Joys of Recumbent Cycling

As I may have mentioned before one of the delights of my life is to go out on my recumbent bicycle. I don't go far, not far enough anyway, but it is exercise and relaxation. Cambridge is quite a good place for any sort of cycling. There's the very flat Fens if you want to go fast, but if you want gentle hills then east and south there are the chalk downs near Newmarket. Of course the wind gets you on the flat bits. My father was stationed at the Mildenhall RAF base during the war and he cycled into Cambridge sometimes - its about 25 miles I think - and like everyone he used to complain that the wind was always against you, going and coming.

Whenever I can (which means whenever it isn't too wet) I join a cycle ride on Friday lunchtimes. A few of us, mostly on recumbents, meet on Stourbridge Common, about half a mile from where I live, and cycle somewhere, usually to a pub, and after a drink we cycle back. It isn't strenuous, but it is sociable and fun. Last Friday we did the towpath up the river Cam to Waterbeach, our most frequent stopping point. A heartily windy day, which showed when we had to portage round a fallen-down tree.

I got a friend to take some pictures of me when we left the pub, just to give an idea of what I look like in all my recumbent glory. Though I am afraid I was too fast for his camera. The only bit of me that came out well was the rear-view mirror I clip to my specs. And really, I should point out that I am not really so fat. The camera lies.