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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
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Posted 5 years ago #
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A lovely "long commute" from Edinburgh to Livingston this morning. Chilly enough at 7am and very chilly coming through the Almond valley around 8.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I'm a week late but I had a lovely ride last Saturday. Luck being the feature of the day. I was riding from Lauder with a friend and we planned to do the full Tour De Lauder route but when the forecast turned bad we settled on the short route.
Heading into Innerleithen I received a direct strike on my arm from an sizeable but unidentified avian creature. Apparently it's good luck and I was fortunate enough to be able to wash it off before it dried on.
After the obligatory cake stop I was going to catch the train from Stow but the weather was holding up nicely so I detoured north to get home. Heading up causeway side I realised I was passing the Cycle Station but took a wrong turn into Kettle Yards. The friendly security guard saw me and took pity, saying that he has at least 3 lost cyclists every week looking for the other side of the wall.
My visit was very successful, yielding not only the missing quick release for our trailgator but an entire extra fitting kit for a second small bike (luck part 2).
I then visited relatives in town and managed to be indoors for the only heavy rain of the day (luck part 3).
I'm not sure how long the luck lasts but I avoided a soaking coming home last night by about 5 minutes. By the time I was in the house and upstairs it was bouncing off the roof.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Great fun yesterday mucking about Edinburgh's hills on MTBs with my eldest, with bucketloads of mud applied liberally to bikes and riders. I properly fell off in it too, so did that thing where you ride home and people are pointing at the strange swamp creature. Home just as the sleet started, to hot tomato soup. Fantastic.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Not me... unless it was a trike.
Lodger took road bike out - he said yesterday was quieter day for other riders on that route. I said he should do coastal East Lothian but that's too easy.
He's discovering why people have winter bikes here.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Out on the Lang Whang today with our 'in training' visitor from Durban.
Thought it was time to show him the best cafe in Scotland - Apple Pie at Carnwath (© Gembo). Just took direct route on A70 and found that wind levels were ramping up to higher Megawatt levels on the windfarms. Cue much displeasure at weather from him as of course I was on a useless bike for drafting. That's the way the road is... though I found the sudden side gusts quite demanding on the M5 recliner.Anyway.. the day was rescued when we got to the AP. Big family and friends group at table insisted that we join them - one guy had overtaken us on drive over and we did note that all cyclists we met were heading the other way without pedalling!
Had a good chat about schools - two very well behaved kids eating their bridies and enthusing about their school. Apparently the secondary for Carnwath is Biggar.
One wee guy had a Hearts top and I suggested that Tynecastle would be his ideal school.
Larger AP cafe is going to open next door so good news.
Appreciate that some of this Lanarkshire detail is really in @gembo domain.
Return bit of this circa 56 mile loop was Dunsyre and West Linton. Sun came out and the wind was less hostile.
Posted 5 years ago # -
There has been talk of the apple pie opening a cafe instead of a table in the bakery for many years but as laidback point out, the joiners are in. It is a kind of shed, hopefully Windows will go in. Presumably prices will go up probably to about half the price of an Edinburgh cafe,
Our fietsclub captain was once terrorised by some apple pie children, they locked him in the bakery. Was funny.
Met a fietsclub irregular today about 8.30a.m. He had been returned to Balerno without pedalling.
Wind was fearsome.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I was also on the Lang Whang this afternoon (having, according to Strava, passed @fimm as I set off, although I was unaware of this at the time). Some scary crosswinds between the Lanarkshire border and the Tarbrax turn (where I turned for home). Outward lap 1h34m, average speed 11mph. Return lap 0h54m average speed 19mph. Had to moderate the speeds at the start of the return because I was being blown all over the road.
Was disappointed by the performance of 'the shensation know as The Quickening': despite the wind there was no chance today of coasting from Harperrig Hill to the airfield.
I only came across one other cyclist on the whole ride. A courageous chap doing the same thing as me, but with the difference (Strava says) that he had ridden 105 miles yesterday and I hadn't.
Nice ride. Feeling very pleased with myself because I had a pass for 2h30m, and managed to get there and back in 2h28m43s...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Crosh winds do impact on the quickening
Posted 5 years ago # -
I had a very serious meeting in that London today but the weather was fantastic, so cycled a boris bike across London to meeting venue very comfortably in chinos and a lovely light tweed jacket recently acquired from a Scottish tweed maker and tailor.
Possibly the best temperature I've ever encountered in London for cycling. Tourists in big jackets, locals in spring clothing, I was dressed more for a summer garden party, but very comfortable.
Most of the boris bikes I've ridden recently seem to have bent cranks. A rather strange anomaly. Either that or the shoes I wear in London are wonky...
Posted 5 years ago # -
More mental but can work here.
Winter bike nearing end of season, needs serviced but then so does the summer bike. Shifting from big ring down to middle ring has been a persistent issue. (You need this context for later).
