Hey Bruce, good to see you did the whole route without using train - take it cramp means train halfway back tho?
Dolan or CdF ???!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
(2695 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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The Dolan took me from Perth to Forfar (~31 miles) and Bridge of Earn to Edinburgh (~45 miles) two weekends ago, and very pleasant it was too, although my wrists and elbows were unhappy about it. Pretty sure it can be fixed by just giving up delusions of having a super-aero deep drop posture and flipping the stem. It's in the down angle at the minute, so I'll get another inch or two in bar height.
For the full whack I reckoned I'd play it canny and took the Croix. It feels like riding a barge compared to the Dolan, but it's a much better bike to be tired on. You never get to relax on the stiff little fixie.
I'm going to ride to Perth tonight and get the train to Edinburgh from there.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Rode from Blair Atholl up towards Aviemore via the Gaick, returning via Glen Feshie and the Tilt. Stunning weather the whole weekend - thoroughly fried... although it also came with the downside of many aggressive horsefly :(
Took about 19 hours riding to get around. I say riding, the going was often so tough that we made just a few km per hour. That's with so little moisture that all the mud had dried out too!
I rode my new trailer to destruction. That said, the money saved on train tickets from Blair Atholl to Aviemore was about half its cost, so if I can fix it up it will still be a proper bargain.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Currently having excellent fun with the MetaBike on the commute. The first truly silent recumbent I've ridden (all the better for sneaking up on unsuspecting roadies...)
Posted 11 years ago # -
I trust you cackle wildly each time you pass?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've barely stopped cackling. Although the bubbling cauldron and stove I've been towing on the trailer to add to the effect has affected my acceleration.
Also, I think some of the contents slopped out whilst cornering last night and turned some pedestrians into frogs.
Posted 11 years ago # -
'Twas just my usual evening pootle on the wee roads beyond Balerno*, but the hedges are stuffed with wonderful, sweet, juicy raspberries, so I stuffed my face till I was sticky to the elbows, and grabbed a bagful to bring back for breakfast - it made a good ride wonderful :)
* Slateford Road and WoL to Balerno, Glenbrook Road, loop round Kirknewton back to A70, then sort of turn back and wiggle through the wee roads to end up going round Threipmuir and Harlaw (a wee bit tooth rattly on 25mm tyres), through the Kinleith farms, past Torphin and Clubbiedean reservoirs (one of my favourite views in the world as Arthur's Seat comes into view), through Colinton, then back WoL + canal to Dalry...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Pentland loop with someone who did the PBP. Did about half a very small Audax. Shameful!
Bacchetta Giro 700 towards West Linton by LaidBackBikes, on FlickrPosted 11 years ago # -
I had a lovely ride, on Saturday as it happens...I decided to follow the NCN routes from Edinburgh up to Glenfeshie (to join the family). I had only done short sections of this before, so it was nice to join it all up. The weather was 'mixed' but the views more than made up for it. 135 miles and I slept very well indeed.
A bonus was the Bike Fest at Glenmore Lodge on Sunday which the kids greatly enjoyed - very well organised.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Not today, but Sunday AND Monday.
Sunday was a 20 mile pootle in the Borders with Mel. Lovely loop route from Kelso up to Easter Softlaw and round to Roxburghe (stopping for lunch at Bowmont Forest, which looks to have some lovely walks and fantastic wildlife in it). All in the sun, and just an utterly pleasant way to spend a few hours of the day.
Yesterday I had the Bank Holiday off to myself, so decided to see how far I could ride between 8 and 4 (being the time Mel leaves for work, and an hour before she's home so I could freshen up before we were going out in the evening). Vague notion was to go over Redstone Rigg and just take it from there. My that's a beast of a hill, energy sapping from Gifford, and then you hit the 17%. Lunch at North Berwick (from the chipper, before finding out that the Lobster Shack at the harbour is now not just open at weekends).
