18/6/26
Recumbent Ride
Another pootle through the lanes on the Rans
Having had a good look at the maps following my recent trip to Audlem I thought I might improve on that route to include a corner of Shropshire and Staffordshire. Then return via Audlem and the route I followed last time.
Delayed again by some wife induced fussing and faffing I had to set off after lunch which didn’t bode well for doing the mileage in the time I’d allocated myself.
Anyway, Off I went, feeling better about things having sorted the BB issues I’d had during my last trip. Downhill to the left out of the back gate hoping to keep up a decent speed until I’d got away from local roads. That plan was soon scuppered as I found myself pedalling into a pretty intense head wind. I consoled myself with the thought that it ought to be helpful on the way back, though I knew that the gains never balanced out. So I pedalled up this invisible hill through Darnhall, Wettenhall, Cholmondeston and as I approached Poole bridge saw a rider in an orange top far ahead. Was it possible that I was actually gaining on someone?
He gradually got closer but after he disappeared round a bend ahead I lost sight of him. After belting downhill on the approach to Poole bridge I saw him in my mirror behind but he dropped back. After levelling out I stopped for a Kit Kat near Reaseheath College and a tall rider on a generic mountain bike went past. I was finding the wind quite draining.
I continued to the Chester/Wrexham road and turned left for Nantwich. The wind was still in my face but I managed to get up a more respectable speed on the slight downhill here until I reached a roundabout and turned off for the town centre. A schoolboy on a bike crossed the road in front of me and rode on the pavement for a while. “Excuse me!” he said. “Can you stand up on that thing?” “No I replied. It’s a recumbent bike”. I didn’t hear his reply, as he turned off then.
Traffic was a bit intense here so after the first set of lights I got on to the pavement to let them pass. There was so much traffic that I couldn’t get back on the road for the next lights so followed a cycle path to the left and came to the lights from that direction. Then left at the lights, through some mini roundabouts and then across the level crossing by the station on to the Audlem road.
Still with the wind in my face I made my leaden way onward, past Brine Leas school with groups of schoolkids on the pavement. As I approached a set of traffic lights a chap with a bushy white beard and a yellow top on a low slung trike came the other way. The same one I’d seen a few weeks ago. I noticed that he had a flag. He waved, I waved and then he was gone. I wondered if he was having a better time down there in this wind than I was.
On through the outskirts of Nantwich, then a bit of shelter from the wind with hedges and trees by the roadside. Getting a bit of speed up on the downhill to the dip before Hatherton, then the uphill slog into the wind. Finally I was able to turn left on to Park Road which is one of those deceptively uphill places that looks like it ought to be downhill. Left at the next junction to stop at Dagfields crafts and antiques centre for a pee break, ignoring the various distractions to go back the way I came then to turn left into Lodge Lane, Hunsterson Road and left into Bridgemere Lane.
Bridgemere Lane is another of those deceptive places that look as though it ought to be mostly flat or downhill but actually is quite a steady climb. Rather morale sapping as it makes you feel more feeble than you are.
Eventually I came to the A51, much later than anticipated, and tea time traffic was already getting hectic. I only had a few miles to go to Woore and then Pipe Gate on the A51 but really didn’t fancy it with the traffic speed and noise. It would have been less unpleasant an hour or so earlier. I crossed the road to Checkley Lane opposite to have a look at my map but alternative routes weren’t promising either. I decided to retrace my wheel tracks. On the bright side, I’d passed a sign to a ford with a Road Closed sign a way back, always worth exploring.
So I re crossed the A51 and soon was taking a left turn down Dingle Lane past Bridgemere Hall. A motorcycle with a thunderous exhaust turned in behind me. Perhaps he lived down there. Perhaps he was curious about the Rans. Perhaps he just wanted to see the ford too. I went downhill past some houses then a Road Closed Sign and a row of cones.
I came to the ford. It was gloomy, hemmed in by trees with a narrow raised footway on the left against a steep overgrown bank. There was a lot of mud and sand about with tractor tracks through the ford. The road had water in it for about 30 feet. It might have been possible to ride through it as the water wasn’t very deep but the tractor tracks suggested that the mud and sand was deep in places so there was a good chance of coming to a halt in the middle with water up to mid calf.
While I was taking all this in the thunderous exhaust faded away.
I walked the bike up to the middle of the footway. There was a rail here above a small culvert from which a stream flowed across the ford. Most of the water was clear but it was cloudy where the stream flowed. It ran away into the undergrowth opposite.
I parked the bike and crossed to the other side to take a photo or two. The nettles stung me through my trousers as I went past them.
I came back, collected the bike then rode up the other side of the dip on Dingle Lane.
There was a junction with a bridge. I was pretty sure the road over the bridge came out on the A51 so continued straight on in the hope of a trend to the right and an alternative route back towards Nantwich.
