mr messy
Veteran
- Location
- Sunny? Glasgow, the friendly city...
AwwwwwPhew, had me worried there for a minute
Irn-Bru? Scottish Blethering Thread
- Thread starter Louch
- Start date
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Hellsbells2504
Senior Member
- Location
- Glasgow
Just saw your post Pat. Not been on for a while. Thank you for being willing to help me out with the bike anyway. Did you get my text with my address?Lucky escape for me today: was meant to pick up @Hellsbells2504 bike then ride it to her new abode - good luck in your new flat, Helen! But a very kind charity pick up van man dropped it off.
Soooooo: raining buckets, no work for me today, planning not to venture out all day!
mr messy
Veteran
- Location
- Sunny? Glasgow, the friendly city...
I looked up the weather forecast yesterday, and saw that today was to have 8mph westerly winds, a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers, and a maximum temperature of 7⁰C, and thought, “Yeah, I can go with that.” Clearly, in retrospect, there was an additional digit missing from the windspeed.
The plan was to head down to Kilmarnock, then east to Strathaven, and then back up on the unclassified roads towards Jackton and thence the Dear Green Place, but having got thoroughly soaked while heading south into the teeth of a gale, I cut the corner and headed over to Galston instead. That’s where the fun really started and I quickly found myself trying to shelter, where there was no shelter, from the torrential icy rain. The road sign for the old Louden Castle theme park was the best I could manage, and grateful I was for it.
Sadly, the road from Galston to Strathaven was mostly sheltered from the wind, which should have been on my back, but that’s really, that’s just par for the course. I did get some help from it on the way up the long hill just after the Loudon Inn, I got a fair bit up in the big ring in fact, and then it suddenly dropped which left me franticly trying to get down to a low enough gear to continue. I’d hoped that the wind would start to die down a bit when I turned north and homewards at Strathaven, but not a bit of it – if anything, it seemed to get stronger and as the road is a succession of left and then right turns, I was either getting blown sideways or battling into the face of it for the entire jouney.
53 miles and 2000 ft of ascent in a howling gale……………..but anything’s better than the turbo
The plan was to head down to Kilmarnock, then east to Strathaven, and then back up on the unclassified roads towards Jackton and thence the Dear Green Place, but having got thoroughly soaked while heading south into the teeth of a gale, I cut the corner and headed over to Galston instead. That’s where the fun really started and I quickly found myself trying to shelter, where there was no shelter, from the torrential icy rain. The road sign for the old Louden Castle theme park was the best I could manage, and grateful I was for it.
Sadly, the road from Galston to Strathaven was mostly sheltered from the wind, which should have been on my back, but that’s really, that’s just par for the course. I did get some help from it on the way up the long hill just after the Loudon Inn, I got a fair bit up in the big ring in fact, and then it suddenly dropped which left me franticly trying to get down to a low enough gear to continue. I’d hoped that the wind would start to die down a bit when I turned north and homewards at Strathaven, but not a bit of it – if anything, it seemed to get stronger and as the road is a succession of left and then right turns, I was either getting blown sideways or battling into the face of it for the entire jouney.
53 miles and 2000 ft of ascent in a howling gale……………..but anything’s better than the turbo
Chappeau! Sounds like quite an adventure 
I just did a wee ride to the allotment today, got well soaked (straight into the horizontal rain
), on the plus side I came home with a bag of leeks and a bag of parsnips and the wind behind me... also acquired some punctures/scratches on my hands from pruning the gooseberry bushes, not quite worth an owww smiley
, compared with others o.t.p. 
T
I just did a wee ride to the allotment today, got well soaked (straight into the horizontal rain
), on the plus side I came home with a bag of leeks and a bag of parsnips and the wind behind me... also acquired some punctures/scratches on my hands from pruning the gooseberry bushes, not quite worth an owww smiley, compared with others o.t.p. T
- Location
- Glasgow
Noticed it got a wee bit stormy today.I looked up the weather forecast yesterday, and saw that today was to have 8mph westerly winds, a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers, and a maximum temperature of 7⁰C, and thought, “Yeah, I can go with that.” Clearly, in retrospect, there was an additional digit missing from the windspeed.
The plan was to head down to Kilmarnock, then east to Strathaven, and then back up on the unclassified roads towards Jackton and thence the Dear Green Place, but having got thoroughly soaked while heading south into the teeth of a gale, I cut the corner and headed over to Galston instead. That’s where the fun really started and I quickly found myself trying to shelter, where there was no shelter, from the torrential icy rain. The road sign for the old Louden Castle theme park was the best I could manage, and grateful I was for it.
Sadly, the road from Galston to Strathaven was mostly sheltered from the wind, which should have been on my back, but that’s really, that’s just par for the course. I did get some help from it on the way up the long hill just after the Loudon Inn, I got a fair bit up in the big ring in fact, and then it suddenly dropped which left me franticly trying to get down to a low enough gear to continue. I’d hoped that the wind would start to die down a bit when I turned north and homewards at Strathaven, but not a bit of it – if anything, it seemed to get stronger and as the road is a succession of left and then right turns, I was either getting blown sideways or battling into the face of it for the entire jouney.
