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

[Stefan Mikes]

Is SRAM up next?

No way. To prove it breaks, too?

 

[RabH]

Another nice day for a ride, not even close to Stefan's 24C temp (thankfully), more like 12C which suits me nicely! Our easterly winds are finally gone and been replaced by westerlies, although it felt every bit as cold as the easterlies we have been experiencing lately! It was around 20mph and I decided to head south for Garrion Bridge in the Clyde Valley, I stopped on the bridge for this photo of the River Clyde!

I then made my way along the western end of the valley towards Hamilton, where I turned south on the back road to Strathaven! This road is a real gem but a little rough in places, the first descent is amazing! Tinto Hill is in the background here and I had so many views of it today from many different places!

I had just started up this steep climb when a pickup and a tractor were heading down, its very narrow so I pulled in to let them go and got a pleasant wave from the farmer!

The sun was coming and going and the temp difference was very noticeable, but with no rain I wasn't complaining!

Soon I had another big descent just before arriving in Strathaven, I was freewheeling down it at over 35mph!

Another lovely descent after passing through Strathaven on the road to Kirkmuirhill!

I stopped part way down for this photo!

I passed over Avon Water at the bottom of the descent and stopped for this photo!

I spotted these 2 beautiful Clydesdales as I was passing one of the many farms!

The road to Kirkmuirhill is great fun, its very twisty and undulating and I had a nice 20mph tailwind all the way to the village! I then used the excellent cycle path down to Lesmahagow and stopped for some photos on the way!

Sadly the path ends after a couple of miles and you have to join the main dual carriageway, this used to be the main A74 trunk road from Scotland to England and was one of the busiest roads in the country back in the days before they built the motorway! Its much quieter now thankfully!

I joined the cycle path again at the top of the climb and took the back road through the wonderfully named Brocketsbrae, another fantastic road that leads back down into the Clyde Valley at Kirkfieldbank! The road starts with a big climb and I stopped part way up for this photo of a young Clydesdale lazing in the sun!

Then I had this awesome descent!

I stopped part way down for this photo, Lanark is in the background high up on the hill which I would be climbing soon!

I got another photo of a young Clydesdale on the way down!

The final descent into Kirkfieldbank, very fast and very twisty!

Then came the big climb up into Lanark but with a nice tailwind helping, I chose to continue east to enjoy the tailwind and was heading towards Ravenstruther and was rewarded with this stunning view of Tinto Hill!

Another nice descent soon followed!

Another lovely view of Tinto!

I was now heading for Carstairs Village and stopped for my final photos just before the village with views of the Pentlands and Tinto!

From there I took the back road to Yieldshields and Carluke and then Allanton, then up the big climb to Hareshaw and over the back roads to home! I started the day needing just 19 miles to reach 46000 so that was passed early in my ride and now stands at 46054! What a brilliant day once again and I got home with a spotless bike for a nice change!

 

[JGcycle]

A few pics from today's 23km ride:

 

[JGcycle]

A few pics from today's 17km ride:

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

A few pics from today's 17km ride:

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So much blue in your world!

Works for me. Since moving to coastal SoCal 4 yrs ago, we've gone totally coastal, and not by any intention. The blue of sea and sky just begets more and more blue everywhere else — in our home, clothing, etc.

On our bikes.

Even on the the dog.

If you want to see what "going coastal" looks like, Coastal Living magazine is a good start. (If you've ever rented a beach house, you probably found one on the coffee table.)

You think it won't happen to you, but resistance is futile.

 

[BlackHand]

An Egg-O-Mat

This post reminded me of our own 24hr vending machine down at the marina. Not the best pic, but it is the only vending machine I know of where you can get squid AND Junior Mints out of the same machine!

2 weeks ago, the breakwater was covered in lounging seals and sea lions. I guess I was there around lunchtime on this visit as most were cruising around in the water

Sea lion shadowing a pleasure boat. Probably hoping the kid drops some Junior Mints overboard.

 

[Chargeride]

Bri and I are off to deepest Wales, staying in Machyllenth tonight, weather is OKish but its Wales and could go either way.

