# Don't wear black in the countryside - CC Ecosse ride 22/03/14



## Pat "5mph" (23 Mar 2014)

It was a bright and sunny day ... wait a minute, that should be wrong, the story of this ride unfolds in Scotland, it cannae be! But it was so 
Our fearless, intrepid leader for the day was @Telemark, fair maiden with legs of steel, provider of cake, planner of routes with more descends than ascends. How did she manage that? @Rasmus take note, it could be the start of a new trend.
Picture of Telemark below, the rest are published here for your perusal.






We met at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Pool for a swift 50 miler, some came by train, some by car, some rode it to the meeting point ... one Strava trophy chaser rode 50 miles before the 50 miler. Can you guess who? 
Our peloton of 11 consisted in me (plus my pal PJ), @Telemark ,@Rasmus ,@Brandane ,@MikeW-71 (purveyor of excellent homemade flapjack), @HonestMan1910 (plus pal Col), @DougieAB, and first CC Ecosse timer @Cameronmu917772.
@Scoosh was to picked up en route at Musselburgh.
Bang on time we set out on our quest to find the most exquisite coffee and cake available in East Lothian's farmlands on a Saturday afternoon.
The more we infiltrated inland, the more it reminded me of Stornoway on a Sunday. An Asda 24 hours would make good business if they had horse parking 

Now, I like, in moderation, to ride with faster people than me.
Gives one a wee challenge, a scope for improvement, but setting off at 19mph and keeping that pace until it was rendez-vous time with Scoosh, (a good 6 miles that was, albeit on the flat) made me slightly knackered before the hills even started: this lead eventually to me gently inviting @HonestMan1910 to "push off" on his bike.
I don't mind folks talking to me when I'm wheezing, but to expect an answer back?? Please!
Meantime, our Rasmus was mourning the apparent lack of climbs to sprint on , while young Cameron (he who asked if there was going to be a support car  ) turns out to be the fastest of us all!

PJ and I are not be Belles on Bikes for nothing: 10 miles into the ride we were really itching to take a picture - or 2 we saw the gates of a stately home begging to be photographed with us posing in front, so we cunningly ask about the location to the group, stopped at lights.
They grunted back something curt, pedals up like horses in their start gates.
We stubbornly took the pictures ... they dumped us! 
Never mind, say I, can see them going up the roundabout, we will catch up, surely they will wait.
They didn't wait, us two silly billies missed a turn, almost ended up on the motorway back to Edinburgh 
Rasmus had to come get us, adeptly like lost sheep back to the flock.
The state of my hairdo has nothing to do with the analogy by the way.

Nothing much happened until after the coffee stop: we saw more horses, some wildlife, lots of manure, some mud, lots of potholes au naturel, some craters filled with manure, some filled with mud.
There was a road sign "beware, ducks crossing". Would have liked to take a photo, dared not in case I got lost again!
It was getting warmer, we had a slight side wind: all good.

On the second part of the ride we decide to stop in a scenic location for a group photo.
It is here that we meet the country version of WVM wannabe SMIDSY.
Imagine a long, desolated road. Visibility is good for miles. Us and bikes on the grass verge, out of any incoming traffic, I'm on one side taking the camera shot, the rest is on the other side grimacing "cheese".
Suddenly farmer type of guy at the wheel of a blue Range Land Rover Defender 90 appears, stops in front of us, starts preaching thus:
Just like 3 crows on a black wall, I couldna see you, ------ black (did not register any work but "black" of the sentence, I thought the language spoken was ancient Armenian, got enlightened that it was the local dialect.
Did we disturb a nest of birds?
Before I could ask, the farmer looks down (not hard to do, as he was in his 'bent) at an amused Scoosh, saying "I see you're laying down, taking it easy" like it was a misdemeanor punishable by 6 months of community sheep herding.
The man mumbled away, till @Brandane attacked him with his bike and a few chosen words while we cheered on amused.
Picture below, more in the album.





What was that all about?
The farming equivalent of our townie WVM was complaining some of us were dressed in black, we should not ride dressed in black, because, guess what? SMIDSY! 
Wind now firmly in our face, we rode away having no doubt provided the driver with enough topics for many sessions in his local. CC Ecosse riders left once again a lasting impression!

Strava of my ride here, faster versions are available 
Till the next one 

Mod Scoosh Edit to correct impression of vehicle - utility Land Rover, not 'posh' Range Rover !


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## welsh dragon (23 Mar 2014)

Brilliant pat. Great write up. Thanks a lot. Well done everyone and beware of farmers. They're a tricky breed.


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## coffeejo (23 Mar 2014)

Everyone who is out today, don't forget the photo challenge 

Edit: Oops, wrong thread.  Point stands though


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## Telemark (23 Mar 2014)

Great report, Pat , and a great ride! I see you even got some strava trophies .
What Pat didn't mention was that she was on a heavy tank of a hybrid with knobbly tyres that could have wrapped round three of the fast boys' tyres each ... 

T


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## Scoosh (23 Mar 2014)

Thanks, @Pat "5mph" - I have made a wee correction to your post ... it was very much a farmer enjoying having some banter with a bunch of cyclists - all very good natured and I certainly had no impression of "the country version of WVM wannabe SMIDSY." We were having a light-hearted chat and his question "Have you ever seen a craw fly and a dug sit on his tail ?", I fear was slightly 'lost in translation' to your audio receptors ! 

His comments about the hi-viz were somewhat countered by my asking him "would you see a black coo on the road ... ?"

I think we should be more aware to photo stops in future rides - and not have the front folk charging away into the ever-distant yonder.


