Tiny rides of 2023

[a.twiddler]

18/9/24
Tiny Ride Today
Shopping trip on the Spirit

Last week I was admitted to hospital overnight for an issue arising from Covid which I had during August. Despite thinking I was OK after testing negative, and doing a few rides including an 80 miler since, one morning last week I woke up with pain on breathing and ended up in hospital. Fortunately it was a post viral thing, and turned out not to be terminal. After some high tech input and admission to a ward for observation I was discharged the next day. The problem would resolve itself, need to take painkillers in the meantime. Nobody said, “Don’t ride a bike” (But I didn’t ask!) So, apart from my brief test ride on the Grasshopper a couple of days ago, today’s was the first utility ride since I was released into the wild. I just wanted a trial run to see how I felt afterwards.

This yellow recumbent is so easy to get on and off and ride round town so it was a good choice to ease myself back on to a bike. Out through the back gate, no adjustments needed, heading for the uphill traffic lights on Swanlow Lane. I was tempted to turn right and take the short route but it was a nice day so I went straight on. Up a rise, chest was a bit tight so I took it easy then gained a bit of speed as the gradient eased towards the mini summit. Up through the gears as the speed increased downhill then eased off as I came up to the cars waiting at the A54 roundabout. They magically moved out of the way to join the traffic on the roundabout then a green light urged them on their way so I was able to sweep round without braking to the downhill exit for the dual carriageway.

The wind was in my face here so no spectacular speeds were attained but I was able to keep going straight on through the next lights as they went green and then turn right at the next set. Right at a mini roundabout, right at the next one into my usual supermarket car park, then to a convenient barrier to lock up.

I wasn’t in long before I was outside loading the seat back bag again. A woman was standing in my exit talking on the phone, but when she saw me, she said, “Oh, am I in your way? Let me just move over, chuck.” I can’t remember when, if ever, anyone’s called me chuck, and it was strangely endearing. I said, “Thanks”, and went on my way across the car park.

Left at the exit roundabout, right at the next into Dingle Lane, over the traffic humps to take a shortcut at the end over the pavement to Queensway. Through some estate roads and out on to Gladstone St to turn right uphill. The suspension took the sting out of the spiteful speed humps up the hill, though I was taking it really easy anyway. On to Townfields Rd. The lights were red so I pulled in at a side turning as there was a convex mirror here and I thought I might get an arty photo while I got my breath back.

However, wherever I parked the bike it just showed as a speck in the mirror. As I was turning round to get ready to get back on the road when the traffic got moving, a young woman in shorts smiled broadly at me as she went past. Distracted, I noticed a car waiting to turn in so I moved out of the way. So, alas, no picture today.

The lights changed and I went straight across the crossroads, level for a bit then downhill towards a T junction, Left, then more downhill before it levelled out. The last of the downhills before I wended my way to my back gate, turned in, parked up and unloaded.

How did I feel? Not too bad, but a bit more taking it easy called for, I think, before I do any longer rides. Still, not every day that I get called “chuck” or get smiled at by random personable young ladies, so there’s a small morale boost.

Distance 3.63 miles. Max Speed 21.2 mph. Average 7.2 mph. According to Garmin
Ascent 122 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[annedonnelly]

I wasn’t in long before I was outside loading the seat back bag again. A woman was standing in my exit talking on the phone, but when she saw me, she said, “Oh, am I in your way? Let me just move over, chuck.” I can’t remember when, if ever, anyone’s called me chuck, and it was strangely endearing. I said, “Thanks”, and went on my way across the car park.

Around here "hinny" used to be a common way of referring to someone. I don't often hear it now but it always makes me smile when I do. Usually from an older Geordie/Northumbrian.

 

[Conrad_K]

Yesterday I made a 12-mile loop on the Re-Bike. Out to one side of town to pick up a prescription for the Mrs., then by the bank to get some money, and thence to the grocery store. The little $15 eBay made-in-China saddlebags hold a lot of stuff. Then back home. Nice day, no murderous drivers, rabid dogs, or incoherent street people. One lady stood up from her chair on her porch and waved at me as I rode past. The recumbent attracts a lot of attention.

As I turned onto the front walk in front of the house, the odometer clicked to 100.2 miles since I first rode it back in March. Not a lot by you guys' standards, but I was surprised I'd put that many miles on it.

