04/02/2017
Welcome to Tipton Cut Thrashers. My name is Tim and I home educate my son Jacob, he is 13. I would love to hear from any other parents or home ed teens who would like to join us on our cycle trips around the canal network in the West Midlands. We use our ride-outs to study the canals, engineering, local history, photography, the huge abundance of wildlife that is thriving along the canals and to have fun and get plenty of exercise.
There is a huge black hole in the West Midlands for teen home ed groups where likeminded people can socialise.
Jacob and I renovate and restore unloved and abandoned mountain bikes (fixing things that are broken isn't covered in any school curriculum these days) and I am willing to put on bike servicing seminars occasionally.
If you don't have a bike that's not a problem, we have five at the moment and our collection is growing fast!
We are very flexible in our timetable, generally we ride on weekdays because it gets very busy at weekends. The canals are not as many people imagine. They have been cleaned, new pathways installed and generally are a pleasure to ride along. We usually stop in the centre of Birmingham for a coffee and to digest what we have seen.
I have been a professional photographer for 40 years and getting amazing shots along our routes is easy and a pleasure.
The main function of this group will be a social one, where home ed teens can make new friends and parents can discuss ideas while exercising together. If you haven't been on a bike for a while, don't worry, the paths are flat with the occasional bridge to cross.
We are planning to ride through the Netherton Tunnel in the summer (2km in pitch black with lights of course!) which should be quite an experience.
This is a free group, you only have to pay for your coffee/tea etc when we stop for a break!
You don't need any fancy cycling equipment, a bike is enough but as previously stated, we have a few spares which can be used. It might prompt you to get a bike if you don't have one already. (we buy bikes for around £10 and spend between £20 to £40 to get them to a comfortable working standard).
Everyone is welcome. Any questions, contact me via facebook.
