2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[RabH]

I have been waiting for the right conditions to drive down to Peebles to cycle from there to Moffat and back, today was ideal so I got up early and made my down to Peebles in the car! Well I stopped in a layby about 6 miles away to avoid the busy town, its much easier to negotiate it on the bike! I stopped on the bridge in the centre of town for this photo before taking the back road to Traquair!

I reached the tiny village of Traquair at 13 miles and it was time to head up the 4 mile climb from 500ft to just over 1200ft before plumetting down into the valley at just over 40mph, the descent is very twisty with some rough parts so I took it easy! I was now heading for St Marys Loch and it soon came into view, it sits in the valley of the Yarrow Hills!

As soon as you pass the loch, another loch comes into view immediately and its called Loch of the Lowes!

Right after passing the loch there's another climb up to 1200ft and then another big descent down into the valley where the road meanders through the hills with lots of little ups and downs and I had a 15mph ESE wind at my back, it was just sublime!

I usually do this route twice a year, alternating the direction and it never disappoints! I'm lucky I can get to enjoy it on a week day when its quiet as its crazy busy with cyclists and motorcyclists at the weekend! I enjoyed it on my motorbikes many times over the years, it sure was easier!

I stopped for a photo of this beautiful Clydesdale!

I was now nearing my desination of Moffat and stopped for more photos before enjoying the big descent down into the town!

I had my lunch in town to give me the energy to tackle the 6.5 mile climb ahead of me up the Devils Beeftub, its always the highlight of the ride whether I'm going up it or down it and the following photos will tell the story of how good it is!

The road is like this most of the way so its a real joy to ride!

The climb starts in Moffat at just over 300ft and peaks at just under 1400ft, then its a gradual descent for over 11 miles!

It wasn't a fast descent as I was into a headwind now and the wind was picking up as the day progressed! The amazing scenery just kept coming!

I was now approaching the village of Broughton where I had a choice of roads to take, I could use the back road past Stobo or continue on the main road to Blyth Bridge! I chose the main road as it wasn't busy and it would give me more miles, in fact for a fleeting moment I considered making it another imperial century as I was flying down the descent into Blyth Bridge!

But I saw sense and turned off before the village as it would have been into a 20-25mph headwind and mostly uphill for a good 10 miles! I chose this road instead which would take me back to where the car was parked!

As I reached the car I had covered 75 miles so I continued past the car and did a few miles to make it an 80 miler, grabbing a few more photos!

Back at the car now and buzzing after a truly awesome ride, its a small car but the bike fits easily with the front wheel removed!

I look forward to doing it again later in the year and in the opposite direction!

 

[DaveMatthews]

I might just try that. No deep thinking or science behind my go-to Gatorade, and I do like lime!

I've been using Nuun tabs in water for a couple of years...

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[Chargeride]

Sick car colour there Rab

 

[Chargeride]

Oh, wow! OK, well, I think what I’m sensing here is more of a taxation thing than an attempt at social engineering — OK, given, those two things are related -- but it was already a foregone conclusion that you guys in Europe have much higher taxes, etc., to deal with than we do across the pond.

Europe is pretty well commie central compared to America, I do feel the perks we have squeezed out of our state have reached a point where they really have considered replacing us.
When I left my corporate job I was on 8 weeks a year leave, a job it was practically impossible for them to fire me from without multiple warnings, investigations, chances for training, tribunals and a legal process heavily weighted towards the employee.
The redundancy payouts were two years pay and they pushed it to three years to increase takeup with a big tax reduction on it.
That will be why we dont make things anymore

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Same in UK, you have to be 18 to buy Redbull /Monster, you can buy a jar of coffee though..like three times the caffeine per drink.

What is the legal drinking age in the UK, Chris? Any difference between an off-license and a pub?

Chasmo: the sugar tax on Red Bull is like US 2.5 cent per litre. High?

 

[Chargeride]

No its 18 in both with ID, looking over 25 without.
I have been in pubs full of 16yr olds though, we drink Europe under the table.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I had my lunch in town to give me the energy to tackle the 6.5 mile climb ahead of me up the Devils Beeftub, its always the highlight of the ride whether I'm going up it or down it and the following photos will tell the story of how good it is!

OK, that settles it! I'm going to pick up a semblance of a Scottish accent by binge-watching Craig Ferguson YouTubes just so I can tell people that I was born and raised in Devils Beeftub.

Gorgeous ride!

 

[DaveMatthews]

OK, that settles it! I'm going to pick up a semblance of a Scottish accent by binge-watching Craig Ferguson YouTubes just so I can tell people that I was born and raised in Devils Beeftub.

Gorgeous ride!

Look man... we all know why you want to watch Craig Ferguson vids, and it ain't for the accent...

 

[Chargeride]

Lovely ride today in the heat, slightly spoiled by overtaking a slow group of riders and not spotting a broken branch sticking out of the hedge.
Snapped it off with my hand, looked down to see two flaps of skin hanging off my knuckles.
Carried on, bit them off while riding, then insulation taped them up.
Still got it on now

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Look man... we all know why you want to watch Craig Ferguson vids, and it ain't for the accent...