 

[a.twiddler]

20/9/24
Tiny Ride Today
Misty Midnight Ride on the Spirit Recumbent

Mrs T had asked me earlier on to take a trip to Darnhall Bridge later as it was due to be open tomorrow after a month of road works. She was hoping to go that way early in the morning as there were more road works on her regular route to Stoke, so she hoped that all the barriers might be gone tonight. I left it a bit late, and had had a drop of cider so I decided to cycle on the Spirit recumbent, to take advantage of its excellent hub dynamo lights. I put the red flasher on attached to my seat bag as belt and braces but as it turned out there was nobody about to see it. It was a mild misty night with no traffic about. Left out of the back gate enjoying the downhill with the streetlights glowing behind banks of mist, then right into the darkness of Hall Lane. The road closed signs were still up here but I pressed to see the situation on the bridge itself. There were pools of mist lit up by lights across the fields, with clear patches and wisps glowing mysteriously ahead in the bright light from my headlamp.

It was actually quite pleasant without the glare from oncoming headlights and in other circumstances an organised night ride could have been quite enjoyable.

Eventually I reached the dip before the bridge but actually had to go downhill a bit before the barriers and signs reflected my lights back. Fair enough then. I’d hoped to take a photo but it was very dark here, and though the dynamo headlight was literally brilliant, as soon as I stopped the standlight was not bright enough to allow the phone on my camera to focus. Probably my actual camera would have managed it, if I’d brought it. I wanted to capture the moody ambient light without using flash. I turned round and rode slowly back up the hill, trying not to overdo it. I reached the top and made the most of the slight downhill to trundle in a leisurely manner towards the distant street lights.

Once I reached the street lights I had another go.
I had a series of what appeared to be black images. After digitally massaging the least worst one I managed to get this.

It was not far from here to home. Not a single car or person was encountered tonight (or was it this morning?). Across the road, up a lowered kerb, then along the pavement to my back gate.

Distance 2.00 miles. Max Speed 18.9mph. Average speed 6.6 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 72 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[Conrad_K]

Hey, at least you got a useful image! A few weeks ago I managed to get 45 minutes of video from the cellphone camera in its holder on the front of the trike. It stopped recording at 45 minutes for some reason. Alas, I had turned the phone the wrong way when putting it in the holder, so it was 45 minutes of my face frowning, looking vaguely decerebrated, or breathing heavily and bug-eyed with effort cranking uphill.

 

[Conrad_K]

Last ride.

I put air in the tires yesterday morning, intending to go for a ride, but I didn't get around to it.

I took the trike out to the Big Dam Bridge this morning. There's a pavilion and a paved walk on the way to the Bridge; Google said it wasn't just to the pavilion, but was a trailhead for the "Isabella Jo Trail." There's supposed to be a jumble of trails in that area, crosscrossing each other - Pfiefer Loop, North Shore Trail, and White Oak Trail. First I'd even heard of them, with all the research I've been doing, and I'd apparently driven right past them several times.

I unloaded the trike in the tiny parking lot, and... the rear tire was completely flat. Fortunately I had found my little DC air compressor this morning, and so I plugged it in and put 52 pounds of air in the back tire. I have a little hand pump on the frame, but while it's undoubtedly good exercise, it does little to address that "inflation" thing. So I was a bit paranoid, but one thing about the trike is it's fairly easy to grab it by the rack and tow it one-handed, so I figured I'd try not to ride any further than I could walk back with it.

Nice woods trail, maybe ten feet wide, better maintained than the Riverfront Trail. I turned left on North Shore Trail and eventually wound up at a large glass building in an industrial park; the trail went right through the property, right in front of the side doors, between the building and their parking lot. I made a left onto the sidewalk on the divided highway and rode for about half a mile before turning around and going back the way I came.

I passed the turn onto the Isabello Jo leg and continued north, a smooth and winding path, eight to ten feet wide, woods on one side and some kind of sportsball fields on the other. It eventually connected to the Riverfront Trail.

Okay, I'd seen that fork off Riverfront before, and there's a sign, but all the nearest sign says is "private property - stay on trail." Like the glass building, someone granted the city an easement to run the trail across their property. The fork went into that, with nothing mentioning "North Shore Trail."

Well, I know where it goes, now.

There were some other trails forking off Isabella Jo and North Shore, some paved, some not. I chose not to explore them today. I rode west on the Riverfront trail, past the Big Dam Bridge, and up toward the freeway where I'd parked the truck at the Isabella Jo trailhead. I stopped behind the truck, dismounted (still a bit of effort for me), and checked the tire pressure. Still 52psi. I have no idea why it went completely flat overnight. I'm beginning to hate bicycle tires.

Re-mounting, I continued uphill toward the freeway. Entering the "Cooks Landing Park", there's a large parking lot on the right, always with a dozen or so vehicles, boat trailers, or camping trailers. There were suggestions online that there were walking trails off that, and perhaps some cycle/dual use trails. The only thing I saw exiting the parking lot was what looked like a paved road going over a hump. I rode over it, then slammed on the brakes. It was a boat launching ramp, maybe 20 feet long, going down into the water at what looked like a 45 degree angle. I put my feet down and carefully backed up.

