CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Hi Bill, cycled through loads I just met a stickler
I would say 99/100 this will work - going through the gates with the huge nails then going through the Jencks spooky earth mounds then going out the side gate (they press a button to open it) . Though I note they have another exit that I do not know about [saw signs]
Also I have told several people today who now want to go out so karma restored
Took my protégé all the way to North Berwick today
We went John Muir mostly through power station grounds etc - sneaky harbour at Cockenzie and wee cove there too were highlights and Steampunk Machiatto
Some upgrade of the pavement from Gullane to North Berwick for the nasty bit
Train back to Edinburgh had 7 bikes on it
Protégé alighted at Musselburgh to cycle a nice route home rather than through town.
So that is him up to 35 miles. Was mostly wind assisted.
Today we did the Tinto Hill loop, via auchengray and braehead.
The Tamworths and Gloucester Old Spots have grown big, poor loves, little do they know what is coming.
The llamas were ridiculously woolly, like clouds in trousers as Mayakovsky said.
The bonnie purple heather from Carmichael round to Tinto Hill tea room was pretty as pie
Lot of interesting looking birdies but not able to be specific enough
Roadkill was varied - squirrel, badger, rabbit, frog and mouse
I have passed through the Galloway forest on a couple of audaxes and fancied exploring the area a little more. So I went for a weekend away to New Galloway with my e-OH. First afternoon we followed NCN 7 from Clatteringshaws to Glentrool.
Unfortunately the visitor centre at this beautiful Reservoir is closed while the forest people look for new tenants. A shame in the peak of summer.
The first few miles from the main road is on a tarmacced road alongside the Loch. Then you turn onto a forest road with an okay surface, just a bit stony at time. The country turns from beautiful to fantastically beautiful as the valley (Dee?) opened out. You become aware how far you are from civilisation. The lovely Loch Dee comes into view. Butterflies everywhere. After Loch Dee and White Laggan bothy a light climb takes you out of the Dee valley and you're looking into Glentrool. You pass one of the 7 stanes with its mysterious runes. A long descent takes you down to Loch Trool. The last drop takes you off the forest down a rather precipitous and bumpy track to the river. The track goes over a lovely bridge and through a gorgeous wood past waterfalls, a lot more people walking here. Road much more difficult en even a few 100 metres short of the tarmac that goes down to the visitor centre. So e-OH is fed up of too much bumpiness and so we turn back. On the return e-OH's extra Watts show out as we tackle the return back up the pass: hot for 200m or so in a couple of km. But great view of Loch Dee at the top sooth the burn.
Next morning we tried the Raiders Road from Loch Ken. This is also wonderful. A well surfaced forest track, open to cars in summer, cyclists all year. Loch Stroan remind e-OH of Algonquin, as does the slow running inflated Dee up water. Looks great kayak territory. Lots of fisher folk and campers. We cycled north, the river becoming rockier. The road continues up to Clatteringshaws but our return started a couple of km short due to time constraints.
I was really impressed by the beauty of the area and the enjoyable off toad cycling. It'd be really great to do the whole route together, from Loch Ken to Glentrool. About 80 km return with a cafe at Glentrool.
@amir - Galloway is most scenic and very few people
I walked the Glentrool route you described years ago. Very remote. Had long hair then the people in the hotel thought i was a girl. Then tons of Scousers appeared as Littlewoods used to have a lodge up the glen for their staff when they existed.
Have cycled a fair bit around St Johns Town of Dalry - in a Fietsclub Balerno 100 miler and twice out of Drumlanrig, so Loch Ken I also ken.
"Unfortunately the visitor centre at this beautiful Reservoir is closed"
The one to the west of Loch Trool? Near Glentrool village? That's weird, Mr fimm had a coffee there just a few weeks ago...
Or do you mean there is/was one at Clatteringshaws?
Sounds a lovely ride, anyway. Mr fimm enjoyed Dumfries and Galloway so hopefully we will go back together sometime.
