Tiny rides of 2023

[a.twiddler]

28/1/26
Tiny Recumbent Ride
Rans Cheese Run

A mild sunny day for a change. Out through the gate towards Swanlow Lane, straight on through the lights to the A54 roundabout, rolling through to the right without stopping and downhill to the town centre lights. Annoyingly coming to a halt at the red before pressing on again, and another delay at the right filter lane before turning right at the next roundabout and again at a supermarket entrance roundabout. Through the car park and then stopping alongside a barrier to lock up. I went in to round up some cheesy comestibles.

Pondering the frame flex of the Rans Stratus XP compared with the relative stiffness of the Linear once I’d fitted frame stiffening plates. Curious that the Rans feels noticeably speedier than the Linear did despite this. Possibly some characteristic of the stiff underseat steering linkage of the Linear and untriangulated frame, versus the long flexy chopper style bars of the Rans combined with the well triangulated rear end letting more of the pedalling effort get to the rear wheel? I certainly noticed the Garmin showing relatively easy speed for the effort I was putting in today. Perhaps I was just rolling better due to the first relatively fine day for what seems like ages.

Anyhow, once loaded and aboard once more I rolled downhill alongside the car park, right on to a pavement cycle path, right then left across a junction to get into the local surgery car park to drop off a prescription then back out again, left towards the town centre lights and left up a long hill alongside the dual carriageway to a large roundabout at the top. Left on to Swanlow Lane for half a mile or so then right into a traffic free lane.

I stopped in the sunshine to take some photos

before pressing on into a nice estate, coming out on to a road, right then left at a T junction then carrying on round a block just for the fun of it. If I hadn’t had stuff to get done this afternoon I might well have just carried on with a random ride for some more miles.

All too soon I came to my back gate and wheeled the Rans through.

I unloaded my cheesy cargo and settled down for a drink.

Distance 6.23 miles. Max speed 26.6mph. Average speed 8.8 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 224 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[a.twiddler]

10/2/26
Tiny Recumbent Ride
First Rans Shopping Trip with Front Panniers.

A quick trip to the town centre for some items. I’d done a successful test run of the Rans with the front panniers empty a couple of days ago so I thought I’d try them in earnest today.

By the volume of traffic going past my back gate it seemed that the roadworks and diversion at the Swanlow Lane lights were still ongoing so I took an alternative route left then diagonally right across a junction. I got going pretty quickly until after a good straight the road began to climb to the right then levelled after turning left. I turned right on to Townfields Drive and after puffing up a deceptively steep hump towards the lights remembered why I didn’t usually come this way. I was getting my breath back by the time the lights turned green, telling myself that it’s beneficial to get out of breath sometimes as I rolled on through. I wouldn’t have minded so much if it had looked like a hill.

Downhill from here on, left at a junction with a clear road ahead through the next mini rounbdabout and a short wait at the next traffic lights to turn right along a painted cycle lane, left alongside a car park to lock up at a barrier.

Out again with my goodies. Loaded up and away across the car park after an extravagant 180 degree turn, left at the exit roundabout then right at the next one. Down Dingle Lane with its speed humps, across the pavement to Queens Drive then left up Dene Drive for a change. Right up Townfields Road to the lights at the top. I took a photo of the forbidding traffic signs

before carrying on to a turn off on to an estate path. I took a photo of the bike here then a man with two dogs came by.

“Did you build that yourself?” he asked. “No, it’s an American bike” I replied. “Oh.” he said, as if that explained everything, and went on his way.

I got under way again down Townfields Drive, turned left at a T junction then followed the road as it snaked about and after a few turnings eventually got to my back gate.

Another successful trip. Even loaded, the steering didn’t seem much affected by the weight.

Now waiting for the weather and the opportunity for some good length rides.

Distance 3.36 miles. Max Speed 24.2 mph. Average speed 8.4 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 142 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[a.twiddler]

25/2/26
Tiny Recumbent Ride
Fine Day Shopping on Rans

A mild day today, sunny at times so I crowbarred myself off the settee to go and do some shopping on the Rans with its new -old Carradice panniers recently transplanted from the rear to the front.

Out through the back gate, wheeled across the road due to the levels of traffic which don’t seem to have died down even though the recent roadworks on Swanlow Lane have been completed for a couple of weeks now. Perhaps having found this alternative route some of the drivers have come to prefer it, to the detriment of us local residents. Anyway, once rolling it was not a problem, and I settled down to the rhythm. I was soon at the uphill lights in the cyclists’ advance stop box waiting to turn right. There was quite a flow of traffic coming the other way on green. You just have to blag it and not be intimidated, though it was more irritating than anything.

Soon I turned right and then was accelerating downhill after turning left for the town centre. A mini roundabout was disposed of without having to stop as it was clear of traffic, then the next set of lights went green and cleared of traffic too. This must have helped to push my best max speed this year so far to 26.8 mph which is not stupendous but considering the weather and few cycling opportunities will have to do. Hopefully longer trips and bigger downhills beckon.

I turned in to the local surgery to drop off a prescription. The access road is impressively pot holed and cratered. Fortunately the large wheels rolled through them OK.

Then out, across the road on to a pavement cycle path to turn right then left and alongside a supermarket car park to lock up at the usual barrier.

After the usual target driven shopping I was out again to load up and get going again. Into the car park, left at the exit roundabout, left at the next, on to the pavement alongside the dual carriageway, then on to a cycle path after passing the library. Reaching the main road, straight across then right.

Hopping up the pavement to avoid a queue of cars at the lights, then left up the long hill alongside the dual carriageway again.

Left at the top on to Swanlow Lane, not too much traffic here. After a quarter of a mile, right after a traffic island then into a short stretch of bridleway.

I stopped for a couple of photos

before pressing on to the end, through some bollards, right on to Over Hall Lane, left on to Beeston Drive. The distant view of Beeston Castle was indistinct today as I rolled downhill to a left turn. After another quarter mile I cut through some estate paths to reach a road, then out on to the lane that passes my back gate.

All this winding about and stopping didn’t do much for my average speed but is useful practice in low speed riding and manoevreing. The loaded front lowriders were noticeable, but didn’t stop me doing what I wanted to do.

Distance 3.4 miles. Max 26.8 mph. Average 7.8 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 120 ft. According to Bikehike.