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

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  1. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @gembo

    Our bay tree is planted in the ground. Never been so healthy since the big snow winter five or six years ago when the cast iron gutters and half a tonne of snow and ice fell on it, resulting in a rather radical pruning.

    Good to hear the swallows are back. I was starting to worry.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  2. gembo
    Member

    @iwrats, will stick it in the soil soon but slightly concerned that might kill it if goes in then that night there is a frost. Very mild white sheen to the grass this morning. My neighbour's very delicate Rennie Macintosh lilies were out in all their delicacy last week but heads tightly closed this morning.

    Snake's head fritillary lily I mean

    Posted 8 years ago #
  3. LaidBack
    Member

    Was yesterday though.

    Moderately sunny (tick)
    Cold wind from the west (tick)
    Welcome log fire at Goblin Ha' lunch stop (tick)
    Quite roads with no too many cars (or cyclists) (tick)
    Used NCN1 despite Newcraighall entrance being temporally narrowed (tick)

    Out to Gifford via Haddington and back avoiding Pencaitland path. 50 miles. According to route planner we had 2769 feet of topography.

    Saw a few AA cycling signs for Big Nature Festival (see QMU shot).

    Gifford via Haddington summer run by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Gifford via Haddington summer run by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Gifford via Haddington summer run by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. dougal
    Member

    A semi-lovely ride from Ayr to Knockengorroch festival and back (A713). I won't pretend it was a record-breaking time but there were no mishaps. Had a nice sticky chilli chicken lunch at the Hollybush Inn a few miles outside Ayr.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. LaidBack
    Member

    Went over Granites to Whistlestop at Innerleithen today with Arellcat and John S. Nice and gusty but sunny at least. I'm beginning to think (worry) that this weather is as good as it might get.
    Sampled the offroad path to Peebles - pretty good except for a couple of impossible zig zags. Arellcat made it on her P-38 recumbent though....

    Some interesting interactions with cars coming back up A703. One decided not to run over Arellcat by simply going round a traffic island on wrong side of road.

    Final bit was over by Gladhouse and then back on A7.

    Photos are getting developed by Flickr at moment. Their site seems to be not uploading.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. amir
    Member

    Yes, it was a much better cycling day. I'm also having Flickr problems

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Yes, a good ride out today. I realised on the descent to Innerleithen that I had done that route before, but in the other direction, 10 years ago with Spokes.

    I was going to head homewards with Laid Back and John S but after we left Eddleston I was very low on water and my legs were tired, so I stayed on the A703 and then the A701 back home.

    Feeling quite whacked, I have to say. Only 59 miles.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    "Only"...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. LaidBack
    Member

    Nice route and going to take tandem next time....

    Test Train on new Borders Railway by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Granites, Innerleithen & Peebles ride by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Granites, Innerleithen & Peebles ride by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Granites, Innerleithen & Peebles ride by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. Arellcat
    Moderator

    170414 was doing a gauging exercise this morning, when we caught it at Newtongrange Station. First train I've seen on the new line.


    Up the Granites

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. LivM
    Member

    I got back on my bike today for the first time since last July. Only went 3 miles to a physio appt and back, but it was sunny, WOL was pretty and I felt freedom like I've not felt since the wee man arrived in December.

    Just need a trailer now.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    "it was sunny, WOL was pretty and I felt freedom"

    Welcome 'back'.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. SRD
    Moderator

    took the NEPN down to St mark's park -- simply gorgeous - couldn't decide if the deep green bits were better or the sunny bits. birdsong galore. and the most amazing white rose bush on the Chancelot path.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. Greenroofer
    Member

    Mini-Greenroofer and I rode to Waverley at 0705 this morning via Canaan Lane and the Meadows. The roads were deserted, and the only tricky bit was turning right off the Mound into Market Street, where we decided to dismount and use the pedestrian crossing. From there caught the 0748 to Armadale.

    Left a warm dry train at Armadale into cold, wet and windy West Lothian. Picked up NCN Route 75 and followed it to Almondell Country Park whence we transferred to NCN 754 (Union Canal) and followed that home.

    Routes all well-signed, mostly off-road and pretty much all tarmac apart from a couple of miles on the canal and some bits at Almondell. It was much less industrial than I expected: most of the route was through woods and fields. We had some heavy rain in West Lothian, but it was sunny from Ratho home.

    Best bit, though, was a strong tailwind all the way. The train did the hard work, and we just got blown home. It was pretty much downhill or flat most of the way too.

    30 miles in total, which isn't bad for a 10 year-old.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. wingpig
    Member

    I had a pleasantly contrivedly-long try-to-get-the-micropig-to-sleep-on-the-way trundle to Newhailes this morning, with him eventually falling asleep just as we reached the bumps of the Brunstane Burn path, though his stable position with his head bent forward to rest on the back of the saddle meant he was fairly resistant to wobbling.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. mgj
    Member

    Back to work this morning after leave and I had a lovely trundle down LW on my newly serviced bike (thanks Bicycle Works). And no one tried to kill me even slightly, so I count that as a win.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. paddyirish
    Member

    Struggled to get up and out of the house this morning, but had a cracking ride in through Dalmeny Estate following the Coastal Route (spotted a grey heron on the rocks). We've had few enough good days this summer, so would have been sad not to take the chance this morning.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. HankChief
    Member

    As mentioned on another thread, I cycled up from Englandshire yesterday and a lovely ride it was too.

