Lovely day for a bike ride

[Lehaut]

I was slightly disappointed from a motor bike point of view moving from Normandy to the "flat lands" of LA.  For my last big birthday in August this year I decided to borrow a neighbour's bike and try cycling again, after a gap of some 26 years.  After a 12 km ride I could barely walk,  let along cycle up the rise to the flat!  

Yesterday it was a balmy 10°C when I set off on my Leboncoin bought bike for a 35km run up and down the Loire cycle paths.  Only about 1km was actually on the road (two attempt to knock me off by motorists!), the rest on dedicated cycle paths.  The area has 100s of kms of either paths, lane or trails.  Thankfully mostly flat!

There are two historic/work of art bridges across the Loire east of us.  One you have to fold in your mirror on a car, otherwise on coming traffic knocks them off! (cycle single file and pray) or this one at Mauves where they have installed a separate cycle lane on either side, external to the bridge.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Lehaut

[ssomon]

We both had several falls from our bicycles, and after OH broke her ankle and I badly cut my leg we both gave up.

As we need exercise and have problems walking we bought two rather expensive Pfautec tricycles,and sold our five bicycles to help defray the cost.We then discovered how difficult it is for people used to bicycles to return to tricycles, which were no problem with when they were kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSBaoOQv9A0  If it doesn't follow on from the previous video, you might enjoy this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE85x9VCdz8

We rarely rode our bikes on the roads here, as there are plenty of tracks in the garrigue, but they are too narrow and rough for trikes. We have tried riding them on quiet lanes here, but it is nerve-wracking to be on such a wide machine when cars pass, especially when one hasn't really mastered the riding technique. There are no cycle paths on the roads and the footpaths are impossible because of high kerbs with no lowered access even for invalid transport, and are obstructed with posts and street furniture.

The trikes can quite quickly be dismantled into two sections, but even then are too big to both fit into our station wagon, so I have bought a motorcycle trailer and added channels for the rear wheels so that it could carry one of the trikes.

We are now set to go by road to reach Voies vertes in France or Vias Verdes in Spain.

 

[Harnser]

Having had some experience of trailering motorcycles, I notice you have the tricycle secured to the trailer with luggage elastics. Not a good idea IMHO - you need to get some 25 mm wide ratchet straps, one at the front from the trailer to the headstock and back down to the trailer. And one from trailer to rear axle and back to trailer. 

[ssomon]

Thank you for your tips on attaching cycles to trailers.

 

[Lehaut]

I had a motorbike trailer, but never had the courage to put my motor bike on it!

Are the trikes much harder to pedal than a two wheel bike?  

[Harnser]

11 hours ago, ssomon said:

Thank you for your tips on attaching cycles to trailers.

 

You're welcome!

[ssomon]

4 hours ago, Lehaut said:

I had a motorbike trailer, but never had the courage to put my motor bike on it!

Are the trikes much harder to pedal than a two wheel bike?  

They are a little harder to pedal, as the riding position is different and they are heavier, ours being about 30kg each.

Not much weight to tie down compared with a motorcycle, so the 2.5cm webbing strap at the rear, 3 good quality bungees and the bar at the front are quite adequate. The strap goes through the spokes and over each of the rear axle mounts rather than over the axle. This is to avoid any risk of distorting the axle and the expensive differential gear by passing the strap over the axle itself.

I have seen loads damaged by over tightening securing devices.

The main problem for most people who have ridden bicycles for years is resisting the instinct to lean when steering, while pushing on the handlebars

When riding a bicycle, as one leans into corners the centrifugal force acting on the front wheel makes it turn into the corner, so one unconsciously corrects this by pushing the handlebars in the opposite direction to the corner,

The result of doing this on a trike is that it goes in circles while the rider leans outwards, as seen in the video above.

How NOT to tie down a bike:

Edited November 12, 2022 by ssomon
grammar

[ssomon]

Sorry, in the above I meant gyroscopic force, not centrifugal force.

[NormanH]

I bought a tricycle 8 years ago, thinking I was going to be able to use it easily in the little town in the Ariege where I was living. I was terribly disappointed  to find that with  the problems in my right leg I couldn't even manage to bend it enough to let that pedal turn over, and I had to  get someone  else to ride it to the local 'troc' where I sold it a a huge loss.

 

I wish I had seen those two videos; they might have encouraged me to perservere...

 

 

[Lehaut]

Perhaps an  electric one?

https://www.damius.com/en/

[NormanH]

 Thanks a lot for the link, but..3000€ though😰

[Debbiere]

On 11/11/2022 at 11:30, Lehaut said:

I was slightly disappointed from a motor bike point of view moving from Normandy to the "flat lands" of LA.  For my last big birthday in August this year I decided to borrow a neighbour's bike and try cycling again, after a gap of some 26 years.  After a 12 km ride I could barely walk,  let along cycle up the rise to the flat!  

Yesterday it was a balmy 10°C when I set off on my Leboncoin bought bike for a 35km run up and down the Loire cycle paths.  Only about 1km was actually on the road (two attempt to knock me off by motorists!), the rest on dedicated cycle paths.  The area has 100s of kms of either paths, lane or trails.  Thankfully mostly flat!

There are two historic/work of art bridges across the Loire east of us.  One you have to fold in your mirror on a car, otherwise on coming traffic knocks them off! (cycle with it single file and pray) or this one at Mauves where they have installed a separate cycle lane on either side, external to the bridge.

 

I understand you, it's hard to ride a bike again when you had a big break. Once I went with my friends to the mountains, and I was offered to ride a bike to get to a beautiful meadow. Our path was downhill and the trip was great. But when we had to go back... We had to wait for one of my friend's father's car to take us and the bikes back 🙂

[ssomon]

On 18/11/2022 at 17:08, NormanH said:

 Thanks a lot for the link, but..3000€ though😰

They occasionally come up on Leboncoin at very reduced prices. This one is the electric version of ours

https://www.leboncoin.fr/velos/1977590218.htm