Yep, splendid ride bill especially solo, if LEL goes ahead next year you will be a shoo-in
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
Audaxes + sportives 2020
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Posted 3 years ago #
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@bill - I see that a stretch of your ride was on the A76 near Sanquhar. It's a trunk road, so looks from the map and Streetview as if 10 miles on it wouldn't be much fun. How was it?
Asking for a friend, obviously.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@greenroofer I've generally found the a76 in that area okay but I suspect timing is important. I think there's a fair few lorries at certain times of day. Most of my recent visits have been at night, Sundays or very early.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@Greenroofer My experience was similar to @amir's and the road was fine. I was there at around 7-8am on a Saturday, mind. They were also doing some resurfacing works between Carronbridge and Sanquhar (road was closed north from Carronbridge) and the diversion was through the Leadhills. As a result I got a couple of BIG lorries along B740 between Crowfordjohn and Sanquhar. No horrible experience anywhere down there really. Close passes only from Peebles to Edinburgh.
Posted 3 years ago # -
* apparently those hills north-east of Carronbridge and Sanquhar are called Lowthers, not Leadhills as I wrongly believed.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Thank you all.
And so very Scottish.
@IWARTS What's the status of my République ecossaise passport?
@Murun Buchstansang I was looking at their website yesterday actually. Not really planning on doing it but I wish there was a parallel ELE event!
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill
Granted and en plus that post has earned you diplomatic immunity.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill, yes confusingly Leadhills is in the Lowther Hills
Wanlockhead has Or had many of the highest things in Scotland and Leadhills many of the second highest things in Scotland.
Railways, ashphalt, pubs, houses.
Much of this is also highest in UK (though thiS is contested).Lead, silver, gold (mostly extracted by JamesIV) and some curiously named minerals all mined.
Duke of Buccleuch doubtless owns the lot.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@Bill we seem to specialise round here in very fine rain that is invisible to forecasters and rain radar and can go on ALL DAY. It also gets you much wetter than any other kind of rain.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Oh and I have never ridden on the A76 and not been hooted at (there's an unavoidable stretch north of Auldgirth that joins up many more civilised routes on the back roads on either side)
Posted 3 years ago # -
In my family this is called a 'wetting rain' and I never required an explanation of that.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Also prevalent in West of Ireland - Connemara way and described as a Good Day of Weather in Flann O’Brien’s An Beal Bocht.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I've my first audax since lockdown scheduled for tomorrow. Weather looks very reasonable. I'm heading down to Sanquhar from home. Other SBR riders are doing the same from other places (a loose enactment of a planned event in April, given social distancing requirements). I may or may not see them!
Audax UK are allowing perms and DIYs but not calendar events, up to 200km.
Posted 3 years ago # -
+1 - planning Edi-Linlithgow-Slamannan-Forth-Biggar-Sanquhar-Biggar-Edi with a view to capturing some new tiles too. Hope to bump into yourself or some of the other SBRs en-route
Posted 3 years ago # -
Hopefully @edinburgh87. What time are you starting? I think you may have seen my planned route on the SBR page.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Interesting route BTW. Had to look up Slamannan
Posted 3 years ago # -
Slamannnan Plateau famously has no pubs. Heading Weat out of Forth there is a lovely back road that goes over to Braehead and then to Carnwath. Then Biggar? Is that the route?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Posted 3 years ago #
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‘ Slamannnan Plateau famously has no pubs.‘ What are you counting as the plateau?
Posted 3 years ago # -
@ Murun, the bit without any pubs. I was told 5his in barlinnie 30 years back so also @ pub might have opened. Other dry areas, kilmalcolm and partickhill not dry anymore but also on high ground.
I never go far enough west to get the boundary at that end.
I feel goin* up to Heights from Blackridge is the eastern southern side for me and California the north. Is mayb3 what you might call bunkumPosted 3 years ago # -
Slamannnan Plateau famously has no pubs. Heading Weat out of Forth there is a lovely back road that goes over to Braehead and then to Carnwath. Then Biggar? Is that the route?
