The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread

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The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread

(2697 posts)

Started 14 years ago by kaputnik
Latest reply from gembo

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DaveC
Member

I had a lovely cycle on Saturday. We were staying in Nottingham with relatives and were given a break from parenting duties so took a drive to Ashborne to cycle the Tissington trail. We headed up the trail for ~16miles to have lunch at the top end of the trail. Its a nice park of England which I've never explored before. The rail tracks lay dissued after the rail changes made by Beechings recomendations. The trail heads north towards Buxton and stops on the old line approx 6 miles before Buxton picking up local roads. Along the way there are nice views once you get up higher. The trail is level with only a 1/100 incline at the stepest section I think. There are a few old rail infrastructure like a signal box/shop, old bridges and the odd signal and platform etc... A couple of pubs along the way provide refreshment and we were pleased to see every stop had a few Staples to lock you're bike to. Plenty of info/map boards along the trail and very handily cycle hire ar each end. They had hybrids, MTB, Disabled (chair/hand and electric & trikes for hire). I saw another orange Cotic in Parsley Hay when we were there.

This was Josie's longest ride and we strava'd the ride avalable here:

http://app.strava.com/rides/16464153

On Sunday we took our boys to Clumber Park near Worksop where the National Trust manage the park and have marked cycle trails for all abilities, with a similar range of cycle hire as the Tissington Trail.

On the drive home through the borders yesterday we lamented that the old Crook Inn at http://www.savethecrook.org.uk/ which lies on an old borders line is now closed and lies waiting someone to buy it (circa £180). Its such a shame the line has not been adopted as a cycle path to make the length of the Tweed navigable to cyclists/walkers, and I suppose it does run nearly parallel to the Southern Upland Way, but is more cycle freindly and level. If I won the Euro Lotto (~£160M) I'd be tempted to open up the disused line as something similar to the Tissington trail.

Dave C

Posted 12 years ago #
slowcoach
Member

There is a proposal to open up the old railway to Tala as a multi-user path - http://www.uppertweedrailwaypaths.org.uk/
£160m should be more than enough

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Wonderful jaunt out to North Berwick yesterday afternoon. Continuous sunshine. Back roads deserted, had them all to myself. Picnic on the beach. Then back home.

Perfect.

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Just the day for this -

Cafe racer

I even scrubbed the whitewalls.

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Yes but did you sit inside?

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I've been gadding about on the Twenty since last night, when I brought it out as the "pub bike" (I rarely go out drinking of an evening, so an occasion). It's been great for scooting around on wee errands in town.

BSA 20

Snap! Whitewalls rule summer days.

Posted 12 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

Had a great run over to Innerleithen and back today - bit of a horrid headwind on the way over. But the way back I was flying. It's a really good training run actually was very pleased with it!

There were TONNES of bikes out today as well. Pretty appreciative of a group of 3 that I piggy backed at the 3 hour mark for 5 minutes while I refueled. Was good to get a bit of a lift!!

Posted 12 years ago #
Claggy Cog
Member

Me too, went via Eddleston on the fairly new resurfaced Roslin track to the other side of Penicuik, up to W Linton, down to have lunch by the side of the River Lyne at Lyne Station, back over the Meldons to Eddleston, up to Waterheads, and hit a detour through Temple itself (not sure why the road is closed - does anyone, thought it might be a landslip) but very, very steep descent into Temple on a truly crappy road, and what goes down has to come up, and my what a shocker of a hill out of Temple. Went the wrong way at the top and went to Oustertoun (??) but found our way back eventually, through Carrington etc. Aye headwind all the way down south and not much help through the Meldons either. Satisfyingly knackered now.

Posted 12 years ago #
reikimikey
Member

Just had a lovely trip out to New Hailes with my Girlfriend. Granted, it wasn't a long trip, maybe 12 miles or so all round, but getting my girlfriend out on her bike was a miracle and she loved it. Wants to go out again on Friday......Result!!

Posted 12 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Similar thing today, just 16.5 miles, but really nice around Duns, and a Kingfisher flew under a bridge over the Blackadder as we rested. Good re-introduction to the bike for my other half.

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Offshore

Posted 12 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

@Wilmington'sCow - how long are you around Duns? My parents live there now, and we'll be doing a duty visit in a few days

Posted 12 years ago #
tammytroot
Member

CTC 40 miler today. Good company. Nice food stops, nice weather. Great day out.

Posted 12 years ago #
maninaskirt
Member

Started taking the bike to work again last week and the week before. Yes I had my skirt on and nobody "spotted" it once again.

Both days had light winds and actually warm and as a bonus it didn't rain! This was from home in Balerno to West End and of course back again...

Rain again forecast this week :( so might not manage to get the bike out.

