Turf Zone – BedlamBridge
I cycled along the Union Canal today, well, not on the actual canal because I’d get a bit wet, along the towpath. I’m out on my second session for the turf mission that is the Canal Quest 754 Westbound, 211 zones to be taken in order along the length of the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canals from zone LochrinBasin in Edinburgh to zone Stuck at Bowling, west of Glasgow. I’m tackling this lengthy approx. 65-mile route in four sections.
The first section was from Edinburgh to Winchburgh, taking in 51 zones, approximately a quarter of the total. In fact, back then, I hadn’t actually planned to start this turf mission but was taking zones for the Edinburgh Roon and thought I’d pick off a few zones while I was in the Union Canal area. You know how it goes? You decide to just take a couple, then you think, perhaps I’ll go as far as Wester Hailes, or the city bypass, then turn back. Eventually, I found myself in Winchburgh with 51 zones in the bag.
The second section, the one I’m tackling today, is from zone 52 GlassBridge in Winchburgh to zone 106 FalkirkWheel at the Falkirk Wheel, some 18-miles of canal towpath and another 55 zones for the mission. The third section will be from the Falkirk Wheel to Kirkintilloch with the final section from there to Bowling, Glasgow.
Niddry Road in Winchburgh offered parking close to where I wanted to start this section of the mission, only a few minutes ride from my first zone, 52 GlassBridge, then up through the town centre, taking zone DrummerBoy, a Monument zone, then down onto the canal towpath for zone 53 Winchburgh, which was unfortunately blocked by another turfer. So, no option other than to wait for the block to clear. However, I put the time to good use, taking a few unique zones around Winchburgh.
Turf Zone – FalkirkWheel
My chosen steed for today was the Brompton G Line, ideal for the rough tarmac surface of the canal towpath and capable of handling those ridges where tree roots have lifted the tarmac, and also those nasty cobbles the powers-that-be seem to think are a good idea under bridges. And not forgetting those particularly nasty cobbles on the Avon aqueduct. Though I guess they are there to stop cyclists, from well, cycling!
As you would expect, the route along the canal path is fairly level, with only a few slight uphill sections where you have to take zones that are slightly off the canal path itself. So, a word of warning in that respect. I would strongly suggest you study in detail the zones along the route, noting any that are slightly off the route, for example, 70 Canal Centre and 73 PrioryZone. If you simply trundle along the towpath and miss taking either, you may find yourself rather annoyed with yourself later on. Hopefully, not when you reach zone 211 Stucco at the far side of Glasgow! I see there are some zones requiring careful planning in later sections of the route. Hint: check take order and which side of the canal they are located.
Conditions today under tyre were mostly wet with plenty of slippery Autumn leaves doing a great job at hiding the aforementioned ridges in the tarmac caused by tree root growth. I will also mention that the path at some sections is very narrow, less than one meter wide, and only a brief second of inattention could see you taking a rather cold bath. I would also strongly recommend you slow down and ring your bell at each and every bridge you pass under. More than once, I encountered people coming the other way who hadn’t slowed down or jingled their bicycle bell and they almost came a cropper. I made sure I was on the inner side of the path, towards the bridge wall and away from the canal’s edge.
Saturday isn’t probably the best day of the week for tackling Canal Quest 754 Westbound, too many dog walkers, pram and granny pushers and skin-tight Lycra wearing female runners all doing their best to hinder your progress and basically be a pest, though some I don’t really mind but best to keep your eyes on the path. However, most people were courteous, other than a few idiot three-working-brain-cell cyclists who think pedalling at break-neck speed along a narrow towpath is a good idea. Come to think of it, they probably aren’t capable of even considering their actions with only three working brain cells?
Found myself a little confused at zone 54, just outside Winchburgh. The turf map shows this as MyreZone but the turf mission lists this as AntZone. However, everything worked out fine and I was able to continue with the mission and a good example of checking all is well every so often. Now, one of the highlights of today’s session was cycling through the Falkirk Tunnel.
Turf Zone – FalkirkTunnel
Last time I was here it was totally dark but today the tunnel lights were on, revealing the natural stone celing along with all the streams of ground water dropping noisily into the canal. I could not help thinking Tolkien-like thoughts of dwarfs, orcs, elves and balrogs. Lunch was at the Falkirk Wheel, though only a picnic lunch consisting of spicy chicken sandwiches, a yogurt with strange choccy-crunchy bits and an apple-flavoured Stotts oat bar. Yummy.
Zone 106 FalkirkWheel was my final mission zone of the day. I had originally thought about continuing onwards, taking another 30, which would leave another 80 zones for another single session to fnish but I’m always aware that there’s still the return trip to make. I guess that’s one of the drawbacks of tackling a lineal mission in sections, you always have to get back to the car. The main reason for stopping was the tail wind I had for the outwards part of the journey would now be a headwind and an 18-miles cycle back to Winchburgh was enough for this session.
One thing about the return cycle was that it was just that, a bicycle ride. No stopping for zones or to check the mission zone list, just turn the pedals and enjoy the ride. As it turned out the headwind wasn’t too bad and only encountered in the more exposed parts of the canal. Came across a group of young people fixing a puncture so I stopped to see if they were okay. They had the wheel off the bike and the inner tube out and even had repair patches but alas, no pump to fit a Schrader valve. Or course, I had one, so was able to help them out. Always good to assist other cyclists. Enlightened them about turf, of course.
And that was that. Two sections of the mission completed with two still to go. 106 zones in the bag leaving another 105 still to take. And the good thing is that almost all of the remaining 106 zones will be uniques, other than a few taken while myself and ChoccyMuffin spent a few days turfing in Milngavie and Glasgow. Back soon.
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