I had been taking occasional pictures with my old digital camera. As I was riding around the perimeter of the parking lot double-checking for trails, I saw a "BEWARE OF ALLIGATORS" sign. I stopped to take a picture of that, but my camera chose to show an error message "can't use this memory card." Hopefully I can recover something from it later.

I was still feeling pretty chipper, though a bit sunburned. I decided to go back down to the bridge, over, then take the west fork under I-30, past the Two Rivers Bridge. Which is pretty nice, if overshadowed by Big Dam. Another random web page said if I kept going I'd hit a little park area that looked like it was a half mile long and thirty feet wide, with a trail folded up inside it, and a spur off to a lake near one of the major business districts. Coming west of Big Dam you hit an old asphalt two-land highway, complete with cycle lane markings, but it's blocked off and pedestrian/cycle only now. About half a mile down there are some bollards and parking for a trailhead; same road, but some cars on it. No shoulders, no bike lanes, but other than a handful of houses, there's nothing on the road except the trailhead, so I figured it was reasonably safe.

Unfortunately, you don't go far before the road turns very steep. I'd driven it before, and it's several sections of up-and-down. Down in granny-low I was still unable to make it more than a few lengths at a time before stopping to rest. I decided I'd had enough of that, turned around, and retraced the route back to the truck.

I saw another trike (Azub?) on Isabella Jo; he blew past me like I was standing still. Going up the on-ramp to Big Dam I noticed a rather large (250lb?) woman in the mirror, on foot, closing in rapidly. I think I strained something, but I managed to stay ahead of her until the bridge leveled out, when I was able to pull away. And I saw my second LWB recumbent, a Bacchetta, on the road to Two Rivers. He zipped past me without looking like he was expending any effort.

Well, they're not going to have Conrad to kick around any more. I'm going to the Dark Side, at least on the trike. The Bafang 750w mid drive kit showed up a couple of days ago, and the 48v, 20ah battery pack was sitting on the porch when I got home. I'm going to take my time and do a neat job of installing it, so I'll be riding the Re-Bike until it's done.

 

[Windle]

Hey, at least you got a useful image! A few weeks ago I managed to get 45 minutes of video from the cellphone camera in its holder on the front of the trike. It stopped recording at 45 minutes for some reason. Alas, I had turned the phone the wrong way when putting it in the holder, so it was 45 minutes of my face frowning, looking vaguely decerebrated, or breathing heavily and bug-eyed with effort cranking uphill.

But that's all you need to do for a YouTube cycling vlog.

 

[Windle]

Referencing the lack of motivation thread I couldn't really be bothered with a ride this evening, I'm enjoying putting my Giant XtC4 back together, although the front mech is exasperating me, refusing to go into the big ring, but I'll get it sorted. To the rescue Northern Powergrid, or rather Northern No-Powergrid, as our electric went off about half five. The garage is a bit dark without lights so I thought, bugger it, I'll have to go out now. It wasn't the best of evenings with occasional drizzle and mist, but it was warm enough, about 14 degrees C, so I did a run of my usual-ish route down Scotland Lane and round part of Cockfield Fell before coming back along the old railway path, the Trek Checkpoint being the steed of choice. It was a bit breezy but it was a fresh, rather than cold breeze. Junction between farm track and railway path, looking a bit hazy in the distance.

The gate back out onto the road where I turn right and go up into Cockfield before dropping back down the fell to the railway path. Sheep turds right where you need to stand to open the gate, I'm sure they do it on purpose and were probably sat sniggering in the bushes nearby.

Going down into Cockfield just after the cattle grid the Number 6 to Barnard Castle, a double decker no less, was heading up and about to pass the usual line of obstructively parked cars. Rather than make him stop I turned off down a track past the ramshackle wooden garages and out onto the fell via a different stile to my usual, which is accessed via a little terraced street further down. Gloom in the distance again.

A decent little run out with 6.5 miles covered and 314 feet of climbing. The power was back on when I got in at ten to seven.

 

[Conrad_K]

[looks up 'fell']
"Today, generally, "fell" refers to the mountains and hills of the Lake District and the Pennine Dales. Names that originally referred to grazing areas have been applied to these hilltops."

It also linked to "heath" and "moor." I thought a moor was 'wetland', but apparently not. Fell, heath, and moor have fallen out of the American dialect of English. The are just the more-general terms "desert" or "scrub." Well, due to the POWER OF THE INTARWEBZ, now I know...

