Tiny rides of 2023

[a.twiddler]

29/4/25
Tiny Ride Today
Kebab Shop Run

Thinking about a rematch with Alsagers Bank tomorrow so pumped up the tyres on the Linear and checked it over. Then fancied a kebab so since the Linear was out I decided to go on that.

Out through the back gate, across the road. It felt rather awkward to get on without the bars that I’d got used to on the Rans. Once aboard, I adjusted the mirror and settled in. The seat didn’t have the plush feeling of the Rans seat but otherwise everything fitted like a comfortable pair of old slippers. The underseat bars felt so familiar yet ...different.

Once rolling everything settled down and I headed off in the direction of Swanlow Lane and the uphill traffic lights. I noticed that the wider tyres of the Linear soaked up some of the road buzz that the narrow high pressure ones on the Rans didn’t. I got through the lights on a long green and carried on down Swanlow Lane. I hit an unexpected pothole and one of the empty front pannier bags bounced off its rail and dragged on the road alongside the wheel. I got on to the pavement away from the traffic stream and clipped it back on. I will probably remove them tomorrow if I do go.

I had a root canal done at the dentist a week ago today and I thought it had settled down but in the last couple of days it has become painful with some swelling. I saw the dentist this morning and am now on antibiotics. I will see how it feels in the morning.

I reached the A54 roundabout which was busy with traffic, waited for a gap then joined the queue at a red light. The lights changed and I carried on down Delamere St. for a mile or so. I came to the Kebab shop on the right but traffic was busy so I carried on, turned into a side road then into a car park where I turned round, came out again and carried on to the junction where I turned left on to Delamere St. again to park against the window of the kebab shop.

Once I’d got the order, I loaded up the bike and headed for home. The traffic was intense, but I claimed my space and things went OK. A bit of a wait at the A54 roundabout before getting across.

The Linear has been noticeably slower than the Spirit in accelerating which I’d put down to the Spirit's tiny wheels, but the lighter narrower wheels of the Rans also help its acceleration, too. However, today the Linear seemed to go very well, and I was soon at my back gate.

Distance 2.86 miles. Max Speed 20.6 mph. Average Speed 8.5 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 44 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[Windle]

Another piddlesome perambulation down Scotland Lane and along the railway path & return on a glorious warm (19 degrees C) sunny evening, the Giant XTC4 the steed of choice, I think it's first run out after a strip-down and overhaul at the back end of last year, complete with new stubby bar ends.
I headed across the 'field' and over the railway over-bridge on the way out for a change, swinging round across the western part of the fell and down onto the railway before resuming my usual route. The sheep are back too, they must have been away in their home fields for a while recently as the whole fell was devoid of woolly obstacles. There was a lot of fencing work going on just outside Cockfield too so maybe that was part of the reason. The fell is large and open but ultimately enclosed all round the full perimeter.
Looking back the way I came, the bumpy cross-field route, home is about a mile and a quarter away, just above the saddle, as the crow flies.

Brilliantly blooming gorse bushes, bordering lovely dry single-track.

On the way back at the end of Scotland Lane, looking towards the savagely shorn wood, they've left a big tree in the corner and a scattering of others for some reason.

5.5 miles done with 256 feet of climbing. Shorts and short sleeved top too!
I had a couple of sketchy moments on the thick grassy parts (even though they were bone dry), the tyres on this bike are ancient and although still in seemingly good nick, are probably well past their most supple and grippy phase, maybe I'll treat the bike to some new rubber soon.

 

[a.twiddler]

12/5/25
Tiny Ride Today
Round the block on the Spirit

Having just written up a summary of two years with this bike (see Recumbent section), I’d then given it a wash as I’d been so focused on all the painting of the external woodwork and on the Rans recently that I’d neglected to give it a clean after the last run I’d done on it. I felt much better once that was done. As it was still light I decided to take it round the block to give it a chance to dry out before I put it away. Out through the back gate, over the pavement and left on to the road.

All clear, launch and away. A slight downhill here, into the highest gear and gently pedalling. Compared with the other bikes, the bottom bracket feels surprisingly high, though in the grand scheme of things it’s not that high. All things are relative. Overall, it just feels a nice bike.

Pedalling gently along, I soon came to a right turn into an estate of nice houses. I trundled along to the end of a long cul de sac then retraced my route to turn left back on to the original road. Uphill, past my back gate and soon over the top of the hill to turn round again before I reached Swanlow Lane with its traffic.

Rolling gently back downhill, I came to a stop outside my back gate. No Garmin today, but I guesstimate it to be about a mile. A teeny tiny ride, but a pleasant interlude nevertheless.

 

[TrishE]

Ride around the park paths this morning. Took the big bike because it has mudguards. It feels huge compared to the Brompton and if I pulled the brakes the same I'd go over the handlebars! It wasn't raining or puddly so did the same on the Brompton and stopped at the same bench😄

 

[a.twiddler]

3/6/25
Tiny Ride today

On the Paths and St. Chads

World Bike day! Despite hoping to get out earlier for a longer one, I settled for a short one. A brief evening ride through the local paths, which I hadn’t ridden since my health related restrictions last September. It was very pleasant to be out on the Spirit which is quite a different experience from the Rans. It was a bit cool so I wore my gilet. How nice to have pockets!

Then the lanes, with an excursion down a rather gloomy tree lined avenue

to the hidden church and hamlet of St Chad’s. Those red dots are the brake lights of a car further ahead.

This is a tiny picture postcard community which consists of a few cottages, a farm, and the church, but from 1810 to 1930 it boasted its own pub, The Bell, known locally as The Blue Bell. This burnt down but was rebuilt in the same style. A bit before my time though.

I stopped to take some photos

before hurrying home to escape a sudden rain storm which cut my outing rather short.

Distance 2.09 miles. Max speed 17.4 miles. Average 6.6 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 74 ft (felt a lot more!). According to Bikehike.

 

[a.twiddler]

7/6/25
Tiny Ride Today
A visit to the Raven Inn

Trying to get a ride in between household jobs and the rain showers, finally got out on the Rans after tea. The rain had stopped and the roads were dry but dark clouds glowered overhead. I went out onto the Church Minshull road for a change. The occasional traffic seemed quite loud for some reason. A following wind propelled me to the town limits. I turned round and headed back to town, stopping at the now derelict Raven Inn to take some photos. This is what it looked like in 2000.

It has been empty for some time, having been a curry house once it stopped being a pub. Last year some time there was a fire in which it lost its roof and it now looks very sad.

I wonder how long it will be before it’s flattened and replaced by a housing development.

I got under way again and headed back to town. The head wind wasn’t too bad and I made reasonable progress. Soon I was climbing my uphill turn off then free wheeling to my back gate.

Distance 3.14 miles. Max speed 18.5 mph. Average speed 9.2 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 54 ft. According to Bikehike.

 

[Elybazza61]

These days all my rides are tiny ones; longest so far this year is a 30km ride to work
Roll on retirement.

 

[Sixmile]

2.7 miles yesterday down to church with my bass guitar set up as cargo for the first time ever after fitting the cargo rack on Saturday. Also the first run out with 4 new Decathlon flat pedals - although only 2 were used

I fully intended to stick the bike on the roof of my wifes car (she drives down 1hr & 1/2 after me) for the journey home but forgot the front rack doesn't agree with the curved roof of her car so it was another 2.7 home and thankfully the heavy rain just about held off til I got in the door.