2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Chargeride]

No, and now Im being horse sued.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It was 4C when I set off at 9am with a feels like temp of -1C thanks to the chilly 25mph SW wind, it was a no brainer to have a tailwind at the start and I enjoyed it for almost 36 miles!

Now I wonder whether it is better to live in Scotland (where it is generally cold and windy all year long) or in Poland (suffering a harsh winter but enjoying mild weather for the rest of the year)
How green and sunny Scotland looks in your pics, Rab!

 

[Chargeride]

My front brake started making the weirdest Forbidden Planet noise while on a remote track, at the same time a Chinook was passing overhead.
It completely blew my mind what it was, Im thinking they were testing some weird device.

Here it is the second time it happened, it was so loud and weird

Watch unnamed | Streamable

Watch "unnamed" on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

My front brake started making the weirdest Forbidden Planet noise while on a remote track, at the same time a Chinook was passing overhead.
It completely blew my mind what it was, Im thinking they were testing some weird device.

Here it is the second time it happened, it was so loud and weird

Watch unnamed | Streamable

Watch "unnamed" on Streamable.

streamable.com

Pretty sure that was the Zargonians messing with you from their mothership behind the moon. Pesky aliens!

They just timed it with the Chinooks for plausible deniability.
;^}

 

[edobici_forza]

I decided to change tires from my general purpose Continental Terra Speed, 45mm to Vittoria Terreno T70, 45mm, for more trail adventures. I have plans for an all trail ride with a friend up north this coming weekend.

I used the Tyre Glider tool for the first time and I think it is great. I removed the old tire in just under a minute. and installed the new tire in about 2 and a half minutes. I run tubeless. I am no tire wizard, in fact I have spent almost an hour in the past to change and/or install tight tires!! The tool is great.

So I went to a nearby local trail to test out the tires, which has a little of everything: hardpack dirt, gravel over dirt, giant gravel. I felt very stable and confident with the new tires. They hum like my MTB tires on the pavement (about 5 miles of my 12 mile ride). I did get in my obligatory 1k feet of elevation gain.

I came across quite a few wet spots, puddles and deep mud, I didn’t ride the deep mud. The second muddy photo below shows my turn around spot. A group of 12-16yr olds, on manual MTBs, were out for a ride (that was cool to see!) just went through it.

A photo cannot match the beauty of the trees along the ridge and water as you decend this hill. I always stop to take a look, otherwise the view would be gone in seconds. It is one of my favorite local views. It is always different!

 

[RabH]

Now I wonder whether it is better to live in Scotland (where it is generally cold and windy all year long) or in Poland (suffering a harsh winter but enjoying mild weather for the rest of the year)
How green and sunny Scotland looks in your pics, Rab!

No prizes for guessing where I would pick... I picked the right day yesterday, woke to some snow this morning!

 

[Chargeride]

View attachment 204622

My 3rd ride in 4 days, after a slow start to the year things have got going nicely! 192 miles with over 12k ft of climbing already, my 60 miler on Monday had more elevation gain than today but only just! The elevation map tells the story of today's ride...

View attachment 204624

It was 4C when I set off at 9am with a feels like temp of -1C thanks to the chilly 25mph SW wind, it was a no brainer to have a tailwind at the start and I enjoyed it for almost 36 miles! I made my way down to Falkirk, with the descent down to Glenn Village the highlight with a speed of 45.8mph! Then I made my way east through Linlithgow and out to Winchburgh where I turned north towards Newton, things had cleared up nicely after a rainy start to the day (I waited for the rain to stop before I set off ) and I grabbed my first and only photo of the Pentland Hills!

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I stopped at Newton for a photo of the 3 bridges over the River Forth, it was so clear today for a nice change!

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A short time later it was time to cross the bridge, stopping for photos all the way across of course!

The iconic rail bridge from the southern side!

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The new Queensferry crossing to the west, very busy as always with cars and trucks!

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A lady cyclist was enjoying the views also!

