CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

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

(2697 posts)

12…90

  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I would like to take the opportunity to start a thread where we can give thanks for a hassle free and wholly pleasurable day's riding.

    Yes, it was utterly baltic this morning and my new Northwave Touring shoes with "airflow system" were a bit of a liability in that the coldest temperature ever recorded in the UK was between my toes at 820AM. However it was clear and still and bright, with a full moon still in the sky and with some frost on the ground and ice collecting in the hollows, it was truly beautiful and the sort of day when I rode to work with a big smile on my face.

    Hurrah.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. thebikechain
    Member

    I went to Gypsy Glen with a pal and had a wikkid awesum time. It was icy!
    http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs412.ash2/69088_445880147522_579452522_5355097_5296586_n.jpg

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. thebikechain
    Member

    ooh - half size fail. sorry. mine is on the right as well...

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. spitfire
    Member

    some pics on this ride - most amusing being the last one *cough*

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. Smudge
    Member

    Nasty headwind today so I tucked onto the drops and bimbled along the canal/railway in a low gear at a near zero effort 10-11mph.
    Embraced the slow you might say :) Temp was comfortable, light was reasonable, birds were singing and my wrist/elbow that have been hurting all week decided to mostly give me a morning off :)

    "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou"

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. spitfire
    Member

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. steveo
    Member

    Howling tail wind and below average number of cars trying to kill me at Gorgie.

    "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou"

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Took my friend out for a beginner ride along the NCN1 to mussleburgh yesterday, the weather was fine, the beach tree's magnificent and my friend had a great time. She even cycled to college this morning :)

    Ta!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. Stepdoh
    Member

    No one tried to kill me on the Tragic Roundabout this morning. Roadie let me draft him (I don't know if that was willingly or not). Was definitely a challenge today, but actually quite a fun one.

    Thanks for that!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Two thankyous today already to roadies acting as mobile windbreaks - and I'm pretty sure we've another thread mentioning the popular if somewhat untrue theory of roadies being a bunch of work-dodging, headwind-shirking drafters!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Rode out to the Maitland Monument just south of Traprain Law. Played spot the chimney farm. Beautiful autumn coloured trees. Pretty strong headwind home so as a work shy roadie I picked the most heavily wooded route home and dodged the worst of it. So, lovely ride, yes, thank you.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Gembo and I donned our red and yellow lycra and bravely/foolhardily* rode out along the Lang Whang into the howling westerly wind this afternoon. Hard, hard granny-gear work to get to the West Calder junction where we cut onto some lesser roads, taunted all the time by ERC's finest performing wind-assisted fly pasts in the opposite direction. But the sun came out and all was lovely, so we left an offering of thanks (unwanted Christmas cake) to the weather gods at Woolfords and cut back to the whang at Tarbrax. Quite a day of contrasts as the 12mph struggle was transformed into a 30mph coast up the hills, making the last 12 miles in about half an hour. Managed to tip 41mph past the speed cameras on West Lanark Road but they weren't up for flashing me.

    So as the title says, "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou"

    * - delete as applicable

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. thebikechain
    Member

    Managed to end up in a stookie on yesterdays ride. What we all thought was a sprain after a brief flying and cyclind demo from me ended up with a shattered radius end. Ace.

    One handed typing is my masterskill.

    Anth - we may have to reschedule. Got a procedure tomorrow in hoppytal.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. Min
    Member

    Aw no, poor you. :-(

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Doh! get well soon, it could be worse, could be a tendon (they take much longer to heal).

    By the Wang do you mean the A70?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Smudge
    Member

    TBC, that's a git :-/ Hope it heals well/soon.

    Lang Whang = the road from Balerno to Carnwath, can'r remember the A number off the top of my head though :-o

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. steveo
    Member

    Is it the main road or do you take some not so obvious side streets? How busy with car traffic is it?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Lang Whang = A70, yes the road from Balerno out to Carnwath.

    Traffic is fast moving but fairly light, so fine for road biking. Might be a bit intimidating for a pootle, there's not a huge amount to see anyway until you get out near the wind farms. Only one muppet decided to toot us - we were riding about 1 1/2 abreast and a queue of about 4 cars passed us. Last one decided to toot as he went past - obviously he wanted to point out that he was passing us too fast and too close, in case we hadn't noticed.

    The side roads are largely deserted, had the whole width of the road to ourselves around Woolfords / Tarbrax.

    @TBC - that's not so good. I'm sure you can rig up something up so you can safely cycle with one arm only.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. ruggtomcat
    Member

    @TBC yah, maybe a unicycle?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. PS
    Member

    Impressive work cycling the A70 into the teeth of that westerly wind yesterday.

    I, on the other hand, sat in my kitchen and watched the wind bending the trees towards me, then binned the idea of a ride into West Lothian in favour of a few laps of Arthurs Seat.

    I almost went for a humiliating crash in front of a mass of peds at the bottom of Calton Hill. As I "attacked" (that's what it looked like in my mind, at least) the hill my front tyre slid a good foot sideways on the fine layer of grit that was still sitting on the cobbles. Thankfully it found some grip before I went down and I carried on with a "I meant to do that" air about me...

    I managed two laps of Arthurs Seat before admitting defeat. That was some wind up there.

    In the normal run of events, it was a pretty crappy effort but, given that it was the first ride where ice was not an issue for two months and I didn't have to clean my bike when I got home, I'd say it was a lovely ride, thank you.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. ruggtomcat
    Member

    out to cousland and back for sunset tonight, was a lovely ride ta :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. gembo
    Member

    TBC - sorry to hear about your stookie.

    Kaputnik - as you were freewheeling faster than I was pedalling on the return, thank you for not leaving me for the MAMIL I am. Also for the very poor gear change right at the end, I should just have stood up on the pedals as the wind was mighty helpful.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    thank you for not leaving me for the MAMIL I am.

    You need another couple of stones of beergut to be a genuine Mamil and as I was explaining, matching team bike and kit. Outside the commonwealth pool, 945AM, Saturday for those wanting to spot one in it's native habitat.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. gembo
    Member

    I can always aspire to being a MAMIL. Will check out the West Lothian Clarion for MAMILs. One ex-Clarion I know - who is 10 foot 9 inches is signed up for Geneva - NIce. He ain't no MAMIL

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. recombodna
    Member

    Had a lovely ride down to porty yesterday morning then along to Hathornvale and back up to the roseburn path. What a great day for a ride.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. Smudge
    Member

    Rode to Langholm today then my lovely better half came and collected me in the car :)
    Not fast, but I was happy just to recconoitre a possible route and to complete the distance, I think it's probably the furthest I've ever cycled in one go! :-o

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. RJ
    Member

    Managed only my third ride to new offices since the end of November. The 3 extra miles took an extra 15 minutes. Unlike last Tuesday there was no ice. Looking forward to the ride home.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. amir
    Member

    Thanks to the weather, I have been able to cycle in the long way in via NCN 1 for the last three days. So much more relaxing. Plus the dawn is quickly getting earlier. Lovely.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. wingpig
    Member

    Popped out last night for emergency shopping and a quick trundle to test my replaced components. All smooth and nice, only two instances of threatening driving and only one set of lights set to ignore bicycles. Lovely.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. steveo
    Member

    Had the roadie out for the first time since Nov, i do miss the turn of speed it has though the back brake is epic fail!

    Posted 13 years ago #

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