Granted, the guest list was heavily weighted toward pretty young starlets.

But lest anyone question the wisdom of this, I urge you to watch this YouTube collecting all 26 Kristen Bell visits.

Something just clicked between those two on her first appearance, and the rest was just pure comedy magic — with Bell giving as good as she got the whole time.

And Bell was by no means the only one he clicked with.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Granted, the guest list was heavily weighted toward pretty young starlets.

But lest anyone question the wisdom of this, I urge you to watch the YouTube collecting all 20+ Kristen Bell visits. Something just clicked between those two on her first appearance, and the rest was just pure comedy magic — with Bell giving as good as she got the whole time.

And Bell was by no means the only one he clicked with.

Yeah, too bad he kinda crashed and burned out...

 

[Chargeride]

What did you think of Corden, even though he was the star of UKs most beloved sitcom, he is generally despised and it was weird watching him be the darling of the hollywood set.
Hes come home and dropped completely out of the limelight even after starring in a christmas special.

 

[DaveMatthews]

What did you think of Corden, even though he was the star of UKs most beloved sitcom, he is generally despised and it was weird watching him be the darling of the hollywood set.
Hes come home and dropped completely out of the limelight even after starring in a christmas special.

I liked him with the Carpool Karaoke series, apart from that not so much. That said I didn't watch his shows.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Good Lord, what a gorgeous route! But what in the world is a Beeftub? From those pictures, it has something to do with not being flat

Love seeing that Road E still going. I had my Toughroad for six years and it’s still going strong under my son‘s command now, and the Stance I bought last Fall , well I just fell in love with the freaking thing.

 

[Mulezen]

Charge...I don't hydrate enough too says the Cardiologist...I did promise her to get up earlier this summer for my rides...why stay up late if you have to get up early?
My friend...great athlete (OL team) as well PhD in Exercise Physiology says the Pedialyte is absorbed better than Gatorade...something to do with molarity which is where I quit listening.
As for Corden...wasn't he run out of high society NYC for abusing restaurant staff at a celeb hangout?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

My friend...great athlete (OL team) as well PhD in Exercise Physiology says the Pedialyte is absorbed better than Gatorade...something to do with molarity which is where I quit listening.

My LBS carries a big selection of hydration and nutrition products for serious cyclists. At serious prices. Must be something to it since big pro teams use similar products, and they have their own nutritionists. But my gut says 1 part science, 4 parts hype, and 5 parts placebo effect for this commercial stuff.

Still, might try a few just to see what all the fuss is about. Not worried about getting sucked in. My TdF days are over, and my hydration budget's tied to the price of Gatorade.

 

[Chargeride]

Completely random, but I met his co star and joint writer from the tv show, who is also a huge UK star just as hes started on the Late show, Im rabitting on about Corden and her face was a little unimpressed shall we say.
I found out later they had a huge row and she joined the ranks of people who cant stand him.
He was good at being what they wanted, I'll give him that.

 

[Mulezen]

My LBS carries a big selection of hydration and nutrition products for serious cyclists. At serious prices. Must be something to it since big pro teams use similar products, and they have their own nutritionists. But my gut says 1 part science, 4 parts hype, and 5 parts placebo effect for this commercial stuff.

Still, might try a few just to see what all the fuss is about. Not worried about getting sucked in. My TdF days are over, and my hydration budget's tied to the price of Gatorade.

I’ve got a selection of these products in my cupboard…they were part of a gift bag to referees and volunteers at a Weightlifting Meet. I havent tried any Since this works for me.
I agree on the hype…goes back more than a century…I once competed for York Barbell and the founder, Bob Hoffman, pushed a slew of products…as a summer intern I even composed reader testimonials (strength & Health mag) for such products as his ‘Protein from the Sea” powder…More of this than ever and, as DylanThomas wrote in “Visit to America” ‘they lap it up’

 

[RabH]

Good Lord, what a gorgeous route! But what in the world is a Beeftub? From those pictures, it has something to do with not being flat

Love seeing that Road E still going. I had my Toughroad for six years and it’s still going strong under my son‘s command now, and the Stance I bought last Fall , well I just fell in love with the freaking thing.

It dates back to cattle rustling days! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Beef_Tub

My Road E has sure served me well, just over 7 years and 38,323 miles and it still rides like new!

 

[Chazmo]

I realize this won’t sound like very much to some of you guys, but I just finished a 6-straight-day run on Fättie for a total of 156 miles. Tomorrow I'll take a day off.

Spring has completely exploded the last couple of days here in central Massachusetts. I have lots of pictures, but below is one of the most impressive trees I saw today. I’m not exactly sure what type of tree it is, but there are lots of these around here. This one is grand, although the weather was drizzly and overcast this morning so it isn’t the best picture.