A friend of mine posting a picture of the giant queue to vote in London, commented that the French Government weren't/don't allow Postal Votes?
Interesting. I may have misremembered postal instead of proxy.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
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Posted 7 years ago #
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IWRATS thank you for the insights.
Posted 7 years ago # -
IWRATS thanks, that makes complete sense.
Also to back to the Thread, I had a lovely ride on Saturday.
Sometime over the last week, we discovered the car battery was completely dead, so after a jump start we needed a long drive. However with the mother in law visiting, we don't comfortably have room for everyone in the car.
So I cycled to Culross, 40km each way. The sun was shining, everyone I passed; cyclist and pedestrian was smiling, I ordered double lunch and cake in the Biscuit cafe.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I have very fond memories of a day out to Culross a quarter of a century ago. Sounds lovely.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Culross is great, used to be a man made you crisps in his van. Is biscuit cafe atop the art gallery,
There is a mine shaft goes half way to Edinburgh side under the forth from Culross.
The Dutch gable much in view given hanseatic league connections.
Usually go there bu return on south side as like to commemorate the battle of Longannet 1973 and mick McGaghey back in simpler times
Posted 7 years ago # -
Memory plays tricks with spelling.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Round the Forth -
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks ChDot, I have always spelt his name incorrectly it seems. Also that is the route round the forth which is fantastic.
mthough
I think better out than back so chrisfl might be right to reverse.Posted 7 years ago # -
A curate's egg kind of a ride yesterday. A crack of dawn departure on the 0615 EDB - OXN saw me detraining at Oxenholme at 0815 ready to ride home via the Kirkstone Pass, Carlisle, Moffat, Biggar and Carnwath. The plan was, however, that the actual high-point of the route would be Harperrig. The weather forecast predicted a following wind and mainly dry, with an occasional shower (some heavy) in the latter stages.
The Lakes were very pleasant: a bit drizzly, but not as busy as one might expect for a Saturday in May. Everything was very green and lush looking. The Kirkstone Pass was over surprisingly quickly, and there's a slightly hair-raising descent down into Patterdale before another climb that leads to 20 miles gently downhill into Carlisle. That was all rather lovely.
Carlisle was a traffic nightmare: choked, slow and unpleasant. Approaching the station there was a crowd of onlookers, a lot of chuffing and clouds of steam blowing from under the bridge, but I resisted the temptation to stop for a steam-train fix. A route-finding error shortly after that led onto a dual carriageway urban expressway was recovered by lifting the bike over a fence. It's a mistake I've made there before, and must try not to make again.
Familiar roads north from Carlisle were busier than I remember (probably because it was Saturday lunchtime in May rather than 0730 on 31 December). Yet again I came across a rally: brightly coloured and very noisy cars kept blasting past in both direction. The rain came and went: certainly more than was forecast and enough to mean that constant changes of kit were getting a bit wearing.
Last time I rode through Ecclefechan (with @Hankchief) we stopped to retrieve a Christmas tree that was blowing through the village. This time there was even less happening. It felt deserted, damp and dead. A quick visit to the store topped up my water bottles and sugar levels. Apart from the shop keeper, I didn't see a soul in the place.
In Moffat there was a stop to wring out socks.
I twiddled my way in bottom gear up the Devil's Beef Tub and pondered how-much better-engineered that road is than the Kirkstone Pass. It's amazing how 'they' managed to give it such a uniform gradient for the whole way. There was mist swirling round the top of the hills, and visibility at the top was down to 100m or so. It was dark and cold.
Then the rain started in earnest and just got heavier and heavier. At first it was gently amusing because it was so heavy as it bounced off the road and left completely it awash, then it was annoying because it kept washing sweat out of my h*lm*t pads into my eyes, making them sting, and then it became frightening because there was lightning immediately followed by thunder on an exposed hillside with no shelter of any kind. Adrenalin brought renewed energy and speed, and 15 minutes huddled in the doorway of the derelict Crook Inn wearing every stitch of clothing until the rain and hail eased off left me shivering.
