CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

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

(2685 posts)

  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. Kenny
    Member

    That site is worryingly addictive. Is anyone else as sad as I am and has downloaded their data to sift through? 209.6mm of rain in October, against an average of 80mm. Thankfully November is back on track in terms of normality, with "only" 15.2mm so far, against an average of around 70mm for the whole month.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    We had a belter in the bAthgate Alps today combined with my favourite bit of Lang Whang down from harperig reservoir.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    @ K

    Rain at start of month pretty impressive.

    There are times when I think the KB rain gauge isn't working (so under recording) or rain I've seen is very local - which has definitely happened in the last month.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. Kenny
    Member

    Rain at start of month pretty impressive.

    Yeah, I remember being caught in that. 70mm in 16 hours...

    I had a very unusual scenario today cycling home. I went past a guy at Fiveways heading west around the back of 5pm, didn't think anything more of it until I was nearing the Red Bridge when he came up beside me and... shock horror... actually started speaking to me. Like, as in, in a conversation style. Highly unusual for Edinburgh city, especially at rush hour. We continued to chat all the way to Roseburn, at which point we went our separate ways.

    Highly odd, but very nice. It was almost like a Sunday morning outside the city boundary.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Kenny
    Member

    What an odd morning ride it was. I left my house surrounded by blue skies. Within 5 minutes, I was in the middle of thick mist, which only got worse as I went over the FRB. Into Fife, I was hoping it was haar, but despite heading north to Crossgates, it didn't get any better. Upon returning home, the blue skies were certainly no longer visible, but it certainly wasn't foggy!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. Uberuce
    Member

    re: post before last. This bears rigorous evidence gathering, I declare. I am doubtless not alone in greeting and/or waving cheerily to every other cyclist when in the great outdoors, but I don't do it when on the daily grind, or at the top'n'tail of countryside jaunts.

    Where then, is the border of city rules and country rules for Hello and wave?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. Kenny
    Member

    When heading west, AFAIAC, you'd need to be past Kirkliston, South Queensferry or Balerno before expecting some form of greeting.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    @kenny check out the More Of Us thread where laidback and I both experienced the fog. Ours was in very darkest west lothian and South lanarkshire (gembo), Midlothian and borders (laidback). Basically any wave back part of the East was shrouded in fog.

    When we came back the Whang it cleared up again so we had lovely start and finish but spooky middle.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. Nelly
    Member

    4 of us, met up at my house, up to Hillend, Biggar road past West Linton, turn right at Dolphinton, some wee roads leading to Carnwath.

    Time was an issue so no chance to check out Gembos favourite bakery.

    Lang Whang home.

    55 miles, lovely morning out.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. gembo
    Member

    Heading to a place called cupcakes in torphicen tomorrow. That is how they answer the phone Hello Cupcakes. The website is out of date as the new owner opens early and happy to cater to MAMILs. I have bad cold and the youngsters I am out with are too fast but it looks such a lovely day.

    Last week the youngsters were astonished at the amount of change from two quid yOu get at Apple pie when having cup of tea and a cake . No change if you have the espresso and a cake, a pricey two quid. Remains huge favourite of many cyclists out that way

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. Greenroofer
    Member

    Mini-Greenroofer (9), Micro-Greenroofer (5) and I rode round Threipmuir Reservoir this morning. I was on the Brompton because that way we could get all three bikes in the car. Mrs G. drove us there and walked round.

    Mini-Greenroofer was going so quick and enjoying herself so much that we decided to ride home, so she and I took the railway path from Balerno to the canal, and thence from the canal home. The Brompton isn't the ideal bike for the railway path, but it coped.

    A very nice downhill ride (albeit a bit muddy). I spent the hour after we got home cleaning three bikes...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. gembo
    Member

    Was up there walking with Gembos this afternoon, lovely. Path goes right round Harlaw, thriepmuir path on two sides. Links to Harlaw path.

    WoL path on a Brompton very good effort

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. Diarmid
    Member

    Great clear views over Fife from the Pentlands this morning after bit of a muddy run up along the W.O.L.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. LaidBack
    Member

    Out with Mrs LB on our muitiple occupancy machine.

    Irene fet a bit cold in morning but once we got to The Park at Philpstoun things got better (except it had only a coffee and cake options as hoards of people were driving out for an early Christmas lunch.

    On the cycling front we saw:
    • loads of sportive types out on road past Winchburgh
    • around 6 people cycling on the canal path beside the Park
    • one other cycling couple using Park as a coffee stop (lot less than two weeks ago)

    On scenery front the road to Philpstoun offers lovely views over to the Binns and Fife (shown to us by Recumboris). This road also features the only Equestrian Crossing we've seen. This is for a single track bridge over railway down from where shot was taken. We also used it to pedal bike over although it did say you were to dismount your horse (and bike too).

    In the picture here you can just make out the Forth Bridges - including the under construction tower of the new one.


    Ride to Philpstoun 2 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Ride to Philpstoun 2 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. crowriver
    Member

    Fantastic sunny day for my wee run out to Fife to see my mum today. Is it really late November? Can scarcely believe it.