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I managed to catch a train crossing the rail bridge!

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The rail bridge from the northern side with North Queensferry in the foreground!

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After crossing the bridge I continued north into Inverkeithing where I stopped for lunch before turning west for Rosyth and into a 25mph headwind, the difference was noticeable immediately and I cranked the heat up on my gloves to level 2! Just the back of the hand to conserve the batteries as it was going to be a long day, I love that they have 2 elements! After passing through Rosyth I turned off the main road at Limekilns and took this photo before enjoying the descent down the shore!

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For once I actually caught the high tide!

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The Forth was a bit choppy thanks to the wind...

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Just before climbing the cobbles into Charlestown I stopped for this photo!

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Another distant view of the Forth from Charlestown with the now defunct Grangemouth oil refinery way in the distance!

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I joined the cycle path towards Crombie a short time later, before turning on to the coast road through Torryburn and Newmills followed by Low Valleyfield and Culross! Its such a great road to ride as it runs alongside the Forth for miles and with a smooth road like this what's not to like?

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At the end of the road I joined the cycle path which runs to the Kincardine Bridge, I stopped for some photos on the bridge!

This is looking north at the Clackmannanshire bridge with the stunning Ochils Hills in the background!

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A closer view of the Clackmannanshire bridge!

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I stayed on the cycle path for a couple of miles before turning west towards Larbert and then south to Camelon where I encountered major roadworks with a big line of cars! Thankfully the path was clear of pedestrians so I bypassed the line of cars with a big grin on my face! I then took the cycle path that leads to the Falkirk Wheel, I was hoping I might catch it in action but it was closed for repair work! I grabbed a few photos at the canal and got 1 of the Falkirk Wheel!

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I then headed west for Bonnybridge on the canal path!

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At Bonnybridge I turned south up the big climb which eventually takes you to Falkirk, its a great road and you get amazing views of the Ochils all the way along it!

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I even caught a feint rainbow!

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The headwind and climbing had taken a toll on my second battery, I got 48 miles from my first one and I had a lot of climbing ahead of me from Falkirk up to Slamannan! At Slamannan I only had 36% left with just over 10 miles to go, I was only using eco now and turning the power off as much as possible! I made it home with 15% remaining, I just had enough juice to get me up the climbs at home! I had changed my first battery at 22% so I may have got a little more out of it if needed!

More often than not though the batteries drop like a stone at 20%, so I was a little worried! All's well that ends well! I had been getting a strange rattle from the front of my bike occasionally, I stopped and checked all the bolts and found no issues! Imagine my shock when I was washing my bike and I discovered my front brake disc (rotor) was moving from side to side, its a centrelock type and the nut had managed to come loose! My brakes were working perfectly though with no judder or anything, very strange indeed! My gloves ran out of juice just 2 miles from home, they lasted for over 7 hours!

View attachment 204654

Theres only 5m Scots, why do they need so many bridges?
I think you should sell a few....to the Americans.
'Hey Cleetus, I just gone bought the Loch Ness bridge'.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Theres only 5m Scots, why do they need so many bridges?
I think you should sell a few....to the Americans.
'Hey Cleetus, I just gone bought the Loch Ness bridge'.

There is not many more Norwegians but probably the most tunnels in the world

 

[Chargeride]

Gotta spend all that oil money on something

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Gotta spend all that oil money on something

One might think why the British do not participate in ski jumping anymore (A crop of the Holmenkollen ski-jump tower near Oslo in the summer). The project of reconstructing the site was a scandal, as the actual cost was tenfold of the original estimate.

 

[dodgeman]

It’s 2 pm here, air temp is 15f with a windchill of -3. I think I’ll add another piece of wood to the fireplace and stay inside.

 

[Chargeride]

I havent even got the heating on, the projector fan is keeping me cosy

 

[Chazmo]

View attachment 204622

My 3rd ride in 4 days, after a slow start to the year things have got going nicely! 192 miles with over 12k ft of climbing already, my 60 miler on Monday had more elevation gain than today but only just! The elevation map tells the story of today's ride...