The weather improved on the way to Biggar, although huge dark clouds loomed behind. Biggar smelt of chips (which were tempting) but it felt that every minute's delay ran the risk of being a minute in another downpour. From there to Carnwath was pleasant, with dramatic skies and a following wind.
And then it was the Lang Whang home. Familiar territory made the miles pass quickly as each landmark came and went. Harperrig was, indeed the high point of the ride. Approaching the summit there arose the fatigue-induced and surreal image of @gembo on my shoulder in a pink top (or was it a Tunnocks one?) whispering into my ear in a poor imitation of Sean Connery "itsh the Quickening", and indeed it was: the following wind blew the bike all the way to the airfield turn with barely a touch of the pedals.
At Slateford there was a choice of routes home: along the canal or up Craiglockhart Avenue. For some reason I chose the latter. It wasn't the quickest ascent ever made of that hill. Having said I'd be back by 10, I was actually home on the dot of 9pm.
158 miles. Just under 13 hours elapsed time. A grand, if rather drookit, day out.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I doff my cap to such an audacious ride.
Great work and a lovely write up. Hope you have dried out...
Posted 7 years ago # -
I was out this morning for the 0900 to Glasgow, then the 1030 to Paisley to meet up with friends. It drizzled and rained, drizzled a bit more, and rained again.
We followed NCN route 75 (which is beautiful) through Linwood and Quarriers, and after about 15 miles we stopped for ice cream and coffee at Kilmacolm. One of our group, riding a lovely Koga Signature touring bike, returned to Paisley while we carried on to Auchentiber Road. Going west brought us to the River Gryffe and the two big reservoirs high up in the hills overlooking Greenock and Inverkip. At Garshangan Bridge the road became more and more unsurfaced, and through the forest (looking a lot less foresty now) it was rough track, surfaced with dirt, assorted bricks and broken rocks.
The road reappeared at Loch Thom, as did the sun! A mile or two later two more of the group left, for Largs and their train. We carried on for the Cornalees Bridge visitor centre, and a wander around the exhibition which is all about the "Greenock Cut", a six mile aqueduct-cum-mill lade that used Loch Thom reservoir to power mills in Greenock.
The Cut is well surfaced, like a canal towpath and almost level riding around the contours. We had a view of the IBM factory, well graffitied and decrepit, and the capsized boat in the Clyde. The Cut path brought us eventually to Papermill Road, which plunges straight down towards Drumfrochar and Greenock Central. I was riding my RANS with disc brakes, so I had no shortage of retardation, while Tulyar's coaster brake gradually filled the air with smoke and the heady smell of vintage racing cars.
We caught the train back to Glasgow, and I just had time to get to Queen Street for the 1730. Unfortunately a passenger took ill, so our footabll fan carrying 9-carriage Turbostar was cancelled. A significant number of us raced across the platform to completely fill the adjacent 3-carriage train that, it now being gone 1740, ran non-stop to Edinburgh to make up time. I had a long chat about power stations and train timetables with a guy from Germany.
35 miles door to door and I was ready for some pizza for dinner.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Great thing about the Kilmacolm line is that it climbs almost consistently at around 1:70 all the way so you just set up a steady cadence and keep going.
Nice to discover some real wasters too.
Rain? Scotch mist more like
9 coach Turbostar? I thought 6 was the limit. Nice bit of service regulation there Hope you waved thank you to the Controllers at Springburn.
Really appalled to see chain gangs riding ridiculously fast on the path to Kilmacolm when they should clearly be doing that sort of speed on the road.
Tonight - Repack - just handy that my Torpedo hub has a re-lube facility/nipple.
Pleasantly pleased to discover that my Saltire Card got me a 50% discount on the train fare (SPT services only) rather than the 33% with a railcard
Posted 7 years ago # -
@greenroofer magic. It was float day in Balerno yesterday and they got soaked but not as much as you. I have been down kirkstone pass the way you came up and up it the way you went down. Either way I don't mind the climb but the descent is little fun. Worse is the side road, it might be called the struggle - went down it with my nose touching the front wheel tyre.
