Single speed ride around Birmingham adventure ✨️ causing kaos

One gear some idea

Without further ado, let’s begin now. Let’s begin now. Street certified worldwide from King Jamaica right now. Mine Rock City Bank. We got it. This street is certified worldwide. Today’s bike ride adventure is a mix match of a bit of everything. Something old and something new. Nothing borrowed, but maybe something blue. Same blue. I’m going to try not to get angry with people today because it’s always some pendo or gabon that gets in my way. But we’ll see how it goes. Lots of cheeky little alleyways through shortcuts. [Applause] Hi guys. Are you well? I thought you were. Quite a nice day considering we’re in the depths of autumn now. Today we are on single speed. Nicely lubed up chain. Skinny skinny tires. cuz the conditions are quite dry. It’s ideal for this terrain. That way goes off to Great Bridge and then up and joins the main Birmingham Wolverampton Canal. Just come from that way which is the Warsaw Canal. Just doing a little bit of in and out in and out. Shake it all about. And we’re going to jump on the Tone Valley Canal today and head into Bum. Go around the city. Do a little bit of exploring. So, let’s jump on the speed and give you a bike drove update. Can’t believe how nice it is. Bloody warm and all. About 15°. Not bad. Okay, jumping on one gear. Some idea. Now, the good thing and the bad thing, I’m being wind assisted and this is the long way to Birmingham around and back. It’s like long way there, short way back. So, I’ll be fighting the wind on the way back. Never mind. Pros and cons, ying and yang, yada yada yada. Oh, thank you, M. My ride. Now, unfortunately going in this direction on this section of canal, it hasn’t been updated and it’s a bit crappy. In places it does get a bit better, like here, but well, I use the word better likely. You used to be able to ride all down the side section there where they’ve run cables under, but the bushes from the summer have overgrown and blocked it all. Sometimes they’re cut back, but it’s very rare. This isn’t a very well maintained cycle way. But after we’ve gone over the M5 bridge, the aqueduct, it’ll get a lot better. I thank you, Darren. This is where it gets better and then it’ll go crappy again in a bit. Along the way, I’ll try and give you points of interest. That bridge we’ve just gone under is where I normally pop off and go up towards the back end of Samuel Valley Park. But if you can see the water, the wind waves are accelerating me and we’re back on the rubbish stuff. Come on, M5 Junction. Let’s get good. And eventually he’s gone through the good stuff. So that way is the way I ride when I’ve picked up the Warsaw loop that goes down the side of the M 5 bycot in Warsaw and the river Tame is that sort of direction as well. This is the M5 M6 interchange. So north on the M6 is Stafford Stoke all the way up Liverpool etc etc. Coming down obviously M6 Birmingham M5 south Worcester Devon Cornwall etc etc. And this is the aqueduct that goes over the M5. Those blue flats there are sometimes where I cut through Samuel Valley and cut up the railway lines just under there. That clump of trees there is well val and that’s it so far. Doing all right. Wind assisted. Matt Mr. just told me my average speed is 12 mph. Now I think I’m going to change out these tires. They’re bloody fast for rowing. But when it comes to grip, it’s not. So all these poor suckers going to work or going to and from places. I’ve seen that bridge over there before. Bridge. How many gears you got, Lee? This section of the T Valley Canal. If you go left, it goes towards Catill. And not sure if you can see. Catsill, Warsaw, Brown Hills, CN8, who I follow calls it the curly whirly. Look at that bit of patriotism. Try some skills with girls on a single speed. Oh, there we go. And we’re on this side of the canal now. And we’re going under the M6. If you go right here, it takes you down to another part of Samuel Valley. See the finger post? There you go. And in the distance is Samuel Valley Park. But we’re not going that way. We’re going this way. We are just going under the Warsaw to Periar Road, which I think is the I34, or it could be the I41. I’m not too sure. But we’re going to be turning off right in a short while to go