CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

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

(2697 posts)

  1. gembo
    Member

    Sounds right, will check. Someone took the patch above Sean's and is claiming Sean's spots. He has had to explain the rules to them.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. unhurt
    Member

    Twitchers are a territorial species, like robins?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    White fronted (Greenland race). Sean says. He also says he is not a twitcher.

    There is a new book out about robins. Heard most of it before about how violent they are, fighting to the death etc. Apparently they only live a year, max two, so when people (people like me) think they have the same Robin year after year landing on the garden fork or watching you dig your tatties, it is not. That one is dead and a new one has taken its place.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. unhurt
    Member

    I'll be careful not to mislabel any Balerno-area bird-enthusiast Seans I encounter face to face.

    The (slightly depressing and quite brutal) circle of robin life. (Is this why the Bible goes with sparrows? Robins falling on the ground right, left and centre, it would get confusing?)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. paddyirish
    Member

    Tired of doing most of my riding in the dark, took advantage of a beautiful day to ride from work- through Currie and up to the area East of Harlaw in the Pentlands. Really enjoyed the off road bits, but I am now filled with regret that I could have done rides like this for the last 4 years...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. gembo
    Member

    C'mon paddyirish, there will be days like this again

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. Greenroofer
    Member

    Very pleasant and zen-like ride home in the dark along the towpath into town this evening. I trundled along, enjoying the gentle ticking from my SA rear hub and meditating on the demise of the Alfine hub. I enjoyed it so much that I stayed on the towpath at Meggetland rather than peeling off into Colinton Road: I didn't want to spoil the calm by jousting with traffic. At Ashley Terrace I had no choice but to face reality once again and join the traffic on Myreside Road homewards.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. gembo
    Member

    @greenroofer, peaceful.

    Traffic was ultra snarled coming out of Edinburgh tonight but once through it at dominos pizza/Codfather of old, road quite empty and zen like in stretches.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. fimm
    Member

    Took the Big Bike to work for the first time in a while yesterday. Was pleasant. There was a lovely moon on the way home; there was a point (when there were no cars around) where I covered up my front light and cycled along by the moonlight!

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. dessert rat
    Member

    Edinburgh - Granites - Heriot - Soutra Aisle - Humbie - Haddington - lost - Longniddry - Stockbridge.

    Parts near Heriot and Soutra to Haddington were glorious, the slog home with that headwind was horrific. My rate of progress along the coast road was lower than up the Granites.

    Going to do it all again tomorrow.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Pancakeland and back. Annual pilgrimage. Frozen puddles exploded under my wheels. Big, barrel-chested sparrowhawk flushed from the Ormiston path. Could have been, this time of year? Maybe, maybe not.

    New paths, rock solid field edges. Snell wind on the long grind home. Same again next year if the good Lord spare me.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  13. dessert rat
    Member

    Over the bridge, bit of faffing, turn left - Limekilns is quite nice, in a sort of land-that-time-forgot way. Shall definitely return with family in tow when warmer. It was quite charming.

    The lack of wind was a breath of fresh air.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  14. gembo
    Member

    Limekilns is nice and if family day out go on to Culross

    Posted 6 years ago #
  15. rider73
    Member

    ooo more nice places to visit

    i'm tempted to go today but it looks proper icy out there

    unless i fit my studded tyres today, but i dont want to take off my durano's - i still have nightmares about getting them on, cold sweats, waking screaming in the night - and the three gravestones in the back garden where i had to bury the dead tyre levers.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  16. gembo
    Member

    @ridr 73 about five years back when we had much snow, I bought a front wheel and put Schwalbe winter tyre with two rows of studs. I would swap front wheel for my commute if icy. I have used it twice. It has been a talisman, but this winter my lumbago is suggesting it is going to be hard.

    The art gallery in Culross has good cafe if there after ten thirty when the pressure has built up in their coffee machine. The houses have Dutch stepped gable due to seventeenth century trAde. See also the pub called The Dutch House over the Kincardine bridge at skinflats. Worth going over and following the Sustrans route as you get a nice view of the Kelpies. Yeah u can keep going and cross again at Queensferry but probably more pleasant to retrace the route out. Culross House is that seventeenth century alarming orange colour of distemper.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  17. unhurt
    Member

    Musselburgh ash lagoons and back. My toes are SO COLD. Lovely though - took home made ginger biscuits and hot (lukewarm on arrival though) chocolate and watched the birds and the birdwatchers for a bit.

