Riding the Canals, ever do it?

I was actually thinking about organising a social ride there at some point

http://www.lfgss.com/thread42187.html

Just got back. Did Spitalfields to Waltham Abbey (well, a bit further) and back. 40ish miles? Lovely day, not too busy at all (never got stuck behind anyone). Rides a bit grim when you get around Edmonton/Ikea, but except for that, really pleasant.

What, you mean up by the big rubbish incinerator, gravel pits and bus garage? That's the best bit.

Actually one of the best things about that ride is the way the environment changes so quickly around you getting wilder and more rural at you go north (or industrial and urban if you go south).

good to know, what was the condition of the path like? fine for skinny tires?

Yeah, it was fine, but not ideal at points. Totally doable, though

I'm considering riding from camden town through to victoria park but don't know what to expect with regards to quality of the paths etc. I was wondering if anyone has had any untoward experiences with youths trying to nick their bikes while cycling along the canals in london?

It depends on the time of day. Don't ride along there aftar dark, and not alone. People have occasionally got bike-jacked around Victoria Park especially after dark. During the day, make sure that you observe the British Waterways Code of Conduct:

http://www.waterscape.com/canals-and-rivers/regents-canal/londons-towpath-code-of-conduct

Ride courteously at all times and remember that the towpaths are really a leisure resource. I'm only saying this because some people treat them as fast commuting routes, which is wrong.

Have fun!

I run that route to work, Camden Town to Canary Wharf, and it's certainly do-able. Be careful at Islington where the tunnel is. The first time I did it, I got a bit lost and couldn't find the canal again. Follow the little blue plaques in the pavement..
I find it quite an annoying route for cycling though, each bridge is a blind corner and not wide enough to pass someone coming the other way. You'll find a bell really useful.
Also, as a lot of the path is made of concrete blocks, it's a bit of a bumpy ride.
It's beautiful first thing in the morning though. See you out there.

+1 What Oliver says.

I had one rather unpleasant experience Shoreditch way daytime, when a dealer and an addict on seeing me coming started discussing whether or not I should be mugged to pay off a drug debt (they were shouting rather than talking) - fortunately they were so indecisive I managed to fly off.

Be aware but enjoy - it's great at this time of the year!

Road > Canal

(except in gelato weather)

cool thanks guys, sounds like a mixed bag then, I'll pack my knuckle dusters..

Are these bumps still around?

yeah but there are signs that tell you to walk your bike. anyways your pedals would strike riding over those bumbs. they are really tall and steep. (if thats by lisson grove)

If that is Lisson Grove, that part of the canal is closed off at the moment. But I doubt the bumps are going anywhere. I think they're there to stop people zooming past the houseboats.

I rode back this evening from there to Islington. There are no lights almost all of the way so it was very dark. And there was virtually no-one around. It was good in an atmospheric, eerie kind of way, but I was worried a) that I might fall into the canal, b) that one of my tyres might stick in a crack in the paving and cause a), c) that someone might jump out and push me into the canal or rob me. So, not the easiest ride.

TBH on the regents/paddington just stand up, the basins are about 3ft deep and the navigation is maybe 5ft? way over hackney down to the thames is deeper though.

have a bit of a story, searching for it rather than type again, RE canals, bike theft, kids, regents, chase....

Just left arrived back in the land of lakes after spending 5days in the smog you lot call home, 5days of seeing, hearing about, crashing into and almost crashing into thieves...

riding east along the regent canal on,er, friday late afternoon, maybe 4-5pm, I crossed a footbridge on a boris bike (yeah yeah feed me to the lions). RIding down the zig zag access back down the canal path theres a group of asian kids infront of me, so I creap down the ramp so I don't have to pass them until they are on the canal path.
I hear a massive shout from just under the canal bridge 50m away
*'get off the bike get off the bike, put it down' *

I glance to my left (still on the final section of ramp) and see a girl riding a bike looking a bit flusterd fly past me (tother side of railing). Fearing someone has just attacked her, and carryng about a grands worth of camera gear in my Boris Basket with these 'extra' asian dodgy kids infront of me, I sort of panic, what should i do, stop, ride down as fast as I can and go the other way on the canal path, see to the girl, chase the girl, chase the alledged attacker, run the attacker into the canal (regents is only 3ft so would be more of a soggy trouser day than a heroic deed).

