My ride yesterday.
21/2/21
It’s relatively mild today so time for a test ride. The Linear recumbent is a bit weird and wondeful in the gears department. I’ve spent a few days experimenting with a home made derailleur mount and a refurbished Sun Tour X-1 front changer. This would let me change gear on the go rather than having to stop and manually change – not that I have ever changed the chain over manually to date. If you are going to get off to change the chain over usually its just as easy to push unless you’re faced with an immense hill. The cogs are 28, 38 and 52. Up to now I have found the 38 chainring adequate but sometimes needing lower ratios. The 28 should give a bit of overlap plus lower ratios. Using middle gear as normal the hub gear gives -25% and + 33% so a bottom gear of 20” on the 28 and a seldom used top gear of 111 on the 38.
After some pondering I wondered if I actually need the big chainring that gives a high gear of around 150 inches. I am not exactly Reg Harris. I experimentally removed the big ring (interestingly, it has “Stronglight” engraved on it, so maybe the other rings could be resized with Stronglight/cyclotouriste rings if necessary) and found some washers to make up for the thickness of the missing ring. After some adjustment, it works fine. I now have 42 gears which ought to be enough for anyone surely? Unless they’re used to the full 63 of course. Then they might get withdrawal symptoms.
Due to the long chain I don’t think there is much of a problem with crossover. It could be shortened but I’m not doing anything drastic yet in case some unforeseen problem arises and I have to put it back to original.
Everything works fine on the bike stand. Time to hit the road! It's a grey windless day, even some glimpses of sunshine!
Out through the back gate, down the lane to Swanlow Lane and across the no-longer-so-challenging uphill traffic lights. Straight on to the A54 roundabout, across to Delamere St and Chester Rd. There is a mess of road works, cones and traffic lights along this stretch at the moment which pose some interesting stop/start challenges. After the first one I find that the time given from the green light changes quickly and is not geared to cyclists, particularly slow accelerating recumbentists, so the second one being at red sees me hopping up the pavement for a short stretch. The lights are red again at the junction for the Whitegate road so I follow the pavement further down and cross when the light changes. After a steep downhill the first real uphill stretch of today’s ride appears. I climb it in the usual gear but it feels more of a struggle than last time I came this way on 2/2/21.
I follow Dalefords Lane along what deceptively looks like it should be a long gradual downhill but disappointingly isn’t. According to BikeHike it's definitely uphill. While I am struggling along here a group of four motorcyclists vroom by and the first one looks back and gives a thumbs up. I nod back. Finally I reach a short downhill which quickly becomes a short steep climb out of a dip. Definitely feeling underpowered today. Finally cresting a rise I see the distant traffic lights on the A556 at Sandiway and try and time my arrival at green. Alas, they change just as I cross the line so I have to kick forward to get clear before the lemmings’ rush begins.
Straight on to the oblique junction with Weaverham Road, turn right downhill then follow this road across a junction, over a railway bridge and swoop down the long hill to Mill Lane. Straight on to Gorstage lane, passing my first cyclist coming the other way, a woman in yellow, before diving under a railway bridge and climbing on to Forest Road in Weaverham and doing a sharp left/right before another swooping downhill stopping on an upslope at the A49. Across the dual carriageway and right to a decent cycle lane which is separate from the road. A photo at Acton Bridge Swing Bridge over the Weaver and a crossing over the A49 to a lane to Little Leigh.
A few mudguarded cyclists pass in both directions before I manage to cross. I follow a lane for Little Leigh marked “unsuitable for HGVs”. A few pedestrians pass in the other direction but no vehicles. The lane climbs steeply up to a canal bridge and I try out my small chainring in earnest. The lane continues to climb after the bridge and I realise that I am still in the middle gear on the hub gear. I change down to the lowest gear and find I can change up a couple on the rear derailleur. This is very gratifying. I come to a side turning signposted Barnton so follow that. Another drop handlebar cyclist with mudguards passes the other way and I see that there are arrows at strategic points, so there must be an event on. I pass through Little Leigh and come out on to the A533 , left for Runcorn, right for Northwich. I turn right and am soon in Barnton. It has been spitting lightly with rain for about half an hour and it becomes heavier now. I stop at a garage for a snack and shelter and it eases off. My photographic plans come to an end as I put the camera away in the dry and forget to take it out later when the rain stops. Coming out of Barnton the road “S” bends sharply downhill. I had intended to stop and take a photo of the entrance to Barnton Tunnel but realise that it was further up hill. As there is a good downhill I carry on. I stick it in top to see what I can do but I still can’t push hard enough to make it worthwhile so I change down and freewheel.