Good that harperrig is the higher point and X plains why I hang around there waiting to be blown home without pedalling. You may have missed the a static caravan nearer Carnwath which the owner has added pine cladding all round the outside. Rather fetching. Massive respeck
@arellcat/@tulyar - very near my boyhood stomping ground, but the railway was merely disused then not. A cycle path alas. Very steep coming off the top down to largs or Greenock too.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Had cause to be in Kincraig this weekend so of course took the bike and ambled up Glen Feshie. I say 'ambled', turns out that the 2016 floods have removed half the glen and many of the paths and roads. Terrifying.
Spent an hour watching the head of the glen for eagles and went back via Bridge of Tromie.
Lovely grey wagtail, spotted flycatcher and an osprey were highlights. Lowlight a guy who tried to chat when I was having lunch in a place suited to silent, solitary contemplation.
Also my repaired brake caliper post survived some pretty harsh use.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Today work took me to Stirling for a meeting, which helpfully ended quite early. Decisions, decisions: a quick sprint through lunchtime traffic to the train station and back to the office early for a longer afternoon of toil...or...stick to the 'Should be back about 2' plan letting me ride down NCN 76 to Larbert to pick up the train there?
Route 76 won and I'm glad it did. Fantastic ride out of Stirling and then along a singletrack road through farms, green fields, cows and the odd horse. A fantastically gravelly, rocky, lumpy bit of farm track, complete with old farmer and older collie dog watching me with an amused smile. And all around nothing but birdsong, wind in the hedges and just a hint of a faraway, vague traffic sound.
'Better' still, with my phone officially 'knackered', I was left to more or less figure out the route to Larbert by hazy knowledge and looking for landmarks. Only down side was not having the time - I was sprinting through the back streets of Larbert guessing I was getting close to train departure time. Just as I turned onto the road up to the station I saw the two carriaged train sat waiting...waiting...doors closing...final beeping...and there's the whistle and roar of diesel engine...just as I get onto the platform.
Oh well. Lunch consumed in the waiting room. Still, it was much more fun than work...
Posted 7 years ago # -
@IWRATS, when by the Feshie, did you by any chance stop on the singletrack to talk to a guy with a toddler on the back of his mountain bike?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Snowy
No, but I did see him in the distance. Thought I'd imagined it.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@IWRATS *wave*
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Snowy
Great work taking your youngster out into our landscape. Here's hoping (s)he grows to be an ardent wilderness cyclist!
Posted 7 years ago # -
I was on holiday today, so took a hastily-planned train trip to Berwick-upon-Tweed and back, with a bike trip from Berwick to Lindisfarne and back. The weather was AMAZING.
I followed NCN route 1 to get there, and the 14-odd miles took me nearly two hours. The terrain is better suited to a full suspension mountain bike than a road or touring bike! Of course, NCN 1 out that way is also great for watching trains.
I hadn't planned to cross the causeway, but would have had time in hand for a brief excursion to the island had the tide not beaten me anyway (it comes in quickly!), so I sat on a cube of concrete and ate my sandwiches.
Coming back I took a route shown on my OS map that I hoped would avoid the ridiculously slow coast route as far as Goswick Farm, but it took me to a level crossing with manual gates, and you have to wait for the green light to cross. I don't think you're meant to use that crossing but you don't know that until you're there, and then the alternative is two miles back along the cratered track to Carrow Hill and the cycle route.
Later on I stopped at an old bridge near Scremerston and watched the trains for a while and tried to take photographs of the local butterflies.
Then back to Berwick. I wandered along to the lighthouse at the end of the pier, then wandered through town, bought a pizza and ate it at the station and read my book for half an hour. Total was about 35 miles door to door.
I am also slightly sunburnt, but only here and there. I was glad I had my suncream with me today.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Arellcat - you chose a great day for it!
Posted 7 years ago # -
the 14-odd miles took me nearly two hours
I like your style.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Early start for me today, leaving the house before sunrise (yes really). The Rail Bridge looked stunning with an orange sky behind, just a shame that we havery to use the West cycle path.
Chugged my way over Knockhill and the Crook of Devon and on to Comrie and South Loch Earn. Up and over Glenogle on the old railway line arriving at Killin spot on 8am as intended.
