Trekkers’ Blog and Ride Review

2 Trekkers Tandems, 5 Beech Holme Tandems and 5 Beech Holme Solos. Pilots Barney Harle and David Joyce. Stokers Martin Eatherley and Chris Vaughan.
30 miles of city centre cycling, railway tracks, minor roads and a return into the city roads with a stop for fish, chips and pop.
A grand day out for all, a chance to show off our new tandems and our new trailer.
Many thanks to our friends at Beech Home for organising and leading the ride.

On Saturday TT and the British Human Power Club(BHPC) travelled to Scunthorpe’s outdoor Velodrome. The track is 485m with an incline of 30 degrees. Most of the racers were riding recumbent but there were other forms of bicycles. It was amazing to see so many people riding so many varieties of bikes in different positions.

Barney, Rachel, Louise, Chris and Chris V all attended the event and thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone at the BHPC and their wonderful creations. The atmosphere was great and people were interested about the tandems and where we had travelled from.

Once the bikes had been sorted by our wonderful mechanic Barney, he familiarised everyone with the race circuit. Understandably everyone was anxious about their races but once we got on the bikes the nerves quickly disappeared.

The race was a solid hour constant cycling around the Velodrome in a pack of ten strong, this would push all five of us to our limits as we jostled for position. The atmosphere was amazing with so much support and friendly competition, pushing everyone on.

Once Barney and Chris had finished they dropped the bike and pegged it for a much need toilet break. Everyone had completed the race, doing Trekkers proud with their efforts.

It was a wonderful day of racing but it didn’t stop there. Barney’s friend Neil allowed Chris V to have a go on his recumbent trike with Barney jogging alongside shouting directions. Louise then had a turn in a pedal car (a four wheel recumbent) with Barney directing from the side. Both Chris V and Louise thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Due to our starting later than planned the final race was cancelled so we gathered everything up and headed home for a much needed rest.

Thank you once again Barney for organising this wonderful day for Trekkers.

Photo is Louise riding off solo in Crude 45 – a 4 wheeled fully faired pedal car.

Will it be third time lucky? Twice before we’ve had to postpone this 24 mile undulating trip around this lovely part of the Dales. Hopefully not this time!
(Please note this ride is a bit more demanding than our normal escapades so you’ll need to be feeling up for a bit of a challenge).

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

Trekkers enjoying bacon butties, cake and a very welcome brew at Wigglesworth, half way round Gargrave Loop. Quite a few inclines today, but who needs electric assistance with Keith around. Never was a helping hand so greatly appreciated! (And then he went and cycled home!)

… back by popular demand, Trekkers will be hitting our much loved Greenway once again ….

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If only the weather was this good on every Trekker’s outing. Just 4 tandems out … (methinks we have too many royal watchers in our midst?)

24 miles along another of Derbyshire’s famous disused railway lines ….

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

4 Tandems, 2 Solos, 0 Mechanicals, 1 rude South African
High Peak Video (18s)

… and it’s a track session … with a very nice surprise in store …

POST RIDE DEBRIEF
… and for those of you who were unable to join the 20 or so Trekkers and friends at today’s brilliant session … but who are itching to know just what the nice surprise was ….queue … drum-roll …. 3 brand spankingly new Orbit Velocity tandems. That’s right folks; you heard it right. 3 gleaming new bikes courtesy of a most generous donation from Stuart and Janet Brown of the Kirkby Foundation ….

Great to see a few new faces (and old friends) too ……..

If you’ve ever cycled to Dunford Bridge and wondered where that rather large foreboding tunnel led to, now’s your chance to find out.

Starting from t’other side of t’hill at Hadfield, we follow the disused railway all the way to where said tunnel emerges at Woodhead.

POST RIDE DEBRIEF
Tandems = 3
Solos = 1
Café stops = 2
Miles = 13
Puddles on track = 541

Yes folks, this is a variation to our calendar. Organiser’s details are still sketchy but this is what we know so far….

