Up to now, no matter whether it's a total 200km, 300km or 400km, the final 50km feels just as hard.
Definitely. Actually the rule often applies for shorter rides (except the "last bit" is shorter).
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
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Posted 4 years ago #
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@Bill
You seem to be very good at this. I wonder where your limit is.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I took madame IWARTS up the Braid Burn to Clubbiedean and Harlaw to satisfy her curiosity with this playing in my head.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Cracking ride up WOL sheltered from the wind, explored a few wee trails in the woods the other side of Balerno and then headed up to Threipmuir which was wild and really quite beautiful in a particularly Scottish way this evening. Shot down via Harlaw and the trail that follows the river valley down to the road (think it's called Badger trail). Spotted a wee waterfall down the steep bank that looked like it'd have a nice pool for a dip on a hot day so will be back to investigate that.
Back via Cubbiedean and Torduff where I was trying to sprint for a larf and snapped my chain. Fixed it, then back via Bonaly country park where while decending through the trees I scared a young lady who was having a wee in the bushes. She was clearly not expecting me to be riding down a well trodden and clearly demarcated path and I tried to make it clear there was no judgement and that I hadn't seen her which was hard as she screamed a bit. Her husband seemed confused.
Lovely wild ride, no gloves, which made me feel alive after a day at the home office where I didn't even put socks on until 7pm. Reminded me of how lucky we are to have this wonderful epic landscape so close and so accessible.
Jealous of Bills epic but a wonderful read.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@arobcomp, I know the pool you mean in the Bavelaw Burn
Posted 4 years ago # -
@ARobComp
Delicious. Shame we missed each other.
Posted 4 years ago # -
You seem to be very good at this. I wonder where your limit is.
Don't say stuff like that to folk like bill, thats how folk endup cycling to the south pole and back from their house.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Soaked out west this a.m. and some poor driving decisions in the rain
But generally good
Posted 4 years ago # -
Thanks @amir. Your face was popping up on my Strava as a person with whom I have common friends. Nice to be Strava friends now.
"You seem to be very good at this. I wonder where your limit is."
@IWARTS thanks very much but I imagine it would all go away if I stopped my commuting.
Over the past few couple of months I started extending my commuting routes to push the distance where I actually could feel that I did a ride. It was about 35-40km mark. I started doing about 40km more regularly and indeed it is a bit further now, probably 40-odd km. I keep a relaxed pace, so I don't exert myself.Posted 4 years ago # -
Up to JK Rowling's horse palace, up to the quarry, through the sheep and cows to Harlaw, round the back to Thriepmuir, over to Bavelaw Castle, Green Cleugh, Glencorse, railway path to Eskbank and horror road home.
Sat in the cleugh and let the sand martins swoosh past my head. Yellow wagtails then a yellowhammer then a sparrowhawk being teased by swallows.
Hot, sweaty, lovely. The avenue of beeches between Thriepmuir and Bavelaw not doing well. All hit old age at once I think.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Strong south easterly tonight
Seemed to help on way to woolfords and not hinder on way back except climb up Harburn right into it which was tougher
Kestrel and buzzards
Swallows at Ainville, maybe babies soon
Posted 4 years ago # -
Headed out last night at the back of 7 to visit some veloviewer squares out the back of the Calders (mid, east, west and wood). Went a little off piste by the A70 on the way back in and ended up coming home in the dark. It was a lovely still night with fog patches forming in the low ground after Harperrig. There wasn't much wildlife of interest* until the sun had set (stunning in itself) but I was then joined by a number of bats.
*I don't find midges and other assorted flying creatures descending on you when you pause for a picture interesting.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Wednesday I had the day off and went to Innerleithen for an ice cream.
Out over the Moor Road, West Linton, Romanobridge, Lyne Valley, Peebles. Found an open cafe and got an iced coffee which I drank while looking at the river. On to Innerleithen for the ice cream, then back over the Granites.
