Tried a recumbent

[armb]

Mike C called round with his Ross Speed, a short wheelbase recumbent that looks like this, except Mike's is red and doesn't have a wicker basket. After some very wobbly starts we moved to an even quieter road. My first few starts (on the flat, but downwind) needed Mike pushing me, but once I got to the bridge over the disused railway I could use the downhill to start, and after a bit more practice was ok on the flat on my own. Low speed stability is much worse than an upright bike (it wasn't just inexperience, Mike finds the same thing), and you have to get going and get your feet up straight away, you can't "scoot" and switch to pedalling once you are moving a bit. Even towards the end of the session I was having to deliberately think "relax, lie back, don't pull on the bars", but could see how relaxing and fast it could be on a long straight into a headwind. I'm not so sure about using it in town (and Mike prefers his other bikes in town traffic too).
Next step, D.Tek and/or Mildenhall Cycle Rally.