Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Im sure they do it on purpose.
I hate to do this, but I think I can beat you.
Another Crackberry enthusiast?I don't know how I would have made it through the brutal winter without our roller trainer. Wait a minute...we still have another 5 weeks until it's officially spring.
Not quite as sublime as cycling in Spain but watching videos of our past rides gives us something to look forward to.
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Surroundings shrouded in fog adds a touch of intrigue to the ride. I’m still envious that you’re able to choose from a broad range of routes (from your doorstep) to suit your preference and conditions at most given times. Well done!View attachment 147105
Not the nicest day but I was determined to get out, with 50 mph winds forecast for tomorrow the fog and mist wasn't keeping me indoors! The wind was straight from the south and only around 10mph so I headed north for the Campsie Hills, when I reached the turnoff for the Tak Ma Doon road which is the steepest climb up over the hills I was in two minds about it due to the conditions but I decided to chance it and it paid off!
At the top of the climb at 1100ft, not much to see other than the bike
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It was one of those days when cycling glasses were useless, I was wishing I was wearing them down the big descent though as my eyes were streaming at 40mph! Normally at the bottom of the descent I take a left turn and head for the other end of the Campsie Hills but it looked so murky I decided to go straight on at the crossroads towards Bannockburn (some of you may have heard of a wee fight that took place here back in 1314) I forgot how awesome this road was as I haven't used it in this direction for many years! I almost crashed my motorbike on this very road many years ago, there was a big pile of loose gravel strewn across the road and my front wheel hit it at around 40mph but thankfully I kept control and lived to fight another day!
This is what the road is like for around 6 miles, its such a blast to ride!
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Its all twists and turns and ups and downs with some really nice descents to enjoy! I even caught a little break in the weather and could actually see the trees...
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Love this descent, it looks almost flat in the photo!
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I arrived in Bannockburn and headed south for home, the wind had picked up now so I had a 20mph headwind to contend with! I was heading towards Denny and passed Forsyths yard and had to grab some photos of the heavy equpiment, my dad used to call on them to recover his trucks back in the day! Its nice to see they are still operating after almost 60 years, they used to have a big fleet of recovery trucks though but these days they only offer crane hire as far as I know!
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My bike isn't really that heavy when you compare it to these goliaths!
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I continued south to Bonnybridge and took to the back roads to Falkirk, passing the herd of deer again up the big climb!
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Very narrow roads here but almost no traffic to contend with, other than farm machinery!
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My bike was absolutely filthy now but it looks clean here, photos do lie
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I quickly passed through Falkirk and was on the road to Slammanan where I would take to the narrow back roads again, around 10 miles from home now and getting a little weary after Sundays big ride so I upped the assistance to level 3 for the climbs!
A very welcome flat road for a bit!
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It was probably not the best idea to take on another 4000ft of climbing so I was very glad of the second battery to get me home in good time! Another great ride depsite the conditions, the bike got a good clean as it was caked with mud! The mudguards do a really great job though, I can just imagine the mess I would be in without them...
Another Crackberry enthusiast?
I think my fav was the Passport. What a great phone!Surroundings shrouded in fog adds a touch of intrigue to the ride. I’m still envious that you’re able to choose from a broad range of routes (from your doorstep) to suit your preference and conditions at most given times. Well done!
Yep, gone the way of the Dodo, I'm afraid. Call me retro but it hasn’t let me down yet and I’ve always appreciated the presence of a physical keyboard. The only other device I know of that’s comparable to my Key1 might be the Unihertz Titan.
Several hours up the coast, we also have beautiful Carmel-By-The-Sea. In the US alone, there are 11 other Cardiffs and 13 other Carmels. My theory is that they were trying to distance themselves from cities of the same name just close to the sea in New Jersey. ;^}Cardiff by the Sea.
Sounds so funny, because the original Cardiff is by the sea, but its just called Cardiff.
What a great idea — let the train buck the headwind, and you take all the fun on the way back!View attachment 147253
"Are you riding with the tailwind?" asked a friend Roadie Staszek yesterday. He has always been giving me the advice to transport the bike far "into the wind" and then gaining with the tailwind (this is how many Strava KOMs are recorded by road cyclists).