Celebrating Warm Sunshine Log Date 104. 17.57 miles, top
speed 23.5mph (that I saw) on the road bike.
Stats for Velomobile not recorded although the thrill factor is
priceless!
Finally the weather forecast was predicting warm(er) weather
and sunshine! Whoop! Whoop! About time too!
I met up with four others for a gentle pootle around London.
It was a reminder as to how very easy it is to make
ridiculous judgements about people. The
expression "never judge a book by its cover" should apply to people
on bicycles. Assumptions that cyclists
in Lycra are all ego driven, hard core speedsters is simply not true. There are I am sure people who have that
trait but they are not necessarily always in Lycra!
Lycra is about comfort.
Padding in places that need it and keeping the correct body temperature
in a fabric that moves with each rotation of the pedals.
Today everyone was in Lycra except me (I was
in leggings) and we were all in cleats, gluing our feet to our pedals to help
go faster. We were all on road bikes but one of us was in a Velomobile.
Surrounded by a carbon shell the shape of which has been
created using computer software normally associated with yachts, is a recumbent
trike. But you can happily tell members
of the public as you pass by - their mouths wide open in truly gawping mode
that there are three people inside - and they believe you!! Sorry Andy!
The plan was plotted - a lap of Hyde Park and onto Regents Park for a lap there then on to the cafe. Perfect.
Regents Park is a 2.76 mile circle with not much traffic and
very popular with speed hungry cyclists to push their bling and themselves as
much as possible - many of them timing themselves so they can measure their
improvements and fitness. As with all
things in life, some people are simply faster than others. No matter how much Lycra, luggage-free and carbon-accessoried some bicycles are - they will be over
taken. But they don't necessarily expect
it and they definitely don't like it.
As we passed London Zoo, I waved at the giraffes - all three
of them were out in the sunshine but with the velomobile on my heels there was
no time to stop. On we went, the velomobile whooshed by-by-bye-byeeeeeeeeee
until it was a white dot ahead! Hahahahaha!!
What a combination! Aerodynamics is a science on which the design of the
Velomobile is based and with Andy's super cycling strength he overtook
absolutely everything. Very, very fast!
The disappointment on some of the cyclists faces had to be seen to be
believed!
We popped into The Honest Sausage, a cafe in the middle of Regents Park. Even though we
were sitting by the bikes we locked them all together. Bike theft is always
happening, indeed a friend of mine had his bike stolen last week even though
two of his friends were standing by it at the time. Awful.
As we admired the Velomobile, one of our numbers was given
the opportunity to try it - he was clearly impressed. And there it
happened. The offer was made to me -
"M - would you like to have a go?" Well it was too good to say no. What
an offer!
We walked out into the Broadwalk which is a shared
pedestrian/cyclists space and in I climbed.
I have a recumbent trike so I am aware of the recumbent position of both
the seat and the pedals although I haven't ridden mine for a very long time so
it took a bit of getting used to.
(Thanks for the pic Dave)
I just managed to reach the pedals although I have different
cleats so couldn't clip in but I have to say that with the very first push with
my right foot I was halfway up the Broadwalk! Good Grief!! It really is fast.
It was a very gentle test ride - as Andy Veloman is taller
than me I had to sink very low into the seat which meant I couldn't see too
much of where I was going. I tried a
three point turn - ooops - Andy came up and pulled me back enough to go
round. The next uturn I managed on my
own. It is a very impressive speed
machine and I can't believe I rode it!
Andy has ridden it from London to Brighton in three hours,
to Cornwall in a few more and to Norfolk.
He is one awesome cyclist.
Over coffee the mention of Swains Lane came up which is in a
nasty little book called 100 Hill Climbs.
Andy hasn't done that in the VM yet so this was the perfect opportunity.
I said I would go with them but as I'm on light duties only
in terms of cycling (under instructions from a physiotherapist) I knew I
shouldn't cycle up it so stayed at the bottom in Corks and Forks - excellent
food and coffee!
The rest of them headed to the top (so they say, I haven't
seen any pics!) and joined me for coffee at the bottom.
We headed south, the VM shot off home and the rest of us had
a couple of drinks in Look Mum No Hands (which is definitely overpriced). Whilst we were there a cycling journalist was
having a good look at our bikes. I said
to my three friends "Do you think he is looking at my bike" and you
cant believe the speed and togetherness in which they all replied
"No"! Cheeky so and so's!!
The route home was via Hyde Park and a bakery for a very
large piece of cake - catching up with but not exceeding the calories burnt!
A really lovely way to spend a day - cycling with friends and in
sunshine!
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