http://tinyurl.com/eb8g9
One blue square = 1 km across.
Ride starts at the junction of the white track heading north west from
the yellow road, a short distance south west of Mill Farm - the track
that heads towards the river.
This is yesterday's MUni ride on the new KH24 - a route I have ridden a
few times on the Pashley 26.
There will be one deliberate mistake in here to keep you alert.
After a hard day at work I took a little while to get ready to go for
my evening's ride. All day, I had been planning to take the 700c out.
Then I found the tyre was a little soft, and that my pump had
mysteriously stopped working. Unwilling to waste further time, I took
the new KH.
East Bridgford is about 8-10 miles from where I live, and a few miles
further down river than my regular riding territory. I park on a
grassy verge at the start of the track that leads towards the river. I
put on the new hideously-overpriced helmet, then mount and set off.
The first section is more or less level. It used to be a challenge a
couple of years ago, but now it is just a warm up: a few hundred metres
of rough gravel track with a few stony puddles. Then I reach the
gate.
The gate is locked, and there is a big tree trunk deliberately blocking
it. That is new, but not a problem, as my intended route takes me to
the right - more or less north towards Old Hill. There is a stile next
to the gate, which is good, as I intend to come back that way.
This is the track I think of as the three hills. The track is almost
straight and goes up, down, up, down, up, then dooooooooown towards the
river. The first hill has a deeply rutted mud surface. The second is
less worn, and quite grassy, and the third is very grassy. (There is a
green hill far away...)
To give some idea of the terrain - I have taken a small Suzuki 4x4
along this track, and it took considerable care to avoid bottoming out
or getting stuck in the deeper muddy ruts. I have ridden every part of
the route before, but I have never strung it all together without a
UPD.
So, that is today's challenge. How good is the KH, and how fit am I?
I set off a little too quickly up the first hill, and am soon breathing
hard. There are few technical challenges, as long as I concentrate,
read the track a fair distance ahead, and don't get trapped into a
blind alley between deep ruts.
I make it to the top with a sense of relief, and the view opens up to
my left. The sun is shining, and I can see far out across the broad
flat Trent valley to my left. In the foreground is a blaze of bright
yellow rape, already in flower. It's not a traditional English crop,
or part of our green and pleasant land, but on a day like this, it
looks pretty spectacular.
The descent takes care, then it is a tricky slog up the second hill,
riding on tussocky grass that conceals all manner of minor tripping
hazards. I am tempted to ride some of the more technical bits, but the
priority is to make the whole length of the track without a UPD, if
possible, so I carefully pick the safest route.
I crest the second hill, and the descent is quite easy - the grass is
soft under the wheel, making the ride less harsh.
Then it's the third big climb and now I'm breathing really hard,
concentrating, not wanting to make the silly mistake that wastes all
the hard work. If I stop, then I may as well have stopped earlier to
enjoy the view!
The top of the third hill is flat for a short distance, then there is
the long long descent, quite steep, and gradually turning to the left.
At several stages, I think I am nearly at the bottom, then I come round
the corner to see another stretch of muddy grassy ruts ahead of me.
This is used as a bridleway, and there are fossilised hoof prints baked
into the drier patches of mud. These are a nightmare to ride over.
The very last section comes into view, a little bit steeper, and wetter
and muddier, and there are one or two slithers and slides from the fat
tyre before I reach the gate with a cheer. For the first ime ever, I
have ridden the three hills "in one".
I dismount to climb over the stile (I'm 43, you know, so hopping is out
of the question.)
I head towards the river, across a rough grassy field full of cattle.
Across my path I can see a very formidable fence that I don't recall
from previous rides. I swoop down a short steep bank under a big old
willow tree, and cattle startle and canter away.
There is no gate through the fence, and I turn, work my way back up the
bank, and see a stile not far from the one that I climbed over a minute
or two ago. I head for that. The surface is horrible to ride - rough
grass and concealed deep hoof prints. Still, it's a nice place to be,
with the sun shining, and blossom on the trees on the hillside ahead of
me.
I UPD, remount, and make it to the stile. I clamber over that, then
ride down a rough hard-baked mud track, then attempt a short steep
climb. No chance! I UPD in a rut, walk to the top, then ride dow, cut
through a patch of low-growing nettles and try to cross some deep wheel
ruts. Clunk! Another UPD. I change direction and soon make it to the
river bank.
With the river to my right, I head more or less south, making good
speed. Ahead of me, mid-river, is a cabin cruiser chugging along. I
seem to be gaining on it, and it becomes a half-hearted objective to
overtake it.
As I ride, my progress startles the wildlife. Ducks and moorhens flap
out of the reeds and make their way low across the water. A pair of
crows rises up from the long grass to my left. Chaffinches flutter
from the bushes, and a lone puffin soars overhead, swooping through
clouds of insects, feeding.
Soon, I am under tree cover, with the river to my right, and a steep
wooded hillside to my left. I overtake the boat, then find myself on a
long firm mud path that I know will take me all the way to the weir.
This is a lovely bit of path. The hill to my left becomes a low shale
and sandstone cliff. Soon, I am on what is almost a beach, with only a
couple of metres of width available to me.
The beachiest bit has always been a challenge in the past - gravel and
sand are not an easy riding surface - but the KH sails over it as if it
was made for it. I reach the weir, ride up a short concrete ramp and
pause to refresh myself and take a couple of photos.
I know that if I carry on, I will be in the boat yard, and have to
follow the road back to the car, so I turn and ride back along the
river bank. I hear children on the opposite bank shouting to each
other to look at the man on one wheel. I disappear behind trees, slow
down a bit, enjoy the wild flowers, bright pinks and yellows, waving in
the slight breeze.
I reach the "other end" of the track on which I started the ride. It
shows on the map as an end to the white track, next to the river. Next
to it is a tiny green oblong bit of "valley".
Now, the toughest challenge of the ride. I've been saving this bit for
last. It's a big steep climb, all the way up from river level to the
gate (the one that was blocked with the big log). Many times on the
Pashley (and on my old 24) I have attacked this track, managing to get
only 15-20 metres along it before falling or stalling. The track is
fairly steep, and there is lots of loose gravel and ballast - a
difficult combination. So, how does the KH24 compare?
Well, it's a bit of an anticlimax, really, because I just ride straight
up the hill in one, without a dismount, or stopping to idle or
anything! It's like being on a stair lift - almost. Except I am
breathless, my heart is pounding, and I half wish I could UPD just so
the pain would stop.
The map makes it around 25 metres height gain in around 300 metres but
that isn't the whole story, because the steepest bit is well steep.
When I make it to the top, I know I have just done the toughest climb
of my riding career, and that most people couldn't have done it on a
bicycle, let alone a unicycle.
So, that's the KH24 - incomparably more competent than the Pashley.
OK, so last time I brought the Pashley this way it had only 150s, and a
bloomin' awful Gazzaloddi 2.3" tyre.
What makes the KH better? Is it just the tyre? Is it the finer
control I get from the plastic handle (the Pashley had a metal handle)
or is it just the slightly smaller wheel and the slightly longer
cranks? Dunno, but if this carries on, I'll take one of the pedals off
just to make it more challenging!
No big adventures, no crazy people, but a lovely ride in rare good
weather. This is what makes this sport so special.
So who reads as carefully as I write? There's one obvious factual
error in there. If you want to play the game, PM me because if you
just reply on the thread, it will spoil it for everyone else. If I get
a good response, I have some more ideas.
--
Mikefule
"The Sun is actually a GOD, bearing wonderful gifts."
Billy The Mountain
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