24/4/25
Tiny Ride Today
A Barrier and a Harrier.
Sunny today, with a threat of cloud, a hint of rain later in the wind. I’d thought about going further, but the remaining fence panel nagged at me through the kitchen window. If it doesn’t rain, I’ll paint it later. I seem to have sacrificed a lot of sunny cycling time to those panels this month, and the only reason I’m not getting earache about painting our two sheds (one large, one small) is that Mrs T hasn’t made her mind up about the colour yet. So I was determined to get out on a bike today, even for a tiny ride.
Out through the back gate, across the road to face right in the direction of Swanlow lane. I got on, adjusted the mirrors and became aware of a mum with a couple of tiny kids watching me from the other side of the road. “Mummeee, I wanna see that bike go”, one said. Oh dear. No pressure then. I hadn’t ridden this bike (or any bike) for a couple of weeks, and it was in a highish gear.
I’d previously adjusted the bars and mirrors to be able to get through my local “A” frame barrier, and things felt different. A recipe for a pratfall, I thought. I zipped up my pockets, checked all was clear, and just got going, rather ponderously, in the highish gear. It all went smoothly, and I was soon rolling along nonchalantly.
Swooping into Swanlow Lane where I slowed uphill coming into the righthand lane to turn for the town centre. The light stayed green, a gap appeared in the oncoming traffic and I did a right turn without needing to stop. A left turn downhill a little later, and the bike just wanted to go. If not for the traffic, the downhill speed might have been higher, and I needed to stop and wait for some time at the town centre lights before crossing on to Grange Lane.
After negotiating the traffic calming humps I found myself flowing along, and earlier than expected. I was at the sports complex car park. I passed through it, got on to the path between the playing fields and was soon approaching the exit barrier. I’ve previously used this barrier to set up my other bikes, as at least locally, other similar barriers on cycle trails or towpaths are to the same dimensions.
I had problems getting the bars and mirrors through last time, so I’d taken some measurements. Gratifyingly, I was able to paddle through forwards and backwards a few times without anything touching. It’s quite steep in this direction, but it’s possible that I might be able to get through with my feet up coming the other way.
So, full of hubris I started off uphill. A false start, the front wheel veered to the right and I put my feet down. Gearing a was a little low when I stopped, I suspected, as from previous experience you just need it high enough to get a good thrust when starting to have the momentum to just swing your other foot up in time to keep on going. Too high, and you will stall. Just a matter of getting used to the gearing, I would think, as the Stratus with its big wheels hasn’t given me any of the expected low speed steering problems that I’d read about in tests and reviews.
I tried again with a bit more anticipation, and got going up the steep hill, maintaining a straight line and changing up a gear. It might be a different experience with a pile of luggage, but so far, so good.
Some genius had parked a car in the narrow entrance to the lane where it meets the estate road. You couldn’t get another car in but I got through OK on the bike. Right uphill, then across a staggered junction on Delamere Street into Littler Lane. A nice bit of downhill here then through some bollards,
along a path then more bollards and out on to another road. It used to be a through route for motor vehicles but was blocked off a few years ago when some housing developments were built.
I came to an estate road, turned right and arrived at the A54 where there were roadworks with traffic lights. I went left up a pavement to where there was a lowered kerb and crossed over, turning left on to a shared path. This went past the Police HQ and then to a roundabout into an industrial estate. I returned to the road, then turned off to where there has been a Harrier parked as a gate guardian to an MOT station for many years. I took a photo,
then went back the way I came, past the Police HQ then across the road, through the estate, through the bollards and uphill to Delamere St. where I turned right for the A54 roundabout. The traffic was clear, so I went across to Swanlow Lane. I made good progress here, and was soon at the Townfields Road traffic lights. They were red as I approached but turned green as I reached them so got some speed up for my uphill turn off.
Then a lazy freewheel through the lanes to my back gate.
As usual, I felt good after even this tiny ride. I even felt energised enough to paint another fence panel!
I must have worn black trousers on the previous occasions that I rode this bike as later on I noticed chain oil on the inside of the right lower leg of my grey trousers. It looks as if it’s happened when I’ve stopped or maybe even when riding. I’ll have to keep an eye out for contact in future. The Spirit has chain tubes between me and the chain, the Linear a very effective chainguard. It would be a shame to have to put a chain tube on this bike.
One of the nice things about riding recumbents is that you can wear ordinary clothes. Does the need for black trousers constitute “special clothing”? Hmm.
Mileage 7.37 miles. Max Speed 22.7 mph. Average 8.5 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 200 ft. According to Bikehike.
