CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

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

(2685 posts)

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  1. Greenroofer
    Member

    Up with the lark this morning to visit some friends in Coldstream "for 10 o'clock" and a day of gardening.

    Innocent Railway-Musselburgh-Tranent-Gifford-Redstone Rigg-Longformacus-Duns-Coldstream. ~50 miles.

    Very quiet. Probably passed by less than 20 cars on the whole trip. Pleasant temperature. Glorious views, with a fiery dawn followed by a beautiful haze on the southern uplands ahead of me.

    I ambled up onto the Lammermuirs, then realised that if I didn't stop ambling I was going to be very late, so put the hammer down for the last 20 miles and arrived in Coldstream slightly sweaty 18 fashionable minutes late.

    Did a day of gardening. Got a lift back in the car with Mrs G.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  2. Greenroofer
    Member

    P.S. Just been looking at my Strava data, to find that the ToB guys a couple of weeks ago did the Gifford-Redstone Rig segment in half the time it took me today.

    Professional cyclists really are superhuman.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  3. gembo
    Member

    Poppy sportive followed you Greenroofer, bit later on. I was up when still dark as had to fettle bike a little so I sat eating my porridge whilst the dawn came up, peaceful. Out on the road a rare schlep THRU Midlothian without anyone shouting at us. Down the west Linton moor road, massive blow out in peloton necessitating the old inner tube as tyre liner. On to Blyth bridge, netherurd, garvald, dunsyre, Carnwath, apple pie then home

    Posted 6 years ago #

  4. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Professional cyclists really are superhuman.

    Their ability to shift glycogen and oxygen is literally incredible.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  5. morepathsplease
    Member

    Another enjoyable trip on part of NCN 76, going North this time for a work event near Aberdour. A really still morning added something to the spectacular views along Dalgety Bay (after I'd had breakfast Parisian-style outside Gregg's in Inverkeithing). Fantastic cake at the tea room in Aberdour Castle on the way back.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    “Fantastic cake at the tea room in Aberdour Castle on the way back“

    Did you find the orchard?

    Great selection of (now) ripe apples.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. morepathsplease
    Member

    Did you find the orchard?

    I might have done had it been en route to the tea room. It might have said orchard on the sign outside but I only saw tea room.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    Next time...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. gembo
    Member

    Great pootle from Uddingston to Parkhead this morning. Less grim than the last time I did this route

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. dessert rat
    Member

    left super early in an attempt to be in Langholm by 1000.

    Glorious sunrise on top of some hill.

    I didn't make it to Langholm in time - woefully slow.

    Aldi merino base-layer was stupendous.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. Greenroofer
    Member

    Up at silly o'clock and on the 0633 EDB - BLA, changing at STG, with a view to riding home via Dull, Ben Lawers and Gleogle (in all cases 'because it's there') and then north of the Forth. Ben Lawers was easier than I feared, but marred by torrential rain all the way up and down (going down was particularly unpleasant because of the gritty noise of Mavic rims and Shimano brake pads turning themselves into a very expensive grey gunge that completely covered the lower half of the bike and my legs). I definitely did Glenogle in the right direction: would not want to ride up it on the variable paths and 25mm slick tyres. The intermittent showers eased off through Fife to the bridges, and crossing the Forth was absolutely glorious. Coming back along the NEPN in the semi-dark I was accosted by a group of lads, one of whom had a balaclava on, but they didn't try anything.

    130 miles with a wonderful finish (apart from the balaclaved lads). The last of my 2017 objectives ticked off. I am in love with my Brooks B17: so comfortable, and a real revelation.

    Tomorrow I wash the bike...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. piosad
    Member

    After yesterday's collision and with no time to deliver bike to service today (9am lecture coupled with 4pm ice skating lesson for offspring) I accepted SRD's gracious offer of the loan of the Helios. The offspring went from 'squeeeee I don't know what I'm doing and that makes me nervous' (yes she does speak in deliberate dramatic sentences like that) to 'Dad, can we get one of these for ourselves?' in the time it took us to get from Shandon to Murrayfield. Also couldn't help noticing that being on a tandem with a child immediately improves the behaviour of drivers on Slateford Road if you're trying to turn right…

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. JELBERENCE
    Member

    The day's arrangements long fulfilled
    I sped away, in great release
    Unhurried, yet hungered still
    Gorged upon my travel,
    I rest now, sated briefly
    When morning comes, again I'll feed
    Fast, yes
    I hope not broken

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. dessert rat
    Member

    some hills, more hills, even more hills, then too many hills - abandoned/cut-short.

