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Another short notice cycle to ayr

(12 posts)
  • Started 6 years ago by gembo
  • Latest reply from Cyclingmollie

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  1. gembo
    Member

    Easterly again tomorrow though bit stronger once over the M74. Actually, the easterly the other day was no help to me en route to Carnwath

    Off to visit my mum in Ayr. Cup of tea with her then train home. Leaving corner of Lanark road west and bridge road Balerno at 8 a.m.

    Pace will be slow. I am taking panniers as have a bottle of Aperol to give my wee ma. She likes it. I bought it in a Scotmid deal the other day. Made Aperol Spritz which is prosecco, Aperol, slice of orange dash of soda. Tastes like Irn Bru. Also have small bottle of adnam's tomato ketchup for her. The best ketchup ever. (Their brown sauce is too much, there new stout is lovely, like murphys, I am trying to get them to bring it to Edinburgh in September when they sponsor Tour of Britain). And a marmalade, fine.y treacled, called dark horse I cycled 20 miles in Suffolk to pick up from a table outside a remote house ( knew it would be there as got some four years ago and four years is the blink of an eye in Suffolk)

    Quck pit stop at apple pie bakery of Carnwath then another one at a little cAfe on main road in Douglas if it is open. Then try to get through darkest east Ayrshire, totem poles etc then cut up through Sorn. That bit is hilly. Then descend to Ayr. Then train home.

    Short notice I know, but any takers?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  2. Frenchy
    Member

    Not for me, but I would be interested in your route for future reference.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    @frenchy, take A70 to Carnwath, then through cArstairs then down via rigside to Uddington. It is in fact the A70 all the way but it jinks about a wee bit, eg. hyndford Bridge.

    Once over the M74, stay on A70. However just after Muirkirk and its huge totem poles take the road marked for Sorn, it is the B743. Stay on this road to Mauchline then drop down to Ayr via Mossblown.

    This avoids cycling in Cumnock where the cars are driven poorly on a busier road.

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

    take the road marked for Sorn

    Is that for the statutory off-road section of the ride?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. gembo
    Member

    There is an off road section after hyndford bridge which is a cycle path fr a mile parallel to a70 but you come back on to the A70 soon enough.

    No the B743 to Sorn, Mauchline, Poosie Nancy's, Failford, Highland Mary's monument, tarbolton turn, bachelors club, Mossblown

    Is the compulsory Rabbie Burns section of the route. Also the very very hilly part away from the maddest of drivers but obviously some boy racers nearer Ayr itself.

    Sorn has a post office that has. Cafe with wee bike drawn on the menu, also nice pub and a telly shop run by the Baird family. Looked to be a John Logie Baird telly in the window, big castle too. For weddings.

    Broke my PB by five minutes despite having schwalbe marathon plus tyres, two panniers laden with Aperol Irn Bru Cordial. The last of my early potatoes, and some Dark Horse finely treacled marmalade from Suffolk cycle. The south easterly wind was very strong.

    Paradise slice and espresso in apple pie £2.20. Double espresso and toffee cake in the Scrib Tree of Douglas £4.40

    Ain vile, the farm with the Clydesdale horses has put a Lang Whang sign on a bothy next to the Wind a Turbine. The paint shop in Carnwath has a statue of an owl on its gable end ( observed either as they are new or I was taking the Tricross out for an annual non-commute treat)

    Note, the B743 to Sorn is very very hilly.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    The golf club where I worked summers called one hole the lang whang, meaning the big hit - a long par five. An American golfer I was caddying for looked at the sign with a puzzled expression, turned to me and asked why the hole was called the long dick.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. gembo
    Member

    whang in old scots means long strip of leather, maybe your yank would be OK about that but thin long strip of leather such as a boot lace.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Bootlace makes more sense - that's what the Lang Whang resembles. But long hit was what the golf course assumed the phrase to mean. They should have looked it up.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. neddie
    Member

    I've certainly heard whang being used in the dick context before

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Without the h though.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I should have come up with a wild explanation: "well Big Willie Auchterlonie once dropped his trousers here during a two-ball better-ball tournament...".

    Posted 6 years ago #

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