@fimm The one at Clatteringshaws. I have been there before on an audax. When we got back, we had a chat with an 80 year old cyclist, who'd come up from New Galloway on his Bike Friday to meet a journalist (who arrived later). He was noting the stupidity/incompetence of having the centre closed through the summer.
We didn't get to Glentrool Visitor Centre in the end.
Running the Clatteringshaw centre was a summer job for a student - captain of our rad club no less. This was many moons ago
I took a few days off work to make a long weekend and cycled to the North East to visit family.
Day 1: From Gilmerton, through the city centre to Russell Road, over the FRB, back roads through Inverkeithing, Dunfermline, Kelty, and Perth. Then followed some mixture of NCN 77 and 83 and the A9 "cycle path" to Kingussie.
BEAR are currently resurfacing part of the A9 cycle path, so there was supposed to be a shuttle bus between Dalnaspidal and Dalwhinnie, but they'd finished for the day by the time I got there, so I cycled the whole way. Even with all the warnings about the state of the A9 path, I was still surprised at just how poor the surface was, and a headwind on the steepest bits didn't help. The newly surfaced bits are very nice, though. As @Greenroofer said somewhere, the cycle routes do a good deal more climbing than the main roads, which was sapping as well. Didn't take in as much of the scenery between Dunkeld and Dalwhinnie as I should've done.
Was particularly surprised to find a set of steps forming part of NCN 77, at Dunkeld train station.
At Dalwhinnie I was so knackered that I investigated the possibility of getting a train to Kingussie, but the next one wasn't for an hour, so I soldiered on. The road/paths were actually quite nice from then on, so I was glad I did in the end.
Day 2: Cycled from Kingussie to Cairn Gorm base station, climbed Cairn Gorm, cycled back to Kingussie.
The Kingussie-Aviemore road was very nice - flat, quiet and with patient, friendly drivers. The climb up to Cairn Gorm base station was tough, especially with a stuffed pannier. I'd originally planned to climb Ben Macdui as well as Cairn Gorm, but was quite late in getting started, so cut the walk short and cycled back to Kingussie. Descent from Cairn Gorm was very good fun.
Day 3: From Kingussie to my parents' house nearish Banff, via Grantown-on-Spey, Craigellachie and Keith. Again, lovely quiet back roads, with almost universally patient friendly drivers. Really beautiful scenery the whole way, and as I wasn't slogging up rubbish paths into a headwind, I was able to actually enjoy it too.
I was making very good time until I noticed that my gears were skipping slightly. No bother, just adjust the tension and get going again...I turned the barrel adjuster and...the rear gear cable snapped. Perfect! I managed to get the chain onto the second from highest cog at the back, and made do like that for 10 miles or so until I reached Keith, where I thought I might find a bike shop.
It turns out there are apparently no bike repair shops between Grantown-on-Spey (which I was only 10 miles out of when the cable snapped) and Aberdeen. On the advice of a local cyclist, I visited Keith Motorists, an agriculture/automotive parts place. They had some bike spares, but no gear cables. However, they were able to bodge a solution with some strip connectors that got my default rear cog to be one of the middle ones, and then used some more strip connectors to make a little loop for my thumb so that I could yank the cable if I needed to go down further. That served me well for the rest of my trip (another 100 miles or so).
Day 4: "Rest day", only cycled into town to post something. Weird feeling to be cycling on roads I either haven't been cycled on since I was a teenager. I'm sure some of the hill used to be steeper...
Day 5: Cycled 65km to Dyce, where I got a train back to Edinburgh. Again, on the back roads, so a bit more up and down than I'd've liked, but nice and quiet. Glorious sunshine the whole way. On return to Edinburgh, I dropped my bike in past the Cycle Service to get the cable fixed properly.
Around 530km over the weekend. And a Munro.
Rather than multiple posts in different threads, I'll add these here:
Spotted - Unicyclist near Grantown-on-Spey. Recumbent cyclist in Grantown-on-Spey, who then passed me as I was fiddling with the gear cable, but just before I snapped it. Two elderly people going around town on tricycles in Kingussie. Combine seemingly waiting to go over the Forth Road Bridge.