This area is where the big boys play, Dyfi bike park, Atherton bikes are in the town.
It was our old dirt bike stomping ground till they were banned.
Two battery rides, mainly because of the constant height gain'

Strangely starts here

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Bri and I are off to deepest Wales, staying in Machyllenth tonight, weather is OKish but its Wales and could go either way.

This area is where the big boys play, Dyfi bike park, Atherton bikes are in the town.
It was our old dirt bike stomping ground till they were banned.
Two battery rides, mainly because of the constant height gain'

Strangely starts here
View attachment 209627

The Athertons have jumped on the avinox bandwagon (who hasn't) on their first EMTB with that same scaff bar frame construction.

 

[Chargeride]

That was the most incredible ride, punctures, ludicrous climbs, emptied 1 and a half batteries in 32 miles, the wildest parts of Wales, joined the Dyfi Mach3 chute for a descent surrounded by epic scenery, I can barely walk, 4200ft gain.
Here I am pumping up another tube on a slate trail that was the limit of the bikes ability.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Cannot wait for your video!

 

[Chazmo]

That was the most incredible ride, punctures, ludicrous climbs, emptied 1 and a half batteries in 32 miles, the wildest parts of Wales, joined the Dyfi Mach3 chute for a descent surrounded by epic scenery, I can barely walk, 4200ft gain.
Here I am pumping up another tube on a slate trail that was the limit of the bikes ability.
View attachment 209635

Awesome, Charge! That looks like some pretty gnarly trail right there.

 

[stompandgo]

Awesome, Charge! That looks like some pretty gnarly trail right there.

t looks just like the kind of trail I had to deal with on the Pinarello, with 40mm tires. @Chargeride's bike is much better prepared.

 

[RabH]

Not the ride I had planned for today but what a ride it was with amazing roads from start to finish! I was planning to ride down to Galston in Ayrshire as it was showing the best weather forecast for today, pretty much everywhere else was showing rain most of the day! With a 25mph SW wind blowing it was going to be a tough ride down to Ayrshire but I would have had a nice tailwind all the way back! I decided to head down to Lanark to use the wonderful A70 from Hyndford Bridge to Muirkirk which is 20 miles of amazing cycling roads! There is a short cycle path at the start of the A70, just over 1 mile before you have to join the main carriageway! The road can be busy but only for the first 6 miles as the trucks and most of the cars leave the A70 to join the M74 motorway!

Despite the 25mph headwind I had some nice long descents like this so it was still a lot of fun!

The climbs were tough though and my first battery had to be changed at just 34 miles, just after passing through Douglas! This is the amazing road out of Douglas!

After another 6 miles I arrived at Glenbuck Loch and was hoping to see lots of cygnets but the swan was still on the nest, last year they had 6 young ones in early May!

The road to Muirkirk is mostly in great condition like this, there are some rough parts though!

I was just a few miles from Muirkirk now and the sky was looking a bit ominous, sure enough just as I arrived in the village it started to rain! At this point I made the decision to turn north for Strathaven instead of continuing into the wind and rain down to Galston, its one of the best roads in the country anyway so it wasn't a hard decision! It starts with a big climb, part way up I stopped for this photo looking south showing the rain passing over the hills!

It was so much warmer now with the wind at my back and after just a mile or so I was back on dry roads with lovely smooth tarmac!

I enjoyed a cracking descent just before reaching Glengavel Reservoir and stopped for some photos, this road is just amazing!

Some nice new tarmac had been laid on this part of the road, it looked like somebody had landed in the field here at some point!

The road after the reservoir is just incredible with some nice long fast descents and with a 25mph tailwind I was flying along and glad I had made the decision to head north! A couple of miles before Strathaven I took the back road to Sandford, another fantastic road!

Just before Sandford I joined another really nice back road which eventually joins the main road to Kirkmuirhill!

After another couple of miles I passed through Boghead and enjoyed the big descent into Kirkmuirhill, from there I took the back road through Auchenheath which starts with this very fast descent before the road ramps up for a mile or so!

I was now heading for the Clyde Valley and turned on to the back road to Crossford, this is a very steep and scary descent!

I stopped for some photos of the valley on the way down!

I got a nice surprise here to find new tarmac had been laid, it used to be pretty rough and I always preferred to climb it!

From Crossford I took on the very tough Cozyglen climb up to Carluke!

