After last week's trip out for the night we are back at our humble hills at the back of town.
To stop any confusion- the format remains the same,
6pm our Shoppe on Rodney Street
7pm Bonaly General Store (annoyingly shut when we get there - they should make it a Spar or something).
After 20 people last week i think we would be ambitious to expect the same number again... it will be dry and warm and sunny and nice so make sure you get your bike out the shed and come out! Bring a pal if you like. All welcome.
Note for Epicsteve - you get a special welcome... from TJ. See you there.
Oh and please - no injuries this week!
🙂
I promise to be gentle with you Steve
I'll be there although I say that most weeks , but will definately be there.
small thread hijack - won't make it this week (as ever) but planning a 'dawn raid' tomorrow and need route advice. Is the roman road marked on the map from Carlops to West Linton ridable? and where does it start - the driveway to the icelandics??
anyone welcome to join, leaving Penicuik about 4am..
I intend to be there.
I intend to consider the possibility that I may or may not be there (following a jaunt up Corstorphine Hill). Possibly.
Nah, that only happens to me at trail centres, I can't cope with good dry flowing trails, I need rocks'n'bogs to keep me in check...
Doubt I'll make this one, going for another stab at the west-highland-way-in-a-day on Saturday (plus kayaking on Loch Morar the next day if my mate has his way) so need to rest up and pick scabs!
Obi twa - remember its a social ride. You don't get points for making others eat your dust. You just end up waiting for them (me)
Any idea of the planned route? Depending on the route I may come along. I'm still avoiding nasty steep climbs as I still have a chicken leg following a fractured kneecap.
TJ - I am a social rider.
Good - I'll bring my bungee for a tow up the hills
Nice of you to offer.
LOL.
Its not quite what I had in mind.
There's a slim chance that I'll join you. I'm quite busy this week, though.
"small thread hijack - won't make it this week (as ever) but planning a 'dawn raid' tomorrow and need route advice. Is the roman road marked on the map from Carlops to West Linton ridable? and where does it start - the driveway to the icelandics??"
Err yeah, the road runs past the horses, keep going and you come out near West Linton Golf Club, mostly a wide stoney and gravel track.
My wife has her Icelandics there at the moment so I have ridden about there a little.
see you wednesday,im bringing paul(stanfree)
If my legs have recovered from the weekend I guess I'll be there. Big if though, I have a big nevegal tyre print up my arse from Laggan black 
I should be up for this, all my biking colleagues seem to have wimped out of our normal ride.
Hopefully I'll be along.. NB mudguards are also good for arresting wheel-flung sheep-sh*t!
I think Ill drag my lazy butt along this week. I should help keep the pace at a Gentlemanly level.
Planning to head for the hills on Wednesday evening... will do my best to organise being at bonaly for 7, if not - I'll keep my eyes peeled for you all up there.... and then head the opposite way! 😉
Thomo- do not let me down. You are worse than jimmy!
I should be along for this too 🙂
I'll be enjoying having Midlothians finest trails all to myself. May get back along once life quietens down a bit. Will be in the shop on Friday to pick up my forks and to see if I can blag any free nutritional goodies.
I will make you a brew this time seeing as i neglected you last time Steven.
thebikechain - Member
Thomo- do not let me down. You are worse than jimmy!
Thats it, I'm not coming and you brought it on yourself.
Actually, the real reason is because I'm going to climb this mo-fo.
[img] 
[/img]
I'm working through in Burgerland at the moment so I'm hoping to be along for this one.
an upadte on the trails... they are as dry as they are ever going to get.
even the North side of Cauldstane slap didn't have a drop of moisture anywhere. Route this morning was Penicuk - West Linton - Caulstane - Harperrigg - Listonshields - Yellow brick road - black hill - WOL - work by 8am.
I can't see me ever making a Wed evening ride - wrong timing and side of the Pentlands for me. Anyone nearer Penicuik wanting to meet for occasional rides as and when kids allow??
Sounds like a nice commute Chris!!
It was - not sure how i'll survive the rest of the day, or the climb up Poets / Maidens on the way home. Rough mapping says 33 miles and I'm guessing >1000m height. Might stick some pictures up this evening if they are any good.
Can't make it this week 🙁
The person who is normally the most stable female on the planet has decided that she must go swimming tomorrow night so it's a no from me. 🙁
Jimmy, you do know that the Souter will be covered in Fumars at this time of the year????? Just as well your hair's really short at the moment; you might be able to wash the regurgitated fish oil out of it!!!!
Or else do "Squid Vicious" up the left skyline....nae birds on that one plus its the best route in East Lothian!!!
[i]7pm Bonaly General Store (annoyingly shut when we get there - they should make it a Spar or something).[/i]
It shuts at 6.30. And did you know it won the Village Shop Of The Year a few years ago, though that was before it was bought over and dived downmarket.
Fairly newish to the area, so I'll come and join as well.
I didn't even notice that was the Souter! Climbed it a few years ago - was good fun. Looking back at the photos it was August 4th I climbed it and yes it was covered in birds and bird shit! Here's me on the top:
[img] 
[/img]
We're thinking Bonaly - Puke Hill - Phantoms - Glen Road - sharp left up to the Red Road and down to Exponential. Depending on time and preferences, it could either be:
* Nail Trail and WoL into town
* Harlaw Woods/Rangers,
* along to Poets.
