The Leeds-Liverpool Canal - Sunday 3 July 2011

Stats
Route: Keighley to Leeds, via Bingley, Saltire, Shipley and Rodley
Distance: 32.5 km / 20.2 miles
Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
Average speed: 16.9 km/h / 10.5 mph
Weather: 26C sunny

The final day. Neither of us woke up feeling particularly energised to break the back of the route, although with only 20 miles remaining it did provide the required solace of only a further two hours in the saddle. Stocked up on some Powerade we were on our way at 10.00 through Bingley, Saltire, Rodley and into Leeds. The mercury was creeping up throughout the morning and the sunburn from yesterday we'd both acquired did not welcome more sun beating down on us. A steady pace brought us down into Granary Wharf, Leeds moments after midday. Finished!

Conclusion
So then, what did we learn? The towpath is not perfect tarmac – or even gravel – throughout; there are a lot of unpleasant stretches, not helped by my mountain bike not having any form of suspension. In hindsight, some biker gloves with gel patches for palm protection would have proven their worth (or a better bike). The spare inner tubes were very beneficial as it was no fun removing the tube and tyre from the wheel, it'd have been even less so trying to locate a small thorn or such like and repairing the puncture canal-side. Energy bars/drinks were really valuable for the afternoon lulls. Having completed the ride in summer and on the back of a dry spell, the towpath was in good condition – a couple of days of rain prior would have changed the landscape quite dramatically, to that end we had some good fortune.

The biggest surprise to me was progress – at times it felt as though we were going along great guns, but with necessary stops and the more difficult terrains, we believed we weren't making enough ground even though a cross-reference to the GPS maps showed a tangible gain.

Sense of achievement? Not at first, no, and that's attributed to the fatigue of three long and hot days. Now that the dust has settled it really is something to be proud of. And we are.

Final Figures
Distance: 218.8 km / 135.9
Time: 13 hours 19 minutes
Average speed: 16.9 km/h / 10.5 mph