Tiny rides of 2023

[Windle]

There're apparently a couple of footpaths which run from the old railway path on the west side of Cockfield Fell down into the Gaunless valley, presumably across the river by some means then up the other side and across the fields to the Copley road. One of them heads off from the old railway bridge which crosses the line that I usually go under. Friday evening I decided to have a look, taking the Fire Mountain as it's got flats on and I knew there'd be some walking involved. Instead of going down the stony track to the railway I ventured off across the field and over the old stone bridge.

Normally I turn right here and bounce across the scrubby fell path parallel with the railway path until the two meet. This time I went straight on and down ~ it proved fruitless as it happens as there was no discernible path where there was one shown on the OS map, just a plunge down into the ravine on what looked like a sheep track. This little gorge runs down to the Gaunless but I wasn't going to attempt going down there with a bike.

Back up onto the railway path and along to the dilapidated overbridge where another path supposedly runs down and across the river, a very narrow, steep 'path', well I wasn't going to to down there either, maybe without a bike it may be possible but not today.
The north side of the railway overbridge where I headed back up and completed one of my usual routes. The yellow arrow on the post must be for the supposed path I presume.

Bonus one horned moo cow / bull.

A decent enough little 5 miler and a bit of an explore, it would probably be a lot easier during the winter when there's less vegetation.

 

[Conrad_K]

I went out to mow the lawn this morning and the lawnmower wouldn't start. While fiddling with it I noticed there was only half of a very dirty air filter in the filter housing. What was left was crumbly. Judging from the thick layer of dirt and decomposed filter foam in the carburetor, the filter had failed at least... well, no need to dwell on my poor maintenance practices. Frankly, I was surprised the mower was even running. The lack of a filter might explain its thirst for oil recently. [it wouldn't start because I'd flooded it]

I was walking toward the truck when I realized it was a fine cool morning, and I might as well take the bike. I checked the tires on the recumbent. Low, but not low enough to mandate turning on the VERY LOUD COMPRESSOR to top them off. I dropped the filter housing into a saddlebag and pedaled off to the hardware store to get a new filter. It was about a six mile loop; I didn't come back the same way I went. Took about fifteen minutes each way.

After having a nice warm-up on the bike, I spent the next two hours pushing the lawnmower around the yard. Not nearly as much fun as riding around town on the recumbent.

 

[a.twiddler]

22/8/24
Tiny Ride Today
Cider run! To off licence on Linear. First ride since I went down with Covid.

I’d re glued the foot to the side stand where it had been occasionally dragging, and found a short bungee cord to positively support the stand. It’s quite a long stand, and the original friction disc, designed to retain a shorter legged one, tends to give on bumps. I just need to hook and unhook when mounting and dismounting.

So, out through the gate, undercarriage fully retracted, and launch. So nice to be out on the bike again. My performance seemed about the same as before, ie pretty feeble, but no worse. I inserted myself into the traffic stream for the uphill traffic lights on Swanlow Lane which obligingly turned green.

Along Swanlow Lane, over the mini summit easily, then downhill to the A54 roundabout. Busy traffic, but I squeezed into the queue without having to stop until I reached the lights on red. Left into Delamere St, and locked up outside the off licence. I was out again quickly and on the road again. Across the roundabout, with a following wind helping me along, this short ride was a morale boost after the hiatus of the last couple of weeks. I was soon outside my back gate, thinking about a longer trip.

Distance 2.4 miles, Max 23.0 mph, Average 7.7 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 43 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[Windle]

An evening run around my usual and a bit warmer tonight. My last two tiny evening rides have needed a long sleeved top. After shortening the bars on the Marlin 7 and servicing the seatpost clamp I put some flats on it for a change, DMR, maybe V8's, but not sure. Usual-ish Scotland lane, railway path & fell but with a bit of a detour across the middle, bumpy and thistly for the full stinging shins experience. It's a bit sad to see the sun so low at this time, just after 7 o'clock, but it's the end of August after all.

The railway path looking towards the fenced off overbridge.

Bike shed?

A nice little run out of 5.4 miles with a couple of hundred feet of climbing.
I took my old digital compact camera as well as my GoPro to get a comparison, but left the GoPro's memory card at home . The compact says 14.2 megapixels but I'm not convinced it's as good as the GoPro even though that's about 10 megapixels. Maybe I need to get a decent digital camera. When I got home I put the mount for my big front light on the Marlin, with a dusk / dark ride planned for the back end of the week.

 

[Windle]

A dusk ride from Friday evening round my usual, I set off at about quarter past eight and got back in around ten to nine, by which time it was nearly fully dark. My Halfords 1,800 lumen front light was superb, even for the couple of bits of narrow technical-ish stuff ~ if only we'd had things like this back in the eighties when I started cycling seriously, rather then the Ever Ready (ever ready to conk out) and Wonder (wonder why they go dim so quickly) abominations. The gate where the farm track comes out onto the road, it looks lighter than it was for some reason.