While worrying about this, I don't notice the kid on the nice bike coming up the ramp at me, I've lost so much speed I'm actually trackstood (hehe new word), my boris basket pulling me over into the kids oncoming path. I drop the brakes stick a cranks worth in and get out of his way. He scoots up the ramp round the corner and past me.

Then the shouting guy is at the railings, "stop that kid, he's just stolen that bike", he then shouts some more abuse as he gayly rides over the canal bridge into some estate and freedom.
With some relief that the bike riding girl hadn't been attacked and I wasn't about to be I chatted to the guy and tried to save him from attempting to run after him, he would never catch the kid even if he was linfed christie the terrain was too open.

Dunno if it was anybody on here but I was about 2" from dropping the boris bike right across the path out of panic which would have blocked his escape, but alas it wasn't to be, and yet another bike got away in london. Hope you get your rig back fella.

*moral of the story, if you get your bike swiped, shout the right thing and others can help, I'm sure the 5shifty looking asian kids would have done a good number on the one white scawny estate kid. If he'd shouted 'stop thief' 'come back here with my bike' 'hes stolen my bike stop him' 'stop that bike' 'fucking bike theif' I would have probably had him but it wasn't to be :/

those bumps pictured above
how do the canal boaters get the right to stop people cycling there
do they own that section of canal path how does it differ to any other section of the canal or is it just a bit of guerilla construction
there is another section the far side of little venice
WRONG if you ask me

canal paths aren't public highway, they're private property. you have no 'right' to cycle there. cycling is 'allowed' on some paths as far as i'm aware.

I wish i was in london to ride this route with my bike

yeah was near there that bike robbery happened.

I rode along the other side (a crappy anti-cycle infested stretch verging along a shifty estate) and TBH the london corporation anti cycling structures are far harder to get around than a few bumps.

ONly issue I see with riding along that canal is a few narrow/wiggly/very low bridges so possible collision with peds especially at night. People lurking in the same places. and getting around camden, dear freaking lordie you need the patience of a saint.

done Tring back to Rickmansworth on a road bike, not too bad, but was worried about the paint round the bottom bracket as on an airbrush Colnago, was ok though, guess the speed was too low to do damage.

Usually ride from Uxbridge Swan & Bottle pub back up to Harefield, it has detour to add in as well, as well as Fran's caf open in the summer, I did eventually see a Kingfisher bird there.

On a lakeside there's a derelict wooden barge drawn up on the land, its fascinating as it has a tree growing out of the centre of it, not sure where the roots get to in the hull.

In the summer the local younger element were using a Lock as a swimming pool, diving area- enterprising.

The bike has abell which gets used before going round bridge supports in case Joe Soap is hacking along in the other direction toward me. And pedestrians always have the right of way first in my book - I speak to them politely to pass, otherwise they might just push me in the drink....

yeah fair shout on peds. with wider canal paths it doesn't matter too much. but on the london stuff its generally less than 6ft wide so flying past at speed ain't going to win any favours.

Also people aren't mean't to moor across the towpath but in trouble spots they do, just to cause a nuisance to riders. People hooning around boats at close quarters often causes this.

I should add, I like dem narrow boots ;)

Correct. Not quite clear what's going to happen now in the 'bonfire of the quangos', but they have traditionally been British Waterways land. See my post further up the page for a link to their Code of Conduct.

but british waterways is a useful quango
compare that to the promotion of cheese eating in the UK / Sausage Eating Council and the Zebra Crossing Advisroy Board
i'm sure they won't axe that one

Correct. Not quite clear what's going to happen now in the 'bonfire of the quangos', but they have traditionally been British Waterways land. See my post further up the page for a link to their Code of Conduct.

AFAIK most will be sold to adjacent landowners and towpaths will be ignored again in the countryside, with councils being asked to assume responsibility of urban 'flagship' ones that require little maintenance.