How to use the online timer
Running the countdown a second time gives you another one hundred and eighteen seconds to check the bicycle before setting off along the canal towpath. While it runs, squeeze both brake levers, inspect the tyres for anything embedded in the tread, and make sure the chain moves freely. The repeat is useful when the first check revealed something that needed adjusting rather than merely confirming.
Working beside a busy towpath can make the finishing signal difficult to hear. Passing trains, road traffic, wind, other riders and canal-side maintenance may cover a quiet alert, especially if your phone is in a pannier or jacket pocket. Keep the screen where you can notice it while checking the bike, or stay close enough that vibration and sound are not lost beneath the background noise.
Checking the bicycle again in hot weather changes what deserves attention. Feel whether the tyres seem unusually firm after the bike has stood in direct sun, look for a bottle that is secure rather than loose in its cage, and check that bags cannot shift towards the wheels. Use the short repeat to revisit anything affected by heat without lingering on an exposed towpath before the ride begins.
Common questions
What if the canal-side bicycle check finishes before this interval ends?
Use the remaining moments to check the brakes once more and look along both tyres for debris. If everything is settled, the bicycle can remain still until the signal.
What if a hot day makes the bicycle check take longer than this interval?
Finish any adjustment safely instead of stopping with a wheel, bag or brake left unsecured. A further short countdown can cover the final inspection before joining the towpath.
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