I have had a road bike set up on a Turbo trainer for use as in indoor static bike for a number of years, but have not really had enough enthusiasm to use it regularly for some time.
The Circuit Project came just as I was thinking I ought to get a bit fitter for the Spring, and so I decided to have a go at adding some miles to the Circuit Cycle Challenge. The trouble is that cycling and getting nowhere is just a bit boring. I have tried listening to music/radio and watching TV on the computer while pedalling, but end up either missing bits of the programme or not pedalling fast enough! I mentioned this to Richard one day and he suggested what I needed was a video clip of a journey to watch as I pedalled. He suggested one of those relaxing, calming boat trips along a canal or maybe the documentary on The Ghan – that one is a 3-hour programme filmed on the train journey that takes 3 days to cross Australia, from Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the north. However, my go-to piece of video is from much closer to home – I found the tour round the churches in the Huddersfield Circuit on the Circuit website! It lasts just under 20 mins and it is ideal!
I can hop on my bike and set off around the Circuit. I know when I reach Netherton I’m about half way. I can blithely pedal from Linthwaite up, via Wellhouse, to Golcar (couldn’t do that on a proper bike!). I don’t have to stop to put on waterproofs when the rain starts in earnest at Golcar, and as long as I don’t lean into the corners at Maythorne on the way to Gatehead, or at Holthead going from Meltham to Marsden, it is all very safe! Currently I cover about 4 miles in the 20 minutes of the video, but hope to improve with time – as I pedal faster I will cover more ground so the ‘Circuit’ will get longer!
So, thank you to whoever did the dash cam footage and put it on the website – most days around 8 am I am there following you around the Circuit!
Lizanne Searson – Meltham Methodist Church
The Circuit Project came just as I was thinking I ought to get a bit fitter for the Spring, and so I decided to have a go at adding some miles to the Circuit Cycle Challenge. The trouble is that cycling and getting nowhere is just a bit boring. I have tried listening to music/radio and watching TV on the computer while pedalling, but end up either missing bits of the programme or not pedalling fast enough! I mentioned this to Richard one day and he suggested what I needed was a video clip of a journey to watch as I pedalled. He suggested one of those relaxing, calming boat trips along a canal or maybe the documentary on The Ghan – that one is a 3-hour programme filmed on the train journey that takes 3 days to cross Australia, from Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the north. However, my go-to piece of video is from much closer to home – I found the tour round the churches in the Huddersfield Circuit on the Circuit website! It lasts just under 20 mins and it is ideal!
I can hop on my bike and set off around the Circuit. I know when I reach Netherton I’m about half way. I can blithely pedal from Linthwaite up, via Wellhouse, to Golcar (couldn’t do that on a proper bike!). I don’t have to stop to put on waterproofs when the rain starts in earnest at Golcar, and as long as I don’t lean into the corners at Maythorne on the way to Gatehead, or at Holthead going from Meltham to Marsden, it is all very safe! Currently I cover about 4 miles in the 20 minutes of the video, but hope to improve with time – as I pedal faster I will cover more ground so the ‘Circuit’ will get longer!
So, thank you to whoever did the dash cam footage and put it on the website – most days around 8 am I am there following you around the Circuit!
Lizanne Searson – Meltham Methodist Church
