With all children being minded by other people I got to trundle round the NEPN after dropping one of them off, popped to a cinema then took a strange and non-optimal route to Straiton, involving some bits of Burdiehouse Burn and that path which goes under the A720. I saved a bit of time on the way back by not going the wrong way at the Straiton Pond asymptotic junction but then lost a bit of time investigating the interesting but not particularly time-saving shared-use infra around the bits of Little France called "9" and "9A".
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
(2697 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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A nice wee trundle out to Blackhall this afternoon with the small one on the back, then I juuust managed to get from Craigleith Hill to Porty just slightly more quickly than my wife in her car, even on the singlespeed and going slowly along the crowded Inverleith Park paths and the WoL, which is more to do with the gumminess of Ferry and Seafield Roads.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Couple of times round Dalkeith-Edgehead-Mayfield to try and prepare myself for Redstane Rig next week.
Two hours in Midlothian and I didn't need to swear at a single driver!
Posted 7 years ago # -
@frenchy, to quote William Goldman (script writer of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) from his sometimes overlooked Classic The Princess Bride - Inconceivable!
We only had friendly toots in west Lothian today, though we had a cleat Brexit yes voter frothing yesterday.
Posted 7 years ago # -
My 'going off for the day on the bike' slots have been agreed for the whole of 2017, and aren't very negotiable. Today's slot wasn't looking very appealing, and the original plan to ride to the Source of the Tweed and thence to Berwick-Upon-Tweed had disappeared in 45mph southerly gusts. I couldn't take the train to Carlisle and be blown home (engineering works, I assume), so the only alternative was to be blown north.
With a bike reservation on the 1647 ex Kingussie, I left at silly o'clock this morning intending to follow NCN77 and NCN 7. Edinburgh was breezy, but dry. The Bridge was open. Fife was absolutely soaking: torrential rain and strong winds (although these weren't apparent until one point where I missed a turning, did a U-turn and found I had to drop several gears just to move).
Weather north of Perth was much better. I even had a shadow for a bit, although there were occasional heavy showers.
The climb to Drumochter was in sunshine, but into the teeth of the breeze, and it went on and on and on. The cycle path was dreadful: covered in pebbles, lumpy, winding and generally not conducive to getting into a good rhythm. The road from Dalwhinnie to Kingussie was lovely: wide, smooth and essentially car-free.
The train was on time: I relaxed in a comfy seat next to the bike, watching all the things I'd struggled along in the past few hours whizz past outside the window.
Edinburgh city centre was awash with drunken rugby fans, and was a stark contrast to the peace of the Highlands.
The bike is absolutely filthy. Even Mrs G, who normally says that it gets washed to often, observed that today it really needed a clean. That's a job for tomorrow, though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@greenroofer
Belter
Posted 7 years ago # -
Great Effort @Greenroofer. I see you found 'my' fast descent from Glenfarg. Did you enjoy it?
I wasn't especially looking forward to my long ride this morning with strong winds and heavy rain forecast, but it turned out not a bad as I feared.
I heading South at silly o'clock into surprisingly dry conditions. Tried so roads I haven't done before around Temple, West Linton and the Meldons.
Tough heading south but good fun when my route headed north. Battling into the wind my mind started trying to calculate if I could have done a 'greenroofer' and headed North to get the train back and still have made my lunch date.
I was getting worried about being late but after an early (first) lunch at the Apple Pie I quite literally flew home just in time.
The rain held off until I turned for home - rain on the back isn't too bad. I did apologise for the puddle I left in the Bakery and had to get the mop out once I was home...
Posted 7 years ago # -
@HC chapeau. I'm assuming you experienced @gembo's "quickening" on the A70 in spades today.
Funnily enough there was a long straight hill in Fife yesterday where I did idly wonder: "this is good, I wonder if it's HC's hill". However, with gusty side winds that made my steering distinctly light and heavy rain I was not inclined to throw caution to the (considerable) winds.
The art of riding in weather like we've had for the past couple of days seems to be a combination of careful route choice, meticulous assessment of the weather forecast and pure luck. When it works, it's great.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@hankchief and @greenroofer
We were operating on a similar if shorter route principle today
Left Balerno at 8am took circuitous route round west Lothian trying to avoid wind though not wind turbines (we cycle underneath some whoppers)
Made it to apple pie from the carstairs esker about 10.15, we left at 10.45 and I was back home at 11.30 also with rain on back, due to the shenshation known as the quickening
Posted 7 years ago # -
Having dropped off child no. 1 at a playdate I set off along the canal with child no. 2 in the seat. We got as far as Ratho (longest ride in quite a while for me…); pleasurable if a bit bracing cycling into the wind. The way back was excellent, with the sun coming out and the wind in my back. Decided to prolong it by way of a detour from Redhall Park to Colinton via the dell – quite muddy but doable, and the child loved rolling down from Firhill to Craiglockhart as we were lucky with the lights. (Although I realized I'd never actually cycled there before, only walked, and was struck by how unnecessarily wide that road is!)
