I've had my fill of petrol fumes

Thought I'd treat my bike to one last adventure before it becomes my spare bike, only to be used in emergencies. I've been plotting a ride to Stourport via the Midlands' fine network of canals, to pre-empt this I decided to explore the canals on route to Dudley, they be quite complex in this area (as canals go). It looked like rain but I didn't take my jacket because I haven't got one yet, luckily the heavens never opened.

10 minutes ride along the Birmingham Canal Main Line out from Gas Street Basin, I spotted two old people with a camera, I wondered why they were taking a picture of a wall until I'd rode past them and this big bird thing flew off.

I didn't quite make it as far as Dudley (although when I got home and had a look at the map I was only a couple of miles short). I managed to get as far as Tipton, a rather dodgy stretch of canal that passes underneath the M5, delicious chemical scents wafting from the nearby factories.

There was no point in continuing any further as the batteries in my camera ran out, (as I was trying to take a picture of some rather aggressive Canadian Geese) if you can't take a picture there's no proof that you were there!!

A rather pleasant 20 mile trip, however a bit more training will be required before I tackle the 30 miles to Stourport.