Wildlife highlights - Two deer on the way to Kingussie. Rabbit on the back roads near Keith. Lots of buzzards. A definite shrew (rather than my normal "possibly a shrew"). Red squirrel in Kincraig.
Wildlife lowlights - Two dead deer at the side of roads. One dead badger. Many dead rabbits, squirrels and pheasants. One dead bee, killed by me after it stung me.
Domestic animal highlights - Saluki in Tarves.
Cafes - Excellent cafes in Tarves (Murly Tuck), Grantown (Macleans Bakery) and Dyce (at the train station).
Rubbish/good driving - Remarkably little poor driving once I got past Haymarket. A few people overtaking on solid white lines on the way in to Craigellachie, but in all honesty there was probably plenty of time and space to do so. Even when I took a wrong turn and ended up on the A96 out of Keith for a couple of miles, the standard of driving was fine.
Great trip- well done! Nice write-up too
Good old Keith Motors
Great afternoon for a ride.
Pretty warm.
700x28 not ideal for stony farm tracks.
At least I always have a Spokey in my pocket.
Was blustery yesterday (as it is today) we took the less exposed route west through Livingston and out the back of murieston to harburn. The farm fields that marked the end of murieston have now all been built on.
We then took the low road past Ned boultings parents house with its jaunty wagon wheels, out by the dogs trust and at the woolfords t junction we went right and took the grand descent down to addiewell, some nice new tarmac. Addiewell has big roadwork thing going on once through that it was the back road to. Breich then down to fauldhouse and on towards shots and darkest north Lanarkshire. Left down to the headless cross and up through the wind farms on the col de climpy. Then Forth and the nice backroad to Braehead, down to the pigs and alpacas and the the loch road with dangerous puddle (guy who fell in it a few weeks back must have called it in as it now says UNEVAN SURFACE - that is the spelling on the sign. Also huge peat extraction ongoing. Into carnwath, freshly made rhubarb pie. Refuelled for the home leg where the wind from the Azores blew us home in well under the hour. 45mph without pedalling etc.
I had to go to the allotment (Redhall) to pick beans this afternoon. I may have accidentally taken the fancy bike and gone via Penicuik, the Moor Road, Red Barn, Carnwath and the A70. It was a lovely afternoon, although a bit breezy heading south.
The A70 was closed at the Tarbrax junction due to a serious RTC a bit further north, so diverted via Woolfords. Got a bit lost, but eventually found my way back to the A70 and thence to the allotment where I did, indeed, pick lots of beans.
Unfortunately the unplanned 10 mile detour meant I was back too late to have the beans for my tea, but it was still a very nice afternoon out on the bike. 66 miles to get some beans...
A side benefit of the trip was trying out my new Decathlon merino top, which is really rather nice.
Our 4 (and a half, mummy!) year old son learned to ride his bike with pedals last week (thanks to Angela at Play Together On Pedals!) we decided to take our bikes away to Loch Leven and go for a family ride yesterday. After an abortive start (he decided it was lunchtime after about 150m, fair play son) we managed to notch up 6 miles going from Vane Farm RSPB visitor centre to the Loch Leven Larder - nice path although lots of other users so he learned a lot about giving way and going left etc. Beautiful day. Daddy cycled back to pick up the car so it was just a one way trip. Now to find other similar family friendly routes.
Might pop down to decathlon and try that on. I am not needing any more kit but a bargain is a bargain and i also need some new inner tubes.
Checked Aldi for lights yesterday but none out yet, still power tools
Some excellent weekend write ups.
@LivM
Drive to balerno, cycle down the WoL path, only steep bit is right at the start. Cafes at Juni green and cycle back or push on to WoL Viisitor centre via bike chute immediately after the aqueduct or come off where the WOL path meets the canal and go through the park that is the other side of the railway. Does leave a tricky crossing and stretch of pavement but then you are at the visitor centre. Send the dad back for the motor from there.
