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

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

(2695 posts)

Started 14 years ago by kaputnik
Latest reply from gembo

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gembo
Member

Went through five counties on Pentland loop today edinburgh, Midlothian, borders, South lanarkshire, west lothian and back to edinburgh stopped at. The big red barn near elsrickle for coffee and cake. Bit pricier than Apple pie bakery Carnwath but nice with christmas smell, logs, green power etc. Also allowed us to cut the corner at Kaimend back on the Lang Whang.

Later went for very still walk in pentlands, the lochs were like mirrors. Thought there was an insistent dog on the way out, still going on the way back, worked out it was a swan, so amazed that there was no wind that it was giving it Laldy.

Set the following question for the family

Is that swan a. A mute Swan (note they are not actually silent. B. A Bewick swan or c. A WHOOPER swan.

Posted 9 years ago #
algo
Member

Went for a loop to Musselburgh and back via the seat last night to feed various ducks, unidentified swans (sorry gembo) and seagulls - the light and the sky was unbelievable - I think everyone was taking pictures… unfortunately my skill with a camera is a woeful as ever but you get the idea….

Posted 9 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

The lighting is/was beautiful though. Shot gets the atmosphere really well.

Just the sort of thing I did with Amy back in the 90s - although she was behind me on a co-pilot seat.

Posted 9 years ago #
paolobr
Member

OK, not Edinburgh, but yesterday from Dundee out by Kinnoull Hill and back along N77. Some stunning views.

Posted 9 years ago #
Min
Member

I had a ride out to Cramond to go bird watching. It was a very relaxed ride, I saw tons of birds and chatted to a cycling Lithuanian weightlifter (ex).

Posted 9 years ago #
The Boy
Member

Devil of a ride today...

Posted 9 years ago #
Nelly
Member

@The Boy.........I got it, very amusing, I almost didnt want to post and screw up the number (of the beast)

Posted 9 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Took advantage of the warmer weather to visit the Apple Pie. Bacon roll and welcome tea after a 'nice' blustery ride over. Brought back a rhubarb crumble.
Met Gordon from West Lothian Clarion who's a regular there. Leo from Porto-Velo also dropped in.

Easier ride back as usual with the extra weight of the rhubarb crumble definitely helping on the downhills. Maiden voyage of the second hand M5 CHR. Leo and I rode back into town. Interesting comparing speeds - he didn't hang about either!

Apple Pie January run by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

Apple Pie January run by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

@laidback, bit windy on the way out?

Did you read the story of the red sock in Apple Pie?

Ashit steak pie and total burns supper pies also available

Posted 9 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Did you read the story of the red sock in Apple Pie?

No - but I've got a feeling I'm going to hear it ;-)

Yes was a SW wind but warm enough. I saw the Ashit Steak Pie. Having an Arran Burns beer tonight with a whisky after. Part of my training programme.

Carluke Wheelers had been in earlier and scoffed loads.

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

@laidback, what's that you say, you want to hear the story of the red sock?

Ok then.

The woman who owns the apple pie bakery entered the annual Carnwath race and won it setting an all time record time. She was also the first woman to win it. She is now the outright owner of a Big Red Sock because of this feat.

Posted 9 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Good story Gembo and a healthy inspiration. It's a great wee business.

Posted 9 years ago #
cc
Member

At the other end of the distance scale, I cycled into work this morning, through the Grange and across the Meadows. I rode a grand total of about two miles but it was my first time on the bike for a month or more and it felt satisfying. First gear up all the hills, golden winter sunshine. Thumbs up.

Posted 9 years ago #
dougal
Member

Joined the Easy Cycle group yesterday for ~~carrot cake~~ a ride to Heriot-Watt. Some pleasant conversations and new paths/places for me. Slowly I'm getting an internal map of Edinburgh's secret ways...

Posted 9 years ago #
fimm
Member

I don't think I'd come across Easy Cycle before. They sound like a very excellent group. I quote: "I think we once cycled up a hill, but that is very much frowned upon."

Posted 9 years ago #
dougal
Member

I gave the group leader a go on my bike and sowed the seeds of doubt about whether he really needed gears and a freewheel on his bike...

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

Down in London today with the Brompton. Ace short trip from the Strand to KGX. I'd put the cyclestreets route into my Garmin and followed the little wiggly line religiously. It was great: I'd approach a junction and see the Garmin say 'go left' and a sign say 'no left turn' but at the last moment a smaller sign saying 'except cycles' would appear. The route worked really well, and I found myself humming a happy tune despite it being central London in rush hour.

Oh yes, and while waiting at KGX I at one point had six Bromptons in sight, only one of which was mine.

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

With Mrs Greenroofer and the little Greenroofers away for the weekend, and just me and the bike-guarding tiger at Greenroofer Towers this seemed like an ideal opportunity to go for a ride. I don't normally ride for 'fun', so it was quite an unusual experience.

I took a circular route I'd seen somewhere, starting from Harrison Park and followed NCN 1 to Dalkeith and Auchendinny and then to Flotterstone. It was a bit bumpy going over Maiden's Cleuch and down to Currie, (I'll admit walking up some of way to Maiden's Cleuch because my Alfine-8 didn't have a low enough gear to let me ride up the rough track against the headwind and 28mm Marathon Tyres didn't have enough grip for the mud). From Currie I followed the WoL path back to Harrison Park.