Lots & lots of bunnies (they must be breeding), a red squirrel and many adolescent deer looking for a new home. So peaceful at that time in the morning.
From Killin I was joined by some friends for a ride over Ben Lawers and onto Kinloch Rannoch for lunch. I bailed on them at this point and headed for a train home via Schallion.
A grand day out and back in time for tea and sandwiches :-)
Posted 7 years ago # -
@hankchief, another epic. We did some of that by driving to dunkeld and then going to Blairgowrie and Pitlochry then kinlochrannoch,mince we cafe then back via schiehallion to aberfeldy then dunkeld though some went to Pitlochry where maybe you caught the train.
I was cycling at 4.30 a.m. Last week, but that was actually light and just through Edinburgh, dinged my bell in friendly camaraderie with some bleary eyed students heading home from Malones.
Cafe in kinlochrannoch is good spot after long cycle but possibly quite quaint if you just drive there. By which I mean they have various peculiar rules which as long as they are serving you as a cyclist you just love but at other times I might find odd. They were also renovating the hotel?e
Posted 7 years ago # -
76 km loop to Haddington and Pencaitland with Edinburgh Belles. Furthest by far that I have cycled in some years.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Forgot to say I also punctured my brand new Marathon Pluses on an inch long nail, and had a clip-out fail at the top of a hill - gah!
Posted 7 years ago # -
Did the climb out of avonbridge (minor incline really but suppose you do have to get there) up to standburn then lovely descent down to lo linlithgow bridge, under the viaduct at the end. Total of no cars.
Then later walked with the boy on the intricate network of paths off the lymphoy road (I suppose I should not tell you about them) total of no people apart from our lad and me
Posted 7 years ago # -
Cycled on the old Raleigh tourer out to West Lothian by Cairnpapple hill today for a 50 mile loop approximately. Glorious sunshine much of the time, though a fairly stiff westerly headwind on the way out. On the route I sampled the delights of the Burnshot underpass detour: not too bad really, nice smooth new footpath helps a lot.
Decided to turn off the main road before Winchburgh as was getting tired of cars (though not that busy , just they were going fast): went on a wee diversion by Niddrie bings and then onto canal towpath until Linlithgow: really the surface is very much improved from what I remember a few years ago: a nice bitmac layer has been put down and the path has been widened. Not that busy either, so very enjoyable.
Did the climb up to Beecraigs where ice cream was taken at the visitor centre. Alas they no longer sell venison products, which was disappointing as I used to regularly pick up venison sausages (frozen) at the old visitor centre (now closed). A wee descent then another climb as far as Cairnpapple. Had a break for a snack, and then descended, descended, descended with the wind at my back towards Denchmont, thence on the main road (bit too busy and fast cars) to Uphall.
Considered rejoining the canal towpath at Broxburn but decided against it as thought it may be very busy on way into Edinburgh. So A8 path it was: I was reminded just how dreadful and hazardous it really can be. Roadworks near Ingliston finished at least, nice smooth bits of tarmac there. The crossing at Gogarstone Road in particular absolutely dangerous: drivers taking the corner at full dual carriageway speed heading south. Really that junction needs to be redesigned or even closed to motor traffic entirely.
Tried out the underpass at Edinburgh Gateway in order to cut through Gyle centre on way to Quiet route 9. Actually pretty usable as long as you're not taking the corner fast. Meandered through surban South Gyle, Broomhall, Carrick Knowe and Murrayfield. Pinkhill path then Roseburn and NEPN. Paused at bridge over Roseburn and saw the rain clouds coming - I had been outrunning them up to this point. Wind getting up. Sailed along NEPN until the heavens opened near Leith Walk: oh well at least carrying that waterproof jacket was worthwhile.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@crowriver sounds like we were on similar routes today, was also tour de forth, lot of paint and stickers on the road
Posted 7 years ago # -
Yeah, I saw a yellow sign in Linlithgow pointing up Manse Rioad saying "Cycle Route". Thought I: I know,
Posted 7 years ago #
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