Back along the coast, with a little detour inland to East Fortune Air Museum for a snap of the bike with the Vulcan, Athelstaneford, then abck to the coast. Really flagging at 70 miles, but got a boost of a second wind (possibly psychological having taken an energy gel, and tweaked the front brake a little to get rid of a new slight rubbing).
Was feeling good about myself passing a few cyclists, then had a racing whippet on a bit of carbon go past me at the bottom of a climb and simply disappear into the distance. 81 miles and I was within half a mile from home, but decided to do a city loop as I had a bit of time still to play with. 90 miles in and I was going over Drum Brae (don't really know what came over me). Home along the coast into a headwind. 103.5 miles total. First century in ages, legs felt no bad, 5000ft of climbing on the computer (downgraded to around 4500 by Strava), and I'm a little more confident about the Bealach.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@WC Interesting that Strava downgrades your computer climbing stats. Does Strava do it on map data rather than the computer's more inaccurate air pressure basis?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Went from town centre to Gilmerton today via Craigmillar castle. Road was closed to cars for verge cutting but not to bikes. Lovely
Posted 11 years ago # -
Strictly speaking, yesterday wasn't all lovely. At least it was until my tyre blew near Gladsmuir. Hole in tyre, replaced tube, continued on gingerly until it blew again coming down from Tranent to Wallyford. Taxi home :-(
On the bright side, before that, lovely ride out via Carberry, Elphinstone, Pencaitland, Gifford, Garvald, loop back via small roads to Haddington and head west back home. Couldn't really get going to begin with, but glad I persevered while the sun was out. Perhaps as I get older it takes longer to warm up ;-)
Now to get a new tyre before Saturday and the Tour Ride...
<edit>
New tyres ordered. 2 x Continental GP 4000S in Wiggle sale.
</edit>Posted 11 years ago # -
I had a lovely ride yesterday. We left work (a collegue and I) and rode to Rosyth. Then onto Yetts oh Muchart and through Glendevon. The wind wasn't so bad as we had expected. We arrived in Gleneagles and put more clothes and lights on before heading for Braco. From Braco to Kinbuck its closed for all traffic except peds and cycles. Closed road! ;@) Then onto Dunblane and into Causewayhead for diner at Corrieres cafe. This was at 8pm at which time I'd started to seriously flag! The food is excellent and I can heartily recomend it. DARK propper now we rode to Clackmannan where my collegue left for Linlithgow and I rode to the deserted cycle path from Clackmannan to Dunfermline. On the way all I saw was a headgehog and a deer. Home at 10.15 I was very tired. I don't know why I appeared more tired than normal on this short ride. I put it down to being hungry when I set off and then not getting the benefit of the food for the last 1.5 hours.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I had intended heading to Dunbar yesterday, but life got in the way. So this afternoon, after lunch, I decided to see how far I could get and still be back in time for a (slightly later) evening meal.
I stuck to the A199 (old A1) route and it was surprisingly quiet car-wise. I managed to educate a driver who drove into the ASL on red at Britannia Spice. She claimed not to know the rules or even what the ASL was. As a young mother, I would have thought they were in existence when she took her test. Anyway, she thanked me for the info (whether that was to prevent peceived conflict - as she had a young child in the front seat - or not, I don't know, but at least she certainly can't truthfully claim not to know the rules now!
Back to the journey, I reached a satisfying 41mph at one point and made it to Dunbar with an average of 19mph. Only 15mph average on the way back but that was into stronger headwinds and with a 4 mile detour and a couple of stops to check on some ebay items I was watching!.
On the way out, passing south of East Fortune, I stopped to watch a Jet Provost put on a very acrobatic display for the Wings and Wheels Show crowd. Quite mesmerising and it did a pass almost overhead (just for me, I've decided!).
A short stop in Dunbar to eat an energy bar and fill my main bottle from the back-up and it was time to make my way home. With it being early evening, the cars were starting to go past faster and I took to the shared use sections of pavement where the surface was decent enough for a road bike, but that made for slower progress on the poorer-surfaced sections.
