potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
Shut it, Welsh girlOnly then?
Exploring (featuring Mad Doug Biker)
- Thread starter Pat "5mph"
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
One thing I hadn't realised about Pat is that, despite living in Scotland for XX years, she still has her Italian accent.
Her voice on the other end of the phone was a bit startling at first!
Her voice on the other end of the phone was a bit startling at first!
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
Nessie has been watching the 'Lympics again today, with Rowing, Swimming, Tennis, Fencing, Hockey, Handball, Gymnastics, Equestrian and, it's personal favourite, Sailing being viewed today!
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
And after having a relatively problem free ride yesterday.... When I actually got going I mean....... And the clippless moment at Luss I went out briefly today to do a few bits and pieces and in the space of a couple of miles, my chain came off, and, on accelerating away from some lights as they changed, I couldn't get my right foot into the clippless pedal and so had a decidedly crap acceleration away. With cars behind me.
They both happened at the same junction as well, and was the junction we both crossed going onto Dumbarton High Street yesterday (and close to where I pointed out where Cindy's vet is. Charmer me). The chain suddenly decided to come off as I tried to get my foot clipped in and accelerate away from the lights going towards the high street, and was forced to drift across the junction in front of a driver who just glared at me (ha ha), coming to a stand on the pavement at the other side (that bike I have can really coast though, so I was able to glide right across instead of having get off and run for it!).
The other thing was just a clippless malfunction.
For the record, I have never liked that particular junction anyway as it appears to have been a bit of a cycling Bermuda triangle for me over the years. At no other junction do I have problems, it is just that one!
I went out briefly today to do a few bits and pieces and in the space of a couple of miles, my chain came off, and, on accelerating away from some lights as they changed, I couldn't get my right foot into the clippless pedal and so had a decidedly crap acceleration away. With cars behind me.They both happened at the same junction as well, and was the junction we both crossed going onto Dumbarton High Street yesterday (and close to where I pointed out where Cindy's vet is. Charmer me). The chain suddenly decided to come off as I tried to get my foot clipped in and accelerate away from the lights going towards the high street, and was forced to drift across the junction in front of a driver who just glared at me (ha ha), coming to a stand on the pavement at the other side (that bike I have can really coast though, so I was able to glide right across instead of having get off and run for it!).
The other thing was just a clippless malfunction.
For the record, I have never liked that particular junction anyway as it appears to have been a bit of a cycling Bermuda triangle for me over the years. At no other junction do I have problems, it is just that one!
AnythingButVanilla
Über Member
- Location
- London
Sounds like you both had a lovely day out and I'm well jel as Luss is one of my favourite places and I've not been for years. What's the route from Glasgow like? Is it mostly cycle paths or a mixture of them and roads? I've only ever been there by car and remember it as a horribly busy main road, especially the bit between Clydebank and Bowling where a driving instructor once made me do 70mph as I sat in effing tears, the massive b*stard 
OP
OP
- Location
- Glasgow
Hey, Vanilla, how are you doing!
Yes, the only times before yesterday I'd been to Luss was by car, as you say a really busy fast road, never drove there myself, always got driven
The cycle path from Glasgow - it's all cycle path now , no need to go on the roads at all - is a piece of cake, until Dumbarton, when it becomes a bit rough, only if you have skinny tyres though
What I did is, from Bell's bridge, at SECC, follow the signposted route. Because I worked at Scotstoun Rugby stadium a couple of times (a turn off of the path) and knew the way, I went through the back of the SECC (where I work mostly) and stayed on the road until I joined the path at Scotstoun.
This only to avoid the pedestrians at the Crown Plaza, and the gravel stretch towards the new transport museum, but I could have avoided the road altogether.
From Scotstoun (lLoch Lomond is signed posted) you practically follow the signs all the way to Clydebank, you end up in the middle of the shopping centre, where you join the Forth and Clyde canal, really nice bit, up to Bowling Basin.
You need to cross roads a couple of times, but the signs are clear.
From Bowling you go up a wee hill, cross into a really nice path between trees all the way to Dumbarton, follows the railway.
There is even a little shop half way you can stop at.
