Had a great ride yesterday, although of the four people supposedly riding, two never made it out of bed and one made it to the top of the first hill before wobbling off home.
Beautiful conditions though!
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Puke hill and the trails around Torduff/Bonaly were all riding great (the path traversing from Torduff to the foot of Puke hill was super fast and smooth)
From the top of Puke hill to the top of Phantom's Cleugh was interesting, sort of rideable where people had been walking, but 2 foot drifts either side...
Once Phantom's pointed downhill there were ski tracks to follow, and in parts it was like a bobsleigh run, brilliant fun!
Maiden's Cleugh from Glencorse to the foot of harbour hill was fast and hard, would be a great descent. From the foot of harbour down to harlaw was rideable but needed a bit of pedalling to keep it going.
Clubbiedean was great as well, the trail is perfectly compacted and seemed faster than when dry.
Fat tyres and low gears seem to be the answer!
Sounds almost identical to the route I did on Tuesday Iain - agree that the upper half of phantoms was probably most difficult section, drifting seems to fill in any tracks left, + trying to pick out the compacted snow from the un-compacted tests the concentration...
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Give me a shout if you fancy another go before Tuesday... Snow's coming down proper thick just now (14.07 hrs)!!
I'd go with that too, just don't be tempted to try Black Hill for a while.
Yo Rob/Steven
I can do tomorrow AM if you're about? I've also got monday tuesday off.
There are some interesting sheep tracks on harbour hill, very well compacted but barely a foot wide, need the pedals high and good line choice! Only know where they finish though, they certainly don't start at the Puke hill side of the slope.
Definitely up for a stretch before the horrors resume.... (work!) Could do tomorrow or Monday - reckon there's still a bit of snow to fall tonight, though forecast says -7. Can meet tomorrow at Bonaly scouts anytime after 09.00 if your interested, through to Harlaw if it suits (you in Balerno Steve?)
Frozen free-wheels ahoy!
My mob. no., just in case o776six5five352o (note; cunning security code 8) )
09:00 at the scout camp sounds great, I'll stock up on anti-free-wheel-freeze (drink lots of coffee).
If there's obviously a lot more snow, might be best to head straight to harlaw via Torduff/clubbidean etc.
can probably assume there have been more people walking up there since I was up so the paths might have been kept relatively compacted 😕
based on last weeks realisation that i cannot ride in snow i shan't be attending the pentlands.
i may however take the Mojo demo bike out for a spin elsewhere.
have fun!
rob - helmet ok?
Yesterday we walked from Colinton up Puke Hill, across the Quad Track and down Scalextrics, then down to Torduff and back to Bonaly. The quad track was knee deep and scalextrics was thigh deep in places, thought the rest would have ridden OK though.
[s]Mark, those 'problems' weren't to be discussed outside the group...[/s]
Oh, that helmet - fine thanks Mark, eventually found it just too snug with my skull-cap, but fine without, so awaiting warmer times with gusto!
Catch you there Iain.
you want to return it rob or happy to keep it? we can get you a giro if you prefer.
I was thinking I might just go for a ride at home, little bit less snow and got to be home for lunch so we can go sledging at Bonaly at half one. How long were you thinking of going out for?
Mentioned this to my sig. other and she took it quite well, I've got your number Rob and will give you a bell if I'm running late but 9 shouldn't be a problem. I'll be on a SS Scandal. Stealth black, thats the bike not me.
Fat Elvis, good warning, thats exactly where I would have blundered in to find the sheep tracks!
steven, might see you out on the sledge, if you notice someone sledging in full bike clobber that'll be me!
13thfm you not going out at 9 now?
Steve - I should think you'll make it back in fine time. If not, I stay in Bonaly anyways (very near the under-pass to white hill) so will be happy to store your bike etc. if required...
Another 2" fell in the last hour, so if it proves too much, it's back to mine for sledging anyway! 8)
p.s. I think 13thFM will be along, keen as, that yin!
p.p.s. s'ok Mark, I'm happy with the Met for non-freezing conditions!
I'll be there in my van, so storage not a problem. Can always bail out if I have to but more concerned with pushing lots which is why I may decide to ride at home instead. Will stick my survival bag/sledge in camelbak just in case.
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Quad Track
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Scalextrics
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu_n/4233835395/in/set-72157622990087723 ]Photostream Linky[/url]
Bonaly was good sledging - the Torduff end of the field below the traversing track was going better than the Bonaly end, got within about 10 feet of the fence in my bivvy bag!
Nice pics Elvis - happy 75th, btw.
Yep, defo going out, we shall need to be flexible with our route choice I think!
Stick to the low stuff. My dad was out walking the Kipps today and abandoned due to waist deep snow, so anything up that end will be a bit crazy on a bike. When I was there last week the path up to Red Gate was indistinct and most definitely unrideable.
Bah, just home from work and seeing this. I'll never make it for 9 (its 3:25am now) 🙁
Enjoy!
Can you do monday/tuesday kit?
Just home at 3.25am!! 😯 I trust you're on a good rate there Kit.
Loooking about 6" deep atm Iain - there'll be a lot of compacting action by the walkers today too; i.e. more choice mon/tuesday.
Even riding up from Balerno to Harlaw was hard work this morning:
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It was very slow going in the soft snow on the trails so I didn't go far. Lovely though.
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There were a couple of cross-country skiers heading up Harlaw road - probably the best option today.
Was up today, hardwork (gave up and pushed eventually) on the climb up from Scout hut.
Was ok around Torduff, decided against venturing too far into the hills.
Lots of walkers out so should be easier going tomorrow.
Can you do monday/tuesday kit?
I've got to be at work for 12noon tomorrow and back to the day job on Tuesday, so unless its a dawn raid tomorrow then afraid not.
Just home at 3.25am!! I trust you're on a good rate there Kit.
Oh ho ho ho ho... No. I'm on minimum wage. I actually finished work at 2, but by the time I biked home (including a comedy tumble and slide outside Ocean Terminal) and went and took some photos of the snow it was after 3. Got one of my one-a-day photos though 🙂
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/4240671591_00ac847db9_b.jp g" target="_blank">
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Nice pic Kit..
Class photo again, Kit.
It all proved a bit much for my free-wheel, froze up along-side Torduff & no more drive 🙁 . As Steve says, the incredibly soft 3" of snow on-top-of previous stuff made it challenging going... So Mr Monk & myself had a bit of a walk instead, up to the thighs in places -
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All to eventually get down puke hill from the reservoir (the hip-flask of GlenLivet being tasted more than maybe necessary). Iain's perfectly functioning drive-train kept him going, but my free-wheeling was confined to the steepest sections (to gain enough momentum through the snow)
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So we deferred to nature & went sledging for an hour or 2 instead, including an attempt on the Scotland snow speed record (note; held under strictly controlled conditions...) -
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/robgarrioch/sets/72157623005626299/ ](photostream)[/url]
Fine days entertainment. (& I'm done with sub-sub zero temperature riding!)
You must have been up about the same time as me epic-steve, the road up to Red Moss from Balerno was hard going. It was stunning this morning though:
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I also spent a bit of time messing about with [url= http://tinyurl.com/ybtmos7 ]VIDEO[/url] on the Rigg Road singletrack.
Lovin' that video 🙂
Good vid.
Nice display of skills Dwayne
Nice vid. My original plan was to head up to Harlaw then along the reservoirs and back via the Rigg Road stuff, however I bailed out as it was such hard going once into the fresh snow.
Nice pics Rob! (and kit, and DrT)
Liked the video too, my final day off tomorrow will mostly involve a low level assault on Balerno i think!
Cheers again for the sledges and the whisky Rob!