10am Participants meet up at Magic Rock Brewery Willow Lane Huddersfield

10:15 We do a short group ride in and around the town centre (bikes and riders are encouraged to look festive)

11:00 Riders arrive in St Georges Square where politicians/local councillors will be photographed putting their ‘voting slips’/ promises into a large ballot box backing ‘Space 4 Cycling’ in Kirklees. (This done to the cheers and clapping of the attendees.)

11:30 Participants ride back in large group to Magic Rock brewery where they’ll have some alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage and possibly some food before making their way home.

More to follow…..

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

“It will be very interesting how you write up today’s events on our blog!” said Jennifer. An understatement  – but in brief: Four tandems and a solo set out from storage; two tandems were back within minutes. A jinxed derailleur ensured that Martin (piloted by the aforementioned Jennifer) got his name into pole position on our 2018 “Most Accident Prone Trekker” leaderboard. And whilst attempting a running repair on the said derailleur, a loud firework explodes. Except it wasn’t a firework. It was the rear tyre on Barney and Chris V’s tandem. “This tyre is broken” said Barney (although he might have used another word).

Undeterred, two tandems and a solo soldiered on and joined the Space4Cycling entourage. Except, at times, there wasn’t always that much space!

A very welcome and refreshing Dixon’s ice-cream at the end of our frolic made up for our earlier frustrations.

And if you really want to know how Barney managed to get a totally un-rideable tandem back to storage, you’ll need to click here

We’re back on track ….

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

Good turnout + Good weather = Great Session.   And  thanks to Kim for the pictures.

A firm Trekkers favourite, Penistone to Dunford Bridge is a totally off-road route and a great first ride for anyone wishing to graduate up from a track session. 12 virtually flat, traffic free, miles along a disused railway line ending up for a belly busting sarnie (or second brekkie) at Julie’s café, guarantees riders a truly memorable trip.

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Six tandems, one solo, a black labrador, forecasted rain that didn’t materialise and the truly renown fare served up at Julie’s, all made for a very pleasant late morning ride up to Dunford Bridge. Great to have relative newbie pilots Chris and Andy piloting relative newbie stokers Muz and Saj. Thanks to one and all.

Trekkers are on track. It’s the last Saturday before Easter, it’s an introductory “Taster” session and it’s a great opportunity for friends old and new to have a spin around the track at Leeds Road Sports Complex. We’re hoping that some of the folk we met at Vision Connect will join us. Why don’t you?

 

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

Wow – what  a brilliant start to our first track session of the season with some 20 or so Trekkers and friends enjoying a spin. Great to see Chris and Andy – two new pilots. Thanks lads – you were ace. Also joining us for the first time, two new stokers, twins Anne and Helen – well done ladies. Hope to see you all again.

And a very special thanks to our cameraman, Michael. Can’t wait to see our new promo video.

STOP PRESS – 15 March 2018:

The more insightful or clairvoyant amongst you will have concluded that our transport problems, coupled with a weekend forecast of foul weather, would mean that we would have to cancel the Fairburn outing. And guess what. The Fairburn outing is cancelled.

Our outing on 17th March is a repeat of the Fairburn loop which several of us rode in November last year. At around 20 miles – and with virtually no hills – the route is mainly on quiet country lanes. Our rendezvous point will be Seedlings Garden Centre, Carlton DN14 9PX – where we’ll be able to enjoy a post ride buttie and brew.

Timings and further details will be posted here shortly ….

Fingers crossed the first ride of the season should take place this Saturday 10th March. It is a trip down the Spen Valley Greenway. This contains on road sections and is around 15 miles. The last time out in the late autumn we were caught out by a headwind on the way back which made sure everyone felt thaat they had got their exercise for the day.

Please let Pete Hardy [pete@bikeworks.co.in] know if you are up for this ride and as he is taking over the reins of organising the rides – you’ll need to remind him if you are a pilot or a stoker. The earlier he knows numbers the more chance he will have to make sure everyone is paired up.

POST RIDE DEBRIEF

Six tandems, undeterred by the initial drizzle, made a very enjoyable start to the 2018 season. Thanks Barney, for showing how limit screws on the rear derailleur can be used to lock out buckled rings on the cassette.