ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
It's freezing!! I'm gonna look like the Michelin man....oh wait, I don't need padding for that!Getting ready to get ready to go
What's this strange object in the sky?
T
Scotland : Edinburgh & Lothians CC Ecosse RV ride - Sat 15th February
- Thread starter Rasmus
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
Okay, bikini it is then!It'll warm up a bit before you have to set off
Supposedly +5C by 11 AM
T
I look forward to meeting you later
GlasgowFinn
Veteran
- Location
- The People's Republic of Cumbernauld
Have a good one lads and lassies!
Cycle safe and enjoy the cake.
Cycle safe and enjoy the cake.
HonestMan1910
Über Member
- Location
- Winchburgh
See you all in Linlithgow at 1230, anyone coming through Winchburgh about 12 ?
ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
Hi honey, I'm home!!
Good day out, and nice to meet you all, some for the first time.
An interesting afternoon ride home for me. I gave my legs the first taste of proper hill climbing this year (not impressive), descended into Bathgate in a hail shower, struggled badly into the headwinds on the uphill slog out of Avonbridge, and snapped a spoke on the rear wheel in Airdrie.
So, after limping the last 10 miles home on a thankfully not too buckled wheel there would be no strava challenge completion for me. Still a perfectly respectable metric century, though.
An interesting afternoon ride home for me. I gave my legs the first taste of proper hill climbing this year (not impressive), descended into Bathgate in a hail shower, struggled badly into the headwinds on the uphill slog out of Avonbridge, and snapped a spoke on the rear wheel in Airdrie.
So, after limping the last 10 miles home on a thankfully not too buckled wheel there would be no strava challenge completion for me. Still a perfectly respectable metric century, though.
ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
It was lovely to meet you too!
My journey home was less eventful, I was about half a mile from home when the rain shower hit - it didn't really matter at that point as I was wet and muddy anyway!
- Location
- Glasgow
You forgot to mention those lady cyclists behaving strangely who you met along the way to Linlithgow
T
- Location
- Glasgow
Report plus pics following shortly
You forgot to mention those lady cyclists behaving strangely who you met along the way to Linlithgow
T
ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
Firstly, I must say thank you to @Telemark for meeting me at the towpath and escorting me into Linlithgow on the road.
I'm not a road rider and quite nervous of the traffic but we got therewith me struggling up the inclines in good time!
I think we may have scared the others in the cafe - most were over pensionable age - and it got rather loud on several occasions (I blame Pat for making me laugh so much!).
After my tea and toast (about 2 hours after!) I was a brave girl and headed off via the road, back to the canal on my own (despite several offers to escort me back I may add) which wasn't bad, although I was glad to turn off onto the B road that would take me to the towpath.
The small hills were definitely steeper on the way back! (and no, it wasn't the cake because I didn't have any)
I felt happier when I got to the towpath and back to familiar territory!
There were more people/dogs/cyclists/joggers on the way back and it felt like 8 miles, not 4!
I was glad to see the turn off that would take me on to the main road at the top of the village, then a short coast downhill got me to my front door.
I am glad I made the effort (social situations aren't my forte!) as everyone was so lovely and welcoming and I hope to do it again soon
Thank you all!
I'm not a road rider and quite nervous of the traffic but we got there
I think we may have scared the others in the cafe - most were over pensionable age - and it got rather loud on several occasions (I blame Pat for making me laugh so much!).
After my tea and toast (about 2 hours after!) I was a brave girl and headed off via the road, back to the canal on my own (despite several offers to escort me back I may add) which wasn't bad, although I was glad to turn off onto the B road that would take me to the towpath.
The small hills were definitely steeper on the way back! (and no, it wasn't the cake because I didn't have any
)I felt happier when I got to the towpath and back to familiar territory!
There were more people/dogs/cyclists/joggers on the way back and it felt like 8 miles, not 4!
I was glad to see the turn off that would take me on to the main road at the top of the village, then a short coast downhill got me to my front door.
I am glad I made the effort (social situations aren't my forte!) as everyone was so lovely and welcoming and I hope to do it again soon
Thank you all!
ScotiaLass
Guru
- Location
- Middle Earth
My turn off point
Looking back towards home
Dirty bike! (and messy garden as the wind moved the trampoline out it's holes and there's rubbish scattered about!)
Last edited:
There is a headless swan in your middle picture, @ScotiaLass 
Glad you enjoyed yourself, and that cycling home all by yourselfwasn't too traumatic!
A ride report of sorts:
I left about 9:20, into a headwind that turned out not too bad, and it was very spring-like with the sun shining
in a mostly clear blue sky, and snow drops flowering by the roadside. There was however plenty of evidence of overnight frost
, but the ice tyres did their job beautifully, going over various shiny surfaces on uphill/downhill and flat bits with no bother. I was pushing quite hard, as the traffic lights in Edinburgh all seemed to conspire against me, and I was worried about being late, with @ScotiaLass waiting for a 12 o'clock meeting by the Canal...
