19/3/26
Recumbent Ride
Taking the Shopping for an Unexpected Ride down The Test Hill of Doom.
I recently noticed in passing by motor bike that Cinder Hill, Whitegate, aka the Test Hill of Doom has been resurfaced!
Before it returns to what seems to be its natural state of being a cratered mess I obviously need to find out if the Rans is any faster down it.
Things to consider since its last trip this way: will the recently fitted front panniers act as an air brake? The front tyre is now a 40, instead of 28mm.
Just got to try it. Maybe this afternoon? I needed to do some shopping this morning so perhaps I could get into the right frame of mind by then.
So, right out of the back gate, and away to Swanlow Lane. Somehow not on top form today, probably not enough miles this year.
Sure enough, I left it a bit late changing on to the small chainring as I stopped at the uphill lights and when I started off the chain derailed itself. I pushed to the kerb and rerailed it then set off round the corner on the pavement.
Across the road, back on track, straight on down Gladstone St to drop off a parcel at the parcel shop. The bike just wanted to go downhill, but the sharp speed humps discouraged enthusiastic progress.
Straight on downhill after the drop off, left to hop right across the pavement at the end on to Dingle Lane, left at the next roundabout then right at the next into a supermarket car park. Across the car park to lock up at a convenient barrier.
In and out, carefully loading, wondering of I’d overdone the weight on the front end but it was OK once I got going. A phone message from Mrs T. Expecting a delivery this afternoon. Hmm. So I would have to hang about instead of going out, as she would be out. Perhaps stretch out the return from the shopping trip this morning instead, via the Test Hill of Doom.
OK then. Across the car park, left at the exit roundabout, left at the next. Straight across the dual carriageway at the lights, then left along a pavement cycle track. Rolling steadily, avoiding the sparse pedestrians and the occasional cyclist.
Soon I reached the town centre traffic lights and gingerly rode round the corner of a building into Grange Lane, crossing to the other side then continuing on.
Rolling easily to where Grange Lane turns right through some houses into the countryside I followed the road down a dip and up the other side. Left beyond a bridge abutment through a barrier on a muddy track then a steep gravelly ramp to the rail trail.
I settled down to a steady pace. Definitely not at my best today but I kept rolling on. I came to a sign announcing a bridge closure. A photo opportunity.
I carried on and was soon at Whitegate station car park. I didn’t stop but turned off at Whitegate station bridge.
I crossed over and continued to the crossroads on Dalefords Lane. All clear, straight across.
There was a camera van parked in a layby with the camera pointing down the road towards Whitegate village. Obviously waiting to catch speeders coming up the hill, or even the unobservant going the other way. I stopped briefly at the top of Cinder Hill to take my cap off and sit on it, and to wait for a couple of cars to overtake.
Then I set off, flat at first, then downhill, changing up and pedalling downhill in high gear beyond 30 mph when my eyes were watering so much I couldn’t see the speed reading. There were a couple of cars lurking in my mirror. The surface was pleasantly smooth. Near the bottom of the hill I stopped pedalling , then where the road started to slope upwards I started pedalling again. I turned in to the right opposite the church, then right into a road of rather nice houses.
I stopped to look at the max speed reading which was 34.4 mph, highest this year. I’d reached a higher speed last year while holding on like grim death over the potholes but I didn’t have a load of shopping with me then. Next time, maybe an hour or so earlier in the day, with less traffic. It felt as if with a little more effort, and no cars about to disturb my state of mind, it had more to give. Perhaps remove my cap before getting to the start point, so no need to stop, getting off to a rolling start. I retrieved my cap from beneath my posterior and carried on.
I turned left into Mill Lane at the end of the road and climbed the steep hill. Even with the weight of shopping in the bags it was easier than I’d expected. The slope eased then became a long gradual downhill. I clunked into high gear and relaxed a bit.
At the end of the downhill stretch was a dip and a climb so I got up some speed. As I went down the dip I realised that this was where the road crossed a feeder stream for the Pettypool Brook and could see a shallow wooded valley on the right. I stopped at the top of the dip intending to turn back and take a photo.
A male jogger came past, then a woman. She stopped and commented on how different the weather was today. “A bit of sunshine makes all the difference” she said. I could see she was much older than I’d thought. Probably her husband was the other jogger. A retired couple? She said she hoped to get out on her bike this afternoon. She expressed an interest in the bike. Was it more comfortable than an upright bike? I said it’s very individual, but it was, for me. She noted the bags and wondered if I was going somewhere. I said that I’d just been shopping, and was taking the long way home. She found that amusing. She carried on with her run, and I went to the bottom of the dip and took some photos.
The road was straight back towards Whitegate, and I could still see the two joggers as distant widely separated specks as I got ready to set off in the opposite direction.
After climbing out of the dip the road levelled then dropped steeply to pass Bradford mill. A car filled my mirror but fell back when some oncoming vehicles appeared. A good swoop ensued and I kept speed up until I had to brake for a turn across a narrow bridge over the Pettypool Brook. Uphill then, past the salt mine where the following car went past.
Sooner than expected, I came to the lowered kerb on the right which gave access through a narrow barrier to the Whitegate Way. Despite the front load, I rode through, across some mud and on to the trail with my feet up. Shortly afterwards Catsclough crossing loomed. Feet up through the first narrow exit, across the rough lane taking care over the remnants of rail still embedded, then sharp left through the second exit, dabbing a foot down but straight back on to the pedal without stopping.
Probably better to have a bit less weight in the bags as a rule, but still manageable with a bit of anticipation.
Not much further to the access to Grange Lane. Down a nadgery slope, through a narrow barrier, left then down a dip and up the other side.
Right at a T junction, across the sports complex car park, along a path between the playing fields. I passed a couple of dog walkers then began the climb up to the exit barrier.
It felt steep today with the weight of the shopping, but I plodded on in 3rd gear. A wobble about halfway up the steep lane caused me to stop. Maybe I should have been in a lower gear with this load on. A few breaths, and I got going again without having to change down.
It levelled off, and at the T junction with an estate road at the top someone had parked a builder’s pick up blocking the road. I could see that there was no one in it, and rode through the narrow gap remaining to turn right uphill.
I was soon at another T junction, with Delamere St., and turning left. Building up speed to roll easily along until I had to wait for some traffic on the A54 roundabout. I dived across once there was a gap and rolled along down Swanlow Lane.
Not much traffic about here but it didn’t take much prompting for me to turn right after a traffic island up a bridleway to cut through to Over Hall Road and Beeston Drive. Years ago before I joined CC I used to come this way regularly while pootling about town. This year I’ve been using it a bit more in my wanderings.
Anyhoo, downhill on Beeston Drive, a left turn on to the level, then a turn off on to a path to an estate road. It was in school hours, so I could pass this way with no worries about causing some mental turmoil to the local youthful inhabitants which this bike often seems to do in passing.
Before long I joined the road that passes by my back gate. Soon I was up the kerb and unloading my adventurous groceries inside.
Distance 12.32 miles. Max speed 34.4 mph. Average 8.2 mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 414 ft. According to Bikehike