Posted 7 years ago # -
Saturday morning once the rain had cleared, went to Moffat. Was tempted to add in the Talla loop, but the St Mary’s Loch café isn’t open until end of month – which was just as well it turns out.
The first 90mins were pretty horrific, combination of successive close passes, constant headwind and lunar road surface made me consider turning back several times. Around Romannobridge the surface improved, so I stopped shouting at it in frustration. The close-passes also seemed to stop after Leadburn.
The middle bit from Romannobridge to Tweedsmuir was lovely – although the headwind had taken its toll by then, so Talla was definitely not an option by the time I’d got to the turnoff.
What really kept me going pretty much from the start, was the thought of the 10k downhill into Moffat. Frequent users of that road will know it does get quite foggy, quite often up there – despite reassurances from BBC and Accuweather, Sat afternoon was very foggy and turns out fog is very wet. So it was a chilly, damp, miserable decent into Moffat.
My knees couldn’t face the return today, so bike went on the roof and Mrs McR drove – the road surface seems fine from inside the car.
Far too many dead badgers along that road – does that mean there’s more of them?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Not as epic as above trip, but just a lovely ride today.
Decided I wanted to 'see the sea'.
Chose Newhaven, because I haven't been for a while.
Chose the fast bike, because I haven't ridden it for a while.
Road tyres reminded me how awful the road through Tollcross is. Less pleasant than the New Town setts.
Rediscovered how good much of the NEPN surface is. A few too many dogs, but I wasn't exactly time trialing.
Through a tunnel and see the 'sea'. Flat calm.
Took some pics
Returned via another bit of the NEPN, a different stretch of New and Old Towns, MMW etc.
Just over 10 miles, the best bits were away from traffic (not just the off-road sections) but (almost) all stress-free fun.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Did a try-out at the velodrome tonight. Absolutely great fun to be flying round the track.
The Fixie took a bit of getting used to and we were told to commit to the corners, so I did and it'seems amazing feeling to the whizzing round the banking.
Came off it buzzing - definitely going to sign up for the next stage of my accreditation.
The cycle home under the full moon and (ever so slight tailwind) was lovely, even Airdrie ;-)
Posted 7 years ago # -
@HC - Chapeau! You chose a good night for it.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Currently sitting at Berwick-upon-Tweed station after achieving my plan mentioned above of following the Tweed from source to sea. The 40 miles to the source were grim in parts: despite the weather forecast's assurances to the contrary, there was very heavy drizzle from the Crook Inn onwards, and I hadn't really understood how uphill it is from there, as I've only ever done that bit northbound.
I retraced my steps to Broughton, with a prickling between my shoulder blades as I continually expected to be overtaken by the Borders Audax. Peebles and Innerleithen came and went. There was a rally in the forest near Innerleithen, so the next several miles had the added spice of not knowing which corner a noisy rally car was going to come flying round next.
I wrung out my socks in Kelso town square.
After Coldstream the weather improved. I was very impressed by all the big walled estates that I passed. Floors Castle is the obvious one, but it was just one of many. The run in from Coldstream was very pleasant: almost no traffic on lovely rolling roads with a gentle tail wind.
Regular crossing of the Scottish border prompted musings on the impact a 'hard' border would have.
The aches and pains began to accumulate and the gradients began to feel steeper as the miles mounted up, but I made it to Berwick with no significant problems.
Nice to tick off something that's been on my to-do list for ages. The trouble is that means that the next thing is at the top of the list, and that's riding to, and then over, Ben Lawers...
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Greenroofer - that was a nicely described ride.... considering the rain today I'm amazed you have the energy to type!
Round by Ben Lawers is nice. Did part of a route round their at end of last year with Mrs LB.
Posted 7 years ago # -
On the train next to Greenroofer.
Cracking ride today. I had a similar start to him, but never caught him going south.
At Tweedsmuir, I headed over talla to do some waving at Audaxers, then down Grey Mares Tail to Moffat for lunch, similarly I was drenched.
The weather improved after lunch and a tailwind blew me up Devil's Beeftub and Talla for the 2nd time.
Heading to the Gordon's Arms, I realised I was going to make Berwick in good time so I turned South and down to Hawick to add some miles.
Great climbs and scenery.
Leaving Selkirk with the wind on my back I thought I had enough time to make the ride up to 300km and still have time for chips before the train, So I started doing loops.
Then my Garmin died - with the map & route on it! I had a power bank which revived the garmin for a bit but then died again. I got it working again, but from then on I was worried I would lose the great route Greenroofer had plotted for us. I also couldn't tell if I had hit the 300 on not, so had to guess. I did a quick trip over Berwick's bridges just to make sure before getting my chips.
Now safely on the train, I've looked at my Garmin and only the last 20miles has been stored :-(
Fortunately I have a old 'back up' which I checked on the train. 299km :-(
Can I count my ride home from the train?
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm in awe of people like Hankchief and DaveC who can knock out that kind of distance. My body's just not designed for distance. The last couple of weeks I've been working on power and sprinting, and a bit of long distance sprinting.
