leeds liverpool canal tips

[Roadster]

There's a saying among cyclists that when Yorkshire was being created, there was a lot of soil left over so it was all piled up behind Keighley, out of the way. ie It's hilly.

That's putting it mildly - the only level bits are on the crests of the rises and in the bottoms of the dips!
And they're steep, narrow, winding country lanes for the most part, not really what could be called roads as such.

The Bronte Country is very wild and scenic and all but tough, tough, tough to ride on a bicycle. Did I mention tough?
It is character-building, I suppose, in the sense that what doesn't destroy you makes you strong. I certainly wouldn't want to tackle it towards the end of a very long ride on a heavily laden tourer myself, but you may be made of sterner stuff... which you definitely would need to be!

[SA_SA_SA]

SA SA SA.... there are a lot coming out of Liverpool but they are the type you can twist the bars and walk through with the bike. Around Wigan they become ones you kind of park your bike in then move the barrier and pull it through the other side. ....

I am also planning to skip wigan (although those ones don't sound too bad): leaving at Appley bridge and rejoining at Adlington.

[SA_SA_SA]

....There are much quieter roads eg turning right at Laneshaw Bridge but quite a lot of climbing is involved. (Rewarded by plenty of freewheeling )

Thats the longest steep road I've ever cycled (some 2 foot gears required)

EDIT Also, I failed to notice that at Church (north east of Rishton), when the towpath changes sides (I skipped some canal on NCN6 to said side change but still ended up manhandling bike down following steps), there are only steps down and I think I should have followed the road into Church village and turned left beside the actual Church in Church to follow footpath to towpath.

Bridge 109 (just after NCN6 'shortcut') has a rather worrying 'in case of industrial chemical accident: stay in your boast with locked everything and listen to radio' warning!!

EDIT and NCN55 at Red Rock toward Adlington is very rocky: I abandoned its promised shortcut for the towpath which was a better surface

[Sweep]

For those of us who think "touring" is all about seeing the world at a comfortabl[quote="e pace, enjoying the scenery and occasionally striking up a conversation with locals along the way, it's hard to imagine a finer ride than the Leeds–Skipton section. )

That could be a handy ride for me.

Can you tell me roughly that is in riding distance along the canal and how long it might take fully loaded?

I often take trains up to Leeds.

[nirakaro]

Leeds to Keighley is a couple of hours or so, on a good towpath. After Keighley there's a stretch (I don't know how long, as I bailed out after a mile or two) where you won't progress at much more than walking pace.

[thirdcrank]

It's give or take 30 miles. -ish.

Except for the climbs adjacent to locks, it's more or less flat (because it's a canal.) Being fully laden shouldn't affect your riding speed too much. IME, one of the main things which would slow you down would be anglers, especially if there's an angling competition which can occupy several hundred yards of towpath. Their carbon-fibre poles tend to obstruct the full width of the path. Travelling light it's easiest to pick your bike up and lift it over. Fully laden, you would have to wait while they moved things out of your way. There's plenty to see and how much that slows you depends largely on how much you stop to look. There can be a lot of pedestrians, especially near urban areas and that can also slow you down, depending on how much leeway you give them. If you did run out of time, there are railway stations reasonably convenient for most of the route.

[Sweep]

thanks thirdcrank.

Anything in particular to see that would delay you?

Some fine scenery for sure but I tend not to stop for that unless it is also a food/rest break.

[thirdcrank]

Overall, this canal was the M62 of its day, only supplanted by the railway which runs nearby for most of the stretch between Leeds and Skipton, so there are all sorts of historic industrial features.

Within a mile of the Leeds end, there's the Leeds Industrial Museum: a restored mill.

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalle ... mills.aspx

A couple of miles further on there's Kirkstall Abbey

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalle ... Abbey.aspx

The five rise series of locks at Bingley is a wonder in itself and fascinating if you have time to watch vessels using it.

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/bi ... verise.htm

Saltaire, a model industrial settlement built by Victorian industrialist Sir Titus Salt is a World Heritage Site.

http://www.saltairevillage.info/

Unfortunately from a cyclist's POV, Ellis Briggs' shop which used to have a display window adjacent to the towpath has closed. Fortunately, it has only moved elsewhere in Shipley.

http://www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/

Plenty more besides

[Sweep]

many thanks thirdcrank.

Very kind of you to go to the trouble.

Saltaire I know well.

The Abbey I think I have seen from the train and it looks like a good spot to linger awhile - and add to the list of religious institutions where I have made an espresso.

[SA_SA_SA]

It was enjoyable but slow* cycling from Liverpool to Colne ( I got mainly sunny weather)
I got the steam Train from Haworth, saw East Riddleston Hall (closed that day), the 5,3 and 2 locks and Salts Mill. I took several films.

* on grass sections the dried hard mud worn rut forms a wide 'tram track' to follow...