Roadworks still causing some tailback at balerno
Or
Journey to the source of the WoL. Drive to Colzium out at harperig. Park down at the reservoir - fisherman’s carpark. Cycloe on the road to the end of the tarmac, turn round cycle back. This is an actual road but gets very little traffic
Sunday set out to do a 100m loop, Penicuik, West Linton, Broughton, Tala, Innerleithen.
Was rather windy plus I was a bit late setting off and not fully committed, so cut to short at Romano Bridge and looped back via 701. 70k in all.
Phenomenal tailwind from West Linton back to Penicuik.
Had lovely scone in West Linton where I watched 4 neds trying to destroy a bench. Really odd as West Linton is usually very serene.
also listened to TMS on the way round, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Cycled up to west kip today, on commuting bike. Just about possible therefore to go over pentlands On a normal bike.
Landowner has had deep drainage ditches put in. Some of the road has been rolled flat, other bits still needing done. Not sure how will survive winter. But go now it is fab.
Many meadow pipit, three hairy caterpillar, geese, grouse. One large bit of gamekeeper propoaganda near the top/
One lad back down at bottom of beech avenue had been in for a swim. He looked freezing, his pals surrounding him - about half a dozen bikes.
@greenroofer did you wash the garment before use? This is in the actual instructions. Who does that?
@gembo. I did not. It has now been washed and I wait with interest to see how much it has shrunk. Should you wish to procure your own, you should note they are not stocked in Decathlon Edinburgh...
@greenroofer, indeed I was down today for inner tubes and tried a rather tight large on of a jacket with a similar hem but your one looks bigger, i will have a shot of it at the tenth anniversary coffee morning last Friday in October unless you are going a week on Friday?
@gembo I can confirm that it has not shrunk materially after the wash. My considered view is that it's a little baggy round the bottom when wearing bib shorts, but goes very well with baggy shorts.
Looks like old school jacket Eddy M would wear. @greenroofer did you go for size large??
I did go for a size large. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a 'large' person, but I do find that I'm a large in Decathlon bike kit.
" I'm a large in Decathlon bike kit"
@Greenroofer Thanks for sharing this! Mr Bill was making fun of me (and perhaps Decathlon's sizing) when he noticed 'Large' tag on my Decathlon cycling shorts!
I take a L with an embarrassing number of x's prefixed in decathlon.
Did the Talla Wall in the sunshine today. No traffic from just after Linkumdoddie (where Rabbie Burns took great exception to Willie Wastle’s wife) all the way to St Mary’s Loch. 20% gradient, we cycled above the buzzards. Stonker of a descent.
Lunch at the Gordon Arms - th e last meeting place of Walter Scott and The Ettrick Shepherd, James Hogg.
Then back via Cardrona, through Peebles, up the glorious Meldons, over the slog of SHiplaw then it was time to grit our teeth and race the traffic back to balerno.
Big day out
@gembo that is indeed a very lovely ride. You had a good day for it I think.
Used up remaining leave and went for Trevor's Tuesday Talla Ton
We went lang whang to Kaimend. Tough into wind. Then on to biggar. Stopped at Coffee Stop with its cow based puns. Friendly staff
From there over to Broughton on that glorious back road. Then west via Linkumdoddie where Burns took great exception to Willie Wastle’s wife then left at Tweedsmuir over to Talla. No cars from there to St Mar’s Loch. What an astonishing route in the sunshine.
I already posted this did I? Gordon Arms had 30 covers for lunch yesterday guy was still not quite getting our explanation of vedinburgh school holiday.
The only other customer made valiant effort to get glass of sherry from bar to table.
I might give it 5 stars on trip advisor for a laugh (may well not be on. It) the last time i was there the east wall had very large painted signage stating last meeting place of wally and jimmy. Was yellow. All dust.
Road east to Selkirk is apparently closed during the week.
Such a lovely ride I have posted two similar accounts [ipad slight issue]
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