View attachment 204624

It was 4C when I set off at 9am with a feels like temp of -1C thanks to the chilly 25mph SW wind, it was a no brainer to have a tailwind at the start and I enjoyed it for almost 36 miles! I made my way down to Falkirk, with the descent down to Glenn Village the highlight with a speed of 45.8mph! Then I made my way east through Linlithgow and out to Winchburgh where I turned north towards Newton, things had cleared up nicely after a rainy start to the day (I waited for the rain to stop before I set off ) and I grabbed my first and only photo of the Pentland Hills!

View attachment 204625
I stopped at Newton for a photo of the 3 bridges over the River Forth, it was so clear today for a nice change!

View attachment 204626
A short time later it was time to cross the bridge, stopping for photos all the way across of course!

The iconic rail bridge from the southern side!

View attachment 204627
The new Queensferry crossing to the west, very busy as always with cars and trucks!

View attachment 204628
A lady cyclist was enjoying the views also!

View attachment 204629
I managed to catch a train crossing the rail bridge!

View attachment 204630
The rail bridge from the northern side with North Queensferry in the foreground!

View attachment 204631
After crossing the bridge I continued north into Inverkeithing where I stopped for lunch before turning west for Rosyth and into a 25mph headwind, the difference was noticeable immediately and I cranked the heat up on my gloves to level 2! Just the back of the hand to conserve the batteries as it was going to be a long day, I love that they have 2 elements! After passing through Rosyth I turned off the main road at Limekilns and took this photo before enjoying the descent down the shore!

View attachment 204632
For once I actually caught the high tide!

View attachment 204633
The Forth was a bit choppy thanks to the wind...

View attachment 204634
Just before climbing the cobbles into Charlestown I stopped for this photo!

View attachment 204635
Another distant view of the Forth from Charlestown with the now defunct Grangemouth oil refinery way in the distance!

View attachment 204636
I joined the cycle path towards Crombie a short time later, before turning on to the coast road through Torryburn and Newmills followed by Low Valleyfield and Culross! Its such a great road to ride as it runs alongside the Forth for miles and with a smooth road like this what's not to like?

View attachment 204637
At the end of the road I joined the cycle path which runs to the Kincardine Bridge, I stopped for some photos on the bridge!

This is looking north at the Clackmannanshire bridge with the stunning Ochils Hills in the background!

View attachment 204639
View attachment 204640
A closer view of the Clackmannanshire bridge!

View attachment 204641
I stayed on the cycle path for a couple of miles before turning west towards Larbert and then south to Camelon where I encountered major roadworks with a big line of cars! Thankfully the path was clear of pedestrians so I bypassed the line of cars with a big grin on my face! I then took the cycle path that leads to the Falkirk Wheel, I was hoping I might catch it in action but it was closed for repair work! I grabbed a few photos at the canal and got 1 of the Falkirk Wheel!

View attachment 204643
View attachment 204644
View attachment 204645
View attachment 204646
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View attachment 204648
I then headed west for Bonnybridge on the canal path!

View attachment 204649
At Bonnybridge I turned south up the big climb which eventually takes you to Falkirk, its a great road and you get amazing views of the Ochils all the way along it!

View attachment 204650
I even caught a feint rainbow!

View attachment 204651
View attachment 204652
View attachment 204653
The headwind and climbing had taken a toll on my second battery, I got 48 miles from my first one and I had a lot of climbing ahead of me from Falkirk up to Slamannan! At Slamannan I only had 36% left with just over 10 miles to go, I was only using eco now and turning the power off as much as possible! I made it home with 15% remaining, I just had enough juice to get me up the climbs at home! I had changed my first battery at 22% so I may have got a little more out of it if needed!