At the traffic lights for the right turn for Northwich I have to stop behind traffic but soon get going again. I go straight through Winnington traffic lights and find myself slowing up Winnington Hill. A couple on bikes pass me dancing on the pedals, and are held up at the lights at the top of the hill but they get going and it is my turn to stop as they turn red again when I get there. From there it is downhill to Northwich town centre and I get on to the route to the underpass just after the bus station. As I descend the spiral into the underpass I spot the two cyclists who passed me earlier having a break by the roadside. I get into a low gear ready for the climb out then follow the river Dane to the Northwich Viaduct. The cycle path runs in the shadow of the viaduct, crosses the road at a light controlled crossing, then follows the river Weaver. I haven’t cycled here for a long time and find this very pleasant, not many people about and I notice the rain has faded away. Soon I can see the distant A556 bridge high above the river, reflecting blue in the evening light. The cycle path follows the Weaver beyond the A556 to Winsford but has several swing gates from that point. I could manoevre through them but just don’t feel like it today.
I decide to follow the path up to to the A556 then go through Davenham. I could ride up the 12% slope to the road level but this time I take it slowly and walk up. Once I get rolling again I notice cramps at the top of my knees. There is still a steep slope and I try to press on but it becomes very painful. This is a new experience. I stop, then engage the low ratio on the hub gear. That is much better, and I can roll along slowly for a spell, before changing up and moving at a better pace. Perhaps the muscles I used to walk up the slope needed more time to let them recover. Perhaps it is a sign of the Recumbent Legs developing. Perhaps I need to get out more.
Through various residential roads in Davenham, right on to London Road, then right on to Jack Lane for Moulton. Right again on to Niddries Lane through an estate and then follow it uphill as it becomes unsurfaced. Downhill towards the West Coast Main Line and through the two tunnels to Meadowbank swing bridge. I notice that the surface has deteriorated a lot since I passed through in January. Much less crowded today than last time, just a woman walking her dog. I follow the road across the swing bridge then turn left where it meets Bradford road. I notice that I’m still in the lowest gear on the rear hub but still feel slow. I change to middle gear as I pass the salt mine but need to change down on the rear derailleur. Feeling strangely lacking in go today, as I have done from the start. Finally manage to get going as the road levels then slopes downhill, a quick right on to the entrance to the Whitegate way then stop to change my shades for clear glasses once I’m in the gloom of the enveloping trees.
Not far now, I reassure myself. I take stock of the gear situation (just because I can). Big cog on the front, which used to be the middle one. Middle gear on the hub gear. Middle ish gear on the rear derailleur. Pretty normal for this slightly uphill rail trail. Brakes feel free enough. Why are my legs protesting? At a similar distance earlier this month they were OK. Ah well, just not one of my better days. I press on. I drop down a gear on the RD and keep on rollin’. Usually good for 8mph + along here without much effort, nearer 6 today. After the old Marton level crossing the track levels out and I find it much easier. Before I know it I am at Grange Lane, balancing down the nadgery access track and turning left on to the road. The climb up to the sports fields is fine. There is a psychological factor now that I have another range of low gears which makes it more likely that I will use more of the previous lower range since I am less worried about running out of gears. Certainly I feel that the modification has been successful up to now. I put the lights on as it’s getting dark. I am looking forward to having a go at my nemesis uphill A frame barrier on the way out of the sports fields. I trundle across the car park into the network of paths. I ease right off, select low on all the ratios (poseur!) and roll along at minimal speed until the downhill ends and I can start pedalling up the slope.
It is quite dark by now, and I can’t quite get lined up. I end up paddling through, then start off pedalling out of the barrier. Bottom gear jumps and I make several false starts. I suspect that the RD cable might need tensioning now that it’s bedded in and stretched slightly (it had a new cable when I fitted the bar end shifter) though it hasn’t caused any issues up to now. I try the next gear up but can’t get the balance. I hear voices behind and get off and push up the hill. It’s too dark to make any adjustments so I ride off from a level spot further uphill in a higher gear and have no problems.
As I ride through the estate I pass some teenagers kicking a ball about the other side of some parked cars and one of them spots me after I have gone past, calling excitedly to his friends,” Hey, did you see that! That’s really sick!” I don’t know what it is, but this bike seems to cause some alarming reactions within the adolescent cranium. Perhaps it’s not just me that needs to get out more, though at the moment, none of us are getting out very much.
Along Delamere St. with its road works then across the A54 roundabout to Swanlow Lane then home via the garage door so the Linear is facing the right way to go straight on the bike stand for some gear inspection.
Mileage 26.06 . Max speed 28.8 . Average 7.9.
Total Ascent: | 754 | ft | |
| Total Descent: | 756 | ft | |
| Start Elevation: | 191 | ft | |
| End Elevation: | 188 | ft | |
| Min Elevation: | 31 | ft | |
| Max Elevation: | 259 | ft | |
) I did the gearing calculations of what I've comfortable doing on the original set-up and decided on an 11-32 cassette. I also bought an Ultegra RS700 wheelset and Ultegra pedals. The gold chain came courtesy of a mistake by 
I opted for safety and pulled over. The milk tanker that came up behind me shortly after will have slowed him down a bit though.
