31/3/21
I haven’t been for a decent ride on the recumbent since the fateful events of the derailleur self disassembling chain shortening get-me-home bodge of 27/2/21. I’ve tidied things up a bit since, shortened the chain to the appropriate length for the double chainring and 7 speed cassette, replaced the necessary bits of the rear derailleur (pleased to be able to keep it as original as possible). New chainring bolts to replace the temporary ones I put in. I’ve had a few short test runs to make sure it all works. Since then I’ve also replaced the front 500B drum brake wheel with a 406 and temporarily fitted a 50-406 Big Apple which I had in the garage. It’s slightly wider than the rear tyre but a test run has shown that it feels OK. Anyway, today’s the day when everything either goes spectacularly wrong, or works boringly well.
A gloriously sunny afternoon, calling for sunblock and a sun hat, white shirt and track mitts. Shades and a clip on mirror complete the picture. A check over and the bike is ready to roll.
I push off from the kerb outside the back gate in the direction of Wettenhall. Despite the size of the front tyre it rolls well at 35psi though there is some tyre noise at speed which I think at first comes from some invisible vehicle which is lurking out of sight of my mirror. It steers and corners well though I haven’t tried it at extreme angles.
As I climb out of the long dip at Wettenhall bridge a mountain biker slowly passes me and says “that looks comfortable” and I reply “It is”. Sometimes conversations tend to be a a bit stereotypical when you ride one of these things. A bit annoyed at being passed so soon but even after the road flattens out I can’t reel him in. Just gotta ride more I suppose.
I turn off towards Oulton Park where some raspy competition is going on inside the red brick walls. Although feeling a bit unfit I seem to keep speed up and don’t need the low gears to keep going.
Nobody else overtakes me though plenty of cyclists come the other way.
Across a blind crossroads without incident, onto Oulton Mill Lane to Cotebrook then a long wait due to the traffic on the busy A49. I cross over on the small chainring, up the stiff climb past the church then right at the next crossroads, then up into the high gears down the long slope into a dip to get momentum up to attack the uphill after it. Plenty of traffic, but they are all patient and don’t squeeze past. Back on to the middle hub gear, then to the small chainring, then keep going on the middling derailler cogs and slowly change up as I reach the next summit. Once over the top, big chainring, high gear on the hub, top gear on the cassette. Somehow this series of dips and summits is becoming less daunting. Only needing the lower gears for the last few yards, and this is more due to momentum than my legs somehow suddenly becoming mighty powerful. Clunking up through the gears after the last summit, speed creeping up then slowing for the A54 at the crossroads by the Fishpool Inn.
Across with no terrors then the next stretch to the A556 crossroads where the traffic is intense. I follow the pavement to the right then cross at a crossing, back along the pavement following a cycleway on the other side, then as the traffic suddenly dies down, across and right along Station Road to Delamere. There is a slight rise past a shop on the left where tempting memories of ice cream stops during last year’s heat wave saw away at the shins of my will power. Begone temptation! We’ll never get anywhere if we keep stopping to stuff our faces. Anyway, it's not that hot.
I press on over the summit, looking forward to charging ahead but somehow the anticipated speed doesn’t appear despite my best efforts. At last, near the bottom of the gentle slope speed builds and I storm ahead, over the hump of the railway bridge at Delamere Station, up a slight slope and then downhill again towards Hatchmere where a line of parked cars on the left limits progress to a series of fits and starts as random cars come the other way. A pain, as there is a hill to stop and start on but I must be becoming a “proper” recumbentist as it it is just an annoyance now rather than a cause for bloodcurdling terror as it was when I started out. Also, I find that if I just keep rolling, oncoming motorists sometimes flash to let me pass.
Anyway, up and over, speed increasing again as the hill flattens out and becomes a downhill across the crossroads, pushing on in the highest gears to gain some momentum for the hill up towards Kingsley. The road flattens, then becomes a gentle uphill, then the short sharp climb is visible towards the top. Feeling pretty good up to now, having to grind up the last bit in low gear is a painful reminder that my recumbent legs are still not there yet.
The relief of reaching the summit and gaining speed again is offset by the awareness that I am going to have to cut short my ride rather than enjoy the lazy freewheel through Kingsley to the road to Acton Bridge, as time is slipping away.
Instead, I am going to turn right onto Norley Road and ride the route that I followed last time with just three gears, with a full set. At the junction with Norley Road I stop at a layby to take a breather.
A woman in a smart blue tracksuit carrying a cardboard tray crosses the road and offers me a peanut butter cake “as you’ve just come up that hill”! I wonder how decrepit I actually look but never one to disappoint a lady, or turn down a freebie, I thank her and take one. Would such random events occur if I wasn’t riding a recumbent? It’s a mystery.
I take a bit of a detour but come out on the same road and it is just as undulating as last time. The undulations are enjoyable, a couple of steep uphills but also a couple of really good downhills. I manage to pedal down these, getting a bit close to the centre line on the curved second one, annoying an oncoming white van man at one stage, I think. My turn off is part way up the other side so I turn off, and never see him again.
Along waste Lane, onto the Whitegate Way. With the fatter tyre on the front the bike certainly feels more stable on the various surfaces, be they slightly soft mud full of bike tracks or gravelly stuff. An unexpected bonus is that the speed is better too.
It definitely feels that for the same effort, off road the speedo reads faster, and I don’t realise this until I take my attention from looking where I’m going to looking at it. I have measured the wheel diameters since as I thought that the difference between a 440 and a 406 might be causing the 406 to turn faster and so register a faster speed but they are both 20” pretty much exactly across the tyre treads.
Beyond the old Whitegate station three horse riders turn on to the rail path from the left. They pull in to the left when they spot me and I ride slowly past, talking as I go. "Just a bloke on a bike, no cause for alarm". The horses are very settled, not a flicking ear or rolling eyeball between them. I have met them before, which helps.
I carry on to Grange Lane where I turn right for the town centre, then right again for the sports fields. I pass a group of young kids with hockey gear and am surprised again by their group reaction. Sometimes I wish I could press a button and become invisible. “Sick bike” etc. I wonder if I am going to start a riot, as they are very excited. I say “thank you” and wave graciously. I carry on. Stop and paddle through the “A” frame barrier then launch uphill to a small estate, then to Delamere St. and home via Swanlow Lane. After crossing the A54 roundabout I come across a road closed sign. The Big Apple takes more kindly to being wheeled up the kerb and over a stretch of grass than its skinny predecessor. Then onto the road for a car free run for most of the way home.
No photos today but I include one from a day or so ago which shows the current state of the bike.
Also shows the home made front frame mounted rack.
Distance today 23.25 miles, average speed 11.9mph, Max speed 32mph
Total Ascent: | 638 | ft | |
| Total Descent: | 634 | ft | |
| Start Elevation: | 189 | ft | |
| End Elevation: | 193 | ft | |
| Min Elevation: | 120 | ft | |
| Max Elevation: | 332 | ft | |
Keep em coming 
