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SUNDAY 7th JANUARY RIDE INTO LONDON
PLEASE KICK ON THE LINK FOR VIDEO
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7th January ride Sunday
Pilot Barry and we meet up with Adrian outside the bee hive
pub Brentford.
9.15 I was out doing a PR-flight cheque and pimping up the
tyres, to 60 Psi 10 pounds lower than
the last ride where we came off on. Just a bit of added safety I was thinking,
it was OK felt OK on the ride its self.
It was very cold day but mostly dry out on the rods which helped
my confidents somewhat as every little helps. When the sun was out it was a
nice day in the cloud it dropped some but as long as we were cycling it was OK
as we are both or all three of us experienced riders in the cold and we had all
been out in a lot worse than this I can tell you, so could Adrian and Barry in their
own right!
Now then The Tandem, Yes Mmmm How can I say this! Well after
the crash charismas eve, and the injury’s on my elbow and mainly thigh, it had knocked
my confidents somewhat! I was glad we got back on and did a farther 30 miles
after that day after the spill as that took some of it away.
It was no one’s Fault only the basted who dropped the diesel
on the roundabout, we did not stand a chance, it was so unfortunate and I felt
sorry for Barry, and I am glad he was OK to we were both shaken, but the best
bit and the important thing the Tandem was OK Just miner replaceable Damage, which has been carried
out.
So there I was
looking at the Tandem, we Now call ( Diesel Mandem) and feeling anxious
and nervures, of the ride and road ahead! But Not of berry’s skill, as that’s A1 I would
not have brought it with him in mind if I did not trust him.
OK why feel like this I will be honest, I gave up riding two
wheeled bukes some years ago as to my eye sight it was becoming anxious and it
was not enjoyable and on a trip out to London I and Adrian stopped off at a
bike shop Bick fix and had a go on a trike I brought one that week and loved it
and from then on sold my two wheeled bikes and Adrian brought one and we set
off on a good number of journeys on them together , which included Barry later
on.
So one I had not been on a bike for some years and had lost
that confidents, two I am older and it takes more time to heal as has been borne out by my Leg at the moment.
three, I did have a tandem a normal one and that did not work out it was
imposable for me to get on the back. So I brought this on a gamble really and
hoped it would work out, which did not from the start as we fell off the first
ride!! not a few feet from the start, and that was as to the set up and we
needed a spacer to make the farm longer, as we did with Help and support from
Nazca, Not a great start but I hung in there, and we tried the spacer out and had
first ride which was great as it worked but we were learning, and getting used
to it, and working things out together and independently as we both have driftnet
things to work on now Mainly stopping and starting, we worked out on tis ride
that we needed short cranks and order
them from Nazca got them and fitted them with a short delay as to an incorrect spider, but that sorted
Barry Fitted them on and we and we were
off and its works fine and is less of a compromise between our needs and stiles
of riding, Barry rides with even shorter cranks then 155 we have on the Mandem,
and I use 155 on my Velomobile, so all was fine on that score. Then we set off
on the charismas eve ride and we had the crash but got up and checked the Mandem and ourselves and go back on as we are the cyclists. That special breed of road user,
gritty determined, hard, oblivious to abuse and the actions of crap
drivers, who we treat with great curtesy!! And forgiveness of their sins. If you believe that
last part well you have not been out with Barry!! But he likes to stop at crossings,
it’s like a compulsion he has !
So you see why I was really nervous and worried of the ride,
Barry arrived late!! Which was unusual! Not a good start, but I hung in there
and was reedy and we set off to meet Arian along the way.
It was all feeling OK and I was beginning to get into it,
and made it to the pub to meet Adrian, and I made a stupid mistake I got my
video camera out thinking I would shoot some video, well it was one to many
things to think about and as we set off I
got it all wrong and we stopped and the Mandem went over and there was no
problem and I put the bloody camera away, as at the moment just concentrating on riding it is more than sufficient for my
brain to handle.
Cool OK we were off but I did not enjoy the ride into London
I have to admit fully. And one of the preparation’s I had to go through before
the ride was apply some preparation H on a haemorrhoid I have acquired over charismas! Well on the
ride into London on more than a few times I had to clinch my ass cheeks together in fear of the traffic,
there for squeezing the cream out from where it was needed!!! Barry did so well
it was just the traffic that was spooking me but we handled it well no misshapes and got us into a flow as we had
to stop and start a lot, good learning curve. We got to our destination and had
a Cup of tea and sat and had a normal time of taking the piss out of each other
and being obnoxious and sarcastic which
is normal sort of English hummer, of which there is always mention of bodily functions
and afflictions, like I say normal English hummer.
I was and was not to Warred about the return as we had got
there OK and I thought it threw and OK.
So we set off Homewood bound but a different root back, and as we got past The houses of parliament
I was feeling good and settling No clenching of the cheeks. And we hit some corners
at speed and confidents was returning and I was getting into it and getting confidents back. We had a good uneventful
back and getting some speed up making
pore old Arian struggling to keep us! As Christmas and siting watching TV and reading
books has court up with him! I enjoyed
the ride back a lot more than into London, as to having got the confidents back
and working on my stopping and starting which I think we are still mastering me
more than Barry as he is used to Recumbents where I am not this is my first and
last recumbent!! There is a one problem on the way back but has nothing to do
with the buke per say but to do with Barry’s bodily functions!!! Farting Tobe blunt!
I have worked it out as to the wind flow and the messed seat, when he farts
which was quite frequent on the way back that the Gas would leave his clothing
and as to the wind affect would keep it contend with in the mesh sat and it
would rise and come out of the top of the seat!!! There for hitting and gassing
me I may add slowly !!! so there has to
be a fart ban put in place as to stop it damaging my health. Which brings me to
another interesting phenomena!! I have
notes on every ride we have had that sometimes I do not feel that I am sitting
right and need to shift my body but when I feel the seat I am sitting right and
in the middle, and the first time I checked the seat to all was fine and I munched
it to Barry, who he next day had been reading an article on Tandem riding and
it that this is a phenomena that all stokers get and you have to get used to it,
sometimes it’s over whelming for me and I have to fight to keep it under
control, so what I do now is to put my head into the head rest and look up and
that seems to control it as I know the head rest is right and is holding my
head in the centre of the bike, it’s a very strange feeling I never got on the trike Tandem! Again it’s
not something that gains one confidents but I will keep trying and learning and
getting into it. Roll on the summer I keep telling myself. I think we will not
go into London again for some time to come may be later when we have it off
100% together and I mean on the Tandem OK!! We are just good friends and I do
not fancy him any way!!
Be good be sage and the last time I am saying this happy new
year.
