to paint your bike up with harlequins and castles soon I'd wager.
Ah well at least you've had a wash this year. 🙂
😆 😆 😆
Go on, I bet the first thing you did was to check that no-one had seen you!
Oooh, hope you aren't ill.
Friends of mine went for a swim on their tandem in the Macc. canal, on an icy February morning, she ended up with mild hyperthermia.
If you start to suffer flu-like symptoms in the next couple of weeks ask for a blood test when you see the doctor.
Hope you stay well, I've never gone in yet, had a few close calls - wet leaves and wandering pedestrians are my big fear commuting this time of year.......
Edit - mind you, rained so hard both ends of the day I couldn't have been wetter if I had gone in the canal 😆
Weils disease 😯
Had that, nearly bleeding killed me. Caught it kayaking on a canal. Didnt clean my hands well enough when we stoped for a sandwich. Its not so much the water thats the problem, you tend to get it from the bank where the rats piss.
Come to Deadly's Big Night Out on Thursday and tell us all about it. 🙂
Where you in possesion of a cycling permit from Btitish Waterways.
Forget that, what about a swimming permit?
You might still be shivering Derek but hopefully you can take comfort from the fact that you've cheered all of us up a bit with your comical misfortune.
Ok hands up here! I managed to fall in to the local canal twice in one ride!
I have a dodgy right ankle which I broke (when Pissed in a night club) and I have never had it repaired properly. Every so often I refracture it but carry on as normal, well being clipped in riding along a towpath with a terrier who attacks every other dog in sight,probably isn't a good idea! Another dog jumps off a barge and she starts on them, I turn around and then realise I can't unclip and take a nose dive into the canal!
Even worse I was riding along with another chap I'd met up with who sometimes comes on here!
Earlier I had just been riding along and taken a nose dive off the tow path, luckily it sloped downwards and I'd just ended up getting ripped to shreds by the brambles!
I ain't ever going to try any of this riding along silly pieces wood like Jedi and his mates!
wot sandwich said - it can be transmitted through the skin although this tends to be from significant immersion or not washing your hands
make sure you clean your hands properly when preparing food but it's relatively rare
edit: I did it when I was a teenager, thanks to my dads fixed gear that was way too big a frame
No one would have seen him...he managed to get his own bike out the canal...if there had been witnesses he would have emerged from the water and the bike would have been gone!
"Oh far canal"...
only accident ive had on a canal was a few years ago worried about cycling to close to the edge going under a bridge which was arched. managed to poleaxe myself by hitting head of the bridge. had helmet on and didnt fall in but mates thought highley amusing as flaying about on the floor. Also was a member of a canoe club who used to practice in the summer in a canal basin. mas exodus of members when someone caught weils was never confirmed it was canal but do get yourself checked if feel iffy its evil.
I've ended up in Regents Canal, London.... one too many beers + old shopping bike = bad idea!
done the same on a night ride, on the same canal. Managed to throw the bike on the bank and ended up standing waist deep in the water.
smelled a little in the pub afterwards but no other ill effects 😀
Took a dive in to the local canal due to shonky bike building. Chain slipped off my big wheeld single speed and went straight in and under.
Bit of a slow motion moment as I went in. Remember looking up and seeing the light reflecting on the surface of the water, for a second or two. Very scary in retrospect.
Oher than smelling of swamp, as my youngest daughter pointed out I was fine. Did have a can of coke afterwards in the hope killed off anything horrible I may have imbibed.
Which bridge Derek?
The tight one at Nob End by any chance?
Really don't like that one, arse like a Morecambe Bay prawn every time.....
Hope you're feeling ok.
Rode the canal this morning. Slippery as owt near James Mason Bridge.
Didn't see any Derek shaped holes in the algae.
James Mason?
Go on then, tell us why.......
They shot Sping and Port Wine at Nob End.
The one nearest The Nob. Can't remember its number. Not the Appleyard bridge, the one before it.
Quite a common occurrence around these parts 🙂
Sadly a cyclist was found drowned in the canal near Prestwood drive, he'd had a fit and fallen in. Was missing for days...I'd ridden past the spot the day before he was found 😕
You learn something new every day........ 🙂
It's switching from the cobbles to the coping that unnerves me, might try getting further out a bit earlier from now on.
I've hit that bit of pipe sticking up just after a few times too.
The cobble/coping transition always sets my ass atwitch too. Took it slow today.
Now is not the time to be eating anything with sharp edges.
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It was a cobble / coping transition fail that did for me yesterday. I've promised mrs. S that I'll walk under the bridge in future! Just cleaned the bike. The spokes had weeds wrapped around them. It looks lovely again now though ready for it's next cruise!
Them canal banks can be supergnarley
It's a Northern canal bank, of course it is.
If your coming up for Hit the North, I sure Mr Starfish or a colleague will be happy to give you a guided tour. 🙂
In all seriousness, it really is tight and slippier than a greased Tory.
Did the same years ago. Tow path was rock hard cow foot prints so I was riding on the 18" wide strip of concrete at the waters edge. Trouble was there were mooring rings so I had to ride one side or the other of those. To entertain myself I was zigzaging in one out one. Going out I missed and went straight over the bars and in. Funny how you think quick isn't it. First thought was shut your mouth , next was get your feet out of the toe clips, third was where are my glasses. A wild scoop found them! By now I was chest deep in water, thigh deep in mud and below the level of the bank. A fumble found the bike which was chucked onto the bank. I was going to see a mate on his house boat.His limited water supply meant that I got to wash my face and that was it. My yellow socks were never the same again.