Spotted in Birmingham...

The NEC/Airport out in the stix near the motorway for best access for people travelling there.

Nearest suburb is Hay Mills, then Tyseley, Then Small Heath before you get to inner City Birmingham.

The "Dual Carriageway" type road, is probably Coventry Road (A45) which puts you right between Coventry & Birmingham. You can totally cycle on it, there is even a cycle lane on parts of it. But for the busy part which is 60mph limit, it is pretty fucking sketchy.

When it turns in coventry road as you come into the suburbs of Birmingham it turns into a regular 30mph shopping high street. The Tyseley/Hay Mills end is pretty run down & shabby. Small heath has a lot of south asian supermarkets and fast food shops. With a strange mix of super islamic stuff like a Madrasa, Mosque, islamic conference centre, islamic book shops etc with a Massage Parlour Plonked right in amidst it all.

By the time you get to the end of Coventry road you will pass the Birmingham City Football ground, then face a mighty difficult roundabout setup as watery lane which is part of the ring road which surrounds the city centre.

Once you get across it you will be on Digbeth High St and it will be plain sailing from there. You will pass hip brummie locations like the Custard Factory, scummy club/pubs like the Rainbow (most people actually really like it) before getting into the city centre.

You will pass both "on your bike" and "sprocket cycles" on your way to the city centre, but you wont see them as they are on back streets.

Ha ha - Your last comment is still echoed by myself! Where are you from originally Goodhead?

If you want stuff to do and stuff to see - get out of the city centre. Moseley and Kings Heath offer (in my opinion) a better introduction to Birmingham folk. Better pubs with nowhere near as much "high-street" food outlets.

Thanks for the info guys. DFP - you've described exactly my journey from the city centre to work on the Coventry Road. I started off by staying close to work in a B&B in Sheldon but decided to move more to the city centre - has been a good move.

I really have to get my bike up here with me but i'm back in London every weekend so it's a bit tricky.

Will check out the places you have recommended - Mosley & King's Heat. Also any recommendations for food would be good. I'm near Chinatown & have been to Red Hot (good) & Peach Garden (fucking awesome).

II guess I should go to the balti triangle so any recommendations there would be good. Also DFP my bus was pasing through Small heath - looked interesting food wise - what's the crack there?

Finally - 2 spots. Yesterday from 57a bus, asian guy with white bike in Olympiad (?) in Small heath with greenish messenger bag around 6.30.

Today guy called Neil on blue Charge Plug which I think he said was brand new, by that roundabout with a pagoda in the middlle of it near chinatown. You seemed a little freaked out by me telling you to flip your wheel and go fixed so sorry.