Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eventually, the boxes were discarded and I looked at the transformation. To
me, with its shiny new parts and blinding white seat, the recumbent looked like a
raised deck chair on wheels. The pedals stuck out over the top of the front wheel,
which was smaller than the back wheel. Its steering system consisted of joystick-
like handles that stuck up on either side of the seat. It was hardly the kind of bike
that I had envisaged. However, seeing it for the first time rekindled a sense of ex-
citement.
A little gingerly, I clambered onto the contraption and lay back, semi-horizontal.
The seat was made from a taut mesh similar to that used on trampolines, and ex-
tended high enough to support my lower neck. It was surprisingly comfortable, not
unlike sitting on a couch.
Passengers dressed in fur from head to toe stopped and stared down at us. I was
acutely aware of how low to the ground I was sitting. My eyes were at hip-level
with the onlookers.
Chris held the bike while I rested my feet on the pedals and waited for a push. I
clasped the steering and with a jerky swivel faced headlong down the narrow plat-
form.
Then I was off.
Being so low to the ground, it felt like I was riding through the land of giants.
Then, suddenly, I began to tilt to one side. Attempting to avoid a fall, I turned the
wheel, only to cut a path straight for the crowd. A plump woman yelped as she
dived out of the way. The edge of the platform reared and the long drop to the
tracks below came into view. Unable to find the brakes, I slammed my feet down,
narrowly missing the fall.
By the time sixty kilograms of gear was loaded onto the bike, I was struggling
to keep it upright. Then, with a lot of patience and coaching from Chris, I covered
the first two kilometres in two hours. After the umpteenth crash I lay dejected be-
neath the tangle of bike and bags. My clothes were wet from numerous falls. Chris
closed in with precision, gently clasping his brakes.
'Well, only ten thousand kilometres to go!'
———
We spent the next week in Petrozavodsk making final preparations. Petrozavodsk
is a small city situated on the shores of Lake Onega, part way along the train line
from St Petersburg to Murmansk. It is the capital of the small republic of Karelia,
one of many republics that make up a large part of the Russian Federation.