Lovely day, hot, and for some reason I didn't put any sun cream on so I am a bit red now.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Got a new single speed from Velow in Portobello and had a cracking spin from Portobello to Chesser last night, through Hollyrood and the Grassmarket. Only 10k but a new bike combined with great weather and relatively quiet roads is good for the soul
Posted 4 years ago # -
@fimm Nice Route, love the wee lyne valley section
@Try Cycle - lovely evening for it last night
Posted 4 years ago # -
@fimm
For once in my miserable existence I factor 30'd it yesterday and am not pink. Sounds like a fine ride otherwise.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Smashed out to the Kelly Syke this luncheon time
Managed on return to put chain back on without stopping to put chain back on, impressed myself there
Posted 4 years ago # -
Apple Pie run today. Had to be back sharp by 1pm but that meant I avoided heavier downpour.
Was actually fine day and not too windy. Little rain shower in Carnwath most refreshing!
Posted 4 years ago # -
West side of tinto today. Epic
Apple pie twice
Tons of cyclists and Moira who has been shielding. A 62 year old grandma who seemed to have the secret of eternal youth (good wine). We said not Lanliq then? This seemed to go right over her jaunty cap. Apple Pie staff put chairs out front so you could sit and watch the world go by
Posted 4 years ago # -
Moffat via Innerleithan. Glorious and hot until Innerleithan when heavens opened for 15mins. Annoying headwind all the way after that - standard.
Lots of squashed frogs :-(
Posted 4 years ago # -
Apple Pie were making a cyclist’s garden today involved chopping down trees on overgrown patch round the back. When we left a near neighbour was moaning which is a shame.
There were loads of us out the front so would be tidier in the garden for sure
Posted 4 years ago # -
I'm going off topic but as there isn't a "I had a ride today thank you" thread I'll post here.
With a long distance day planned and no real option for rescheduling we started in the rain with a hope that it might turn to drizzling showers by mid morning we headed South over the Granites and down to Innerleithen. The rain was unpleasant but not as bad at the 20mph headwinds the entire way.
We enjoyed respite and and bacon rolls from Loulabelles during a brief dry spell before heading on south back into the rain and wind. Over the hills to Hawick where Borthwick Water was in spate.
Our next target was the border at Carter Bar starting off the weather was dry (but still with the strong headwind) and by contrast the streams looked normal. However the rain quickly returned and by the border we were drenched and only stopped long enough for an obligatory photo in the lee of the boundary stone.
Having achieved our target a couple of hours later than planned we started north and decided to tolerate the A68 for the sake of speed. By this time I was cold and wet but thankfully we descended out of the rain pretty quickly and it held off until we had past Lauder. As the rain restarted I had an offer of a lift home which I accepted after almost 12 hours and 200km of fairly brutal weather.Posted 4 years ago # -
Wow! That's fantastically stoical/stubborn/mad.
I am still getting the energy up to do a minimum 1 miler to keep my Covid sequence going.
Posted 4 years ago # -
shame, tomorrow better than today for such an epic
Posted 4 years ago # -
shame, tomorrow better than today for such an epic
I missed out the part that it was Yesterday not today. However the conditions haven't changed much in the meantime.
@Amir, it was mostly mad I think.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@acsimpson well done for pushing through and no shame in accepting a lift after 200k in such weather! Impressive you actually got out for this (p)leisure ride in the first place (I wouldn't).
Posted 4 years ago # -
Well I managed to have good weather for my day off again and cycled to Dunbar to visit my parents.
Whizzed there in about half an hour less than I expected, so set off home with some trepidation into what I expected to be a <rule 2> headwind. Was not as bad as I'd feared, thankfully.
Having done the most direct route, I now have options to explore!East Lothian is FLAT.
Posted 4 years ago # -
“East Lothian is FLAT”
Coastally.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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Inspired by the others upthread, I did Talla the sharp way for the first time today. Not so bad in terms of steepness but it did last a while.
A walker at the top asked me what I thought of the Wall - I said I noticed it.
Best thing though is that the area is beautiful. I didn't see any other cyclists on this stretch of road but plenty of walkers. Perhaps the time of day (mid morning)?Posted 4 years ago #
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