Recumbents and Hills

[a.twiddler]

I have been a bit remiss in not updating this thread. Things remain pretty much as before, that is, I am still getting up anything locally, as easily (and as slowly) as I was before lowering the gearing. What I haven't done is have a rematch with That Hill to see if there is any difference in getting up it.

Overall, having had it over a year now, I am quite pleased with the Linear. It's not particularly speedy but then neither are any of my other bikes with me on them. It's a lot more comfortable over a longer distance than any of them, though the folder is more er, foldable, and the tourer can get through spaces where the Linear can't go. Also both of them will go on a train whereas the Linear, even when folded, won't kid anyone that it's luggage and you would be at the mercy of the guard on the day whether you could complete a journey or not.

I have been quite surprised where the Linear can take me and even though it's not an off roader it copes well with most of the rail trails, unsurfaced roads and bridleways that the tourer would manage.

It has led me to buy a Dawes Low Rider to see how I would manage a SWB recumbent. It is turning into a bit of an unexpected project however so it might take a while before I have something to report on that.

 

[a.twiddler]

Just an update on an old thread started in April 2021 when I had to walk up part of Alsagers Bank in Staffordshire. This was not from lack of low gears or running out of energy but a sheer inability to steer in a straight line at low speed. I'd not had the Linear for a year at that time but already felt that it could climb anything my upright tourer could, even better than it, actually. Certainly I'd not failed to get up anything until that day when I went to Newcastle via Halmer End and Alsagers Bank. It has bugged me since, as it has no chevrons or unusually crowded contour lines on the map. In fact it's only about a hundred yard stretch of that steep residential road, in about a 45 mile round trip. Perhaps I ought to have sucked it up and accepted it. Perhaps it was time to get an electric motor. Anyhow, being the stubborn git that I am, I couldn't let it go. I rode up other hills in the meantime, and had no issues. I'm not fast. but I can get up and over them.

So it was that a couple of days ago I had the opportunity to go that way again. I rode the same route, though it was an extremely hot day, from the Newcastle Road towards Audley, Crossing over the M6, right on Carr Lane then left on to Shraleybrook Road, which is the start of a continuous climb through Halmer End and Alsagers Bank. I was expecting the worst but what happened was -nothing! I just kept rolling, with no weaving, having to stop by the War Memorial on the way up to cool off, and again near the top, then carried on over the top and down the other side.

So what was different? Four more years of riding recumbents is my guess. I have added a frame stiffener, which might have helped. I've added a lower bottom gear, but I don't think I actually used it! I haven't done many longer rides this year but that didn't stop me being able to do it. Maybe if the weather had been cooler I might have done it without stopping to cool off. It's been a bit of a non event, apart from being able to confidently say once more that the Linear will climb anything I point it at.