Today's Ride
- Thread starter FairfaxPat
- Start date
MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
Splendid on the singlespeed. Started out a bit chilly, but warmed up pretty fast once the engine was chugging away.
Took the neighborhood trails out and about, wound up down at the river. 4 directions
Up the river:
Down the river
Up the inlet:
And across
Leaving was quite difficult, for multiple reasons
Took the neighborhood trails out and about, wound up down at the river. 4 directions
Up the river:
Down the river
Up the inlet:
And across
Leaving was quite difficult, for multiple reasons
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Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
lovely pics. It has been a while since those tracks have seen any trains. Do you know the history of the line?
winjohn
Senior Retro Guru
Some of you may remember the Thorn Brevet that was being sold BIN on eBay for a very reasonable sum a few weeks back. It is a beautiful bike to look at, in great condition with the frame almost mint and very shiny. I think I will be looking to upgrade the groupset soon to match the quality of the rest of the bike.
I rode it for the first time yesterday and only managed a mile or so before I had to return for emergency fettling. The freewheel was sticky and the gear shifting was all over the shop, not wanting to engage the large chainring at all. I carefully rode back to base, it's always a bit worrying when your chain goes very slack when you stop pedalling...it feels close to something dramatic about to happen with chains potentially getting caught up with rear mechs and feeding into the rear wheel...but I survived.
The shifting issue and the sticky freewheel both seemed indicative of a bike that has been left unridden for a long time with grease going sticky, and that was the case here. After liberal dosing with various aerosol lubricants on the bike stand, things started to behave as they should, although both mechs also needed a bit of limit screw and cable adjustment too.
With the bike now behaving itself I went off to complete my mission to visit the market to buy fish for dinner. The bike was a peachy ride, the fit of the 60cm frame was excellent for me and the cockpit set-up felt pretty comfortable. The Wrights saddle was a new experience for my rear end and actually felt more comfortable than some B17s I have experienced.
The fishmonger was able to provide fresh monkfish for my Goan fish curry last night and half a dozen oysters to keep up my zinc levels. And it only cost about 25% of the price of the Thorn Brevet!
I rode it for the first time yesterday and only managed a mile or so before I had to return for emergency fettling. The freewheel was sticky and the gear shifting was all over the shop, not wanting to engage the large chainring at all. I carefully rode back to base, it's always a bit worrying when your chain goes very slack when you stop pedalling...it feels close to something dramatic about to happen with chains potentially getting caught up with rear mechs and feeding into the rear wheel...but I survived.
The shifting issue and the sticky freewheel both seemed indicative of a bike that has been left unridden for a long time with grease going sticky, and that was the case here. After liberal dosing with various aerosol lubricants on the bike stand, things started to behave as they should, although both mechs also needed a bit of limit screw and cable adjustment too.
With the bike now behaving itself I went off to complete my mission to visit the market to buy fish for dinner. The bike was a peachy ride, the fit of the 60cm frame was excellent for me and the cockpit set-up felt pretty comfortable. The Wrights saddle was a new experience for my rear end and actually felt more comfortable than some B17s I have experienced.
The fishmonger was able to provide fresh monkfish for my Goan fish curry last night and half a dozen oysters to keep up my zinc levels. And it only cost about 25% of the price of the Thorn Brevet!
Totoro
Senior Retro Guru
Just 6 miles today, I'd like to say they were easy but I'm so fat and unfit that they were not.
Still enjoyed it much but I had to stop a couple of times where I don't usually
Chatted to a couple of other cyclist and they said they only aim for 8 mph average on these routes so I'm not quite as slow as I thought and they were in-shape on modern bikes!
Warts and all
See that slope at the side, that there is the bloomin problem, right from the start
Still enjoyed it much but I had to stop a couple of times where I don't usually
Chatted to a couple of other cyclist and they said they only aim for 8 mph average on these routes so I'm not quite as slow as I thought and they were in-shape on modern bikes!
Warts and all
See that slope at the side, that there is the bloomin problem, right from the start
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MattiThundrrr
Kona Fan
It was line of the New York Central Railway. It used to run from New York to Ottawa, shut down in the 50s. Then got repurposed for industrial use for a few decades.
I am on the part just south of "Cornwall Jct." on this map from 1909. The city has grown around it over the years, my neighborhood is between the canal and the line that runs east and west.
I always forget how hard that stuff is to ride until I'm on it
Here is a brief cycling themed article with some history of the line.
https://hansonthebike.com/2024/02/14/the-ottawa-new-york-railway/
There's a ton more of you wanna take a deep dive into the rail history of my town
https://www.nyc-ottawadivision.com/history/significant-cornwall-railway-dates/
Gtpulse
Dyna-Tech Fan
Rutland/Leicestershire today, some of my favourite riding territory. Still shaking off a nasty cold, last few miles felt like I’d lost something over the previous week. 35 miles, started off misty, warm enough for shorts and mitts instead of full gloves.
Somewhere under the funk is a huge transmitter tower
My photos never do it justice but was a great view across towards maybe Derbyshire I guess in the far distance.
A great few miles of tow path part of the the cross Britain way.
Followed by a really steep hill, the photos never look as steep as it was. I was in my crawler gear for about a mile.
Belvoir Castle in the distance, the single track from the top of the hill in the previous photo along the ridge line towards Belvoir was superb.
Stop for a cheeky milkshake and a bottle of water a few miles from the end
Somewhere under the funk is a huge transmitter tower
My photos never do it justice but was a great view across towards maybe Derbyshire I guess in the far distance.
A great few miles of tow path part of the the cross Britain way.
Followed by a really steep hill, the photos never look as steep as it was. I was in my crawler gear for about a mile.
Belvoir Castle in the distance, the single track from the top of the hill in the previous photo along the ridge line towards Belvoir was superb.
Stop for a cheeky milkshake and a bottle of water a few miles from the end
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