From Dumbarton to Balloch it's a bit manure strewn at times (ha ha), still some beautiful scenery along the river Leven (if I remember correctly what my tourist guide said, the Leven is the fastest flowing river in Scotland, yes? )
From Balloch to Luss the path runs mostly along the busy road, with some detours along forest bits, all really nice to cycle through. A monster ascend when you come back from Luss, for a bit, not steep but never ending, puff puff!
Cycling folks living in the that area are really lucky: you can practically go along the paths from village to village, get off where you want, rejoin to go to the next Village/town.
Like a cycling ring road!
Yes, the only times before yesterday I'd been to Luss was by car, as you say a really busy fast road, never drove there myself, always got driven
The cycle path from Glasgow - it's all cycle path now , no need to go on the roads at all - is a piece of cake, until Dumbarton, when it becomes a bit rough, only if you have skinny tyres though
What I did is, from Bell's bridge, at SECC, follow the signposted route. Because I worked at Scotstoun Rugby stadium a couple of times (a turn off of the path) and knew the way, I went through the back of the SECC (where I work mostly) and stayed on the road until I joined the path at Scotstoun.
This only to avoid the pedestrians at the Crown Plaza, and the gravel stretch towards the new transport museum, but I could have avoided the road altogether.
From Scotstoun (lLoch Lomond is signed posted) you practically follow the signs all the way to Clydebank, you end up in the middle of the shopping centre, where you join the Forth and Clyde canal, really nice bit, up to Bowling Basin.
You need to cross roads a couple of times, but the signs are clear.
From Bowling you go up a wee hill, cross into a really nice path between trees all the way to Dumbarton, follows the railway.
There is even a little shop half way you can stop at.
From Dumbarton to Balloch it's a bit manure strewn at times (ha ha), still some beautiful scenery along the river Leven (if I remember correctly what my tourist guide said, the Leven is the fastest flowing river in Scotland, yes? )
From Balloch to Luss the path runs mostly along the busy road, with some detours along forest bits, all really nice to cycle through. A monster ascend when you come back from Luss, for a bit, not steep but never ending, puff puff!
Cycling folks living in the that area are really lucky: you can practically go along the paths from village to village, get off where you want, rejoin to go to the next Village/town.
Like a cycling ring road!
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
The cycle path from Glasgow - it's all cycle path now , no need to go on the roads at all - is a piece of cake, until Dumbarton, when it becomes a bit rough, only if you have skinny tyres though
To be more exact, the section between Clydebank and Bowling is closely packed gravel*, so not good for skinny tyres, and I normally 'road it' then but after that, it is ok, a few cowpats at a certain location excepted.....
One of the fastest flowing, yes. The path runs past a local farm, hence the cows.
It could be the best track ever, but the Cycletrack snobs still wouldn't use it. The amusing thing is that I use my Felt on a lot of those tracks and I have had by far, a lot more punctures when cycling on the road that I ever have using those paths!
I happen to be very much of the opinion that, if you have a good path, why use the road and risk getting mown down by an HGV?
* - Idiotically, where the path splits at Clydbank and goes towards Glasgow on the northern route through Anniesland etc, continues being closely packed gravel, but the southern route through Yoker etc is paved, and continues to be so until about Newton, and that is only becuase there is a small road section (The path deterioates to a dirt path and even vanishes altogether between about Uddingston and Hamilton/Strathclyde Park though).
Lisa21
Mooching.............
- Location
- North Wales
O bless him, dont be mean Pat, poor MDB cant help his ears. Thats probably why he wore your hat...to cover them up........careful of the ears, I think they need a bit of superglue, or stitching, least they detach themselves
Lisa21
Mooching.............
- Location
- North Wales
It's the funny people that live there that are the problem
MrJamie
Oaf on a Bike
Lucky she didnt do 1 more mileWow oh Wow, what a great story!!! Deffo change to Pat the 68'er now
I thought at the time, how long before.......................Lucky she didnt do 1 more mile
OP
OP
- Location
- Glasgow
Cheeky but not completely off the mark: 69 used to be my till operator IDLucky she didnt do 1 more mile
GlasgowGaryH
Veteran
- Location
- Where ever I lay my hat
Great story,I usually get as far as the Erskine Bridge and decide thats far enough west. Too posh to go any further
OP
OP
- Location
- Glasgow
No Lisa, he's not got big ears, just long fast racer's legs!O bless him, dont be mean Pat, poor MDB cant help his ears. Thats probably why he wore your hat...to cover them up........