16 Balerno dads arrived at high school 8a.m. This morning. The Sunday crew joining us to dodge an early wake up tomororow or maybe to be nice to their mothers/wives etc.
4 went east and 2 said they were time trialling so not joining us.
We went out the Whang as Glenbrook road covered in whin stone at the moment.
Nothing eventful until auchengray where we caused a cattle stampede on Mud Road.
We also lost out fastest meme er to a shredded tire and one of the party was reported to have stAyed with him. We powered on to Braehead. Our tallest member then headed home. Seven of us swung down to see the 20 Gloucester old spot piglets and the 40 or so llamas of south Lanarkshire. We then took the end of the esker to carstairs and carstairs junction then on to PettinAin and thankerton (mot unthankerton). Monuments to Rabbie B and Reverend Cargill. Finally reaching the small but lovely tinto hill tea room. Where the guy who stayed behind was mysteriously already there. As was the time trial duo and 8 south Queensferry cyclists. All happening. Sun came out a little on way back. One time triallist hit the Tarmac, I fell off changing gears badly but stayed upright between bike frame and road. All well. My friend Tom's pedal fell off east of colzium. Nearly home but cavalry called.
When all is said and done a mad old morning.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Today's Audax in the borders was pleasantly less windy and rainy that last week's. Took the summer bike :) Found that I should have change the back tyre at the end of last season. EBC specs bought in sale not too good
Posted 5 years ago # -
I fell off changing gears badly but stayed upright
Parse this for us?
Thankerton (not Unthankerton).
Unthanks for that. Appreciated.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Tried to change down for big push up the hill at colzium. Applied force on pedal at same time as gear change. Bike did not like this one bit. Chain came off big ring but became stuck instead of going ontomthenmiddle ring. Throwing me left as it went right and I then travelled down the way toward the road but the bike came back up towards me hitting my left knee and most of my right shin, superficial grazes only. Could have been nasty if car behind me.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Introduced two friends to the joys of Audax with Ride of the Valkyries today. All had a good time. May want to do more. Result!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Today was too nice to spend it any other way than riding on my bike.
So I went out to Roslin, then zigzagged between Shawfair, Loanhead and Dobbie's. Sat on the pink bench near Roslin for a bit, watching some crows trying to chase a buzzard away.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Mr fimm and I went mountainbiking in the Borders yeaterday. We parked at Innerleithen and went up the red route over Minch Moor and along the Southern Upland Way to the Three Brethern. Then down towards Selkirk and coffee and cake at the Waterwheel Cafe. Along the valley through the Bowhill estate and the up the Drove Road from Yarrowford to rejoin the Southern Upland Way and return to Innerleithen. Very hard work for me (I'm new to mountainbiking) but a good day out. Quite a few people about. Ground very dry...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Stopped for a roadside picnic on my way to the Whiteaddre yesterday. Several pheasants and a large flock of wood pigeons (I think) helping themselves to the farmers' seeds. Tailwind on the eastern approach to Redstone Rig. Sun went in though. Stopped at Lanterne Rouge. Quiet but Saturday had been busy with cyclists unprepared for the weather "in shorts and t-shirts, ill with cold" as the young lad put it. Sunny again on the ride home. Lots of Lesser celandine and patches of Coltsfoot added to the cheery spring feel of the ride.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I actually said "wheeeeee!" as I went round a nice smooth bit of tarmac at the West end of Queen Street earlier.
Only realised a little way later that I'd accidentally knocked my ebike power output to Turbo while stopped at lights earliwr. That would explain it (a bit)!
Posted 5 years ago # -
@LivD that would do it!
The endless chest cold of doom has had me on the bus for a few days, but this morning some reduction in manktasticness had me on the bike taking the longer loop to work this morning. Nothing exciting but the birds were signing all along the Roseburn Path and the crows are nest building and the wild garlic is smelling up the air. It was nice.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@LivD: Only realised a little way later that I'd accidentally knocked my ebike power output to Turbo
I did that a few weeks back. Found myself having to lean so far over as I took a bend* that my inside pedal caught on the tarmac and gave me a bit of an unpleasant surprise (though it could have been worse). Only afterwards did I realise why I'd found myself entering the bend significantly faster than usual. Oops.
* Residual engrams from my days on a motorcycle probably kicked in. Might even have stuck my knee out, which would have been embarrassing, and would likely also have contributed to my inside pedal being at the low point of its arc.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Left the house at dawn to take the fancy bike on its first ascent of the Wall of Talla. The trip down the A701 was very pleasant: the combination of a familiar route, a gentle tailwind, three months of reasonably intensive turbo-training and a bike that takes the sting out of the rough bits meant the time passed quickly and comfortably.
