Getting CXy in the Pentlands « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Getting CXy in the Pentlands

(11 posts)

Started 11 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
Latest reply from Tom

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Wilmington's Cow
Member

If I'd been paying attention at all I would have made this up to 60 miles in sycophantic BBCesque flag-waving deference to Her Maj. But the distance for this ride wander ed all over the place. I'd intended on a century, then thought I'd do a 35 mile loop over part of the Pentlands that I've planned to do for years.

In the end I took that long-planned route, tweaked on the fly, took in the four reservoirs of Threipmuir, Harlaw, Clubbiedean and Torduff, dropping back into the city, before launching an assault from Dreghorn up and over the hills. Okay, so the angle on the first shot below may be real, but the cycling is perhaps... staged. I was pushing at this point, due mainly to the rocky gravelly under-tyre situation rather than the gradient. But a little over 50 miles (with a dead slow average due to the pushing that I'm not going to reveal) and a top speed of over 40mph (a while since I've done that, one day I'll hit 50) and that was the most fun I've had in ages. Got video of some off-roading along the perimeter fence of Dreghorn Barracks, and down the other side of this climb, together with a handbrake turn round a hairpin between Roslin and Rosewell to upload to edit and upload... Might link them later.

The ride took in a bit too much shared use path (with a couple of (good natured) discussions on bells - you can't win as a cyclist, if you don't ding but instead use your voice politely you're told you should have dinged, if you ding you're told it's rude and you should just say 'excuse me' - and yes, I have come across both); but the day was fab. Reinvigorated an enjoyment of off-roading (which has put me in a better frame of mind for a CX race I've inadvisedly signed up for in July), oh, and I saw my first ever Yellowhammer.

Steep! by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Rapeseed by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Thattaway... by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Wheel. Gravel. Blue Sky. by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

The Way Down by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

MoD Warnings by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

I love you... by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Yellowhammer Puffed by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Posted 11 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

As ever, I am jealous of your photography. I'm going to need a bigger goat. Actually, I need a bigger lens, but that doesn't rhyme with 'boat' and I'm not enough of a polyglot to know if any other language has a word for lens that does.

Today I went off to Crichton Castle, which is spiffy, if not entirely original. The striking thing about it is this detailing on the courtyard wall.

It reminds me ever so slightly of this, taken when I was on holiday with my dear Papa in 2010. This building is in the centre of Naples. We were on an Exodus(takes a bit of the fun out of muddling through, but a very slick company) group with an itinerary and decided not to tell anyone, unless asked, how we knew each other. It was a 50/50 split between us being partners and father/son, with one bastemious one thinking we were brothers.

I'll go back on a sunny day to get some better photos. It's got a great location, but it was gloomy by the time I got there.

Posted 11 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I did ponder diverting off to visit, would have given me my 50 as well, but at that point I hadn't decided on that!

Posted 11 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

The Historic Scotland chappie who has the incongruous office there used to be a handy cyclist, back in the day. Did four consecutive centuries to get home from...I can't remember where, but it's 400 road miles south of Roslin, anyway.

Posted 11 years ago #
cc
Member

Uberuce: makes sense, as IIRC that bit of Crichton Castle was redone by an Italian architect after the laird had been on the Grand Tour. Kind of an attempt to turn the old castle into a palazzo or something.

Anth: looks like a gorgeous day out. Beautiful pictures.

Posted 11 years ago #
PS
Member

Nice day (morning) for it.

Re the CX event - I'd say fitness is the main thing to worry about (it is seriously knackering); the bike handling thing is likely to be less of a concern, especially in the summer.

Posted 11 years ago #
Bhachgen
Member

Funnily enough I was CX'ing this weekend too. First time out getting muddy in a while and reminded me about how great my 'cross bike is due to the things I can do on it that I wouldn't consider on the "racer".

Went with a friend who grew up in North Manchester in the days when your Mum kicked you out the door after breakfast on non school days with a stern warning to stay away from the motorways and railways lines, to be home in time for tea and not to bother her in the meantime. He took me on a fantastic loop, virtually all off road, through a variety of country parks, linked by canals, disused railways and the like. All of it was within a triangle bounded by Bolton, Bury and Manchester itself. Amazing that this was even possible within the urban sprawl of Greater Manchester.

Re Yellowhammers - if you head out onto the lanes of inland East Lothian, the quieter bits around Haddington area, you should see plenty of them at this time of year. You'll hear the "little-bit-o'bread-and-no-cheese" cry before you see them!

Posted 11 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

"As ever, I am jealous of your photography. I'm going to need a bigger goat. Actually, I need a bigger lens"

Hate to do this to you Uberuce, but all except the last shot there were from the iPhone! (I'd taken the good camera with humungo-lens for wildlife shots).

"I'd say fitness is the main thing to worry about (it is seriously knackering); the bike handling thing is likely to be less of a concern"

Damn you! I'd been feeling good about myself after Tuesday!

"if you head out onto the lanes of inland East Lothian, the quieter bits around Haddington area, you should see plenty of them at this time of year"

I've seen fleeting glimpses of what might have been YHs around there, wasn't till yesterday that I finally saw one in detail enough to confirm it (at Glencorse) then stumbled on the territory of another (on the cyclepath by Rosewell). Like buses they are...

Yesterday's run got me thinking seriously again about my MTB. I've thought about selling it in the past, it just doesn't get used that much, and the CX bike felt brilliant on the various descents I took it on, beautifully balanced and able to take what was thrown at it. Sure it won't do Spooky Wood at Glentress as well as the MTB, but it's clearly a bike that can perform off-road and on during the same ride, a true do-anything machine...

Posted 11 years ago #
PS
Member

"Damn you! I'd been feeling good about myself after Tuesday!"

Obviously, the better your skillz, the less fit you need to be to keep up because the dismount, shoulder/lift bike, carry and remount thing gets really tiring very quickly.

Looking forward to seeing you bunny hop the jump boards! ;)

Posted 11 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I'm going to set up some boards in the local park and see if I can do that... ;)

Posted 11 years ago #
Tom
Member

Same view, better weather:

Posted 11 years ago #