Heading back down the railway path through the cutting, it's surprising how much blue sky is still visible up above the embankments, it seemed pitch black down there and was eerily quiet (unlike when I opened the gate between the fell and the cutting where a selection of disgruntled birds twittered off in all directions, sorry chaps & chapesses). It's the kind of place where riding at night you need to keep your imagination firmly in it's box.

The section of farm track between the railway path and Scotland lane.

Scotland lane looking much more like it felt. Stopping to take a photo and looking back certainly confirmed it, I couldn't see a thing behind.
A Barn Owl had drifted silently across my path on the way down here, heading back into the wood from the fields.
There's always something enjoyably other-worldly about a warm night ride, maybe because when I used to ride in the dark years ago it was nearly always in autumn & winter.

 

[Conrad_K]

Sunday, August 25:
The trike went about 60 miles, averaging somewhere around 60mph. Unfortunately, it never left the back of my truck. I got to the trailhead, but suffered considerable "intestinal distress" and decided caution was the better part of valor and went back home

Sunday, September 1:
Rain was in the forecast all week. It was supposed to start raining Thursday, and by Monday the people who still had their cubit-calibrated tools would have built their arks and be floating by going "neener-neener!" We got some showers Thursday night, then some intermittent showers Saturday. Sunday was then re-forecast to "20% chance of rain" which is weather-ese for "no idea."

I had planned to ride. I've probably run thousands of miles in the rain while commuting or touring on a motorcycle. Watch, wallet, and phone go into plastic sandwich bags; the rest of you get wet, then blow-dried when the rain stops. And it was supposed to be 85F. Unfortunately, odd showers on Saturday meant water on the trail to splash through, nasty muddy water for cars to splash on you, and an endless drip from all the trees bordering the trail. Being rained on is one thing; being coated in wet road dirt is something else. No ride.

Monday, September 2:
Today is one of those odd American holidays that doesn't really have a reason. It originally had something to do with socialism and labor unions, but now it's a celebration of barbecue and excessive alcohol consumption. The whole country pretty much grinds to a halt. I figured traffic on the street sections in Little Rock would be low.

It was. I only saw half a dozen cars in the whole downtown section, deader even than previous Sundays. Downside: the trailhead at the Big Dam Bridge was an anthill of activity, and I slid the truck into the next-to-last parking place. But other than people walking over the bridge, the trails had about ordinary activity, except for packs of upright bicyclists who wanted to ride abreast and try to force anyone else off the trail, like teenagers in a mall. No, I'm not veering off into the mud so a pack of middle-aged gangbangers can have a collective power trip. Had several close encounters and various shouted insults, but they all moved back to their side of the path, though there were a couple of near-misses.

I saw one long-wheelbase recumbent today. First one I've ever seen "in the wild." Two other tadpole trikes, and two uprights with trailers and small children. One obvious electric, and one probable. The easiest 'tell' is the battery pack, but it was out of view before I got a good look.

Since I started riding a few months ago, I've seen maybe six or seven tadpoles, five uprights with trailers, maybe that many electrics, one SWB, one LWB, and one delta. The LWB today had very narrow handlebars with a crossbar at the top; typical of a RANS, but it wasn't close enough to make out a manufacturer name, if any.

I pedaled all the way around the loop, about an hour and a half. My knees and right hip didn't bother me at all. Instead, my feet hurt. That never happened before. And about 2/3 of the way around, my butt hurt too. But I powered up over bridges and hills I used to have to stop and rest on, and did a lot more cruising in high gear, so maybe they were both seeing more load than they were used to.

Other than the idiots trying to force other people off the trail, a people were a bit friendlier than normal. I even got several positive comments about the trike.

 

[sevenfourate]

A dusk ride from Friday evening round my usual, I set off at about quarter past eight and got back in around ten to nine, by which time it was nearly fully dark. My Halfords 1,600 lumen front light was superb, even for the couple of bits of narrow technical-ish stuff ~ if only we'd had things like this back in the eighties when I started cycling seriously, rather then the Ever Ready (ever ready to conk out) and Wonder (wonder why they go dim so quickly) abominations. The gate where the farm track comes out onto the road, it looks lighter than it was for some reason.

View attachment 743749
Heading back down the railway path through the cutting, it's surprising how much blue sky is still visible up above the embankments, it seemed pitch black down there and was eerily quiet (unlike when I opened the gate between the fell and the cutting where a selection of disgruntled birds twittered off in all directions, sorry chaps & chapesses). It's the kind of place where riding at night you need to keep your imagination firmly in it's box.

View attachment 743750
The section of farm track between the railway path and Scotland lane. View attachment 743756
Scotland lane looking much more like it felt. Stopping to take a photo and looking back certainly confirmed it, I couldn't see a thing behind.
A Barn Owl had drifted silently across my path on the way down here, heading back into the wood from the fields.
There's always something enjoyably other-worldly about a warm night ride, maybe because when I used to ride in the dark years ago it was nearly always in autumn & winter. View attachment 743751

I’m looking to do some night rides this Winter. Your write up and pics have inspired and spurred me on for sure. I need to see (sic) how the CatEye 400 lumen light I’ve got fares. Sounds already like I might need something more powerful…….

