Following my Birmingham ride, I decided to brave gale force winds and on - off downpours to ride along the L & L canal from Leeds to the Rodley Barge pub.
I joined the River path and asked if there was a continuous river path / canal towpath to Rodley, the local person pointed down the river, " Sure, no problem, you might have to change sides though" So off I go, glad the wind is behind me, after a while, I twice asked passers by if I could get to Rodley " Keep going"
After a few more miles I thought, I'm sure I'm heading South, checked my Satnav (I keep it for emergencies as battery doesn't last long) Yep! I was going in the opposite direction.
Turned around & fought my way back against winds strong enough to stop me & push me back. After 1 hour, I was back where I started,
I stopped on Neville Street bridge, and checked my satnav again. A bit further on, the river dissappeared into a tunnel with no paths, rode though 1st one, then another adjacent tunnel, both were underground carparks, but the 2nd one had a road at the far end, so I rode to it, only to come out 50 metres from where my bus was parked, Grrr!
Finally onto the canal towpath, I battled on against increasingly strong winds and deep mud. About 200 metres from the Rodley Barge, the towpath was blocked by a police barrier, so I had to take a steep hill to the main road, which was also blocked by a lot of policemen.
A huge roof had blown loose a big industrial building and was about to crash down onto the road or the canal.
I turned back, warning the few other cyclists I passed, they told me that the route ahead of me was blocked by a truck that had blown over in the centre of Leeds.
I stopped in The Abbey Inn (reputed to be haunted) then had an easier ride back to Leeds. When I returned to Neville Street Bridge, I was horrified to see the truck that had been blown over, lying on it's side in the exact spot I'd stopped to check my satnav!
Maybe I wasn't having such a bad day, then I found out that it had fallen onto several pedestrians and one poor woman had died. And that it happened minutes after I stopped there.
Article here
Sorry, if that was a bit of a ramble. Not many pics as I struggled just to stay on the bike. Just one of a windswept Armouries Basin, One of the truck on it's side and finally my GoBike looking more like an off-roader.