Irn-Bru? Scottish Blethering Thread

[Edwardoka]

Does anyone do the Whitelees Windfarm Trails ?
It's more MTB/ Gravel bike territory,so I would imagine notta lotta people on here would.
I go there all the time,and with 60 + miles of track,there's plenty cycling.

Hello there!
As you say, not many offroaders around here, @ShooglyDougie is our resident rough stuff rider but he's not from the area.

My next bike will likely be a gravel bike so will make sure to give the trails a test run - my last N+1 was also a gravel bike, I loved it and it saved my skin on more than one occasion.

 

[fimm]

That segment doesn't have a QOM at all. Quick @Pat "5mph" , it is all yours!!

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

Great stuff @Edwardoka .
There is plenty of it,I usually start from the Strathaven side and go over the middle as it were ,towards the visitor centre.
Lots of nice gravelly stony wee DH's that way.
The outskirts and Spine road would be perfect for a gravel bike though

 

[Louch]

Where I said quad was more upper knee, my legs twisting and I can't get it straight. Clip on shoe to hold tight is temperamental so may. Em they are causing it if foot moving around too much.

 

[Garry A]

Is your seat in line with the top tube, a little bit out may be causing a lot of grief.

 

[Louch]

Yeah adjusted that too. Played with height and position to even see if pointing either way would help. Started on the old bike and has continued onto new one. Only constant has been cleats and shoes

 

[ShooglyDougie]

Does anyone do the Whitelees Windfarm Trails ?
It's more MTB/ Gravel bike territory,so I would imagine notta lotta people on here would.
I go there all the time,and with 60 + miles of track,there's plenty cycling.

Thanks for this, just googlyed it and it sounds like it could be a good day out.
Will have to go exploring there one day gravel would be a nice change from local/borders hills, mud and bog (gotta love mud).

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

Good stuff @ShooglyDougie ,they do have a designated MTB trail part,but I stick to the other bits .
In all my times there ,I haven't actually done the MTB trail bit
Don't know why,I think its because I start from the other end.
If you do get up,I could have a wee blast with you
99% of the time ,I don't see a soul !!!!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

That segment doesn't have a QOM at all. Quick @Pat "5mph" , it is all yours!!

I'm on it!!
really, that's @Bobby Mhor's territory, I must tell him to reclaim it for CC Ecosse

 

[bruce1530]

Anyone in this forum from around the Ayrshire way, live in Kilmarnock and looking for some new cycling routes to try out as I'm sick of doing the same routes all the time.

I’m in Saltcoats. Quite a few options from here - and you can avoid hills if you stick to the coast :-)

But every trip for me seems to start the same way - either north along the coats towards Largs, maybe going via West Kilbride for a bit of variety, or south along the NCN73 to Kilwinning. From there, you’ve got various NCN options - north to Glasgow, South to Ayr, or East towards Kilmarnock. Or if you don’t want to stay on the NCN, from Kilwinning there are plenty of back roads out in the general direction of Stewarton/Kilmaurs.

Those are the ones I’ve discovered so far!

 

[Louch]

Given my lack of knowledge of the west I have given up my plan to cycle to some point in the tour of Britain sunday, might go to presentations Saturday though

 

[iandg]

2km cycle to work - Sun shining when I leave home and when I arrive at work but I'm soaked!!!!

That was one heavy shower.

 

[Edwardoka]

ToB today was pretty good.

If I'd spotted your comment sooner @Louch we could have made a day out of it (instead of me kicking myself to bits on half of the route yesterday)

 

[Edwardoka]

Anyone in this forum from around the Ayrshire way, live in Kilmarnock and looking for some new cycling routes to try out as I'm sick of doing the same routes all the time.

Just saw this Sorry dude!

I used to live near Kilmarnock so maybe can offer some ideas...

What kind of distance are you talking?
There are some excellent routes up the Loudoun Valley - so long as you steer clear of the A71 (a painful, life altering lesson, that one)

There are miles and miles of quiet farm roads above Darvel/Newmilns/Galston. Alternatively, maybe a loop up to Sorn?

 

[bruce1530]

I took a trip across to Stewarton today to see the Tour going through.

Lots of spectators, great atmosphere.

Slightly bizarrely, just as the first police bikes passed through to close the road, the church on the main street emptied, and the congregation gathered on the grass at the front, with a guitar, singing hymns. Presumably to encourage the cyclists. They finished their first hymn, there was a small ripple of applause from the waiting crowd, and a voice from the back shouted “Do you know any Elvis?”