 

[Windle]

I’m looking to do some night rides this Winter. Your write up and pics have inspired and spurred me on for sure. I need to see (sic) how the CatEye 400 lumen light I’ve got fares. Sounds already like I might need something more powerful…….

Try it and see, (hopefully literally). It depends on how fast you want to go really, and how difficult the trails are. Decent, wide paths are easy enough to ride on with a lower power light, although you obviously don't see as much. Mine is actually an 1,800 lumen, Halfords Advanced.
I don't always use it on the max setting, the mid setting is 500 lumens with a claimed 4 hour run time. If your not riding for long though it's always tempting to use the max output as much as possible (1.5 hour run time). I dread to think how many lumens output the lights I used to use years ago were, but back then my eyes were better in the dark.

 

[Conrad_K]

I'm going to have to try that. I'd never considered a night ride, but I know most of the Riverfront Trail now.

 

[Windle]

I'm going to have to try that. I'd never considered a night ride, but I know most of the Riverfront Trail now.

They're good fun as long as you're careful and have a back-up light in case of failure. It's also a bonus that you feel like you're going faster than normal.

 

[Sixmile]

Little 5.8 mile ride last night into church midweek meeting with my bass guitar on my back, 20w amp strapped to the rear rack. Lovely bright ride down. Pitch dark but beautifully calm on the way home. It's time like these when the electric bike comes into it's own. I had no energy yesterday so the assistance was appreciated on both legs by both legs. Then I didn't have to worry about charging lights for the journey home due to the one's that are inbuilt on the bike. Some wee kid that seen me on the way home whilst they were on their bike was astounded that someone could travel on a bike with a guitar on their bike - they told me in other words. You never know, maybe it'll inspire them

 

[welsh dragon]

A massive ride, all of 4 and a bit miles to the nearest post box and back on Sunday.

 

[a.twiddler]

Tiny ride today
Town Centre on the Spirit
Another massive ride. No photos this time.
A few items needed from the town centre this morning. Since it was fine, I decided to go on the Spirit recumbent. So, through the gate, a few adjustments, and out on to the road. Swooping out on to Swanlow Lane, through the uphill traffic lights, and up to the mini summit and into a headwind. Speed a little disappointing, but the rolling was easy. Soon I was trundling beyond the summit towards the A54 roundabout. Traffic was a little convulsive here but I managed to keep going until I was gathering speed downhill again to the first set of lights. I went right into the filter lane, then right at the lights and on towards the town centre. I hopped on to a pavement cycle path, left round the corner then straight on to a mini roundabout where I turned left into a supermarket car park and soon came to rest alongside a barrier where I locked up.

In and out with the usual alacrity. As I was loading up my bag another cyclist who had been shopping said, “What is that?” “It’s a recumbent bike” I said. “Is that comfortable?” he said. “It certainly is.” I replied. It’s amazing how other cyclists seem to think I’d ride something like this if it was an instrument of torture. He showed no further interest, so off I went, across the car park to the exit roundabout, left then right at the next one into Dingle Lane, then over some speed humps which the suspension laughed at. Then over the kerb on to Queensway, a steep climb through some estate roads then via some shortcuts to Russell Rd, then right on Swanlow Lane.

Straight through the lights on Townfields Rd, accelerating down a dip to gain speed for my uphill turn off, then unwinding downhill to my back gate.

It’s a bit difficult to jazz up a routine ride each time other than to say that every time I go out on a recumbent bike it gives me a buzz.

Distance 4.07 miles. Max speed 25.02 mph, Average 7.4 mph. According to Bikehike.
Ascent 117ft. According to Garmin.

 

[All uphill]

A tiny ride with purposes!

To start the new Cyclechat photo challenge, Numbers. I managed 1,2 and 3 😁

To see if my gouty big toe can stand a short ride. It did.

To have a coffee with Ms AU. I did

And to start using the new to me camera. An Olympus OM D.

I did and here's my first shot, this is the mighty river Tone.

About 3 miles, and I'm happy.

 

[a.twiddler]

16/9/24
Tiny Ride Today
Test ride on the Grasshopper.
Darnhall bridge and back.
First ride since I bought it. I’ve spent the last week setting it up.

It's a very green machine.

I set off downhill getting the hang of the steering and the gearing but within a hundred yards I felt fairly at home. I turned right into Hall Lane which was still traffic free due to Darnhall bridge being closed, a good place to get to grips with a strange bike. Just before the dip for the bridge I did a u turn without stopping and headed back towards home. I did a few weaves and tried the brakes to get the feel of it but generally it was all good. No strange noises or awkwardness. I turned into an estate road and did some more 360 degree turns and u turns to see what the steering limits were. Soon I was on the road home, crossing to a lowered pavement to arrive at my back gate.

A few tweaks in mind, the boom needs a little extending, the seat back to go up a little. I'd hung the Garmin over the neckrest as I've got to set up some brackets for it at the front.

Distance 1.89 miles. Max speed 13.2 mph. Average 6.6 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 22ft. According to Bikehike.