The Clyde Valley down below!

I arrived in Carluke with 70 miles covered and was determined to get my 100 miler done so I headed east towards Yieldshields and Braehead! Then I took the back road to Wilsontown, a big climb followed by a long fast descent! I took my last photo at the top of the climb, looking SE towards the Pentland Hills!

From Wilsontown I headed north for Longridge where I shot down the descent to Breich at over 45mph with that lovely tailwind pushing me! After the big climb through Longridge came the big descent into Whitburn and a short sharp climb into Armadale with 92 miles covered! Then it was 12 miles of headwind as I turned west for home, I was sure I was going to get soaked as all I could see was dark clouds out to the west! As I reached my home town it looked like the heavens were about to open, I wheeled the bike straight indoors just before it hit! Amazingly the rain was gone in a few minutes, it was my lucky day despite some rain at Muirkirk! My ride turned into a massive figure 8...

 

[Chargeride]

A lot of that is similar to our ride, without the roads and different trees

 

[Chargeride]

We stayed in this pub in Machyllenth

A two battery ride, we couldnt leave brians brand new van at the remote trailhead, so we did five miles of sheep filled climb.

It went straight to into steep windy, rutty tracks

This is the climb from my picture, pure torture and twice as steep as it looks.

This the crossing where Dan submerged many years ago, very low now but we still used the bridge.

We still got wet feet getting to it.

Brian was hauling along

The reservoir was very low.

But all the streams were running, no idea why we were carefull wading

This is muderous and 1st gear steep, made it though

The ruts are in the plus size range

This is the Dyfi Mach 3 chute start

We used to dirt bike up this, buts its now remodelled official crazy descent

Suffice to say its piling into your brakes steep, without them you would hit 50mph

The entire descent took 15 mins and it was rare to go below 15mph

My back brake was smouldering at the bottom

This is the Roman road out of Rhayader, all the stones are gone at this point and its guesswork

we met this couple at the start of the ride, they took the easy route to the dam.

I shortened the ride because of rain and my motor started making a terminal clicking noise

Still we climbed to a stupid height and met this insanely steep descent with foot drops and tree roots, both my brakes were smouldering.
It was a fantastic two days of nostalgia and discovery, we only used 1 and ahalf batteries on the first day and one on the second.
32 miles 4200 ft of climb on the first day

We mentioned Avinoxes a lot.

 

[DaveMatthews]

View attachment 209666

Not the ride I had planned for today but what a ride it was with amazing roads from start to finish! I was planning to ride down to Galston in Ayrshire as it was showing the best weather forecast for today, pretty much everywhere else was showing rain most of the day! With a 25mph SW wind blowing it was going to be a tough ride down to Ayrshire but I would have had a nice tailwind all the way back! I decided to head down to Lanark to use the wonderful A70 from Hyndford Bridge to Muirkirk which is 20 miles of amazing cycling roads! There is a short cycle path at the start of the A70, just over 1 mile before you have to join the main carriageway! The road can be busy but only for the first 6 miles as the trucks and most of the cars leave the A70 to join the M74 motorway!

View attachment 209667
Despite the 25mph headwind I had some nice long descents like this so it was still a lot of fun!

View attachment 209668
The climbs were tough though and my first battery had to be changed at just 34 miles, just after passing through Douglas! This is the amazing road out of Douglas!

View attachment 209669
After another 6 miles I arrived at Glenbuck Loch and was hoping to see lots of cygnets but the swan was still on the nest, last year they had 6 young ones in early May!

View attachment 209671
View attachment 209672
The road to Muirkirk is mostly in great condition like this, there are some rough parts though!

View attachment 209673
I was just a few miles from Muirkirk now and the sky was looking a bit ominous, sure enough just as I arrived in the village it started to rain! At this point I made the decision to turn north for Strathaven instead of continuing into the wind and rain down to Galston, its one of the best roads in the country anyway so it wasn't a hard decision! It starts with a big climb, part way up I stopped for this photo looking south showing the rain passing over the hills!

View attachment 209674
It was so much warmer now with the wind at my back and after just a mile or so I was back on dry roads with lovely smooth tarmac!