At Haddington, I detoured south via Samuelston before re-joining the A199 and re-trscing my route back to Edinburgh. One last surprise (other than an old fogey passing too close just to get to a red light back in the city) awaited me as I rode along Potobello Promenade. I had reached it before I realised there was a Heron perched on the iron railings! Timid as Herons are, it flew off immediately!
One more numpty, needlessly using me as a mobile chicane just to get past a traffic island in (just) front of me (a regular occurrence at this point on my route), and I was home in time to make dinner.
All in all, a good trip, making use of what will probably be one of the last few warm, dry days this year :-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Did you see LaidBackBike's stall, hidden away in the corner by the Vulcan and Comet?
Posted 11 years ago # -
No, I was only watching the Jet Provost from the A199, I wasn't actually in East Fortune itself. I didn't actually know there was an event on till I got home (although the number of Capris driving past on my way home gave me a hint).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Dragged myself off the couch this morning, decided double punishment would be a drag (see what I did there) from Leith up to Harperrig into the wind. Amazingly, legs felt good, managed the Ravelrig climb out of Balerno in highest gear yet, and kept it going (as much as I could). Fast(ish) run back down via Kirknewton and Ratho for cup of tea with friends near Ingliston, back via Cramond. Best average speed so far for the route. Result!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I tried to have a lovely ride with a friend today.
Didn't get off to a great start when I turned up at our meeting point and found him absent at our agreed time. For anyone going down MMW at midday today I was the guy sitting on the bench at the crossroads scanning everyone coming by with that 'where have you got to....' look on.
Turns out he'd slept in and I ended up heading to his house where I found him awake but contending with a puncture. One tube swap later we were away. Plan was to head to the Pencaitland path. We went via the back of Blackford hill, the Braid burn path...or we would if his crank hadn't decided to loosen off. Props to ACE car repairs on Mayfield road who lent us a socket to tighten it (hex bolt, not an allen key on this bike). Seemed good and tight. For another 5 minutes, when it loosened again. Time to call off the ride while we're still in town.
We ended up at my place with my massive collection of tools and random spare parts. The crank arm taper had completely flared out on the inside though the BB spindle appeared to be ok. Swapped on a spare crank arm I had around and a better bolt to hold it together. During this time we also managed to break a key in a lock while retrieving parts from the shed. Fun times. Also discovered his threadless headset was severely loose. I was the last person to touch in it a stip-down and rebuild maintenance session we done a few months back. Strange thing was the stem pinch bolts were as tight as ever but the whole thing was loose. Reckoned there might be bigger problem developing so I recommended he took a better look at it when he had the time. The whole bike is on it's way out and only has to last another couple of months before getting thrown.
Took a run together to the bikestation for some misc parts and the crank seems to be okay so far. At the time of this post (17:40) I would have been expecting to be coming back into town around now with 50 or 60 miles in the bank. We did amazingly manage just short of 25 with all the back and forth around town.
Cycling eh. There's good days and bad.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Mixed mode commute from Forfar this morning; cycled into Dundee train station in real country dark and quiet.
Thankful for my 650 lumen front light, less thankful for the fact I had forgotten to charge it up, so I ran at the 450 setting until it conked down to 200 right before the steepest and longest descent. Not such an issue since I was on wee blue floofy, which has been lowered to 66" of gear so doesn't do desperately fast descents any more.
First rainy outing for my new mudguards. Yay for their fullness. First outing for merino base layer, which I suspect is just going to be my only layer for most of its life. Without the drizzle it would have been swapped en route.
I think I confused a chicken near Burnside.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Fantastic ride this morning. I blitzed down to Longniddry with a strong tailwind, with a realisation creeping into my mind that the return was not going to be nice. However I took a substantial tack via Humbie on the way back, which was successful in avoiding the worst. It's definitely worth going for a wander to the east and south of Humbie. The beech hedges are there are spectacularly beautiful at the moment.