Fred Hoyle's "A for Andromeda" had a giant radio telescope at 'Bouldershaw Fell'; basically a fictionalized version of Jodrell Bank. They downloaded plans for a computer, its software, and its dataset from an alien broadcast, then followed the plan to build it. Which turned out to be a bad idea...

 

[Windle]

Well, Cockfield Fell is sort of on the eastern edge of the Pennines so I suppose it's name is apt, and it's certainly a grazing area and has been for hundreds of years. But now you mention it, I can't think of any other fells much further over to the east from us. Stainmore summit, the high point of the A66 road crossing the Pennines is about 20 miles west of us.

 

[All uphill]

I went out today to try some minor changes made to the Spa. Just out round the houses.

On the way I passed an older couple on ebikes, who shouted something at me. Thinking my back wheel might have fallen off without me noticing I slowed down to hear what they were saying.

Him:"You shouldn't be going so fast! Bloody illegal ebike!"

Me: " No e about this bike, just pedal power"

Him: " Well you still shouldn't be going so fast!"

Bless.

About 3 miles, maximum speed, 19mph

 

[Sixmile]

After cycling commuting into work yesterday I got showered and changed to do a work visit out to a school. I cycled about 4 miles to the school and parked my bike at the overflowing school bike shelter which easily had 30 kids bikes and a few adults bikes too - there is maybe hope after all

 

[All uphill]

Another tiny ride today on the 1986 Halfords folder with our son on his newer Raleigh folder.

We went into town to buy sandwiches and coffee, which we guzzled in Castle Gardens.

After struggling to adjust the gears on my Marin I was thinking how much I prefer three gears that work perfectly, to 27 gears that jump around.

 

[a.twiddler]

Tiny Ride Today
(illicit ride No 1)
27/9/24
Since I’m now banned from cycling or other strenuous activities apart from gentle walks for a few weeks, I’ve interpreted that as doing the cycling equivalent of a gentle walk on wheels. Minimum effort, plenty of freewheeling. I needed to test ride the Grasshopper after doing various adjustments. Fortunately I’d pumped up the tyres to 95 psi soon after I had it, and they were still at a good pressure. I wouldn’t like to think I was overdoing things by getting out of breath pumping up my tyres. Fortunately I have a track pump if it comes to the crunch.

I went out through the back gate, leaned the bike against the fence and shut the gate. I got on and waited while a middle aged woman came by with a small dog. It became absolutely terrified when it saw the bike, whimpering, crawling on its belly, rolling its eyes and straining at the lead to get away. I spoke to it, saying, “it’s just a man on a bike, you know”, but it made no difference. The woman got annoyed with the dog, saying, “He’s just being silly”. I’ve seen dogs that were afraid of bikes before but this was pretty extreme.

They went by and I dropped down on to the road. A couple of turns of the pedals and I was freewheeling steadily downhill. Well, this was very nice. I could feel that the bars moved a bit if I pressed down on alternate ends but in the normal horizontal steering direction they were fine. It mentions in the online manual that this is a “feature” to prevent damage to the bars and controls if the bike goes over. I did think that it might be a bit tighter.

I turned left into an estate road and followed it to a pedestrian barrier. I had to manhandle the bike and found that a bit more friction on the bar clamp was needed. Eventually I turned the quick release through 180 degrees as the tip was just touching the mounting block preventing it from closing fully. I set off slightly uphill and the bike felt rock solid.

The only part of the bike visible from the seat is the end of the boom with its cranks, pedals, and chainwheel. I wondered about using the existing front Jubilee clip to hold a mount for the Garmin which was temporarily hanging by its lanyard behind the headrest, bumping occasionally. I passed between garden fences until I reached a road.

I carefully bumped down, then up the opposite kerb on to another path between back gardens.

It was mid morning with nobody about, and even at the low speeds at which I was travelling the bike was quite steady on a variety of surfaces. I was able to take several pictures while on the move. This path continued with several potential turn offs but I continued straight on.

Eventually I reached another road which I crossed to another path opposite. Many years ago I wondered why there were no lowered kerbs here, and I’m still wondering.

Continuing between gardens with tall fences, eventually the view opened out on the right with a field and small valley, with the backs of the houses on the nearby road visible. I stopped and leaned the bike on a fence for a photo opportunity.

Then I got on and rode to the road where the path came out.

Despite the variable surface, it had posed no problems for the Schwalbe Kojak tyres.

Once at the road, I turned left and freewheeled the few hundred yards to my back gate.
I felt ridiculously happy despite the miniscule mileage.

Distance 1.39 miles. Max speed 13.3 mph. Average 3.9 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 40 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[Conrad_K]

A shorter ride today, but a long report.