Really good time exploring lots of traffic-free paths I didn't know existed. The weather was also much better than I expected, with some cracking views off the Pentlands.

Oh yes, I got a Strava 2015 KOM on a long climb in Auchendinny. The resident cyclists in that area need to pull their socks up: if I can get the 2015 KOM riding a hub-geared bike with a dynamo, flat bars and 28mm Marathon Plus tyres after 25 unaccustomed miles and at an average speed of just over 10mph, they should be ashamed of themselves...

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

@greenroofer, you should have swung down to Balerno for the farmers market. Sampled the tattie scone crepe, etc. We have had snow and hail today amidst the sunshine.

Posted 9 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Mr SRD and the small'uns have done a fun ride to portobello and a train/bike to Dirleton and Yellowcrags this week. The best I got was a ride out the canal to Decathlon. BUT, we missed all the rain and had a good time. Surprisingly nice ride despite the blusteryness. And excellent dog handling by most we encountered - good humoured, polite, and aware of us as riders.

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

@gembo - I should. I came to a junction in the Pentlands with a choice of going to Currie or Balerno. The Balerno route would have taken me to Harlaw and thence to Balerno, but I chose the direct route to Currie ('Ranges Road'), which was incredibly bumpy. It would have been longer, but smoother to go to Balerno (where I could have had a tattie scone)

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

Yes I know that junction and indeed the ultra bumpiness of the path to Currie. On foot one night I startled a deer and watched it bound through a field of wheat for several minutes. Comes out at kirk brae usually involving a very large puddle?

Posted 9 years ago #
paddyirish
Member

I had a lovely ride on Thursday, for which we had the kindest weather conditions imaginable. Left home with a pal at 3am for a 5am start at Wemyss Bay. Then down to Ardrossan for a 7am ferry to Brodick and then ferries Lochranza-Claonaig, Tarbert-Portavadie, Colintraive-Rhuboddach and Rothesay-Wemyss Bay. Early start was worthwhile as I wouldn't have fancied Wemyss Bay to Ardrossan when it was busy.

Breakfast rolls and coffee on the ferry, coffee near the Lochranza ferry terminal and excellent soup and sandwiches at the Colintraive hotel.

The 5 ferries cost £16.65 for myself + bike. A complete bargain and a highly recommended trip, especially midweek.

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

@paddyirish, epic. Early start good idea as the road from wemyss bay to Largs is narrow even in a car. Never gets that busy but there is no where to pass. I bought Denis Denis by Blondie from Woolworths in Rothesay in 1978.

Posted 9 years ago #
paddyirish
Member

@gembo

superb- back in the day... I got my first vinyl about 2 years later Police- Don't Stand So Close to Me...

Would love to go back and do it more slowly and explore everything at a more sedate place- could do the public transport thing then and cut out Wemyss Bay to Ardrossan, but time was of the essence.

Everywhere deserved more time - especially loved the Kyles of Bute Stretch. My pal bought about 15 houses "in his head" on that stretch alone (there there are about 16 houses in total).

Posted 9 years ago #
stiltskin
Member

@paddyirish. Sounds like you did the five ferries challenge. It really is a great route.

Posted 9 years ago #
paddyirish
Member

@stiltskin

That's it. I think the original challenge is in and out of Glasgow Central Station without cycling the Wemyss Bay to Ardrossan bit. It wasn't really going to work for us coming from Fife

Posted 9 years ago #
amir
Member

On a lovely if breezy ride, I took a wee Road for the first time that leaves Pencaitland to the south West going under the railway path bridge. It seems like the sort of road that no one else uses so I was a little surprised to see a pair of cyclists near the magnificent Huntlaw chimney farm. I was even more surprised to see a sheep dog bomb out of the farm a few seconds later and pursue the cyclists at high speed . It was strange in two ways: first the delay before the dog left and second, to my relief, the dog completely ignored me.

Posted 9 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Started off well but went quickly into a hail storm. Stopped and cycled a few more miles into a bigger hailstorm. Was good chance to see if rear bag on the CHR worked... It did so I gave up going further into the stinging hail.

Did 37 miles and ended up having break at Ratho Inn rather than Apple Pie. The stinging hail was more of a discouragement than the head wind. That and the fact I might have got to Carnwath after Apple Pie closed. :-(

M5 CHR - Lanark Road - April sunshine by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

M5 CHR - Lanark Road - April Hail Showers by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

Had fair share of eejits overtaking head to head with oncoming traffic to get by me. On enetering Balerno I was flagged down with rest of traffic as there had been accident.

Motorbike on side on corner on the zig-zag highest bit before going down into Balerno near temp traffic lights. Biker ok but claimed his back wheel had been rammed by car behind (!) This disturbing claim was backed up by witnesses in a car behind. The culprit had driven off but returned on other side of road protesting that it was not his fault....

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

Sorry to hear about that laid back. We were behind a car that went up the Lang whang with a divan bed hanging off it today. I think the strap holding it to the roof rack had snapped without the occupants realising.

Four small hail showers but no big downpours, was calm very early in morning but wind fair picked up. Will be freezing tonight so will take in a wee bay tree we put out because the sun was frying it in our pack porch

Bridge inn has had a good makeover in recent years.

Posted 9 years ago #