53 miles and 2000 ft of ascent in a howling gale……………..but anything’s better than the turbo
Escaped all of it, hardly rained on my way to work, just a bit windy on my way home.
You were brave to do over 50 miles in the gales!
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
I looked up the weather forecast yesterday, and saw that today was to have 8mph westerly winds, a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers, and a maximum temperature of 7⁰C, and thought, “Yeah, I can go with that.” Clearly, in retrospect, there was an additional digit missing from the windspeed.
The plan was to head down to Kilmarnock, then east to Strathaven, and then back up on the unclassified roads towards Jackton and thence the Dear Green Place, but having got thoroughly soaked while heading south into the teeth of a gale, I cut the corner and headed over to Galston instead. That’s where the fun really started and I quickly found myself trying to shelter, where there was no shelter, from the torrential icy rain. The road sign for the old Louden Castle theme park was the best I could manage, and grateful I was for it.
Sadly, the road from Galston to Strathaven was mostly sheltered from the wind, which should have been on my back, but that’s really, that’s just par for the course. I did get some help from it on the way up the long hill just after the Loudon Inn, I got a fair bit up in the big ring in fact, and then it suddenly dropped which left me franticly trying to get down to a low enough gear to continue. I’d hoped that the wind would start to die down a bit when I turned north and homewards at Strathaven, but not a bit of it – if anything, it seemed to get stronger and as the road is a succession of left and then right turns, I was either getting blown sideways or battling into the face of it for the entire jouney.
53 miles and 2000 ft of ascent in a howling gale……………..but anything’s better than the turbo
Was out in the car today; no way was I even attempting to cycle in that! Saw a few poor souls cycling up the Haylie Brae. There was a river running down the road, it was blowing a gale, hosing it down with sleet, and busy with traffic. My idea of hell, TBH.. Hoping to get out tomorrow, the forecast is reasonable-ish. Still won't be going near the Haylie Brae though, it's a horrible road for cycling.
Aye, it is. I've been across it from the east twice and both times I've genuinely feared for my life because of stupidly close passes, both times were in good weather.
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Too many drivers going round blind corners too fast and finding a cyclist struggling up the hill. With traffic coming towards them, they have nowhere to go, with a steep bank on one side and stone dyke on the other. Sadly, it's just a matter of time before there's a serious accident involving a cyclist.
Better to do some extra miles and the bigger climb of the Fairlie Moor road between Fairlie and Dalry IMHO.. A lung buster for about 3 miles, but single track and hardly a car to be seen.
Col5632
Guru
- Location
- Cowdenbeath
Chain snapped on my way home on friday night, 2 miles of walking and rolling home 
Back on the old tank today and had to go hell of leather cause i left 20 mins before i started work, made it here in 19 mins
Back on the old tank today and had to go hell of leather cause i left 20 mins before i started work, made it here in 19 mins
Leeks and parsnips Telemark? .......a small price to payChappeau! Sounds like quite an adventure
I just did a wee ride to the allotment today, got well soaked (straight into the horizontal rain
T
Chain snapped on my way home on friday night, 2 miles of walking and rolling home
Back on the old tank today and had to go hell of leather cause i left 20 mins before i started work, made it here in 19 mins
Phew, well done!Very nice they were, too, in a sausage casserole, with the last of the non-floury potatoes from the allotment, carrots, celeriac & of course sausagesLeeks and parsnips Telemark? .......a small price to pay
.There is nothing quite like freshly dug/picked vegetables and fruit (if you like such things
) 
. This sort of food might make a decent CC Ecosse meal if there is another easterly RV during the cooler season, plenty of leeks left for a while yet.T
We will celebrate three ‘milestone’ birthdays in the extended family over the next couple of months, and to mark them, we’re all heading up to Kingsbarns for a long weekend at the end of March. I’d quite like to do a part of it by bike, accompanied by the heir, and, to avoid the congestion around Glasgow on a Friday morning and keep the mileage reasonable, I’m intending that we take the train to Stirling and start from there.
This is where you, my friends, come in
I enquired of Messrs Google if they had any suggestions and this is what they came up with. It’s the right sort of distance, 60 miles or so, but I have no knowledge of the area until we get to Lundin Links, so, I would really appreciate any input from those who do know. A fair proportion is on some sort of cycle track, but as we all know, there are cycle paths and there are cycle paths, so hints on what parts to avoid, which parts don’t actually exist, and where it’s probably just as well to stick to the road will be gratefully received.
Many thanks in advance
This is where you, my friends, come in
I enquired of Messrs Google if they had any suggestions and this is what they came up with. It’s the right sort of distance, 60 miles or so, but I have no knowledge of the area until we get to Lundin Links, so, I would really appreciate any input from those who do know. A fair proportion is on some sort of cycle track, but as we all know, there are cycle paths and there are cycle paths, so hints on what parts to avoid, which parts don’t actually exist, and where it’s probably just as well to stick to the road will be gratefully received.Many thanks in advance