The trike is on the workstand until some specialty tools come in, so I prepped the truck and the CLWB Re-Bike recumbent yesterday. I've been rolling out at 0500 or 0600, but it doesn't get daylight until after 0700 now, and anything after 0600 is a waste of time since all of the ART trailheads are on the other side of the worst rush hour traffic in the state.

I thought about trying the Levy Spur Trail I found the other day, but I decided to head on to the Isabella Jo trail I rode a couple of weeks ago.

I rolled out about 0930, made it a few miles south, and then traffic started backing up. Uh-oh. I took the first available exit, which dumped me into an area I'd never been in before. Extremely hilly, small but well-kept houses probably dating back to the early 20th century. I remembered you could make a couple of jogs and hit a major four-lane street to the west. The city apparently took down the route signs, made most of the intersections four-way stops, and tried to discourage traffic from going through there. But I found the four-lane anyway and headed back south, where it would eventually have an on-ramp to I-40.

Along the way I came up on a landmark an acquaintance had told me about; he'd lived in the area years ago, and he said there were a bunch of paved and unpaved trails there. So I turned into the housing project and started doing a zig-zag, turning every block. I figured that would give be the best chance of finding anything.

Nada. Bupkis. I made the last turn... and I was at the Levy Spur trailhead, right where I parked when I walked a bit of it last week.

Kind of a "Twilight Zone" moment there. But I was set on riding the Isabella Jo. The Levy Spur trailhead is in the shadow of a bridge carrying I-40 overhead. You go under the bridge, turn left, and up the ramp to the eastbound lane. The sign for the westbound lane told me to cross the street and head parallel to the freeway. Yeah. I vaguely remembered that. Last time I was down that way was at least fifteen years ago, and there has been a fair amount of road work since then. I didn't remember an on-ramp... because there wasn't one. Or at least there isn't now. But about five miles along is the old Yamaha shop, and there's a ramp across the street from it.

So along I go, turn at the Yamaha shop (which is now a Honda shop), and I see the ramp... but also signs saying I was now in Burns Park. And one of the signs said "Bike Trails."

Hokay. I've got to check this out. I drove through the park, came up the leg of a T intersection, and... yes, that's a "portage" stretch on the River Trail. I've ridden that a dozen times now. And while the trail disappears into the woods a dozen car-lengths from the intersection, the road and trail intersect at a nice trailhead with vehicle parking, a boat ramp, bathrooms, and a water fountain. And it's not very far from the Big Dam Bridge and the Isabella Jo Trail.

I parked, unloaded the bike, and rode up to the street. And across the street, where I'd never looked (since I was usually looking at the trailhead instead of the woods) there's an elderly-looking paved trail heading off into the woods. It was covered with leaves, small broken twigs, and had grass growing over the edges. It didn't look like anyone had ridden or walked it in a long time.

Oh, yeah. Probably one of those "trails" that's only fifty feet long, but no reason not to explore it. I crossed the road and went that way. The trail was quite twisty, deliberately so, and I liked it. It kept on going, and then there were some sportsball fields on the left. Then some sportsball fields on the right. And then a buttload of sportsball fields, with the trail forking and winding around and between them. A sign told me I was in the Burns Park Soccer Complex, and I was on the Yellow Trail. Hey, I'd read about that! And found bupkis on the internet as to where it was. And as I rode, I found signs naming other trails I'd read about. They were all part of the sportsball complex. I explored some of them, decided to leave the rest for another visit, and followed the forks south, where I eventually hit the River Trail again. I turned right and headed toward the Big Dam Bridge.

After a few minutes I saw the fork for the (unmarked) North Shore Trail, which intersects the Isabella Jo trail. I turned that way and was within sight of the big chrome surgical center when I turned left onto the connector to Isabella Jo, then back south and eventually back to the River Trail, and then back to the trailhead where the truck was.

Time: 1h15m. I forgot to record the mileage, but the little speedometer was usually reading between 7 and 11 mph. Maybe 8 miles? I was just pootling along enjoying the scenery. I wasn't all that tired, but I was starting to get that prickly "sunburn" feeling again, so I decided to play it safe.

So, there are a whole *bunch* of nice trails right there across the parking lot from or near the Big Dam Bridge, but they're unmarked and have almost no existence on the Web, either.

Very little traffic today. I saw three uprights, several middle-aged couples walking (mostly in the North Shore and BDB area), no recumbents or trikes, no joggers, no ducks (usually they're everywhere) and about a bazillion squirrels. Maybe the squirrels and ducks had a war, and the ducks lost. I'm not much for that "nature" stuff.