Leeds & Liverpool Canal on a Trike

[skelo]

Looking for advice/observations from anyone who has followed the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. I am hoping to follow as much of the canal towpath as I can en route between York & Chorley , joining the canal in Leeds

I ride a recumbent trike (Hase Kettweisel) 0.9m wide and 2.0m long. Looking for advice on how many barriers/narrow sections am I likely to encounter (and where?) so I can plan a route avoiding busy roads.

any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

[PitPony]

There are at least 4 gates between East Marton and Greenberfield locks (Barnoldswick).
There is a mile long tunnel at Foulridge with no towpath. You have to leave the canal and go on country lanes and a path before rejoining the canal. From memory the path has a gate at each end.

[geocycle]

I did a part of the Leeds-Liverpool last summer (Gargrave to Leeds). The first section was very rough indeed. It was very dry and highly rutted grass. I struggled on a solid tourer admittedly with panniers, no idea how you would manage on a trike. There were also some sections closed between Skipton and Bingley. If opened, these might be quite good but they involved some tricky detours. Bingley to Leeds was generally good. There are gates but nothing that would stop you from pushing the trike through IIRC.

[thirdcrank]

I've only ever ridden the bit between Leeds and Skipton and as a rule of thumb, the nearer you get to Leeds I think the surface is better. One thing to be aware of is anglers, especially if there's a competition. Their poles can extend the whole width of the towpath. With a solo, I've generally found the easiest thing is to dismount and lift the bike over, rather than standing about while they move.
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PS I'm surprised this hasn't attracted more advice. Perhaps your title just implies that you are riding from Leeds to Liverpool. Something like "Leeds and Liverpool Canal on a trike" might work.

[pwa]

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.9860828 ... 6?hl=en-GB
I can't imagine cycling a lot of towpath on a trike. With a bicycle you only have to seek out one decent line. With a trike you want three, or a smoothish band the width of the trike. Towpaths can be rough. Not always, but very often.

[reohn2]

Chorley to Riley Green isn't suitable to riding a trike,it's doable but not with out some difficulty due to anti motorcycle barriers in places and a mostly rough towpath

[nirakaro]

Leeds to Keighley is all very rideable. After Keighley the towpath becomes a narrow track that I would imagine is impassable for a trike. Even on two wheels I found it sometimes quicker to get off and walk.

[Bullsnut]

I did this route via Wigan & Chorley with my touring bike with full panniers and it was a nightmare at the motorcycle barriers. The cutouts in the barriers were too small for my loaded bike. Also at one point in that area there was a full steel barrier across the canal which I couldn’t get my bike under or over. Had to strip all the bags off and carry the lot through bit by bit. It put me off ever taking the leeds Liverpool on a bike again.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Keighley to Skipton and Gargrave is due to be upgraded in the next year or two. Unless you're in a terrible hurry to do it, I'd suggest waiting for that work to be completed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-46821219

[Steve]

Keighley to Skipton and Gargrave is due to be upgraded in the next year or two. Unless you're in a terrible hurry to do it, I'd suggest waiting for that work to be completed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-46821219

Good surface now extends to Silsden, since last year.

Don't forget the awkward bits under narrow bridges, they could be tricky on a trike (eg at Dowley Gap).

[MarkF]

I live by the canal near Saltaire and cycle on it weekly, have done it end to end twice (many years ago) and rode (Hybrid with 32mm's) Leeds to Chorley last June. I would not want to do it on a trike.

Leeds to Silsden is fine and would be a really nice ride but from then on, unless it's dry, it can be a struggle to Skipton. It's enough picking a "line" on a normal bike to make it nigh on impossible to enjoy the ride and surroundings. Of course so many bikes have grooved a depressed line into the surface and you can't follow that...............Still, you'd have enjoyed a good surface, Leeds, Saltaire and Skipton till then. Things pick up again near Colne with a surfaced towpath, for a while, the Lancs side being neglected and nowhere near as well surfaced (or used) as the Yorks side. A fair few miles before Chorley are far worse than anything Leeds-Skipton and again, you have to pick a line, even in the dry, for a l.o.n.g time.

[skelo]

Thanks All, much as I feared. So it's probably back to Plan 'A' and the Way of the Roses from York and drop off south somewhere near Settle towards Chorley (not a choice destination - there is a reason!)

[MarkF]

Thanks All, much as I feared. So it's probably back to Plan 'A' and the Way of the Roses from York and drop off south somewhere near Settle towards Chorley (not a choice destination - there is a reason!)

You could ride the canal from Leeds to the Lodge Hill Bridge 194, a mile or two before Silsden. From there take 4/5 steps down into a farm yard from where another bike path takes you down to Silsden or straight to the Aire Valley dual carriage way, cross that up onto the old quiet trunk road and you'll soon be doing the cllimb up to Colne.

[skelo]

Thanks Mark. that is maybe an option but I have trouble with balance and walking (hence the trike) on longer rides I usually go accompanied, but I am planing to try this alone so don't mind detours around obstacles. It sounds like I will be generally ok in Yorkshire, but not so good on the wrong side.

[RickH]

Thanks All, much as I feared. So it's probably back to Plan 'A' and the Way of the Roses from York and drop off south somewhere near Settle towards Chorley (not a choice destination - there is a reason!)

Chorley's not so bad, even if it did cause some puzzlement when my parents retired & moved there from the Home Counties (so they could be near to us & grandchildren).

From Settle, you could do worse than head down towards Bolton by Bowland (via Rathmell & Wigglesworth) and pick up the Lancashire Cycleway (Northern loop/90 to Whalley, then Southern loop/91) that will take you almost all the way to Chorley.