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

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

(2697 posts)

Started 14 years ago by kaputnik
Latest reply from gembo

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gembo
Member

Super schlepp from Blerny over to Gladhouse Reservoir, some frost. Some wet roads where salt melted ice, some dry roads. We followed the conveyor belt up and down and up and down until we reached The Granites, covered in cloud. Veered off after the climb to Heriot all pretty again out of the clouds. Over to A7 which was Ok then off to the big climb to Gilston with the one room cottage I like and then on to the third largest medieval hospital in Scotland. From there we made it to Humbie Hub. Before we left maybe 25 cyclists. Route one home via Dalkeith and Gilmerton and fairmilehead WC. Potholes and drivers aside all good.

Very high buzzard count today - five separate sightings. Also flock of Fieldfare taking the Rowan berries at Gilston.

Posted 6 years ago #
DaveC
Member

I have been at the Audax UK reunion this weekend in Stirling Uni Hotel. Yesterday I rode there from home and then joined a small ride to Braco for coffe and light br/lunch.

Today I rode to Edinburgh with a friend who was returning to the south coast via train. We rode down NCN76 to near the Falkirk wheel before visiting and then heading down the Canal to the Kelpies. From here we rode along the coast to Boness picking up the NCN76 to South Queensferry and into Edinburgh along my usual route in. We took a detour along the Cramond PRom, which was packed!

Also at the eastern end, we met a family of three with a 4-5 yr old who were struggling to return home to Leith. The only pavement there is on the other side, and was blocked with cars. My friend and I suggested they ride on the road, Dad in front, Mum outside, son next to the curb with us behind mem & son. One very profesional lorry driver was very patient and over took as you would a horse, very slowly only accelerating once they were well clear. Sadly a X5 driver who lest the shed company, impatiently blasted past was not as profesional.

Posted 6 years ago #
dessert rat
Member

Saturday I took the A701 to Moffat - every time I do it I swear it'll be the last. The surface for the first 90mins always makes for an extremely miserable ride.

Refueled at 20miles at Whitmuir organic cafe after which the World seemed a far more tolerable place and it was a largely enjoyable ride.

The near constant headwind wasn't great but not too annoying, however I am blaming it for the slow pace, which resulted in a riding time of 4hrs, 0mins, 01 secs.

Posted 6 years ago #
amir
Member

I did a circuit from Lancaster on Friday. I do love exploring. There are some great cycle facilities around though, notably the off-road routes along the River Lune up the valley to Caton and along the estuary to Condor Green. It's possible to mix dales, river, coastal and industrial heritage in one ride.
Sunderland and Heysham are really nice as well.

Posted 6 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

Had a very simple ride up and over the Pentlands at sunset on my way to dinner at Polton with FIL. Nothing technical and mostly just bumbling along with lots of pauses to take photos. Really really enjoyable with the sky so clear apart from some UFO type clouds illuminated by the setting sun. Wish I'd gotten out a little earlier so I could have been at the top of Maidens Cleugh in time for the sun setting, however then I might have not had such lovely light filtering through the trees next to Cubbiedean Reservoir.

Lovely ride to just savour the space we live in.

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

Nothing technical and mostly just bumbling along with lots of pauses to take photos. Lovely ride to just savour the space we live in.

Welcome to the Caledonian Cycle Bumblers Club.

Posted 6 years ago #
urchaidh
Member

Did a loop round Edinburgh on Saturday with one of my kids and some friends. Innocent, Meadows, Canal to Slateford, WoL to Roseburn (Are you local!!), NEPN to Leith then back to Porty along the shore and a final coffee at the Little Green Van. Lot's of play parks and cafe's along the route, mostly off road.

Posted 6 years ago #
ARobComp
Member

Is bimbling the same as bumbling?

Posted 6 years ago #
unhurt
Member

Slightly politer.

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

I am going to set up the Bumbling Syndicate to rival the Adventure Syndicate with all their speed and lightness and fitness and stuff. We will get tired and look at things while they lust for the horizon.

Posted 6 years ago #
urchaidh
Member

bimble - to walk or travel at a leisurely pace.
bumble - to speak or move in a confused way,

You can bumble while you bimble.

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

I am going to set up the Bumbling Syndicate to rival the Adventure Syndicate with all their speed and lightness and fitness and stuff. We will get tired and bump into things while they lust for the horizon.

Posted 6 years ago #
unhurt
Member

@urchaidh oh, I'm definitely a bumbler then.

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

The Misadventure Syndicate.

Posted 6 years ago #
steveo
Member

Lovely ride home last night observing the streamers of surface water being thrown forward from under my front mudguard, they were then light by my light (on the fork crown) producing a quite lovely light show.

I suspect my tyre is too small for my mudguard, I get quite a lot of spray coming out the front then being driven back on to my feet.

Posted 6 years ago #
gembo
Member

Roads quiet from Balerno to city centre 7.50 a.m. This morning and again. The other way at 17.40pm

Like totally pleasant.

But why?

Posted 6 years ago #
miak
Member

Got up late, breakfasted late, cycled in late.... Ravelston hardly any traffic ...luverly

Posted 5 years ago #
the canuck
Member

The nice driver two days ago who let me off my side street and into traffic, and then made a right turn which held up traffic behind them, giving me more space to make my own right hand turn a little further.