Posted 11 years ago # -
After a dozen years living yards away from it, finally went along the wee stretch of old railway going underneath Ashley Terrace. I was testing my new dynodrum for braking bite, so it was an ideal ground.
Later on today I believe I will exploit its inky unlit-ness to see how the light fares.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Fantastic ride this morning - Canal -> Colinton Dell -> WOL -> Pentland Hills Harlaw -> Threipmuir -> Glencorse ->harlaw -> Balerno -> Meadows -> Home.
43km mostly off road.
Bit windy but lovely ride in general
Posted 11 years ago # -
*Bit* Windy - masterful understatement there!
Coming back across the FRB after a Kingdom run I was leaning so far over I was having to haul the bars to stop turning sharp right. I wish the 'bent was running, it has fewer problems in winds.
Still 'twas a grand run, met a charming chap from Moray and had a blether, and for once the west side of the bridge was open, but alas, the mist was down so I didn't get the spectacular sunsets that that side is often blessed with,
Posted 11 years ago # -
Well 2 actually...
Had a morning pass, so took a wee spin in the sunshine down to Carnwath and back. Lovely crisp morning, with no wind, no close passes and lots of other bikes to wave at.
Even had a denim clad upstart try to scalp me from Gillespie Xroad downhill. Took a bit of chasing down but even after 50miles there was enough power to save my dignity. We had a bit of a chat at the lights by the aqueduct, so no hard feelings.
Payback for my pass was looking after the mini-Chiefs in the afternoon, so we went for a run down to Cramond shore via our favourite play park (East side of Cramond Brig), where you get a good view of the planes coming into land. It stayed dry until we reached the safety of the coffee shop by the causeway. Coming home in the dark mizzle was quite atmospheric - the kids loved it.
All in all a good day - high mileage but needed as I was slipping behind my target to hit 4,000 miles in 2013 (now only 480 miles to go...)
Posted 11 years ago # -
@hankchief
What time Carnwath? We were there 11.30 til noon. Mostly in apple pie bakery
Posted 11 years ago # -
It was about 11am that I went through. Came in from the North (B7016) and headed back on the lang whang.
Was running out of time left on my pass so didn't stop. Seemed to fly back so all good.
Yellow helmet and yellow gillet.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@hankchief, think you must have been in front of us. I met my buddy at mid Calder at 9.30, he came from Broxburn and I came e from Balerno.
We then went lizzie Brice roundabout and through murieston to the road at harburn that is closed, bit of a pain but got through, we then took the wee farm road that winds back up to the golf course then down to Woolfords, only 28 mph on the speed sign today. Then auchengray and over to wilstonville, up to Braehead on your B7016 down to Carnwath and back via A70 with fairly calm conditions so home for lunch no problem.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Snap. Sounds like exactly the same route... Although I think I went round the East/mid calders bypass at about 9.30 so maybe not that far apart
I was navigating having looked at a map before I left and using the sun to tell me if I got it wrong. So I had a bit of doubling back at Muiriston and at the golf course.
I got a bit muddy walking on the verge passed the closed bit, but nobody seemed to mind. There were 2 cyclists just in front of me, so we weren't the only ones.
I only got 24 on the speed gun.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I also headed down the A70 this morning, although only planned to do a shortish 30 mile jaunt, so didn't go as far as Carnwath. Instead, turned right on to the B7008 with an intention to go through Murieston to get to the A71 and head back home, but roadworks blocked my way and I got hopelessly lost in Livingston. 30 miles turned into close to 40, and loads of extra time added on while I attempted to figure out where on earth I was amongst all the roundabouts. Based on what you say, gembo, I should have just gone through the "no through road" signs; I did contemplate it, but didn't want to take the risk. That'll teach me.
Plenty of fellow cyclists on the A70 to nod and wave at. All very pleasant.
Posted 11 years ago #
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