First real ride since the race!

[buzzy bee]

Hi

A while back in September, I competed in the Great Race at Knutsford on the Penny farthing, since, I have been really busy, with work and building my workshop, (about to do more brickwork now), but I thought on what could be one of the last nice days of the year, lets go out for a ride, only went for 40 mins, and went really leisurely, did about 5 miles, and now I am ultra relaxed! Noting more relaxing than riding a penny farthing, nothing to think about other than the ocasional dogy driver.

Great ride, and a great day for it, anyone else been out today?

Cheers

Dave

 

[mangid]

Hi

A while back in September, I competed in the Great Race at Knutsford on the Penny farthing, since, I have been really busy, with work and building my workshop, (about to do more brickwork now), but I thought on what could be one of the last nice days of the year, lets go out for a ride, only went for 40 mins, and went really leisurely, did about 5 miles, and now I am ultra relaxed! Noting more relaxing than riding a penny farthing, nothing to think about other than the ocasional dogy driver.

Great ride, and a great day for it, anyone else been out today?

Cheers

Dave

Yep, great day here in Cambridge, went out for a quick spin 44miles, legs felt really smooth, even climbs went by without really having to encourage the legs, just stand and ask and they delivered. Love afternoons like that, makes all the hard work worth it ;-)

Never tried a Penny farthing though, what are they like in the wind ;-) ?

--
Dan

 

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Sounds like you had a good time too! Great stuff!

That was the only issue today the wind was a bit strong, it can be quite off putting, and damn hard work when it is blowing against your direction of travel!

Cheers

Dave

 

[palinurus]

Noting more relaxing than riding a penny farthing,

What's it like when you encounter a really steep hill? isn't going downhill somewhat interesting?

How old is your bike?

 

[buzzy bee]

What's it like when you encounter a really steep hill? isn't going downhill somewhat interesting?

How old is your bike?

Hi

Thanks for your question, steep hills are simple, if you know you can get up, go for it, if notget off and walk! hehe

Down hill, you have a couple of options:-

A. Feet of the pedals let rip and put your feet over the handles, if you take a header you will land on your feet, then roll several times, but you really need to know you have a clear road to the bottom and up the other side, as stopping is hard, I am not doing this again for a while, round corners down a bumpy narrow lane wasn't much fun!

B. Hold yourself back on the pedals, untill your back wheel comes up and you take a header, I am lucky as I have a back brake this helps a bit, press that and it pulls your back wheel into the road a little, but it soon locks up and skids, then coming round your side is a real problem, especially in the wet. Both old penny I had and the repro has/had a rear brake, the old one was quite a rare bike.

C. Try to let your legs go round fast enough!

D. Lastly get off and walk.

My current penny is a modern replica, for regular use, cruising etc, I really want an old orriginal again, my last bike which I sold, bought me my replica and my landrover. That was a C1879 Coventry machinest.

Cheers

Dave

 

[palinurus]

Thanks, interesting stuff.