On a Saturday morning I volunteer as a lockkeeper. It's only a couple of miles there and back...but it counts
I had a pair of Kingfishers for company this morning.
This doubled as a test ride too.
Don't know what's going on with the odd camera angle. I've not had anything to drink in ages.
The control desk is very 60's Bondesque.
The River Don navigation up to Aldwarke was redeveloped in the 80's to move freight off the roads..then the project got cancelled. Now all we get is a 500 tonne oil tanker that travels up once a month. The gates are massive.
I spent some time in the morning adding more parts to the Ridgeback 705RS (last seen in one of Markybeau's posts a few weeks ago) and, for a while, I thought it might get its maiden voyage today, but it wasn't to be. So, I was back on the Stumpy today and it felt good, especially after having had a bit of a tune up. I felt like I hadn't been to the sea for a while but I also felt like cruising through the country lanes again, so I did both. Essentially, it was a repeat of the ride I did three weeks ago: Fordwich, Grove Ferry, Hillborough, Herne Bay, Whitstable, and up and over the Crab and Winkle Way back to Canterbury. I cut a corner or two, though, so I could get back for around 19:00.
I stopped to say 'Hello' to these ladies but they blanked me. 'Speak to the hoof!' as it were.
Sunshine and dark clouds, near Chislet:
Arriving at the sea:
Which was followed by six or seven miles of this sort of thing (18:00, still warm at 20°C, cycling into quite a strong breeze, but scarcely anyone around):
Until I was just about approaching Herne Bay, when I heard a shout: 'Lovely bike!' I turned around and stopped for a chat with a retrobike aficionado. It turns out that he owns a cafe in Herne Bay called 49 Mortimer Street (https://www.facebook.com/49MortimerStreet/) so if you're ever in Herne Bay and want a bite to eat in a place where the owner knows his Maguras from his Manitou, there you are.
Just about visible on the horizon, toward the left: Southend. And just about visible, in the centre: dark blobs above the water. They're actually WW2 anti-aircraft gun turrets which were used against the Luftwaffe's attempts to fly down the Thames estuary. And, just under 80 years ago, it was this stretch of water, near Herne Bay, which was used for practising dropping Barnes Wallis's bouncing bombs, of Dam Busters fame. This quiet seafront resonated to the sound of Lancaster bombers.
More dramatic-looking dark clouds and sunshine on the Crab and Winkle Way:
It's a bruising shattering ride, but I cannot deny myself this luxury...
As with all shiny new things there comes the urge to use them. Even if you don't need to. This morning I decided I would run the gauntlet beneath the heavy grey sky and commute by Torus.
Fortunate though I am to have found such a lovely example I wasn't quite prepared for ergonomics straight out of 1994.
With my arse perched on back of my neck and the bars somewhere down by my ankles I set off with a few extra minutes to spare this morning, to allow for 'teething trouble'.
The frame is a delight. All twangy and springy, but.... it's not very comfortable...at all.
I want to use it so I'm going to have to make it more rideable... I'm going to find a big box to store all the nice shiny bits.
Changing the components so the bike fits you is the easy option. Changing yourself to fit the bike is the path of true retro-hood. You've just got to sign up for yoga classes, squeeze into your leotard, and practise the downward dog for a year or two. Enjoy!
I went out for another ride on the fixed wheel road bike. The weather forecast has been all over the place, but I thought I'd take a chance as I didn't manage to get out at the weekend. I was mentally taking note of where the bus shelters were as I rode past them, in case I needed to take shelter from a heavy shower. When I reached Otley the sky got very dark, and a few large spots of rain fell. I sat down under the shelter in the market square, and decided to watch the clouds for a bit to see what was happening. It seemed that the dark, angry clouds were being blown northwards, which was the direction I wanted to ride. So as long as I was going slower than the dark clouds I would probably miss the rain. Just as well I was right, because it's very exposed on the tops, and there's absolutely nowhere to shelter. Last I saw of those dark clouds they were heading towards Pateley Bridge, and I guess they probably dumped all their rain on the moors up there. I turned around at the top of the hill, headed back to Otley via Askwith, and then up West Chevin. I did the same route as last time, as it's a good workout on the fixed wheel, and I wanted to compare with last time to see if I'm getting any fitter.
As an aside, I think my 3/32" chain has maybe reached the end of its life. It's measuring almost 12 1/16 inches over a length that should be 12 inches. Chains take a beating on fixed wheel bikes, so maybe it's time to fit the 1/8" sprocket, chain, and chainring I bought a while back. The other option is to buy another 3/32" chain, but it probably wouldn't last very long.