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

I had a lovely ride today.... well yesterday. I hooked up with a fellow Audaxer who was doing a DIY 200. I didn't ride the full 200 with him but cut it short so I could get back in good time. We had overcast skies to start and mist and rain mid morning but after 11 it cleared up and became quite bright and sunny for the rest of the ride. We headed from Dalgety Bay through Glenrothes, to Guardbridge/Leucas, then Tayport for lunch before Newburgh, Bridge of Earn, Achterarder, Glen Eagles/Glen Devon, and down towards Kincardine bridge where I turned off a few miles before, to pass Saline and head south west of Dunfermline, Rosyth and home. 190km.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/858696

Dave C

Posted 12 years ago #
fimm
Member

I had a lovely ride out on Sunday morning while the sun was still out - did my usual West Lothian loop but anti-clockwise so up the Kingscavil hill (which might be preferable to going down it...) Stopped for tea and scone at Craigies on the way back, which was very pleasant.

I'd never been to Craigies before and caused problems by asking for a bike lock (well there was a sign saying that one could do this - I ended up wheeling the bike round the back and sitting near it. I'm a bit paranoid.)

Posted 12 years ago #
amir
Member

Nice one Dave. Which bits would you recommend for shorter rides?

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

At Amir, All of it! (well except for the up hill bits?) nah really, its all a very good route. Nice quiet roads with plenty of places to stop for refreshments. We had a wee head wind from Tayport to Auchterarder which was nice (NOT), but the very few HGV's giving us lots of clearance we welcome as their draft helped to keep momentum up. The climb to Aucherader (longer than I though after seeing the hill trace) was hard but the climb up Glen Eagles was a breeze and one from behind, most welcome! I never felt at any point I'd bonk.

Posted 12 years ago #
Bruce
Member

Sunday morning:

Woke at 6am sun was shining and I knew I had made the right choice in getting up early.

7am set off from Fairmilehead over to the A702 Pencuik road and then through there to the Deanfoot or Moor road, into West Linton and then back to Penicuik on the A701. Turned off so that we could pick up the A702 again and add a few miles on.

I am sure most of you know these roads but for those that don't they are quiet enough that time in the morning. Nice and quick sections with some hills but they are short.

Posted 12 years ago #
Instography
Member

Started on the now usual ride from Barnton to Chancelot Mill and up the Hawthornevale Path to Haymarket but today it was just too nice to stop so I carried on past the Mill out to Portobello and Musselburgh and back into town along the path and up the Innocent. Nice.

Posted 12 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

I am "holidaying" (read working but not in the office or as much as usual) in the north east at my parents house in Hartlepool. It's been a good wee break so far and I've clocked over 100 miles in rides so far (over 3 rides)

1) a 20 mile 1.5 hour pootle around the town looking at bits of it I havent seen in years.

2) a 25 mile, 1 hour 10 minute razz up the coast road through towards durham back through and around hartlepool. Training and really pushing myself on back roads was awesome fun.

3) I got the train up to visit my brother yesterday in Newcastle. I decided to ride home along the N1 sustrans route. Gee gads, what should have been a relatively pleasant ride was made overly stressful by the fact that it's so badly signposted. I got lost a few times in sunderland, and further along. Plus some of the route is rather dull. However in general for an off road ish route (mostly along old train lines) it was quite enjoyable. Quite flat and very round about. However 75km, 500ft of elevation climbed. 3.5 hours. Really could have done it in 1.2 an hour less without the getting lost etc. Cyclocross bike really ate those miles up to be honest.

I did however forget my lycra so was riding in just normal clothing and now I have some chaffage.

Posted 12 years ago #
fimm
Member

Did the "Col du Climpy" route on Saturday. I didn't think the Climpy climb was too bad, actually, although that might be because I'd had to do the climb up to Harperigg Reservior into a nasty headwind, which was tough. The headwind became a tailwind when I got to Carnwath, and I whizzed all the way back down the Lang Wang, great fun. Went round the block at the end to get my ride over 100km...

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Went through Neidpath Tunnel.

Didn't know it existed until yesterday.

Didn't know if it was open until today.

Would be about 10 minutes at walking pace. Lights almost essential - sharp bend towards Peebles end. Just possible to see both ends at one point, but basically very dark.

Fat tyres desirable. Original ballast in place - more like shingle than more modern chunky ballast stones.

Posted 12 years ago #
gembo
Member

Went to timber yard today for morning coffee, it was not open for business until noon but they gave us a tour, looks good, if pricey.

Then cycled on to salamander yards in leith to look at stoves. Then Crammond then roseburn and back to Balerno felt longer than 35 miles dispute to wind.

Sunshine and made very good sandwiches, ,all and all a good day out.

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Neidpath Tunnel.

Oh look 'someone' has already visited it!!