    Also perfect excuse for a Sunday afternoon bath.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. gembo
    Member

    Came back up a very twinkly WoL path at dusk. I was most glad to have the benefit of my fentekman's half Jose. (Gentleman's half Hose)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. wingpig
    Member

    I had a nice wee trot alongside someone having a nice wee ride:

    Posted 6 years ago #
  20. Rosie
    Member

    Nice seeing the wee ones out on their Christmas presents, wee girl pedalling, Dad running beside her shouting Keep Pedalling, Keep Pedalling, and Grand-dad taking pictures.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  21. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Took the torpedo out earlier. The footway outside my house was sheet ice, but the roads were OK. I installed the spraydeck and the roof for extra warmth, but clotheswise just kept to t-shirt, long sleeved merino and Endura multi-tights.

    I was starting to overheat after just five miles!

    Posted 6 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    Very little wind, walked lymphoy then WoL path. One bike, all new kit, quite muddy underfoot when not icy. Moon was out at 13.30

    Posted 6 years ago #
  23. unhurt
    Member

    Round the reservoirs at Balerno and up the avenue for good measure yesterday, satisfyingly wet and cold and quite atmospheric, then back into town in the sleety darkness late on, down a filthy muddy WoL path for the first half. Is it wrong to really enjoy getting wretchedly dirty in the dark and wet? I think I need some better lights so I can do it more and longer (and in slightly more interesting places). Today's trips included a wee spin to the King's for the panto; ride not lovely but panto great fun, then icy-dicey over to Davidsons Mains for leftovers and wine. (Road home, bike lanes crunching with frost.)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    Rolled down to south Queensferry, lovely in the morning, wish they would Tarmac the cobbles, then up to mannerstons coffee shop, (many huge puddles on the back road after Duntarvie castle/kilt factory. Only spoiled when we reached the B8000 (road from kirkliston to linlithgoew when Euan leading the group decided to take a right to enable him to set the KOM for Kingscavil 2018. I am not a fan of Kingscavil

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. unhurt
    Member

    Freezing feet but lovely still day for a wee birl N Berwickwards. Failed to reach Steampunk Coffee as I got distracted by https://imgur.com/gallery/beCLp">scones in Gullane. so good (tho scone very wee!).

    Posted 6 years ago #
  26. unhurt
    Member

    Freezing feet but lovely still day for a wee birl N Berwickwards. Failed to reach Steampunk Coffee as I got distracted by scones in Gullane. So good (tho scone very wee!).

    Posted 6 years ago #
  27. dessert rat
    Member

    Ventured along WOL path (my first time), pedaled around Balerno 'centre' looking for a cafe. Then into the hills, coffee at Flotterstone, a blast along the lovely A702 back to town.

    Really cold alternating with just very cold when in the sun.

    All to the soundtrack of late 90's / early 2000 indie via previously mentioned bone conducting headphones. They are tremendous.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  28. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Sunset over Pentlands and Edinburgh from Gullane made me doubt my sanity.

    Sunset by IWRATS IWRATS, on Flickr

    Posted 6 years ago #
  29. ARobComp
    Member

    Laps of Arthurs Seat today was all I could manage in the time I had before visiting SO's godmother with newsprog (and was worried about roads out of town being icy icy). However it was absolutely lovely and exactly what the doctor ordered.

    Had a lovely chat with a few other riders, and got filthy looks from some old folks in tweed with canes walking down the middle of the road (not an issue for me I was quite happy to pop around them but aparently CLOSED MEANS CLOSED TO ALL VEHICULAR TRAFFIC).

    Mostly everyone else out there was just enjoying the marvelous clear skys and views.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  30. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @ARobComp

    A bicycle is a carriage, not a vehicle. Tweedsters should appreciate that.

    Posted 6 years ago #

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