An interesting ride on the motorway

[steveindenmark]

It is not every day your local highway authority lets you ride along the motorway so you have to take the chance when you can.

A new stretch of motorway is due to be opened this week near to the German/Danish border. On Saturday the local authority organised a 10km run along the motorway and 10,000 people turned up to run.

On Sunday it was the turn of the bikes but this time it was a 48km ride. Very well organised with plenty of drink and feed stops. The entry was £5 (equivalent) and all the drinks, fruit, energy bars and support vehicles, were free. Wonderful weather and extremely well organised. It was so hot the members of the public who turned up to watch were sheltering under the motorway bridges to get out of the sun.

I took my Kickbike and not surprisingly I was the only one there with one.

Steve

 

[col]

Nice one, but how do you find keeping up?

 

[steveindenmark]

I cannot keep up with the road bikes but I stayed ahead of most of everything else. Part of my intention is to slow myself down because as soon as I get on a road bike I am off and going as fast as I can. I find it difficult to stop myself.

With the Kickbike I have no choice, I have to take it easy. One of the best things is that it is so easy to stop and get off. I know a bike is as well, but this is so much easier. It can go through the woods on the tracks and can carry panniers on the front.

I am just going to change the tyres to get a bit less rolling resistance. It is not cycling and it is not running, it is a bit of an inbetween. Greay for cross training.

After a month my average speed is about 17kph. It is not fast but that is not the aim. Plus the fact I am over 50, overweight and under fit.

Steve

 

[Norm]

What a great looking machine!

 

[col]

It is, I love these, but 17mph is going some for a bike, thats some fast scooting.

 

[Norm]

It is, I love these, but 17mph is going some for a bike, thats some fast scooting.

Ahem... not wishing to take from Steve's achievement but it was kph, which is about 11mph.

 

[snorri]

It's good that the Danish authorities organise this sort of thing. One of my big regrets is missing the event for non motorised users prior to the official opening of the Oresund Link, I was in the vicinity at the time but hadn't heard of the open day.

 

[lulubel]

Someone I know who lived near Watford when the M25 was being built went for an "unofficial" ride on it before it opened. He and his mates were kids at the time, so they sneaked down there one Sunday and had a good, long ride along it.

There's a part built major road (not motorway) near here that would make a lovely circular route if I incorporated it into a ride, but I'm a bit of a wuss and scared of getting in trouble

My OH went for an unplanned ride in the motorway a while back. I did ask if she'd noticed the big "no cyclists, pedestrians, horses or tractors" signs, but she's not the most observant person in the world.