    PortyVello fast ride, a little too fast for me.

    Was nice though while it lasted.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. gembo
    Member

    @iain McR, today would have been good day to freewheel from harperrig to the kirknewton turn

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. MrSRD
    Member

    Iain McR: it was a seriously hard ride, probably the most difficult conditions of any PV ride I have been on. At various points going up the Granites, with the head winds / cross winds, I was afraid of running out of steam. The descent down into Heriot was very white-knuckle....

    And I have also struggled in the rather wide gap between their 'intermediate' and fitness rides. Hope you keep coming back....

    Posted 6 years ago #

  17. rider73
    Member

    was ok this morning over FRB - no sign of the high winds forecast!? perhaps they will kick in later :(

    Posted 6 years ago #

  18. amir
    Member

    Any ride that has a downpour forecast (my weather forecast UK app) and has hardly a spot of rain is by definition a lovely ride

    Posted 6 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    “perhaps they will kick in later”

    Looks like overnight (and stay in bed tomorrow morning).

    Posted 6 years ago #

  20. bill
    Member

    Calm before the storm. This morning was one of the least effort rides in weeks. Almost felt like cheating.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  21. gembo
    Member

    Strong east winds, payback on the way home

    Posted 6 years ago #

  22. rider73
    Member

    @gembo - my commute is a U shape :-/
    :-)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  23. GDR
    Member

    Managed a lunchtime spin up the WoL path to Balerno and beyond then back via the reservoirs and Bonaly. Threat of apocalyptic weather meant it was very quiet. Did not have to navigate the professional dog walkers with their wandering packs, no school kids shouting witty comments outside the chippy in Balerno. Only one pillock driving at speed through the flooded bit at the bottom of the hill with the rspca centre. Wierd light but no wind so all in all quite enjoyable.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  24. dessert rat
    Member

    Sunday - to Moffat via Innerleithen.

    Lovely, then dark and brooding until Innerleithen. Dark and a bit drizzly afterwards. Fierce headwind all day, made for a tired commute this morning.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  25. unhurt
    Member

    Had a lovely ride swim Sunday: Met a friend who's moved to Portobello and got back in the sea for the first time since mid-September in Orkney. Late morning sun in a brisk north wind at and the tide out almost to Fife. Had to wade halfway to Kircaldy for water deep enough to swim without bumping knees on the bottom, but there were waves to play in. Rescued two stranded starfish afterwards.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  26. amir
    Member

    Having had a wee bug over the last few days, I took Saturday off the bike. On Sunday, once the paracetomol quicked in I went for a stupidly bumpy ride in Midlothian. Though hilly, my route did mean that there was very little traffic. The "highlight" was filling in an Veloviewer explorer square (to get up to 11 x 11) and taking opportunity to trudge through a field to see the souterrain near Crichton.

    My shoes were impressively muddy after that but eventually I managed to clean them enough to allow me to clip in.

    Given the state of my virus-riddled legs I should have stopped for calories at Humbie but I wouldn't have been popular trailing in dirt from over the border.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  27. unhurt
    Member

    @amir did you see the pegasus?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  28. amir
    Member

    Unfortunately not @unhurt I was in full roadie kit. The entrance is small and very muddy so you'd probably be best in overalls or similar and in a dry period. Apparently it's quite high inside and pretty big. Great link! Thanks

    Posted 6 years ago #

  29. Greenroofer
    Member

    Came across @snowy on the way home this evening and had a pleasant ride along the towpath discussing this and that. He was kind enough to moderate his speed so that I could keep up on my big heavy bicycle.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  30. unhurt
    Member

    @snowy in the Stockbridge Tap reminiscing about how exhausting his recent holiday was. Good phone footage of a small child cycling through Loch an Eilan though!

    Posted 6 years ago #

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