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## snorri (23 Mar 2014)

An inspiring write-up Pat "5mph", thank you.
I spent all day yesterday discussing cycling at a conference and looking at the sunshine through the windows until it was time to go home and out into the sleet.


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## HonestMan1910 (23 Mar 2014)

good report Pat


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

Nice write-up Pat. I'm glad the flapjacks worked out OK, they were disappearing rapidly as we went round the ride


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## Pat "5mph" (23 Mar 2014)

@Scoosh cheers for correcting my car models: I'm such an ignoramus with car make and models!
A wee funny tale about this: once a would be suitor  gave me a lift, so I asked him, just to make conversation "nice car, what is it?"
He frostly answered " it's a Jaguar" .... opssss 
Yes, I took some liberties with the telling of the tale: author's prerogative


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## Pat "5mph" (23 Mar 2014)

Telemark said:


> I see you even got some strava trophies .


Did you notice T.? Some technical glitch I suppose, can't be right.
On 2 segments I seem to be ahead of Rasmus! Maybe the lost signal in the tunnel confused the Garmin somehow.
I don't take Strava too seriously, handy for keeping a tally of the miles and for following routes though.


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## Rasmus (23 Mar 2014)

Pat "5mph" said:


> On 2 segments I seem to be ahead of Rasmus! Maybe the lost signal in the tunnel confused the Garmin somehow.



Good to hear you care enough to look 

Oh, and it's a good thing the farmer had a significant accent to increase the degree of difficulty - his riddles are sh*te!


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

Pat "5mph" said:


> He frostly answered " it's a Jaguar" .... opssss


 

If Pat doesn't mind I'll pop some little video clips in here too while I work on the ride video.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BopXED2lzcM


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yMMJxrYGs8


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## Pat "5mph" (23 Mar 2014)

@MikeW-71 did you beat Rasmus up the hill then?


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

No, we ran out of hill before I got anywhere close


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## Telemark (23 Mar 2014)

Need bigger hills then 
I'll need to get a headstart up the Rigg one day and park myself near the top for the sprint finish photos, before you guys get let loose.  I'm sure the cafe owners in Gifford would oblige me with a lock-in, if I sneak out while you are eating cake to fuel up .

T


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

I was knackered after that sprint, and Rasmus and Cameron casually dropped me on the next climb


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## Telemark (23 Mar 2014)

'casually' 
I did notice them looking around when you came flying up towards them in the video, checking out the competition 
Boys will be boys

T


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## MikeW-71 (23 Mar 2014)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpuWRFwVSX4


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## Telemark (23 Mar 2014)

Overtaking me like I'm standing still near the bottom of the hill  ... just as well I got a wee headstart 

T


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## Pat "5mph" (23 Mar 2014)

I'm a chicken down hill!


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## MikeW-71 (25 Mar 2014)

Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy caution 

One last video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfHwG-RHa8A


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## Mattonsea (25 Mar 2014)

welsh dragon said:


> Brilliant pat. Great write up. Thanks a lot. Well done everyone and beware of farmers. They're a tricky breed.


That's rich !!!!!!!!


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## welsh dragon (25 Mar 2014)

Mattonsea said:


> That's rich !!!!!!!!



But not the ones where you are of course.


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## Mattonsea (25 Mar 2014)

welsh dragon said:


> But not the ones where you are of course.


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## welsh dragon (25 Mar 2014)

Mattonsea said:


>



Your an absolute saint. I've always said that.


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## Pat "5mph" (25 Mar 2014)

Hehehe @MikeW-71 that NCN1 bit is a reason for wanting a light bike 
Maybe one day they'll add a ramp for bikes. Must be a nightmare for wheelchair users and prams, unless there's a different access for them.


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## Mattonsea (26 Mar 2014)

welsh dragon said:


> Your an absolute saint. I've always said that.


What do you want!!


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## welsh dragon (26 Mar 2014)

Mattonsea said:


> What do you want!!



 oh yee of little faith. I'm being nice, thats all. Don't be so shocked.


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## Scoosh (26 Mar 2014)

Great vids there, @MikeW-71 !  Thank you  - must have been a fair bit of editing !


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## fimm (26 Mar 2014)

Ah yes, Brunstane Station... I believe there is another way round, but I don't know where it is (that's not my side of town, I've only been that way once).


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## Telemark (26 Mar 2014)

fimm said:


> Ah yes, Brunstane Station... I believe there is another way round, but I don't know where it is (that's not my side of town, I've only been that way once).



I know ... but I wanted to show off this brilliant piece of cycle infrastructure in all its glory!

T


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## MikeW-71 (27 Mar 2014)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf1VPe_6UnU


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## cyberknight (27 Mar 2014)

If you wear black in the countryside you might be mistaken for a rurual goth who cause lemmings to run off cliffs with their unique views on life ?






OOhhh Noooooooooo !


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## Scoosh (27 Mar 2014)

That is really great @MikeW-71 !  Gives a really good 'feel' of the ride. 

Now I know why you were behind me so much ....


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## Scoosh (27 Mar 2014)

@MikeW-71 - interesting (and very effective ) how the camera angle picks up the flecks in the path from about 5:10 - 5:20.

Nice music too.


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## MikeW-71 (27 Mar 2014)

I particularly liked your royal wave at the club riders  and one benefit of following you is that the camera can still see over the top 

Music is from the Peatbog Faeries.


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## Cycleops (27 Mar 2014)

cyberknight said:


> If you wear black in the countryside you might be mistaken for a rurual goth who cause lemmings to run off cliffs with their unique views on life ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



More likely to be mistaken for a Zombie!


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## Telemark (27 Mar 2014)

Great videos, @MikeW-71!


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