Anyone returning to Bonaly might prefer to go through Kinleith, past the mast and down Mushroom back to Torphin Quarry.
Er I was going to be a newbie joiner. But my leave pass has been revoked, the outlaws are taking priority.
Hopefully catch up with you soon.
Have contracted some kind of summer lurgy so am not feeling up to riding and not best pleased 🙁
Sounds like a good route though... enjoy.
Jimmy, today:
[img] 
[/img]
True to type, yet another opportunity for moi to be completely tangential:
seacliff climbing; Fear not Razorbills don't attack abseil ropes.
I once abseiled down a 400ft crag in the Western Isles and needed to swing in to a ledge about 150ft above the sea, thing was that a Fulmar was sat on my landing site (for those that havn't met these chaps, they vomit in your face with great accuracy from up to 4ft away)so I started tw**ting it with a long sling to get it to shift...in the process I unfortunatly lassoed the bird and pulled it onto my lap. We stared at each other for about 3 seconds before I chucked it into space and it flew off.
A mate of mine was less lucky pulling over onto a ledge...that was the day he learned to keep his mouth closed when expressing suprise!!
Another great ride. Was really funny setting off along Phantoms and seeing the cloud of dust from the other 20 riders in front. It felt like Glupton was there - in spirit at least.
Lovely ride, lovely route - cheers for organising. Great conditions in the Pentlands right now.
Just in - 29ish miles logged and avg speed up to 9mph. Not lightening but good for [b]21[/b] people i think.
I was feeling like utter bobbins this morning what with hayfever and a cold at the same time and this perked me up a treat. Thanks for coming along to this every week guys - it's a good laugh!
Nice trail that Red Road one on the way down. Such a nice sound and feeling under the tyres.
Druidh - TJ is faster than you. He got 43mph(!!!) down Beech Ave. You only got 41 or something off the arse of Schiehallion. FAIL! Once again physical laws were defeated!
Great ride tonight , Nice to meet people and put faces to names. Many thanks to Rob Garrioch for showing me and Coast kid scalextrix . Discover a lot of trails tonight that I never new existed the descent from the red road to Exponential was epic. Was funny seeing Tandem Jeremy boaming down beech avenue and 21 bikes on the boardwalk . Thanks to Coast Kid for the lift and Colin for the advice on fixing my gears.
Nice one chaps. I am now broken
From my flat -
Out for 5 hrs
34 miles.
3hrs 30 riding time,
9.5mph average
Max 43.5mph 🙂 Who needs a big ring 🙂
- perhaps a tadge ambitious for a wednesday night. 9+ mph average is fastish with all that climbing- the fastest we have done.
Max 43.5mph Who needs a big ring
you want to make sure you have the wheel size correct in your wee computator thingy...
You mean I don't have 36 inch wheels?
The wheel size is right, it's just that it counts in Lilliputian miles.
Cracking outing chaps.
Good to meet some new folks.
Just set the alarm clock for 5am.... WTF!
Hopefully see you next week!
Thomo.
Time does, indeed, fly when you're drinking rum, or something.. Always seems like I get in, look at the clock and have a 'WTF!' moment too, in a good way, 'natch!
A few from the evening -
[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1064/4728694552_b04d88af56_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373/4728698780_f52e878374.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1375/4728056713_9b030f75a8_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/4728706418_4ff34aef52_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/4728710726_6922d71573_b.jp g" target="_blank">
Many more + mandatory rad-ness vid [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/robgarrioch/sets/72157624217961915/ ]here[/url]
Good times again, and not a drop of water through Phantoms or Hare Hill??
Just finished my takeaway pizza - time for bed now.
Great ride!
My GPS says 55.2km, out for 5.5hrs in total. My photos will be online in, ooooh, about 2 months 🙂
Nice pics
edit - new flikr I can't get it to work 🙁
great evening ride...nice to put some names to faces too... 😮
thanks for a great nights riding guys...
all my pics are on face book (bruce mathieson), i need you to ID the trail names for me before i upload films, thanks... 😮
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
all my pics here...
[url=[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/sets/72157624343042790/ ]flickr pictures[/url]]flickr page[/url]
get films uploaded tomorrow evening...
Bruce - ygm
thanks colin, and kit for link 😮
21! And I thought it was my popularity drawing in the high numbers.... 😮
Illegal riding? 😮
Que?
At the sides of exponential hill.
I would have thought you would know better than to bandy around the word [i]illegal[/i] when it clearly is not against any law.
Arguably it would be against the code of conduct for reasonable access under the land reform act but given how dry it was I doubt that as well.
But there's signs and everyfink!
accordingly to bruce (coastkid) the verges were not well enough maintained to be counted as verges.
good ride and nice to put faces to names 🙂
cynic-al - Member
But there's signs and everyfink!
It's OK Al, - the signs are at only the bottom. I always assumed that was to stop folk riding up and thereby spoiling a good descent.
Didn't we conclude last night that is was to keep folk off the cut verge directly adjacent to the road, i.e. to stop people driving on the grass? Either way, there's been little erosion of those bits of singletrack in the years I've been riding them.
Despite several setbacks last night I had a fantastic time, the trails are riding great at the moment. Sorry for the hold ups with all the flat tyres and cheers everyone who pitched in. Next week I'm bringing seven spare tubes and pumping my tyres up to 90. 🙂
George / kiwi joe ... here's the 1 y.o. snowboarding i was talking about last night
just waiting on youtube uploading then post some movie action... 😮