This morning I did an early run out from Fairmilehead to Corstorphine and out to Broxburn, going like the clappers along the A8. At the Broxburn roundabout I u-turned and rode back to Newbridge, then went south, up past Cliftonhall School and around to Ratho, and south again to the Long Dalmahoy Road back to Heriot-Watt Uni. I ate a banana, then finished with anaerobic exercises between roundabouts along the Calder Road. On my way home I explored the new paths through the former orchard of the Royal Ed. I only did 26 miles, but recorded a moving average of 17.5mph or so, door to door, and had my feet up well before Saturday Kitchen.
Strava tells me I collected 5 QOMs and 23 top ten awards.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Well done Hankchief and Greenroofer. Nice to briefly see Hankchief but was confused at to why he was alone until I read the above.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Arellcat. Speaking as someone who, 18 months ago, had never ridden more than 40 miles in one go, but who trundled round 140 today I don't think there's any real secret to riding a long way. You get a bike that fits, you get on it and you turn the pedals until you've got to the end. Then you get off. That's what I do.
The bit I'm in awe of is not the distance per se, but how they do it so fast.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Happy days - By a hare's breath I had done 300 :-)
In my tired state converting miles to kilometres I thought I was short but I wasn't.
For me distance is becoming a function of the time I have available. I have a steady pace that I know I can keep up and I just stick to that and see how far it takes me.
Yesterday's plan was for me to catch Greenroofer as we both took the same route South before we went our separate ways, but in the end he beat me to Tweedsmuir by 20mins. His long rides are obviously quickening his pace.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Respect to everyone out yesterday. The forecast was good but the reality was wet and windy (nicer today there is a TT on the Lang Whang)
We did col du Climpy yesterday which is about fifty miles if start and finish in Balerno. So really just a sprint compared to the long distance efforts. Has a good climb up from headless cross on the a71 through the wind farms and the hamlet of Climpy and then village of Forth then up again to Braehead. Coming down from Braehead the rain was actually sore.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Disadvantage #1 of upright bikes: headwinds are even less fun.
Advantage #3 of upright bikes: tailwinds are even more fun.Just flew along Braid Hills Road. 30mph on the uphill bit.
Posted 7 years ago # -
30km round the pentlands in sun, rain, cloud, sun, hail(!), and fun.
Very enjoyable apart from a slight fall off down a muddy hill...! Lots of hikers out, also spotted a young lady with two huskys attached to her belt having what looked like quite a good run!Posted 7 years ago # -
Me and mrs nobrakes took the day off work and had a fab time with @LaidBack trying out his demo Nazca Quetzal recumbent tandem. An interesting sizing challenge given that I am 6'3" and mrs nobrakes is 4'10"!
Went out the roseburn path, down to cramond and battled through a severe headwind for several miles to a welcome latte and bowl of soup, then tailwind all the way to trinity and back into town. A short blizzard on dalry ensured we got a good weatherbeating before getting back to the shop.
A great bike - my comparison was that the Fuego is a tie fighter and the quetzal is an imperial destroyer - and great company. Top day out.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/33190161800/in/photostream/
Posted 7 years ago # -
Perfect harmony. We did have to move seat forward and fit crank shorteners. We could do more to position seat better but it worked well enough. Reminded me of the famous 'Dave and Min' - Quetzal review video
Prom was devoid of other cyclists today. Did see two electric skateboarders though. That counts as an unsporting item in my view.
Nazca Quetzal 24 try out tour by LaidBackBikes, on FlickrWas really nice to introduce reclining and tandeming at same time. Too unpopular formats in one package!
Posted 7 years ago # -
over the bridge, turn right, through Inverkeithing, left past some old duck pond (Otterstone Loch, not an otter in sight), up a brutal hill, whizzed down some other hill, back over the bridge to Stockbridge.
glorious.
Cyclists everywhere.
Posted 7 years ago # -
15k with the kids to the #walkcyclevote event. First time out on my own with both kids on their own bikes for a proper ride, I think. Certainly first time with us all on our new big bikes.
Posted 7 years ago # -
After six months off the tandem due to torn shoulder muscle Mrs LB co-powered the Nazca out to West Linton today. Did Damside out and then came back on Rosslyn path over Gilmerton.
Not really the normal Mother's Day event but she enjoyed none the less. **Apart from the speed bump on Rosslyn path I failed to notice!** Almost had a big wipe out. Daffodils at side of road were starting to come out - Marie Currie support idea.
Romano Bridge / West Linton / Rosslyn circular by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Romano Bridge / West Linton / Rosslyn circular by LaidBackBikes, on FlickrPosted 7 years ago # -
Just back from a trip to Currie along the A70. Lovely crisp, calm evening. Towing the trailer behind the Elephant Bike for the first 'long' ride (~10 miles). It's lovely. It's not quick, but it's lovely. The bike is so stable, and makes you sit so straight and tall, that it's very relaxing to ride, and it's so heavy that you don't notice the extra weight and drag of the trailer. The biggest problem is remembering to put your feet down at traffic lights when you come to a halt. I get the feeling that one day I'm going to forget to do this, lulled into a state where I think the bike keeps upright by itself.
Posted 7 years ago #
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