Posted 5 years ago #
paddyirish
Member

Yesterday was first day of my furlough and I was tired and wanted an easy ride, so with a strong tailwind from the SW, a coastal ride to North Berwick which covered new ground for me was a good bet. It turned out to be a cracking day and a beautiful route. Kitesurfers at Longniddry looked like they were having a whale of a time.

DSC_0432 by paddyirish, on Flickr

DSC_0421 by paddyirish, on Flickr

Posted 5 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Met up with non-forumer in Haddington for a nice afternoon loop round by East Linton and Whitekirk.

55 miles for me - 60 miles for him as he lives out of town.
First longer try-out of my new 12 speed set up. Single ring with SRAM GX 10-50 cassette. I clicked and it changed ok. I may start a thread on it with title of 'Gearing N+1 - is it worth it?'.
On a recliner a single chain ring works well as speeds are so variable from very slow to quite fast. My 17kg tourer needs mountain bike type set up and this covers 20 - 100"

Lovely views from Whitekirk to Drem road. Also noticed that John Muir Way was getting improved.
55 miles with break at Smeaton Nursery.
Saw three cars driving with no lights on B1377 in a space of 20 mins. So dangerous. One was towing a horsebox. Police need to pull these people over.

Posted 5 years ago #
DaveC
Member

I had a nice commute this morning. Dry (as in no rain, the roads were damp) on the ride in. I set off early as I was awake. Made it in for 08:30, collected my laptop, I forgot to take home yesterday, said his to the office and then left for home. Got back home around 10:20 haveing ridden 37km. Strava'd in but the blunnin app didn't actually start (wish they'd put in a one tap to start feature) so had to manually add that in.

Posted 5 years ago #
dessert rat
Member

was lovely but baltic along the canal then left to Five Sisters Zoo. Sadly last 10k hobbled with tubeless issues meaning the return was abandoned.

The Wolves looked happy with the weather, the lions less so and we watched a bear doing some digging - possible tunneling for freedom.

Posted 5 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

Took a day off to cycle out the city with our South African cycling visitor. He's 33 and got enough stamina to ride in and out of Durban (Most inhabitants prefer driving there - so you have to be fast to survive on roads in a bike. Doesn't have a car).
So far he's had a wee tour to LB but if course wants to meet road club. I've told him about Apple Pie cafe of course.
Afternoon ride of 65 miles today though was a good warm up.
Took in NCN1 to Forth Bridges and as we had knocked that off quickly I decided Culross was doable. After a snack and coffee in The Admiral Cafe at Mercat Cross we headed into Kincardine and got back round via A904 to S Queensferry and the new cycleway at Burnshot.
(my M5 can't do the turn at underpass!)
Showed him Torphicen St and rush hour. He likes riding here as lots more people out on bikes than back home. (Saw oil worker on bike at INEOS although not sure that counts as anti ignition measure.)
Aved just over 15 on loop - paths aren't that fast although he likes the idea of safe infra. Tomorrow he can shift up a gear!

Posted 5 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

Wasn't quite sure where to put this one: it could have been a 'spotted' or a 'more of us' just as much as a lovely ride.

On the way out of the basement bike park on the way home, the car ahead of me got a bit stuck in the barrier and was surrounded by five bikes before its driver managed to free it. It just got better from there: maybe it was the calm evening with a beautiful sunset, maybe it was the surprisingly benign behaviour of every driver I encountered, maybe it was because I was on Horton the Elephant Bike, whose sedate upright riding style always creates a sense of relaxed well-being.

Anyway, it was lovely. The towpath was full of bikes of all kinds. I saw a woman and (I assume) her three children out at Wester Hailes who seemed to be riding home from Watson's. I'd passed them going the other way this morning. There were youths in hoodies on new mountain bikes. There were commuters in fluorescent jackets and black tights. There were old people on e-bikes. There was a stylish woman with cool hair and interesting make-up. There were two people with a child on their bike. I nodded at @Dave with noisy studded tyres and lots of clothes. I waved at @gembo, dapper in a suit on his e-bike, and at Scott/Craig (can't remember which is his name) who I see often and who is relentlessly cheerful. I passed Maximum Space Man with a collie on a long fluorescent lead.

I arrived home exactly when I said I would, in a tremendously good mood.

On a day like this, riding a bike is wonderful

Posted 5 years ago #
I were right about that saddle
Member

@Greenroofer

+1 for many, many elements of that post.

Posted 5 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Forget about February/Climate Chaos, in addition to the warm sun, there was the virtually non-existent wind too.

So I went inland a bit, partly on unvisited minor roads had lunch on a bench in Auchtertool Kirk grounds.

Then back via a path I had expected to be very overgrown but was in fact more like a decent farm track.

Posted 5 years ago #
gembo
Member

Passed that kirk by slight error a couple of months back. We had gone across the bridge early Sunday. Headed to aberdour then climbed a very very steep hill and swung over the top towards Kirkaldy. On the descent after the radio mast there is a wide looping curve to the right that I followed a couple of the peloton round. We should have gone straight down. Anyway this let us spot Auchtertool kirk which is quirky according to its Facebook.then descend to Burntisland and on down to silver sands cafe at aberdour. Great day Out one sunny Sunday before xmas

Posted 5 years ago #
chdot
Admin

From bench -

Posted 5 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 5 years ago #
gembo
Member

Commanding position. One of the last men to die in a duel was James Boswell's son Alexander. At Auchtertool. He deliberately fired wide but his opponent had never handled a gun and shot him in the collarbone. He died next day. Tolstoy maybe nicked for war and peace? All masons?

Posted 5 years ago #