and have a look around the Alexander Stadium. Welcome to Perry Bar Locks. So in the distance is the Alexander Stadium Esta Aki. If you’re in Spain, you are here. Okay, we need to pick up the uh go around and then jump back on the canal. We’re going to drop down here and have a nosy. Should all be quite ridable with no steps. Fingers crossed. This is where they held the Commonwealth Games. This is the martial arts and gymnastics arena. Let’s have a look a bit further down. Oh, Per Fitness. Just having a little ride around, having a nosy. There’s the stadium. We should be able to go all the way around it. Oh, thank you, Matt. high and do a perimeter. They rebuilt it when the Commonwealth Games was on. Wow. Check that out. Alexander Stadium. They could have got some chairs. Must be cut backs. Continuing around the perimeter. See where it all goes to. That’s one big fo building. Quite a bit of a better view here. There’s the high jump. There’s the steps. I could do the steps. I use them at work every day. Okay. Carry on. As if by magic, a path appears. Oh, there’s the lake I ride around when I do a little bit of a detour up the canal. Go around. So, I think under this stadium is a gym. I think there’s a restaurant and a bar. Sure, there is. We’ll soon see. So, we have got Birmingham City University. Yep, there’s the gym. Not many people in there today. Doesn’t look very open. Oh, no. Perhaps it’s gone. There is exercise equipment. Unless it’s for the athletes. Okay, let’s go around the lake. Last look. Just going around the lake now. Have a little ride around. Lots of money being pumped into and generated in this area. Trouble is people still flight. Oh, not sure if it’s called Perry Lake. Should say Perry Reservoir written under all the somebody’s thrown on it. Anyway, we’ve got to go up here. And as if by It’s a bike ra. I can push my super light bike up. As if by magic. We’re back on the canal and about to go under the M6 again. Still being wind assisted, which is very nice. Very windy in Spanish. That means that we have to be careful through here. because it’s so tempting to drop down at speed, but you’ll see what’s at the end. And you hit these on this single speed bike and it’ll be game over because I’ve only got 20 toys. This is where we have to leave the canal, go over the bridge as if by magic, we’ll be over there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Okay, we’re over the bridge and dropping down and we’ll be crossing again shortly. Just heading under Spaghetti Junction. Amazing bit of engineering. Uh, so where was I? I said uh bike drove. I’ve got the pinnacle single speed of voila. I have my Kinesis gravel bike. I have my boardman carbon belt drive. And I have my Cube 29iner. So I’m trying to decide if I need to sell one. These old bikes only come to about 1,200 quid in total. And I probably regret selling one, but it goes dark under here. That’s what she said. Darker than a French chick’s armpit. I feel the gravel bike is just a glorified mountain bike with handlebars that are sort of due drop. But like I say, I’m undecided. Might just keep them all for the sake of it. At this point of the bike ride, single speed fun, you can go that way direct up into Birmingham or we’re going to go this way and then pick up a right where the peaky blinders do all their filming. You go straight on that takes you down towards Castle Veil, Castle Brahmage, etc., etc. Just going over the river Tame. So, let’s carry on this way. Just going past Stab, I mean Star City. Little point of interest. Not really much. This has been here for absolutely ages. Crazy. Nice bit of astro turf there. That is the first time I’ve ever seen a barge on this canal. Mind blown. Forgot where this was. Peaky blinder. Hopefully the angle of the camera is enough. It’s quite funny cuz it’s a reclamation place and it’s for sale. So obviously somebody’s reclaimed them. Pretty sure there’s a few more peaky blind bits around here. Not too sure. Heading under the many tunnels now into Birmingham. The next one’s going to be fun with my wide handlebars. Oh my god. Right. Put my sunglasses in my house. You can’t see. Sweet fa. And normally down here there’s all lights on the wall. Breathing everybody. Leaving that canal now and heading up on the main section of