More often than not though the batteries drop like a stone at 20%, so I was a little worried! All's well that ends well! I had been getting a strange rattle from the front of my bike occasionally, I stopped and checked all the bolts and found no issues! Imagine my shock when I was washing my bike and I discovered my front brake disc (rotor) was moving from side to side, its a centrelock type and the nut had managed to come loose! My brakes were working perfectly though with no judder or anything, very strange indeed! My gloves ran out of juice just 2 miles from home, they lasted for over 7 hours!

View attachment 204654

Gosh that’s a pretty suspension bridge. Looks pretty new, Rab. Awesome ride (dare I say as usual?).

edit: I see that’s called a cable-stayed bridge, not a suspension bridge. We have a similar one in Boston (Zakim bridge), but I think shorter than this Queensferry Crossing. Lovely.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Coastal San Diego County's having a prolonged Santa Ana event between big Pacific storms. Everything's still well-hydrated from earlier storms, and wind speeds are pretty tame, so no big fire worries this time. Just the benefits: Balmy breezes, no onshore marine layer, crystal-clear air to the horizon instead.

You high-latitude types don't even wanna know what it's like here now.

 

[Chargeride]

Those waves are just beautiful, I can imagine their speed

 

[dodgeman]

Coastal San Diego County's having a prolonged Santa Ana event between big Pacific storms. Everything's still well-hydrated from earlier storms, and wind speeds are pretty tame, so no big fire worries this time. Just the benefits: Balmy breezes, no onshore marine layer, crystal-clear air instead.

View attachment 204707
You high-latitude types don't even wanna know what it's like here now.

Yeah yeah, rub it in.

 

[BlackHand]

Took 12 days off but got back in the saddle this week, literally. Got in 82 miles so far this week.

Just gorgeous weather today, not super warm - probably about halfway between @dodgeman and @Jeremy McCreary 's temps. Started off the day by riding up to the vet to pick up sedatives for our dog. The neighbors set off fireworks every time our football team wins and which freaks him out.

Then I headed to a 2 1/2 hour church meeting, just the thing you want to do on a beautiful Saturday morning. At least I spent a few minutes at the waterfront afterwards to soak in a bit of sun.

Mt Baker out in full glory

Lots of divers out in the dive park, though you can only see 1 here.

Yeah, my tires don't match. I swapped the rear when I got a flat at the end of December. Should probably get around to changing out the front too...

Strava tells me I'm already 159 miles behind pace for my yearly goal

 

[edobici_forza]

My friend Chris showed me Point Reyes trails...my first time. We rode Stewart Trail to Wildcat Beach. It is a bit steep.
We explored other trails too and got hit with stinging nettles. I forgot how painful those are! Very verdent area. The cows were in Nicasio, on the way to the trailhead. had to stop to take a photo.

We saw a few elk near Wildcat Beach campground, also a first for me.

Vittoria T70s held up well on a variety of surfaces. I also switched to flat pedals.

 

[RabH]

Gosh that’s a pretty suspension bridge. Looks pretty new, Rab. Awesome ride (dare I say as usual?).

edit: I see that’s called a cable-stayed bridge, not a suspension bridge. We have a similar one in Boston (Zakim bridge), but I think shorter than this Queensferry Crossing. Lovely.

Thanks Chaz, the build started in June 2011 and wasn't completed until August 2017! The original Forth Road Bridge (the one you can walk and cycle over) couldn't handle the amount of traffic and it was taking a pounding, it was always closed due to winds and really bad for the economy! I did manage to grab photos at various stages of the build starting in 2015!

This was taken from the Northern side!

Southern side!

The new M90 motorway was still being constructed and this would make the bridge only open to fast traffic!

1 year on, October 2016 and just one more section to be added!

April 2017, 4 months before it was officially opened!

April 2018!

My bike was less than a month old here, almost 8 years now! No kickstand and no rear rack back then...

The remainder are from early 2019!

The 3 bridges are all from different centuries, 1800's for the rail bridge, 1900's for the original road bridge and 2000's for the Queensferry Crossing!

 

[Chargeride]

Yeah, I live on the end terrace, right next to the river, loads of trees..its really quie....oh hang on