    A bit wet south of the Border but things improved in Langholm where I had 2nd breakfast and then took the quiet B-road up Eskdale, then Berrybush & Paddyslacks to Innerleithen for lunch. Barely 5 cars in a couple of hours of Cycling.

    It was also the first time I've done the granites (back road North from Innerleithen), which is a cracking route; not too steep with a great view of Edinburgh to finish off.
    Edinburgh from Granites by HankChief, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. LaidBack
    Member

    Well done HC - an ambitious day out!

    Granites are good way in and out. Borders are amazingly quiet and have a quality all of their own.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. wingpig
    Member

    I took advantage of a large child being at swimming then a party to take the small child across the FRB on Saturday. It was the first time I've been on the latest A90 path bits with a passenger, and there's much less worry about passenger over-jiggling and face-whapping on the bit which used to be all tree-rooty and narrow. I went the track-side way on the way over, managing to find my way from the supermarket car park to the wee road which links the two south walkways without any wrong turnings, though it looks like I narrowly missed being delayed by some street-disruption labelled a Ferry Fair Festival. It took a while to cross back over as we had to walk, then had to stop walking every time a train went across the rail bridge or a boat passed underneath, but when I was eventually allowed to start rolling again the way back along NCN1 had much less disruption than I was expecting, though it looks like building on the Agilent site has either stopped or not properly started yet. Going back along the A90 paths there are a few bits where some dangling spiky branches are drooping down to face-whapping height when you move to the left to pass oncoming people, but it's nothing a regular path user with a couple of spare minutes and a pair of secateurs couldn't fix. The bit between the Cramond Brig and Whitehouse Road is a bit hairy in both directions, with drivers and cyclists all needing to slow down a bit when their vision is being messed up by alternating bright sunlight and deep shadow.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. acsimpson
    Member

    Winpig, the Agilent site's construction is in full flow but perhaps not at weekends. It'll be a few years until it's complete and I don't know when the path is being moved. The first residents are already in though, judging by the ongoing garden works.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Just been out for a leisurely amble from Musselburgh to Fort Kinnaird with daughter, taking an off road-y, meandering route (Esk Path, round by QMU, thru Newhailes, up Brunstane Burn path, past ASDA) with lots of stops to eat brambles, plenty of wildlife spotting and shrieking (with delight) on the way down fast descents. While I often trundle up and down this way, going at hardly any mph with someone seeing it for the first time really helps you appreciate your surroundings.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  23. gembo
    Member

    Nice paths down the ESk.

    Brambles? Ripe already? Early-ish

    Posted 8 years ago #
  24. Mandopicker101
    Member

    @Gembo - Yes, some brambles although we picked ours by the railway line on the way to QMU. Lots of rosehips though.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  25. Greenroofer
    Member

    Just back from a circuit of Arthur's Seat with mini-Greenroofer. What a beautiful morning! Warmish, calm and lovely misty views to the south east. Once round was enough,but it was a very nice wee jaunt.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  26. LaidBack
    Member

    Excellent Apple Pie cafe solo run to Carnwath around 12.30 today. Saw/acknowledged a few bikes coming back over Lang Whang.
    Round trip took under 3 hours run time which was ok as a bit breezy.
    Brought back one of their pies - in oven now.
    Food tastes better after a nice sunny cycle.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  27. SRD
    Moderator

    We had a fabulous unplanned ride. mini-srd had had a not very good ride yesterday with the greenroofers (she didn't feel well and the puncture fairy visited) so we'd not been planning to ride, but the weather called us, so we took off to almondell along the canal, had a picnic (disrupted by dreadful wet dog tromping over it and through us), then back along NCN 75,and the A70. Got home in time for rushed showers before a smashing show of HMS pinafore with Tim BrookeTaylor as narrator, followed by Nandos and chocolate and marshmallow crepes.

    Oh, and mini-Srd had a bee fly up her shorts and sting her near Ratho/EICC - the perils of non-cycle specific clothing! - but kept going not withstanding and with surprising good humour.

    I'd never cycled down the Larnark Rd before - what an appalling road surface.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  28. SimonS
    Member

    I had a wizz round the 5 Ferries route yesterday. The Met office managed to royally co*kup the forecast yesterday as we arrived in Brodick to 'monsoon' instead of 'sunny periods. It did however clear up by lunchtime.

    Basically the route is 5 ferries interspersed by 3 hilly bits and a flat bit.

    It qualifies as a grand day out and I'll be back again next year although I will try to pick better weather!

    Link

    Posted 8 years ago #
  29. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Oh, and mini-Srd had a bee fly up her shorts and sting her near Ratho/EICC

    Not heard it called that before.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  30. fimm
    Member

    How did mini-SRD find the Lanark Road descent? That's a regular route of mine, and I don't like it even doing 25mph+...
    https://wisob.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/on-reengineeringing-the-lanark-road/

    Posted 8 years ago #

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