531 awesome Birmingham

Did a mission up to Birmingham this weekend to pick up a bike for a fellow forumenger. The bike ( a 531 awesome fully Campag Recorded Team Raleigh geared bike ) was in Kiddiminster, rode the bike from there onto the canal network for Birmingham and managed to get all the way to Central Brum on a variety of canals. Up the Wolverhampton and Dudley branch up to Merry Hill then on to the Wolverhampton and Birmingham for the drag right into the heart of the city.

May I just say what a beautiful ride it was and how friendly the people of Birmingham were. The people there put Londoners to shame. I think everyone I passed said hello and said it like they meant it rather than saying it because they feel obliged too. Small compact city too easy to get around. I just loved it.

The canals were beautifully maintained and a pleasure to ride. I ended up going through a huge tunnel about 2.3km long which put the wind up me a bit at times in the pitch black but fun none the less.

Lots of history along side the canals there too. Old building wharf buildings

All round great weekend. and a hi to the Brum forum ( can you add me as a friend please !! )

nice write up jay.

Glad you liked it. Were you here for the mad thunderstorms or did you get here for the sun?

A lot of canal around the city centre is indeed beatifully maintained as its something the city tries to promote as a tourist spot/element of pride. The tunnel you probably went through is curzon st tunnel which is awesome to go through at night because they have cool lighting. Its actually been the location of a couple art & theatre projects. The unused station above it was the site from which the very first service from Birmingham to London was begun. The Birmingham-worcester canal around selly oak where the university is, is super lush. But the tidyness quickly dissapears, and you realise most the canal around the edges of the city are in a pretty appalling state. Completely unsurfaced so your swimming in mud when it rains or bobbing up and down on mounds when its dry. Its like this around small heath (former site of the BSA factory) and between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Although its looooaaaadddsss better than trying to ride the same bits by road.

If you just want to get to the city though, taking the canal can be a lot like taking the tube. You miss busy 'cultural' spots and get a weird idea of the distances between places. But you do get a view of Birminghams industry and avoid birmingham drivers who are no familiar with bikes.

I hope you enjoy your 531 raleigh, you may also be interested to hear that the tubing wouldve originated in Birmingham also as the Reynolds headquarters/factory are here. (aswell as brooks)

Stuff the canals and the people from Birmingham, do you have any photos of the bike?

glad you enjoyed it!

i'll ask pshyclist if he has any photos or a link to the ebay post

unfortunately the bike wasn't mine

similar to this

but 531 and fully campy record

Haven't been back for ages, but the canals around Brum have always been really interesting. I like the bits under spagetti junction - good juxtaposition of the calm water and mental motorways.

yeah theres a beach under the spagetti junction.

Beautiful isn't it.

Who needs Tenerife when you got this on your doorstep.

May I just say what a beautiful ride it was and how friendly the people of Birmingham were. The people there put Londoners to shame. I think everyone I passed said hello and said it like they meant it rather than saying it because they feel obliged too. Small compact city too easy to get around. I just loved it.

Did you ride much on the road, or was it mostly on the canal network ?

I've found the opposite on the road. London drivers seem more willing to share the road with cyclists, whereas in Birmingham they're less friendly (if they actually manage to spot you in the first place)

similar to this

Nice bike, if you find a Team TI track one then let me know.

Keep right on to the end of the road, keep right on to the end
Though the way be long, let your heart be strong
Keep right on round the bend
If you're tired and weary, still journey on
Till you come to your happy abode
Where aaaaaall you love, and you're dreaming of
Will be theeeeere, at the eeeeend of the roaaaaaaad

Nice one Dicki. It's great to get your perspective.
Can i just say - if anyone is making the journey up for whatever reason - let me know. There's always room to crash for the night, and there's always the chance that a few of us here will meet up for a churn of the cranks and some real ale.

The canals were beautifully maintained and a pleasure to ride. I ended up going through a huge tunnel about 2.3km long which put the wind up me a bit at times in the pitch black but fun none the less.

Reminded me of this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southwarkcyclists/message/7101?l=1

@ diable

if i see one i won't be telling anyone !!

the tunnel was just near merry hill shopping centre

Im surprised you could ride that down the canal path! They're like swamps near me in Stourbridge. Need a MTB to get through em!

In my experience, if you ride a bike around here then some people kinda look down on you.. like you can't afford to run a car. I think thats why drivers are less friendly. A status symbol. Also, there are fewer bikes here than London.

FWIW, if you're ever in Kidder again, I can recommend the King and Castle (old-fashioned new pub next to the railway station notable for amazing pork scratchings) and the Red Man (large pies for cheap) both of which are fine establishments with excellent beers.

If you should happen to go to Bewdley, the Mughouse is excellent. If you're in Bewdley on the August bank holiday weekend, I can heartily recommend the beer festival too - a mate of mine helps run it.

Thanks again Dicki for fetching the bike for me - you don't mention that the next day you rode the bike for 2 hours from E London to my home in SW London.

The bike is lovely - it doesn't need much work, but I'm upgrading a few parts (eg tasty holed SR brake levers) - no pics as yet, but here are a couple taken from the eBay listing -

If you were riding to or from Birmingham, spending little time there, what would you look at? Or anything interesting you'd ride past? Was thinking of getting train to Brum and riding back to London for shits and giggles.

Look out for any pubs selling Bathams: exceptionally good pale ale that's only available locally.

The people who brew it are very particular: they check it's being poured right, if not they won't sell it to you, so you're guaranteed a good pint.