Talla Reservoir was quite foreboding: it was full and dark, there was snow on the tops and mist swirling around. It looked as if I'd be climbing into something much less benign.
The Wall itself was extremely satisfactory: despite being in the saddle more than I was out of it and not really trying for the first bit, I came within a few seconds of a Personal Best time set three years ago. I do like my fancy bike.
It was cold and bleak on top. I'd watched a film last night about the building of the Megget Reservoir, so enjoyed passing that. From then on the weather deteriorated, and after Innerleithen I plodded over the Granites in a stiffer breeze, rain and thick mist. However I'd packed the right kit (apart, perhaps from gloves that were too thin and not waterproof enough) and the right food (Ginsters Cornish Pasty: yum!) and no time on the bike is time wasted, so I was quite content.
Tried a new route home via Roslin Glen rather than Lasswade.
90 miles in 7h 5m (was aiming for 7h, but got distracted staying in Zone 2 over the Granites and didn't put the pedal to the metal until I was too close to home to make up the lost time).
Grand day out, despite the weather.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@greenroofer, you deserve a gin and crabbies green ginger after that today. I am having one and all I have done is go to the paint shed, B&Q and lend a hex tool to a lad whose pedal had fallen off (he was after an Allen key TM). Appears to have been the only other nutter out today on long distance cycle,
Posted 5 years ago # -
Now there's light after work enjoyed pottering along the NEPN to look at the cherry blossom and the budding trees.
Returning at around about Telford saw a bunch of thuggish looking lads advancing in a group. They did that thing of being more on the right side than they should have been, and then sheered off.
A few seconds later came across a branch right across the path, which I guessed the lads had left as a wee prank. Not serious - you could see it for miles and it was about 6:30pm. Also the route is so busy at that time they are unlikely to get overly aggro.
Moved the branch to the side of course.
Posted 5 years ago # -
As blowing from east, and sun was out, went to see my mum in Ayr. Normally on my tod but had pal this time and made it in four hours. Lovely sunshine, some good Tarmac. Slight teak Sfter Mauchline will be to go down the coal shuck at Annbank as this road is quieter and After approx 16 miles of wide toads or quiet roads with good Tarmac, leaving mauchline and meeting the Ayr Drivers us a bit unnerving.
We had a wee investigate failing to find the social enterprise in the town of Douglas. Had cafe but is on road immediately prior yo the posh cafe The Scrib Tree.
Everyone should be forced to visit Muirkirk. Actually looked OK today but is indicative of the poverty inherent in the hinterland.
The Glespin Re-alignment roadworks are due to finish in May 2019. This will create even more good road surface on this route (largely a70 with hilly detour at the end to avoid lorries in Cumnock!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Only a short ride but the canal out past Ratho seemed particularly scenic and calming in the late afternoon sunshine. Perhaps not just me as all pedestrians also seemed cheerful.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Inspired by IWRATS's excellent book, mini Chief & I set out up Glen Tromie heading for Gaick pass, and me under strict instructions not to push him too hard.
Not seeing another human we made steady progress up the Glen, with frozen patches where the sun hadn't got to yet.
At Gaick Lodge we had our pieces and tried to work out the route into the pass.
While we were debating where the track went, a zigzagging footpath was spotted up the opposite mountain, so a change of plan was agreed.
It still necessitated crossing a raging stream. In some sort of cycling logic, we (I mean me) reckoned we'd have better chance of dry feet if we pedalled across.
Alas that wasn't entirely true (we got wet feet), but still a great adventure to successfully ford a river.
We hid our bikes (don't know why) and set off up the hill without a cloud in the sky.
An hour or so of effort brought us out at the summit and a clear view of the Cairngorm plateau and Loch Bhrodainn, with the track clearly visible on the far side.
My son took grat delight in adding his stone to the Cairn if his first summit.
Back down to the bikes and back across the river. It was still as deep and cold as on the way up.
The ride down the Glen was made more interesting by attempting to ride no handed for as long as possible...
A grand day out and one he wants to repeat very soon, so I'll take that as a win.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Oh, and as we neared our cottage we came across 2 teenage girls pushing their bikes. I inquired what was up and found they had lost one of the nuts from their quick release skewer, still 5 miles from home.
Considering all the options, I took the nut off mini's bike and transferred it over, agreeing to pick it up from their cottage later tonight.
A hour or so later their mother appeared, most grateful and returned the bits to us.
It took me back to my youth and getting out of sticky situations only by the generosity of strangers. Hopefully that is me paying it forward for any help my kids might need if their adventuring ever goes awry.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief: saw your video on twitter earlier and was immensely jealous. Looks like you had a fabulous day.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@HankChief
I am now bursting with pride at the thought that Overlander might have played any part in the formation of three new cycle adventurers.
Your video made me want to be back there. A night in Ryvoan bothy tonight I expect?
Posted 5 years ago #
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