Pedal for Scotland - Team

[Mr Pig]

599 GTB Fiorano please

I didn't say you could pick! ;0) But you will need to PM me your address if you want one.

 

[Melvil]

Any route involving grinding up hills too often will probably kill me first

Nice to see the Edinburgh Evening News reporting the event... NOT. Instead they publish cycling accident figures and the usual anti-cyclist bile and nonsense then starts pouring into the comments section.

The comments were absolutely horrible. It's one of the bad things about t'internet that people have the "mentality of anonymity" and feel free to type really poisonous things which in real life I imagine they would feel quite embarassed to be saying. It was along the lines of 'I saw one cyclist disobey the rules of the road, therefore all cyclists deserve to be killed as they are nuisances.'

 

[goo_mason]

The comments were absolutely horrible. It's one of the bad things about t'internet that people have the "mentality of anonymity" and feel free to type really poisonous things which in real life I imagine they would feel quite embarassed to be saying. It was along the lines of 'I saw one cyclist disobey the rules of the road, therefore all cyclists deserve to be killed as they are nuisances.'

I used to get depressed by it but now I see the same people trotting out the same, tired old cack and ignore it. The EEN commenters are, on the whole, a bitter, twisted and miserable lot who have nothing better to do every day than log in a post their hate-filled bile ! Having said that, there are a few who are fantastically funny and tongue-in-cheek who always make me smile.

 

[Noodley]

I quite fancy the idea of this:

http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Glasgow_to_Aberdeen-Cycle-Route-266.html

Heavily modified though, so start in Glasgow, follow the route all the way to Callander and then instead of heading north, head west to finish at Perth, either via Dunblane or via Crieff which should be 100 miles +/- 10 miles approx.

It's much easier logistics-wise to start and finish at the same location - that was the major factor in me not riding the Pedal for Scotland ride.

 

[Mr Pig]

people have the "mentality of anonymity" and type poisonous things which in real life they would feel embarrassed to be saying.

Not always. I had a woman at church yesterday morning say to me that she wondered how many of these cyclists had read the Highway Code. She's had problems getting out of her drive because of the volume of cyclists and felt they should have given way to her (!) and was also upset about them riding in the middle of the road and not in the gutter where they should be.

I gently pointed out to her they 'she' clearly didn't know what the Highway Code said regarding cyclists so was in no position to talk.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

yeah Mr Pig but on both counts she may well have had a point based on what I saw yesterday. People cycling through Airdrie as if it was closed roads, going on to roundabouts regardless of cars who had right of way, people chatting virtually on the centre white lines, oblivious to the growing queues of traffic behind them.

I can see where she was coming from tbh.

The worst though was the need some people had to undertake (i.e. on the left) with no warning, and most noticeably at the bottlenecks of eg Hopetoun, the path ahent your house, the Edinburgh cyclepaths. Really irritating and spirit dampening at points.

I agree with Noodley - a loop is easiest unless a one-way ride ends in Rosyth and even then I'd be unsure about the possibility of a post-ride pint round ere! "You sure got a purdy mouth" etc

 

[Mr Pig]

I can see where she was coming from tbh.

Yes, she did have a point but what i said to her was that there was/is ignorance and poor behaviour on both sides. Pedal For Scotland could be a great opportunity to educate cyclists but sadly the organisers don't seem to see it that way.

Incidentally, the guy who's puncture I fixed on Sunday morning popped in to pick up the cycling glasses he left and I've pointed him to the forum. John Rae is his name so say hi if you see him. And he gave us a nice bottle of red wine as a thankyou, top man :0)

 

[magnatom]

And the look on the large roadie's face when Magnatom and the team shot past him on a climb was worth its weight in gold

Aye, I've had a quick look on the video and I spotted the bit where I flew past him, then about 20 seconds later he comes past me. He really didn't like a bloke on a hybrid with large Marathon plus tyres flying past him. Made my day (and I'm sure we blew him off later!)

 

[Melvil]

It's much easier logistics-wise to start and finish at the same location - that was the major factor in me not riding the Pedal for Scotland ride.

You're right. I agree. As some more food for thought, I think this route could be easily modified to start and finish at Stirling:

http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Lenzie_to_Auchterader_Hills_Loop-Cycle-Route-444.html

 

[magnatom]

Well, back to earth - Norwayland - with a bump after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

Thanks must go to Mr and Mrs Magnatom for housing, feeding and beering me, and getting me to and from the airport! Also to Tet for lending me a very nifty hack bike! (two beers for you next year, Tet ) and Scoosh for enabling my shoes to clip onto the bike!

It was a great pleasure to have you stay with us. We had some very enjoyable chats. Even magnatom junior (oldest) said this morning how he was sad that he did not get a chance to say goodbye!

And, last but not least,the piss in the park after the bus journey back to Glasgow!

That was a major highlight for me as well.....I mean me, not Dayvo....you know what I mean....

By the way, I was first over the line, very closely followed by HlaB.

Yes but you did take a short cut via an A road so it doesn't count!

 

[HLaB]

It's much easier logistics-wise to start and finish at the same location - that was the major factor in me not riding the Pedal for Scotland ride.

I did a nice 100miler today that started and finished in Edinburgh, (C+ 196 p 40 but starting and finishing in Edin) it might be a bit hilly for some though, it went up the Lammermuir hills then through them to Duns. The max gradient on this section was just under 22.5%.

 

[Melvil]

I did a nice 100miler today that started and finished in Edinburgh, (C+ 196 p 40 but starting and finishing in Edin) it might be a bit hilly for some though, it went up the Lammermuir hills then through them to Duns. The max gradient on this section was just under 22.5%.

22.5%!!!!!!!!!! Ye gods!!!!!!!!

 

[goo_mason]

I did a nice 100miler today that started and finished in Edinburgh, (C+ 196 p 40 but starting and finishing in Edin) it might be a bit hilly for some though, it went up the Lammermuir hills then through them to Duns. The max gradient on this section was just under 22.5%.

There was me feeling that it'd be very manly of me to get back on the bike tomorrow for a week's commuting after yesterday's efforts, and you go and demonstrate what a real manly cyclist does - 100 miles the day after doing Pedal for Scotland !!

I think these CC Scottish 'training' rides being planned are going to be way out of my league, lads

 

[Melvil]

There was me feeling that it'd be very manly of me to get back on the bike tomorrow for a week's commuting after yesterday's efforts, and you go and demonstrate what a real manly cyclist does - 100 miles the day after doing Pedal for Scotland !!

I think these CC Scottish 'training' rides being planned are going to be way out of my league, lads

Not necessarily, Goo, there's no impetus to go flat out or push it at all. If we did one next year - june/july when it gets light again we've got 12-15 hours daylight for 100 miles (8mph average, about?) - and it goes without saying there'd be lots of cake stops, drink stops, chat stops etc.

Well, have a thought, anyway. There's loads of time before next summer comes round...

 

[HJ]

I think I am with Goo on this one, but then again, so long as there isn't big roadie in a white jersey trying to prove a point, it could be a goer...

Maybe if we had a few shorter training rides to build up first, or I could try tagging along behind that bunch that meet out side the Commie...