Leeds Liverpool Canal

spencer_hardcastle

Hi
I am planning to do the leeds liverpool canal but am a bit of a novice when it comes to the actual bikes. I am 17 and have had my bike for a while now. However, the bike i have at the moment wont be able to cope with the trip. I am therefore looking to buy a new bike. However, i have absolutely no idea about which bike to get.
Please give me some tips and any sugestions will be grateful. I am looking to spend no more than £200.

Thanks, Spencer.

vernonlevy

spencer_hardcastle wrote:

Hi
I am planning to do the leeds liverpool canal but am a bit of a novice when it comes to the actual bikes. I am 17 and have had my bike for a while now. However, the bike i have at the moment wont be able to cope with the trip. I am therefore looking to buy a new bike. However, i have absolutely no idea about which bike to get.
Please give me some tips and any sugestions will be grateful. I am looking to spend no more than £200.

Thanks, Spencer.

Not all of the Leeds Liverpool tow path is open to cyclists roughly 50% has been designated as cyclable by British Waterways. Have a look at http://www.waterscape.com/media/documen ... wpaths.pdf to see which sections are open to cyclists.

As for bikes have a look at the Carerra Subway available from Halfords. It's a robust 14 speed hybrid/street bike that has had favourable reviews.

andy_from_embsay

"Not all of the Leeds Liverpool tow path is open to cyclists roughly 50% has been designated as cyclable by British Waterways. "

Not that that stops people riding along the bits that aren't! Used to run along the canal between Skipton and Silsden and there's loads of people on full suss MTBs expecting you to leap out of the way.

burningsaddle11

spencer_hardcastle wrote:

Hi
I am planning to do the leeds liverpool canal but am a bit of a novice when it comes to the actual bikes. I am 17 and have had my bike for a while now. However, the bike i have at the moment wont be able to cope with the trip. I am therefore looking to buy a new bike. However, i have absolutely no idea about which bike to get.
Please give me some tips and any sugestions will be grateful. I am looking to spend no more than £200.

Thanks, Spencer.

the canal can be bumpy and muddy up by skipton and gargeave so its worth getting a b ike with suspention or chunky tyres

burningsaddle11

sorry its gargrave

DuncSF

Guy I work with walked the canal over a number of weekends and took pics of it all, really good and might be useful. he runs a website called Wigan World - if you go on and contact him sure he'll give you the link

buttercupjan

Hi

I cycled all of the route a few years ago with a really cheap moutain bike that I picked up at Halfords. It wasn't too rough, but not suitable for a road bike.

It's true that some of the stretches are owned by British Waterways - but I just phoned them up and they sent me a permit enabling me to cycle the bits that they own (I'm sure most people don't bother doing this).

Have fun

Jan

justresting

you can go on British Waterways website and download the permit.

DuncSF

Here is the link to the Leeds Liverpool website, have a look
www.leedsliverpoolcanal.co.uk

mz__jo

I recommend you wear eye protection if you do a canal in the summer. Many years ago while riding the Kennet and Avon canal the mate that was with me rode into the canal due to insects flying into his eyes. It showed us that his panniers were still watertight!
We used our road bikes, I probably had 700x25 tyres and we were carrying full camping gear (and I only had 5 speeds but they were the right ones). It was all offroad apart from the Bristol and Bath cycleway and we got on fine.
We had permits, in those days they were not free but no-one checked them.

Have a good time, Spencer, and best of luck with your cycling career.