There has been a long period of weather that has been too poor for me to go out on the handcycle, or on a few occasions when it has been OK I have suffered from a cough and runny nose!
At last I was able to go out this week. For the first time I went on a route I used to go on in my bicycling days. It is called the Worth Way and used to be a railway line. Then in 1979 it was reopened for use by pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders. I managed to cycle 11 miles (17.7 km) in 1 hour 42 minutes. My biggest problem was manoeuvring around some of the entrance barriers - I am not the best at steering yet! There are several parts of the ride that have quite steep sections but using the lower gears I was able to cope with them quite well. Knowing these steeper sections were there did make me a little aprehensive before I went, but I feel much more confident now have done it once.
This ride has confirmed my choice of getting the travel ready option for my handcycle was the right decision. This means the handcycle can be split at the headset (handlebars and front wheel unit) and make it easier for transporting the bike. When I purchased my Top End XLT Pro I did not have a car that I could use by myself. As the travel ready option was a bit expensive I was reluctant to buy it. Thinking about it though I realised that if I did not get it when I bought the bike I would not be able to get it later if my circumstances changed. As I now have a car I go out in by myself the travel ready option is definitely
being used! I am looking at the weather forecasts to see when I can go back again.
I have already done some homework about where I am going after the Worth Way - I will let you know when I go there.
Earlier this week I went along part of the Worth Way again. Explored a little more towards Three Bridges. I must go through East Grinstead and explore the Forest Way. This will give me a good length ride close to home.
Today I went along one of the first traffic-free routes I used many years ago on my bicycle. It is the Cuckoo Trail. Many years ago I would not have been able to get my handcycle along the Cuckoo Trail because access to the route had to stop motorcycles and other unauthorised users getting on to the trail. This meant very solid, narrow barriers guarded the entrances and if I had my panniers too full on my bicycle it was not easy squeezing through. A three-wheeled handcycle would have been impossible. Luckily I was able to contact the Cuckoo Trail Ranger who kindly gave me information about where the best place to start was, and where to try and ride. Following the ranger's advice I started from Horsebridge and headed south through Hailsham on what was likely to be the most difficult part of the trail. Apart from getting stopped after about one mile because I did not look properly at the signs(!!!), I found I could get through the barriers because they have been changed in many places, or larger gates opened in others. There were some squeezes, but as my manoeuvring improved with practise, getting between the barriers got easier.
I surprised myself by managing to get as far as Polegate, by which time I thought I should start the return journey. This went well and when I was back to where I started from I felt in such good condition I decided to carry on towards Heathfield. In fact I got as far as Heathfield where I saw the car park I used to use in my bicycling days. Coming back I had one problem at a junction where a car approached as I was starting to cross the road. In rolling backwards out of the path of the car I managed to get the chain to come off the main gear sprockets and drop between the sprockets and the wheel spokes where it jammed!. This unfortunately is just out of my sight line and it was not until the gear mech started to bend that I realised something was badly wrong. If you look at the Bike Diagram, the rear wheel with its sprocket cluster & freewheel, and rear mech, are how my front wheel is arranged. It was the equivalent of the rear mech that I had bent. Luckily I was able to still pedal - but the chain was much noisier now!
All I need to do is take the front wheel to my bicycle shop and get it repaired!
Apart from that one problem I had a marvellous day. It is obvious that my time in the gym at the YMCA has built up my strength and I can now tackle longer and longer journeys. Today in 3 hours 25 minutes I travelled 23.94 miles. Which I really don't need to say, is a record for my handcycling.
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