Today’s ride, 2/2/21
Yesterday was the day when I should have gone out, but I had things to sort out. The sun shone, the air was mild, but that was yesterday.
Today was a bit drizzly earlier on, dried out about lunch time though remained overcast. Should I stay or should I go? I’d considered a route of about 30 miles over the last couple of days, but time was tight. I decided to give it a go, there was always plan “B” if the weather turned or time just fled.
All thermalled up as before, no hiking socks this time, no neck tube, remembering last week’s sweatfest despite the low temperatures.
Out through the garage door, on to the drive, as last time. No messing about.
Out of the close, turn left on to minor roads, then left at T junction on to Swanlow Lane, across the uphill traffic lights and follow Swanlow Lane on to the roundabout on the A54. Straight on along Delamere St, Chester Rd, then TR to the Whitegate road, Dalefords Lane through the crossroads in Whitegate village to the traffic lights at Sandiway. Straight on, (there are road works here today with traffic diversion signs but no one pays me any attention as I roll through the cones), oblique right at the T Junction with Weaverham Road, down the hill to the next cross roads, Straight on past the Primary School on the left, carefully down the rather winding road to the hump of the bridge over the railway then let off the brakes to roll down the long straight to the cross roads at Mill Lane at the bottom. As I thought, time is galloping by so instead of going straight on I turn right along Mill Lane towards Hartfordbeach and implement plan “B”.
This is a nice undulating lane where the recumbent shines. Build up speed towards the bottom of the dips. Keep rolling in the same gear and ease off towards the top. Roll gently over the summit, gently increase speed again, repeat. There is something very relaxing and long leggedy about this, not to do with speed or strength, but with lazily maintaining momentum. As I am not long leggedy, and fairly lazy, that’s a treat for me. A long level straight stretch follows, with traffic lights for a bridge over a railway junction in the distance. The bridge used to be two lane but at some time it was decided that traffic lights would be a more economic solution rather than rebuilding or reinforcing it. As it is, you have time when approaching it on a bike to watch the lights change repeatedly, and wonder if there will be an obliging motorist around to trigger the green in your favour when you get there. At that time of day there is not much traffic about.
As it happens, the lights go green just as I get to the bridge. There’s a steep climb to the top then a second bridge before dropping down on the other side. Next a residential road ending in a roundabout on the Hartford road where I go right. Some traffic about but easy enough to take the right lane at the next traffic lights to go right over another railway bridge then straight on past the Grange school and across the next lights. Straight down towards the traffic lights at the A556 junction but am brought to a halt by a car stopping unexpectedly at a crossing. Fumbling to get into a low enough gear to launch again, sometimes with all the anticipation in the world you end up stopped in the wrong gear. Fortunately with the can of cogs in the back hub it doesn’t take long to get going again.
Across the A566 to the cycle path, across the Weaver bridge and up the steep hill on the other side of the river. Right into Davenham, manouevreing past oncoming buses and cars until I reach London Road and turn right. Wriggling round the speed humps then turning right into Jack Lane towards Moulton I avoid more speed humps. Passing a woman with a small boy on the pavement I hear her say’ “Oooh! look at that cool bike!” and the boy says “Bike! bike!”. Another potential recumbentist in years to come, perhaps.
Continuing along Jack Lane I come to the T junction with the A533 where I turn right on to this fairly busy road. There is a painted cycle lane each side of this two lane road but in the direction I am travelling it is muddy with some puddles. There is a grating every few metres in the middle of the cycle lane but many are hidden under puddles and I begin to wonder if I am going to come across a missing one under water. The 20” front wheel would stop pretty quickly in one of those. As it is now, there is a bump every time I pass a grating. Not the best design. There are roadworks where this stretch of road meets a roundabout and the cycle lane is closed off in my direction by barriers which push you out towards the overtaking traffic. Traffic behind me waits while I make a spurt from the cycle lane end to the roundabout and head off the next spasm of traffic going round it.
I go straight across on to a road through an industrial estate. There are road works all along this stretch and the presence of a cycle lane each side adds to the temporary narrowness of it. I stop to turn on my rear flashing light. I can’t say it makes me feel less vulnerable; maybe it will give drivers something to aim at on this dull day. Then it starts to rain. How nice.
I press on to the junction at the end of the road where there are traffic lights stubbornly at red. A large box van comes alongside me as I am rolling about 25 metres from the lights. It stops, waiting to turn into an entrance opposite. The lights turn green and I speed up again. The box van stays stationary long enough to hold up traffic behind me so I can get across the junction unmolested on to Clive Lane and then turn right into the next turning.
This is Rilshaw Lane, up which until last week I had not travelled for over a year, and down which I am now going to return in the rain. At this end it has plenty of trees to help keep the rain off. The trend is downhill so I have a leisurely two mile tree lined roll. At the bottom it climbs steeply to cross the bridge over the Station Road Bypass before meeting Station Road itself. I have to wait for a flow of traffic before turning left on Station Road. Then I wait for the queue of traffic to do whatever it is going to to at the adjacent junction with the by pass. Then I dive across, follow the road right, and nip into Weaver Street.
Here the road climbs steeply and is a test of what I can I can summon up of my recumbent legs from last year. A bit of a struggle but today, I have managed to stay aboard which is a plus point from my last outing,
when I had to get off and push.
I get up the steepest part of the climb spinning and getting hot before changing up as the slope eases. The recumbent legs are still awol as per the last ride but they will return once I get the miles in. Over the kerb to Ways Green and Gladstone Street then Swanlow Lane and home. It felt a long climb from the bottom of Weaver St. today. I arrive home hot, sweaty, rain soaked but happy. My only regret -no photos today.
Distance 18.47miles Average 10.3mph Max 25.6mph
Total Ascent: |
441 |
ft | |
Total Descent:
|
447 |
ft | |
Start Elevation:
|
194 |
ft |
|
End Elevation:
|
189 |
ft |
|
Min Elevation:
|
71 |
ft |
|
Max Elevation:
|
257 |
ft | |
, well done on getting out definitely type 2 fun
. By the time I got to the roundabout on Easterly Road I was soaked to the skin. So I abandoned the plan of a trip out to Selby and decided on some local stuff so I could bale out as and when I had had enough.
