just got home,ridden 5 miles from Dunham Massey ON the canal!
anyone else ventured onto unusual surfaces?

What tyres for canal riding? 😉

may I be the first to say: YOU COULD HAVE DIED! WON'T SOMEBODY CONSIDER THE CHILDREN?!?

oh, did you wear a helmet?

you stupid stupid person if you did.
but i do not think you did really.

If he had worn a helmet, the polystyrene may have kept him affloat- Even I couldnt argue with such a benefit. I'll probably have to figure this one into future arguments. 😕

yeah,I did (had to get out near bridges.will try to get a photo on,can anyone recommend a user friendly image hosting site?
there is a layer of crunchy snow over most of it,so goodish grip
did it on my old orange prestige,ss,1.5 can`t remember what tyres
out for some more tomorrow,should be even thicker.
see you out there?

Yup, I've been on the local lake, after verification that the ice was pretty thick. The canals around here have been frozen solid for 2weeks+, still not sure I'd risk it on something so deep I couldn't stand to push myself back out though. Have you ever TRIED getting out of a pool of freezing water with cramps onto a teflon-like surface that's constantly fracturing around you?

i have seen someone go through the ice on the cut [canal] you have about no chance of getting out alone without rope and help- darwin in action- very foolish.
Canals are about 4-5 ft deep the lake was probably more dangerous.

try http://www.imafrikkinidiot.com they may offer services you require 👿

To be serious, I also dont think its a good idea.
I've been looking at the sections of Union canal between Lithgae and Winchburgh and the ice looks pretty solid in places but there is a slow trickle of draining water from crossing bridges that looks like its keeping the ice a bit thinner in places. Dodgy.
I still remember falling through ice on Lochend pond when I was 14.
Water was only about 2ft deep but it was still a struggle to get out.

People have been doing that on parts of the Marple canal near me, can see tyre and foot prints in the snow covering the ice.
I'm going to try some XC skiing on it tomorrow – by my thinking the skis should spread the weight a lot more than a bike would so it'll be safer!

Yer the Wife

dodgy canal walker:

Thick gloves? Does that not tell you it really isn't shorts weather?

I once rode from Mytholmroyd to Hebden Bridge on top of the ice, getting off for bridges and a lock, but i was only 14 and didnt know any better.

barnes, very nice……………. 😕

it's always shorts weather :o)

these girls shamed me into it:

very grown up barnes……………egging school girls to jump up and down on a iced over waterway………so you can take pics of them too.
tut tut tut 🙄

And you just know there's a puppy dog &/or a bag of sweeties just out of shot…..

I did a 2ft drop onto a lake which was pretty fun.

You canal walkers are nutters, darwin will have you sooner or later. 🙂

ride pic as promised , for your disapproval.null

FAIL 🙁

egging school girls to jump up and down on a iced over waterway

I just asked them if it was solid – they were jumping for another girl with a camera left of the shot…

And you just know there's a puppy dog &/or a bag of sweeties just out of shot…..

Or they've just spotted chimp-boy-barnes lurking…

I fell through the ice into Harlaw reservoir last year. Only about 2 feet deep but that was deep enough!

yeh right………..
i was just taking a picture of the mountains when the lady with the nice ar5e rode into the shot…………..
yeah right……………. 🙄

actual canal rider:

i was just taking a picture of the mountains when the lady with the nice ar5e rode into the shot…………..

I would have no hesitation in that context but with children one should be more careful for everyone's sake, and my shots are entirely innocent.

[and I tested the ice by jumping up and down as hard as I could – no hint of movement]

Aged man in shorts, telephoto lens, schoolgirls – not sounding good……

🙄 😉

try again.

failed again!

maybe this time..

Keep trying

Sadly tonight two men where pulled from a lake in leicestershire,seriously tieing up a lot of resourses, Police,fire brigade and ambulance,hospital staff and now the coroner as they died.

Dont do it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Dont do it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the difference being that the canal had experienced uniform conditions and been frozen for a week, whereas a lake would be much more unpredictable

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8449250.stm

simon, you do talk like a t wat sometimes.
IF YOU FALL THRU ICE INTO VERY COLD WATER CHANCES ARE YOU WILL DIE.