By the time I got beyond Winchburgh it looked like I had time in hand though, so decided to head for the hills via Bridgend, rather than trundling along the B road towards Linlithgow. The view from the ridge across the Forth to the snow capped Ochil Hills and beyond was amazing - stupidly I didn't take any photos
. Plenty of cyclists out and about , alone and mini-pelotons . On the descent towards Linlithgow, three fast guys (wearing Rapha and other such gear) went flying past me and racing each other up the wee inclines, didn't even get a chance to check out their bikes, which were no doubt quite nice specimens - two of them together probably weighing no more than my tank . I wouldn't have changed my bike for anything today 
, it was perfect for the ice and the final bit of the journey beyond Linlithgow... where I decided to go along the Canal rather than having to get the map out and navigate to the meeting place by the Canal. The first bit out of Linlithgow looked very freshly tarmaced, very nice it was, too 
. Just as I was wondering how far this unexpected bonus was going to carry on, it stopped on the outskirts of the town, with the path reverting to a quagmire of mud and puddles and bumpy/gravelly bits thrown in for good measure (@ShooglyDougie would have enjoyed it 
, not so sure about the Rapha brigade 
). My extra time in hand disappeared as I had to slow down quite a bit, and I arrived perfectly on time, to see @ScotiaLass waiting where we had agreed. We got chatting and soon headed off along the wee road through Whitecross, with ScotiaLass realising that she wasn't all that slow after all . You just notice it doesn't get much easier, but forget that you are going faster with the same effort 
.
We timed our arrival at the wee square perfectly, @HonestMan1910 turned up just as we were parking our bikes, and got chatting - great to see you again, it's been absolutely ages! The cafe was still quite empty when we ordered, and the Westies (@Pat "5mph" , @Ellebells, @Rasmus and @Brandane) turned up just in time to reserve enough seats together, before the place filled up completely.
Cakes etc. were consumed (I ate a ginger cake in your honour, @mr messy
), and before we knew it, two hours had passed 
with lively blethering, as usual. After some more chattering outside (with copious photos being taken 
), we finally had to part company 
.
@Brandane wanted to visit South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges before catching a train back from Edinburgh, so we meandered along the scenic route, taking in Abercorn, Hopetoun House and coast road past the building site for the new Forth Crossing ... one pillar near the Fife end seems to have been built since my last visit, the rest are still to grow substantially higher than sea level, from what we could see. We said good bye under the FRB where @Brandane turned onto the cycle path up to the Bridge, and I carried on home. The big pot of tea and more cake on arrival were rather nice, too. Great to meet you all again (or for the first time!), looking forward to the next one 
.
T
Glad you enjoyed yourself, and that cycling home all by yourself
wasn't too traumatic!A ride report of sorts:
I left about 9:20, into a headwind that turned out not too bad, and it was very spring-like with the sun shining
in a mostly clear blue sky, and snow drops flowering by the roadside. There was however plenty of evidence of overnight frost, but the ice tyres did their job beautifully, going over various shiny surfaces on uphill/downhill and flat bits with no bother. I was pushing quite hard, as the traffic lights in Edinburgh all seemed to conspire against me, and I was worried about being late, with @ScotiaLass waiting for a 12 o'clock meeting by the Canal... By the time I got beyond Winchburgh it looked like I had time in hand though, so decided to head for the hills via Bridgend, rather than trundling along the B road towards Linlithgow. The view from the ridge across the Forth to the snow capped Ochil Hills and beyond was amazing - stupidly I didn't take any photos
. Plenty of cyclists out and about , alone and mini-pelotons . On the descent towards Linlithgow, three fast guys (wearing Rapha and other such gear) went flying past me and racing each other up the wee inclines, didn't even get a chance to check out their bikes, which were no doubt quite nice specimens - two of them together probably weighing no more than my tank . I wouldn't have changed my bike for anything today , it was perfect for the ice and the final bit of the journey beyond Linlithgow... where I decided to go along the Canal rather than having to get the map out and navigate to the meeting place by the Canal. The first bit out of Linlithgow looked very freshly tarmaced, very nice it was, too . Just as I was wondering how far this unexpected bonus was going to carry on, it stopped on the outskirts of the town, with the path reverting to a quagmire of mud and puddles and bumpy/gravelly bits thrown in for good measure (@ShooglyDougie would have enjoyed it , not so sure about the Rapha brigade ). My extra time in hand disappeared as I had to slow down quite a bit, and I arrived perfectly on time, to see @ScotiaLass waiting where we had agreed. We got chatting and soon headed off along the wee road through Whitecross, with ScotiaLass realising that she wasn't all that slow after all . You just notice it doesn't get much easier, but forget that you are going faster with the same effort . We timed our arrival at the wee square perfectly, @HonestMan1910 turned up just as we were parking our bikes, and got chatting - great to see you again, it's been absolutely ages! The cafe was still quite empty when we ordered, and the Westies (@Pat "5mph" , @Ellebells, @Rasmus and @Brandane) turned up just in time to reserve enough seats together, before the place filled up completely.
Cakes etc. were consumed (I ate a ginger cake in your honour, @mr messy
), and before we knew it, two hours had passed with lively blethering, as usual. After some more chattering outside (with copious photos being taken ), we finally had to part company . @Brandane wanted to visit South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges before catching a train back from Edinburgh, so we meandered along the scenic route, taking in Abercorn, Hopetoun House and coast road past the building site for the new Forth Crossing ... one pillar near the Fife end seems to have been built since my last visit, the rest are still to grow substantially higher than sea level, from what we could see. We said good bye under the FRB where @Brandane turned onto the cycle path up to the Bridge, and I carried on home. The big pot of tea and more cake on arrival were rather nice, too
. Great to meet you all again (or for the first time!), looking forward to the next one .T
Last edited:
Great to hear of another successful CC Ecosse RV Ride 
and that @ScotiaLass wasn't put off by all the 'cycling types' !
It was indeed a lovely day - most of it - and what was that strange-shaped thing i saw earlier ? 
On a more serious note, did anyone see anything of this sad event ?
and that @ScotiaLass wasn't put off by all the 'cycling types' ! It was indeed a lovely day - most of it - and what was that strange
-shaped thing i saw earlier ? On a more serious note, did anyone see anything of this sad event ?