View attachment 209675
View attachment 209676
I enjoyed a cracking descent just before reaching Glengavel Reservoir and stopped for some photos, this road is just amazing!

View attachment 209677
View attachment 209678
View attachment 209679
Some nice new tarmac had been laid on this part of the road, it looked like somebody had landed in the field here at some point!

View attachment 209680
View attachment 209681
View attachment 209682
The road after the reservoir is just incredible with some nice long fast descents and with a 25mph tailwind I was flying along and glad I had made the decision to head north! A couple of miles before Strathaven I took the back road to Sandford, another fantastic road!

View attachment 209683
View attachment 209684
Just before Sandford I joined another really nice back road which eventually joins the main road to Kirkmuirhill!

View attachment 209685
After another couple of miles I passed through Boghead and enjoyed the big descent into Kirkmuirhill, from there I took the back road through Auchenheath which starts with this very fast descent before the road ramps up for a mile or so!

View attachment 209686
I was now heading for the Clyde Valley and turned on to the back road to Crossford, this is a very steep and scary descent!

View attachment 209688
I stopped for some photos of the valley on the way down!

View attachment 209689
I got a nice surprise here to find new tarmac had been laid, it used to be pretty rough and I always preferred to climb it!

View attachment 209690
View attachment 209691
From Crossford I took on the very tough Cozyglen climb up to Carluke!

View attachment 209692
The Clyde Valley down below!

View attachment 209693
View attachment 209694
I arrived in Carluke with 70 miles covered and was determined to get my 100 miler done so I headed east towards Yieldshields and Braehead! Then I took the back road to Wilsontown, a big climb followed by a long fast descent! I took my last photo at the top of the climb, looking SE towards the Pentland Hills!

View attachment 209695
From Wilsontown I headed north for Longridge where I shot down the descent to Breich at over 45mph with that lovely tailwind pushing me! After the big climb through Longridge came the big descent into Whitburn and a short sharp climb into Armadale with 92 miles covered! Then it was 12 miles of headwind as I turned west for home, I was sure I was going to get soaked as all I could see was dark clouds out to the west! As I reached my home town it looked like the heavens were about to open, I wheeled the bike straight indoors just before it hit! Amazingly the rain was gone in a few minutes, it was my lucky day despite some rain at Muirkirk! My ride turned into a massive figure 8...

View attachment 209696
View attachment 209697

AHA!!!
That first pic has CARS in it!!!
I KNEW IT!
There's been cars there all along I bet!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I rode to an

This is the climb from my picture, pure torture and twice as steep as it looks.

I re-posted the picture of you, Chris (pumping the tyre), to my private circle of friends on FB with a caption: "@Brix, here's your favourite Englishman who you do call Cartridge"
She replied: "He's barely visible but I admit the scenery is beautiful!"
A friend, who is a heavy MTBer remarked: "Nice rubble indeed!"

We are all excited with your Wales trip, Charge!
-----------
I rode to a funny dealership of Scott, Kellys and Specialized today to collect a shipment from Specialized BV. Turned out, they sold no Scott, Kellys or Specialized but only Polish brands Unibike (bicycles) and Ecobike (e-bikes). By some mystery, they had two Riese & Muller Nevos on the floor. As I looked at those R&Ms, I thought "I can't believe e-bikes could be so ugly..."

 

[edobici_forza]

The Athertons have jumped on the avinox bandwagon (who hasn't) on their first EMTB with that same scaff bar frame construction.

Wow, I need to research and read up on this. Always lusted on Atherton bikes. and that is the next town over from where I live. so the name catches my attention

 

[Chargeride]

So many middle aged women and shop workers on old high end emtbs, I presume passed on or borrowed.

They are everywhere, the barman at the hotel was stood outside smoking holding the battery from his Cube.

The Atherton bikes are a very particular brand to represent his position in the sport, I wouldnt be interested because I dont remotely have the skills to justify their intent.

If your local you must have or do try to take the Forge Rd from Machyllenth to Rhayader via Staylittle, thats an epic drive.

So the motor is going to have to be repaired, taking it out today, for bearing upgrade and whatever the terminal clicking noise is.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Wow, I need to research and read up on this. Always lusted on Atherton bikes. and that is the next town over from where I live. so the name catches my attention