water between the junction six spaghetti junction and up into the town. All good. Heading up now into Birmingham City. Negotiate. Single speed power. Oh, it stinks in peace. I only just noticed that. But it’s the shape of a light bulb, so I bet that looks fantastic at night. All lit up. Looks like it’s starting. Fairground attractions. They’ll be building the ice rink, ferris wheel, yada yada yada, blahy blah. Very soon. My pronto. Well, the ice rink nearly ready. Okay. See how long I can last before off. Okay. I need to go straight ahead. [Music] Okay. Hariba [Music] mailbox. Let’s go. Two. Three. Canal side restaurants and bars. Nikki Clark Advanced Baby Birmingham. Every man cinema. Oh, they love an adventure. So much fun. [Music] Here we are. Scooty scooty. Oh yeah. Come on. Wow. Scary Mary. So the last delas in Murphy is more busier than here where we got our apartment in Spain. Okay. That’s the Worcester Canal. Turn on your left coming through. Thank you very much. Oh, they are. What? Another warfight. That was the mailbox, not the cube. Normally I’m on that side but today I’m on this side. Now I’ve got three choices of home canal canal net or Haggley Road Birmingham new road. Now that one’s going to be quite dangerous and I don’t get to have a coffee and I think it’s going to be Canal Metro cuz I can go to the Hawthorne. Yeah, he made it sound like a good thing. We will start our journey back. Not wind assisted. Go on this side of the canal for a change. Just had a look leaving Birmingham. 24.5 miles. There’ll be not a lot of elevation today. Probably 4 to 500 ft. But it’s all good. Everybody’s quite nice. And I’m about to put my green sleeves down and get angry and turn into the Hulk. Coffee time now. And a couple of cakes. Be rude not to. I What’s going on here? West Midlands E scooter. They just dump her in random places. You got any power? Who’s got Oh, enter 80310 to unlock. Just dumped. Time to do a Uturn here. Get off the canal and head to Greg’s for a nice large grande coffee colleena. So large coffee with cake, no galeta, no biscuits. Can’t break the tradition of going through the station, can I? It’s got to be done. Thank you. Oh yes, large latte and two yum yums. Yummy yummy. West Braum, let’s see what your cycle paths have got to offer. This is a new infrastructure I’d seen about. We’ll see how it goes. So far so good. Obviously you’ve got you have your park on the pavement. Oh, here we go. That yours to absolute tosses. Wanker. Wanker. Absolute wanker. Absolute douchebags. They’re just walking the cycle lane. Never understand. Cycle lane coming through. Cycle line. Yes. No Englishtoon. Love it. Cycle lane. Pavement. Cycle lane. Nearly just got took out by two cars because of a member of the public in the cycle lane had to swerve to go around and push me into the road and it was nearly game over. Oh dear. I just stuck my tongue out at the driver with uh probably see the whites of me eyes through my sunglasses. Oh, still alive to ride another day. But pedestrians are such a menace. How can a cycle lane not be blindingly obvious? No comment. Sin commentary. This also boils my piece. A cycle lane and everyone just parks in it. Hey ho. The minor minority cyclist. That’s what I am. And then I got to go into the road and nearly get taken out by a car. And it’s bloody windy. Just coming through DY4 to jump back onto the canal. Had to stop just for about half an hour to fix a puncture cuz I hit something. Not sure what, but it snake snake bit my tire. So there was two pinch holes. Don’t know what it was. It was on the road as well, but managed to eventually fix it. But because the inner tubes are so skinny, the patches I’ve got to repair a bit too big. And it was right on the crease. Oh, great. More glass. Right on the crease of the inner tube. So, I had to bend the tube while it stuck the glues on. So far so good. Nearly back. Be a 40 mileer today. Looks like a long walk home. Stroke run with a flat tire. Tubes completely gone and my pump’s completely gone. So, a run and a walk back home. The Bronto jail. This is what it’s come to. Strip the bike down. Give a family member a call and just ask them to come and get me. Save me running five miles over. Oh well. You want to burst a tire on me, huh? I’ll teach you a lesson.