@gembo yep basically this:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33597984
Previous forays south of Falkirk felt far from plateau-like :) have fun whoever else is heading out.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Nice - Route up through wind farm from A71 to forth we call the Col de Climpy. John Martyn lived in Robertson and album The Church with one bell has picture of the Robertson Kirk on front.
Sanquhar as you know has oldest UK post office.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Well that didn't turn out as expected. I started the week with firm plans to repeat the first half of @bill's 220 mile adventure into Galloway, torn between knowing that I've not been on the bike much this year and finding that the 111 miles I did two weeks ago were surprisingly fast (for me) and easy.
Last night, caution prevailed and I trimmed this plan back to a repeat visit to the Mennock Pass and (if the legs seemed up to it) Lowther Hill.
Waking at 0600 this morning I got as far as Penicuik before turning for home. Something just wasn't 'right': a total lack of power from the get-go, a resting heart rate yesterday 10% up on the day before and a Garmin telling me that my Performance Condition was negative from the start said that today probably wasn't the day to spend all of on the bike.
Planned distance 155 miles. Actual distance 12 miles.
I hope that everyone else who was planning a long ride today has a better experience...
Posted 3 years ago # -
@greenroofer, sorry to hear that
We did a hilly 73 miles west Linton moor then Macbiehill descent then lamancha and over Shiplaw then the raves at the Meldons then Stobo and over Dreva Hill to Broughton where we delivered a paper to the local laird. The Times. Slog back to Biggar and then over to the Clyde then back to Carnwath via Quothquan. At no point except the two miles back east from Macbiehill to Shiplaw did we experience a tail wind. We deciided if the wind was going to be across us we better stop at the apple pie where we refuelled on hot apple pie fresh from oven with bonus piped cream (needs cheek of the Gembo to get that). Whang not so bad after that.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Great day out on Saturday with the first audax since lockdown. My route was via Biggar to Sanquhar, back over the Mennock Pass, Broughton, Innerleithen and through the Moorfoots. Basically headwind out and tailwind back (but not horrendously strong). It was a little damp until second pass of Abington. For those that haven't been, the Mennock Pass from Mennock eastwards is fantastically beautiful and not very difficult (shortish ramps and flattish bits).
The main negative about doing this solo and with no cafe stops, apart from the lack of chitchat, was the lack of rest. Apparently just 44mins. It was probably the quickest 200 (actually 213) I've done in elapsed time (as opposed to running time). I think the lack of rest time has irritated my dodgy achilles again. Hopefully a short break from cycling will sort that.
I was pleased to see @edinburgh87 briefly on the return (I left pretty early) and another group of SBR riders. I am looking forward to when there is sufficient confidence to do social rides again (I know some are already do those, but it is partly about confidence).
Posted 3 years ago # -
@Greenroofer Sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time! But hearing that some of you locals are more or less replicating my route definitely made my day.
@amir nice work! Thanks for the info about the Mennock Pass. I shall try to visit.
hot apple pie fresh from oven with bonus piped cream (needs cheek of the Gembo to get that)
@gembo I wasn't able to get a non-iced apple turnover just before the lock-down (even though they iced one for another cyclist). I can't see myself being able to get the cream.Posted 3 years ago # -
Yes a grand day out and nice to be back into it. Got some GoPro footage of the day which I'll tidy up and post here later this week.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill
What approaches have you tried? There's a theory that if you simply announce what is going to happen with sufficient authority then all around make it happen by reflex.
My theory is that if you openly ask for help almost no one can resist. Say you have a cream addiction and are feeling a bit jumpy could they help?
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill you were after one without icing? They had these but did not acquiesce to your request?
We shall go out there together and I will sort this for you if you want
Posted 3 years ago # -
@gembo I was after any form of turnover. I don't really want dwell on that anymore. I was a bit heartbroken and my caramel slice just wasn't what I really desired at that time.
Surely with your skillz I could get something even better than an iced apple turnover?!@IWARTS My request was not as elaborate as yours I am afraid :(
Posted 3 years ago #
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