Inevitably, I came to a T junction and the rightward road had a No Through Road sign. I followed the route left and eventually came out on the A51. Now if only it had been a bit earlier...
I’d at least found a route that kept me off the A51 for a bit longer for next time.
It seems that the answer to everything is Start Earlier.
About turn to go back down Dingle Lane. It seemed shorter and quicker on the way back to the ford (whose name, rather obviously, turned out to be Bridgemere Ford). I took a photo of the signs by the right turn before the ford.
I haven’t found out the name of the stream yet. Gingerly across the walkway, managing to get stung through my trousers again before hopping on and setting off uphill again to Bridgemere Lane
Left, and with a following wind and downhill trend I had a fairly quick and easy ride to the turn off to Hunsterson Road. I arrived at the crossroads which took me to Park Road and there was a convenient bench to park myself on for a break. Things were looking better as I had a drink and a snack.
Rolling again, Park Road was much easier in the other direction. I passed a cyclist toiling away towards me. Soon I was out on the Nantwich Road with the benefit of the following wind and easy rolling. It didn’t take long to get to the top of the dip beyond Hatherton and go hammering downhill and most of the way up the other side before going down through the gears to continue at a more sedate pace. Once on a lesser slope speed increased and I was at the outskirts of Nantwich in no time. I was definitely feeling better than I had earlier on.
The downhill trend continued and was feeling quite chilled until I came to the end of a queue of traffic which was waiting for the level crossing gates to open.
The traffic began to move and after bumping over the crossing I turned left at the next roundabout on to Waterlode. After enjoying a downhill I could see traffic building at the lights ahead so turned on to a path through a park, followed it over a footbridge
and eventually came out on Welsh Row.
After that pleasant interlude I turned left into Welsh Row. I pushed off in high gear and felt something move. Did I imagine it? The reach to the pedals felt different. Perhaps there’s been previous slight movement which might account for foot discomfort on previous rides. Made a mental note to look into it when I got back.
To the end of Welsh Row, right at the next lights then left into Welshman’s Lane.
Easy slow rolling to the end of Welshman’s lane to the junction with the Chester/Wrexham road. Traffic was busy so I followed a short cycle lane to cross at an island. By the time I got there traffic had diminished so I went straight across then left into Wettenhall Road.
The smooth tarmac made for easy riding. I came to the dip for Poole bridge and got up speed for the climb out. An oncoming car waited for me to get across the narrow bridge. Soon through Cholmondeston, past the marina, over the canal bridge, under the railway bridge and mentally prepared myself for the dead straight, badly potholed road to Wettenhall.
While bracing myself between the pedals and the seat for some potholes on the road near Wettenhall I felt the seat move. The reach to the pedals became uncomfortably long. I laid the bike down on the verge and had a look at the quick release. It wasn’t fully closed. Could vibration have moved it over a period of time? I managed to loosen it enough to shove the seat forward a bit so I could pedal, but to relocate it more precisely I would have to do some dismantling. A job for doing at home. If it had happened 50 miles from home, I would have had to sort it before continuing
From hearsay, the seat clamping set up on the Rans is a bit of a weak point, being known to move over time. The aftermarket solution has been to wrap some inner tube between the frame and the seat clamp which seems to solve it for most owners. I did this while initially setting it up, and it’s been OK for the last year. Perhaps the QR has vibrated from the fully closed position. If resetting the seat position and retightening the clamp solves the problem, perhaps a cable tie looped round the QR lever and a convenient part of the frame could stop the problem recurring.
I can’t help thinking how much better the set up on the Linear was. Not only was the seat clamped to the frame with a QR but there was a “grenade pin” physically locating the base in pre drilled holes at intervals on the top of the frame. Having said that, I’m not about to go drilling holes in the Rans’ frame.
I got going again, compensating for the extra reach with some ankling. After passing the Little Man pub a long procession of motorcycles came the other way. They had a similar appearance, maybe a one make club, mostly adventure tourer style bikes, all lit up. They all turned left behind me (my right) on to Minshull Lane.
Something to occupy my mind for the next mile or so. I charged the next dip and got up the other side and steadily plodded through the winding lanes to Darnhall.
As I approached the dip a car overtook me then stopped at the lights. As I came up behind, the lights changed and I got going in high gear to get most of the way up the other side before changing down and grinding up the last bit. An added complication was a set of road works lights near the top which stayed relentlessly red. There were no workmen or any work going on so I just carried on. If anything came the other way I intended to dive between the cones and wait but nothing did, so I got over the top and increased speed for home.
It didn’t take long to reach my back gate.
Later, I took the seat off and with a bit of trial and error reset the reach to the pedals.
As far as the next trip was concerned, Must Start Earlier. It will probably be on my tombstone.
Distance 37.89 miles. Max Speed 31.3 mph. Average Speed 7.6 mph. According to Cateye Velo 7.
Ascent 680 ft. According to Bikehike.