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Posted 12 years ago #
tammytroot
Member

Unseasonably warm and sunny today. Had a lovely ride out to Aberlady via Longniddry and then back along the coast.
Took number one son along with me for company.
Just testing out the new folding bike. Looking forward to taking it touring next year.

Posted 12 years ago #
DaveC
Member

I had a lovely ride today, thankyou...

Met up with my summer evening cycle buddies. We rode down the innocent to Mussleburgh. The ride along the burn nr niddry we saw low lying fog around 1 m above the ground. It was lovely to see. We saw a large bird, Herron? on the burn. Then after a the ride we visited the Staggs in Mussleburgh. I can recomend it as they serve no food but are happy for people to eat at the rear in the Beer garden. Drinks can be taken outside.

After this I rode home along the coast to Cramond where I climbed to Cramond Brig thrn in the dark decided to test how my lights are in the dark and rode through the Dalmeny estateas far as South Queensferry where I climbed to the FRB snd home. Quite cool at ~7 degrees but no wind.

Posted 12 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

I had a masochistic ride today, thank you.

Woke up at either 4.30 or 3.30 depending on your point of view, and after trying and failing to get back to sleep, went and fettled today's riding stuff onto the Croix at 5.30 or 4.30, then played the computer until I was tired again.

Woke up again at what is now unambiguously 9am, too late to join the Portovelo ride, so plotted my own. This, and other messing around, took ages, so I didn't actually leave until 11 or so.

Headed out to Penicuik just in time to catch the start of the rain, but like an idiot didn't put my overshoes on immediately. My feet didn't *feel* wet by the time I did find a convenient spot to apply their force fields, but it soon became apparent that was just because the rain was taking its time wicking through the thermal socks I was wearing. They didn't dry out until I took them from the machine and hung them up, only...that hasn't happened yet either.

Penicuik to West Linton along Deanfoot Road was pretty miserable. Headwind of admittedly only medium rain, but not fun at all. I'm sure that road is gorgeous in the sunshine, but it just looked menacing today.

West Linton is a lovely wee town, and I spotted a grand old iron horse even older than mine, but in equally good nick. It also has a rugged saddlebag that I spent the rest of the ride cursing myself for not snapping up there and then. It would have swallowed my ugly modern toolroll thing easily. Maybe it wasn't for sale separately; didn't ask.

From there I turned north east past Gladhouse, Middleton, the Saultons and thence to Gifford.

The Gladhouse Reservior is worth visiting if you're a maths nerd. There's a beautiful standing wave pattern along the overflow slope thingy.

With the wind at my back I got blown along the road quite happily, barring a teensy map misreading which I caught within half a mile, so would have been entirely trivial, except for the fact that half mile passed a farm with an epic amount of ordure on the roads by it. From the look on the Croix's face I think a certain Mr. Uberuce of this parish will be sleeping on the couch tonight.

I should have taken advantage of the tailwind on that leg more, so my overall rolling average was only 15.5mph, but that's one for the Know Better Next Time file. I'm disappointed it was so low, since I was mostly cruising north of 20 with occasional sprints and downhills bumping that up.

In Gifford I reckoned that at 55 miles it was time for some external food supply, not because I was worried about making the last 25 miles home, but because this run is Audax training for next week, so I thought I just...should. I worried that the faeces content of my clothing in general and overshoes in particular would make a cafe visit socially unacceptable, so I moonwalked over some nearby grass until I reckoned the undersides were clean enough for the bacterially barren landscape of the Co-op's floors, and just bought a big sarnie.

From Gifford to Haddington, and thence joining the A199 to cruise along home as dusk fell. My NiteRider picked a fight with the darkness along the Innocent. Right now it's probably telling lies about how many of them there were. "Like...four or five massive big torches, but I got some good shots in. Yeah, I lost, but they know they've been in a fight"

Wildlife spots: a weasel and a tiny kestrel-looking thing.
Crazy old guys on ancient bike spots: one. Waved with both hands off the wheel as I passed.
Grumpy roadie group who looked offended/baffled that another rider might just be waving because it's nice: 2
Happier roadie groups who waved too: 5.

Posted 12 years ago #
fimm
Member

Enjoyed my ride back from Livingston in the dark and rain - my front light did its stuff and there was a decent tail wind. Was a bit concerned that some driver had been "stuck" behind me for quite a while going through Currie and Juniper Green - until we hit a big queue going up to the Gillespie crossroads whereupon I filtered off into the distance leaving them at the back of the queue...

Posted 12 years ago #
Min
Member

Lovely crisp morning this morning without being icy. Not sure how that works but I am not complaining! The sun rays shining through the trees on the Innocent were very pretty. Knew I should have packed my grown-up camera..

Posted 12 years ago #