    Chillier on the way back in the dark. I hope they get the rest of the Queensferry A90 path widened and resurfaced, because the good new sections just emphasise how totally sh1t the remaining narrow, bumpy bits are.

    My front halogen packed in with just a mile to go: think the bulb may have gone. Put the backup battery eye-searing LED thingy on, and it packed up after 10 minutes! Guess I forgot to charge it recently....duh. (EDIT: Well, indeed I did forget, but it also appears there's a slightly dodgy connection 'twixt battery and cable coming out to connect with LED light cable. Hmm...)

    Anyway, all in all a nice 40+ mile run in good weather. Perfect really. But I have some fixing to do...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. Lochore Meadows for the latest round of the Scottish Cyclocross Series. Now knackered. But less muddy.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Lovely day for cycling.

    Set off south, not sure where I would go. Turned left at Hillend and discovered the wonders of Straiton -

    Explored the Loanhead to Bilston Glen Viaduct path (haven't been for a while) -

    Quite busy, strollers, some cyclers and adventurous horses -

    Returned to check out the new Bypass to Lasswade Road path. Nice tarmac -

    Inc. curiously placed plastic signposts!

    THEN I went somewhere I have never been before. Continued on the trackbed -

    Quite doable, on a tourer/MTB.

    Though a couple of obstructions -

    Came out on the Drum Estate, so left a bit more to explore -

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. LaidBack
    Member

    chdot - is that a 'For Sale' sign lying on the ground? I hope you didn't infringe anyone's curtilage!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    Yes, but not near anything likely to be for sale.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  21. Mud by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr


    Criss-Cross by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr


    Maddie by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr


    Bike Wash by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr


    Bike Wash_3 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr


    Untitled by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. fimm
    Member

    Boyfriend of fimm did a cross country (running) race on Saturday - someone took a splendid photo of him and his clubmates from behind all covered in mud!

    Laidback - I know that road and those bridges. I always just cycle through when there is a green light. I have no idea what problem they thought they were trying to solve when they put in those cyclist dismount signs - I mean, which is more inconvenient to other road users; me cycling through at probably roughly the same speed as a car (from a standing start and assuming the car driver doesn't accelerate like an idiot through the bridge) or me getting off, pushing the button, and walking through slowly and carefully on my silly SPD-SL clippy shoes?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. @fimm

    Was that the cross country race in Alloa?

    I was there with one of my boys and his school pal. Aboslutely pouring during his race but cleared up nicely as we were leaving. Really good event and he loved getting muddy as much as running.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. fimm
    Member

    @galaxy, yes, the Alloa race.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. Mandopicker101
    Member

    With a few hours to myself, I rode over by Millerhill with a vague notion of looping round to the Fort for a coffee or something before picking up the girl from school at 2:50.

    Happily that didn't happen - instead I did something much more enjoyable. Near 'The Cockatoo' I set off down a path I now know is called The Kaims, running from just outside Newton and heading over to the A7.

    There's a new roundabout just being finished off just to the south of Newton village, and it's accompanied by a nice shared access footpath. A short side spur of tarmac points the curious cyclist toward The Kaims path, which for main looks like it sees limited traffic but given it's becoming overgrown and the grassy surface is rutted and lumpy, probably not a lot at the moment.

    About a third of the way the path crosses a dismantled railway line. Google Maps indicates that this extends on from the route out to Straiton. Hardy souls could probably ride it, but given the amount of construction work taking place I didn't fancy running into heavy earth-moving machinery.

    Having ridden back up the path to where I started, I noticed a pair of chicane-style 'gates' on the other side of the road. This marks the start of a right of way running to Newton Church, but in the adjacent field I noticed what's either a motocrosser's practice circuit or it's another path running westwards. I wasn't overly sure about it's official status, so decided to leave that one for another day. Getting lost on the way back to Musselburgh, I looped past what I guess must be Shawfair station, complete with a half-covered sign saying 'Station' and a deserted stretch of freshly built road. One driver appeared, either lost or (like me) interested to see what's happening with the Borders Railway.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

    It's a while since I visited the Shawfair area. Must go soon.

    "extends on from the route out to Straiton. Hardy souls could probably ride it"

    Did part of it on Sunday.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. Nelly
    Member

    Yesterday we did a ride down through bonnyrigg, middleton, granites to Innerleithen.

    Lots of MTBers parking up near the golf club.

    Whistle stop cafe for tea and black pudding rolls.

    Back up granites again, different route home using (very muddy) NCN1 route via Carrington.

    Lovely day, misty early but nice weather for washing bike when I got home.

    Need a new chain, seems the clicky noise last week and this was a snapped link.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    "Need a new chain, seems the clicky noise last week and this was a snapped link."

    Don't leave it too long...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. Nelly
    Member

    "Don't leave it too long..."

    It was a pretty bad break, not sure how it did 60 miles to be honest. Just broke it off. Had a look at the block and its a bit worn, so 2 purchases shortly !

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    Wot a nice day!

    Visited by favourite bookshop -

    Actually saw a couple of the model planes flying. Owners are there every Sunday, but planes seem to spend more time on the ground!

    Had a staring competition -

    And shot the setting sun -

    Posted 9 years ago #

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