Tiny rides of 2023

[overmind]

Summary of a recent mini bike tour.

There is a bridge on the M4, just after junction 12, heading westbound - not the pedestrian one into Theale; but the one after that.

It has helix shaped entrance and exit. I always assumed it was for local farmers to move cows over the motorway; but
I recently discovered on a local map that it has pedestrain access via a local footpath.

I decided to create a small ride out of it. I rode from my house (20 mins) to the location, crossed the bridge, and rode back.

It was fun.
(It seems to be known as the Malpas/Sulham bridge - see link below)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M4_footbridge,_Malpas_-_geograph.org.uk_-_747455.jpg
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3928384

 

[All uphill]

Summary of a recent mini bike tour.

There is a bridge on the M4, just after junction 12, heading westbound - not the pedestrian one into Theale; but the one after that.

It has helix shaped entrance and exit. I always assumed it was for local farmers to move cows over the motorway; but
I recently discovered on a local map that it has pedestrain access via a local footpath.

I decided to create a small ride out of it. I rode from my house (20 mins) to the location, crossed the bridge, and rode back.

It was fun.
(It seems to be known as the Malpas/Sulham bridge - see link below)
View attachment 675434
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M4_footbridge,_Malpas_-_geograph.org.uk_-_747455.jpg
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3928384

That has a certain look about it.

 

[Hebe]

Summary of a recent mini bike tour.

There is a bridge on the M4, just after junction 12, heading westbound - not the pedestrian one into Theale; but the one after that.

It has helix shaped entrance and exit. I always assumed it was for local farmers to move cows over the motorway; but
I recently discovered on a local map that it has pedestrain access via a local footpath.

I decided to create a small ride out of it. I rode from my house (20 mins) to the location, crossed the bridge, and rode back.

It was fun.
(It seems to be known as the Malpas/Sulham bridge - see link below)
View attachment 675434
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M4_footbridge,_Malpas_-_geograph.org.uk_-_747455.jpg
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3928384

That looks like fun! Last year I rode over a bridge over the M4 - near Leigh Delamere services. Nowhere near as twisty as yours, but I still enjoyed it.

 

[biking_fox]

eTandem rides with OtherHalf. Still working up to long rides, but sunday afternoon our to a local pub for Roast dinner or tea/cake are going well. I think the furthest we've been is 5miles out, 30mins or so. Great fun, working on the communications and expectations and getting used to the differences between that and my regular riding. Working out which cycle lanes are navigable (no disasters so far) and being given enough space by vehicles. Hopefully we'll build up some more distance so that when the weather's better we can go for more of a day.

 

[Elswick Cotterpin]

First time on the bike for a week, 3.2 miles. Nice in the sunshine but still cold. The hard packed dirt road had a kind of thin layer of liquid mud covering it, messy but good to be out even for a short ride.

 

[All uphill]

Back in November I bought a Felt F75 with a wobbly headset for a bargain price. I repaired it and ever since its been hanging in the garage awaiting spring riding.

Today the sun was shining and our immediate area was frost free so I took it for a mini ride of 1/4 mile. It put a big smile on my face!

 

[Hebe]

eTandem rides with OtherHalf. Still working up to long rides, but sunday afternoon our to a local pub for Roast dinner or tea/cake are going well. I think the furthest we've been is 5miles out, 30mins or so. Great fun, working on the communications and expectations and getting used to the differences between that and my regular riding. Working out which cycle lanes are navigable (no disasters so far) and being given enough space by vehicles. Hopefully we'll build up some more distance so that when the weather's better we can go for more of a day.

That sounds lovely. Great plan!

First time on the bike for a week, 3.2 miles. Nice in the sunshine but still cold. The hard packed dirt road had a kind of thin layer of liquid mud covering it, messy but good to be out even for a short ride.

Everything is still frozen here. But sunny frozen beats cloudy frozen and a tiny ride is so much better than no ride at all.

Back in November I bought a Felt F75 with a wobbly headset for a bargain price. I repaired it and ever since it’s been hanging in the garage awaiting spring riding.

Today the sun was shining and our immediate area was frost free so I took it for a mini ride of 1/4 mile. It put a big smile on my face!

Worth the wait then?
Looking at tomorrow’s forecast a tiny ride could be in order. I think my favoured lane is still doing double duty as a skating rink but I’ll work something out.

 

[Hebe]

Tiny ride rode! Only 1km, but that's still twice as far as the last one. Added in a playing field loop that was encouraging because bits of it were muddy and slidey rather than icey and slidey. Came home because of fingers being cold and nose needing to be blown.

 

[sevenfourate]

10 mile jaunt nowhere in particular this past Sunday afternoon. After a 9 mile walk in the Morning. Couldn’t get warm. Infact I was cold in places I didn’t know I had. In saying all that; it was good to get out. I’d much rather be cold and dry when cycling. Than rainy and wet - in any temperature……

 

[Hebe]

A smidge under 7km this morning for today’s tiny ride, nose and toes still defrosting 20 minutes on! It was nice though. Most of the ice on the lanes is gone now and pretty much all the flooding too, though the fields are still flooded in places. Temperature was hovering around 3 degrees and the wind was not helping, though thankfully the hedges shielded me from most of it. I saw a blackbird carrying something, not sure if it was food or nest related. It does feel good to be riding again. My cold is finally receding.

 

[Justinitus]

A grand tiny ride of 5 metres this morning. Parcel to post in town then onto M&S for some chocolate teacakes. Flat tyre just as I left the garage. Rear too, which isn’t the simplest quick fix on a Brompton. So chickened out and went in the car. Still 5 metres ridden though.. so must surely qualify?

 

[Tenkaykev]

A grand tiny ride of 5 metres this morning. Parcel to post in town then onto M&S for some chocolate teacakes. Flat tyre just as I left the garage. Rear too, which isn’t the simplest quick fix on a Brompton. So chickened out and went in the car. Still 5 metres ridden though.. so must surely qualify?

Do you use shopping trolley mode in M+S? I have tootled around Waitrose quite successfully, a tad awkward as I had no rack fitted, but do-able.

 

[Justinitus]

Do you use shopping trolley mode in M+S? I have tootled around Waitrose quite successfully, a tad awkward as I had no rack fitted, but do-able.

Tried it once when I first got a Brompton a few years ago, felt a bit unstable so I usually lock the bike up somewhere or pop the folded bike in a trolley. Might give it another try though.

 

[All uphill]

I'm just home from a tiny ride to Screwfix to buy PTFE tape. 29p for a roll.

1.8 miles and rewarded with a lovely smile from a staff member, which I passed on to a neighbour who is fixing his car.

 

[Hebe]

A grand tiny ride of 5 metres this morning. Parcel to post in town then onto M&S for some chocolate teacakes. Flat tyre just as I left the garage. Rear too, which isn’t the simplest quick fix on a Brompton. So chickened out and went in the car. Still 5 metres ridden though.. so must surely qualify?

Truly tiny! And yes, it qualifies, no ride too small 😀

I'm just home from a tiny ride to Screwfix to buy PTFE tape. 29p for a roll.

1.8 miles and rewarded with a lovely smile from a staff member, which I passed on to a neighbour who is fixing his car.

Lovely! No tiny ride here today but I'll squeeze another one on before February.