RabH
Well-Known Member
I planned a route last night to allow for the 20mph+ SE winds today, I wanted to do Kirknewton but didn't want to take the busy A71 on a week day! So I came up with a route that worked perfectly, only the wind didn't play ball though! I set off around 9.15am and headed east into the wind, using as many back roads as possible out to Armadale where I used the cycle paths for a good few miles out to Uphall! I then turned south passing through Pumpherston and East Calder, it turned out to be a great choice on a road I had never used before! Way more fun than the awful A71...
At East Calder I saw a sign for Kirknewton but I decided to continue east to Wilkieston before turning SW for Kirknewton where I joined the cracking A70 where I thought I would have the wind at my back! Well the wind decided to switch to a southerly which meant I would be riding into the 20mph+ wind for 44 miles now! My first battery had to be changed at 33 miles which was no surprise really! To compound matters the sun decided to hide behind some clouds for a while and the temp dropped dramatically! The A70 starts at around 300ft at Kirknewton and climbs up to over 1100ft so I had to climb over 800ft into that wind...it was brutal and sure gave me a workout in level 2 assistance!
The A70 while the sun was still shining!
The reservoir before the clouds moved in...
At the far end of the reservoir now!
I battled on into the wind and I was intending to go to Carnwath and take the road to Carluke but a few miles from Carnwath I decided to head north for Auchengray and have that wind at my back finally!
A few more photos from the A70 before truning north!
The last of the climbs before some welcome descending!
The view to the north!
This is usually the most fun descent on this road but the wind was brutal here today and I struggled to hit 25mph!
That was the last of my photos, it was time to get my head down and keep warm by cycling hard! The road to Auchengray is so much fun and with the wind at my back it was just incredible today, just before the village I turned SW and passed over the railway line and reached a road that is sheltered from the wind! Eventually I came out at the main road from Braehead to Carnwath and took the back road to Yieldshields! Another fun road with little to no traffic except for the odd tractor!
At Yieldshields I could have taken the back road to Carluke but my bike was spotless so I decided to give the back road a miss as its a bit rough and doesn't get any sun and would almost certainly be a mess in parts...So I enjoyed the fast descent down into Carluke and headed through the town before turning north again to take the back roads to Allanton, I knew I would have the wind at my back all the way home now so my second battery was doing well thankfully! At Allanton I headed for Bonkle and then tackled the big climb up to Hareshaw where I found my favourite back road closed, so I headed down into Cleland and joined the main road for home which was getting rather busy now! Luckily I wasn't on the main road for long as I turned off on to the back roads to Hareshaw again, I would have been gutted if this road was closed also but thankfully it was open! Its a bit of a climb but much more fun with no traffic, at the top of the climb I saw the road closure to my right but I was going left to Hareshaw!
From Hareshaw I joined the road to Newhouse, where I took the cycle path and passed all the stationary traffic at the roundabout! That put a smile on my face!
Then it was down the awesome descent into Chapelhall and a straight road home, arriving in my home town with a big line of cars on the main road through town due to roadworks! Once again I took to the paths and shot past all the cars and climbed the final hill feeling pleased but very tired after a hard ride! Another awesome ride despite that brutal wind, I sure got a workout today!@Saratoga Dave The exclamatiion marks are back mate...
Dave was a bit disappointed with my full stops in my recent posts!
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