2024 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

So my wife and I had some time so we loaded the bikes on the rack and made the 3 mile drive south to Pacific Grove in Monterey County, California.
Our first ride was the 17 Mile Drive from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach. Just the coastal section, there and back.
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It’s $12 by car to get in, bikes are free. We did this years ago in a car but the bikes made it a completely different experience.
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One of the first things we passed was the John Denver memorial. His small plane crashed right here, off shore.
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It’s a very scenic stretch of coastline with many turnouts to stop and view natural attractions.
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Seals jumping and playing. ^^^
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All that water and none to drink. These squirrels were thirsty!
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The coast is dotted with mansions like these. Some big names live here, like Clint Eastwood, George Lopez, Condoleeza Rice, and the ceo of General Motors just to name a few. I don’t know where exactly, but somewhere around here.
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This house is called fairy tale style. I call it toontown. Nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea has a whole neighborhood full of these but this was a one-off along the coast.
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There are several golf courses along the way, including the famous Pebble Beach.
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The mirror never lies…it was a gorgeous day in Pebble Beach!
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Although we didn’t pack on a lot of miles, we took our time and had a great day. Here, we are enjoying a west coast golden hour.
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…. And beyond. This was the night of the blue moon. It wasn’t blue but it was big and bright on the Monterey Bay.
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Part 2, our second ride, coming when I get around to it 😆.
 
So my wife and I had some time so we loaded the bikes on the rack and made the 3 mile drive south to Pacific Grove in Monterey County, California.
Our first ride was the 17 Mile Drive from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach. Just the coastal section, there and back.
View attachment 181293
It’s $12 by car to get in, bikes are free. We did this years ago in a car but the bikes made it a completely different experience.
View attachment 181294
One of the first things we passed was the John Denver memorial. His small plane crashed right here, off shore.
View attachment 181295
It’s a very scenic stretch of coastline with many turnouts to stop and view natural attractions.
View attachment 181296View attachment 181297View attachment 181298View attachment 181299
Seals jumping and playing. ^^^
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All that water and none to drink. These squirrels were thirsty!
View attachment 181302
The coast is dotted with mansions like these. Some big names live here, like Clint Eastwood, George Lopez, Condoleeza Rice, and the ceo of General Motors just to name a few. I don’t know where exactly, but somewhere around here.
View attachment 181303View attachment 181304
This house is called fairy tale style. I call it toontown. Nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea has a whole neighborhood full of these but this was a one-off along the coast.
View attachment 181305View attachment 181306
There are several golf courses along the way, including the famous Pebble Beach.
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The mirror never lies…it was a gorgeous day in Pebble Beach!View attachment 181307Although we didn’t pack on a lot of miles, we took our time and had a great day. Here, we are enjoying a west coast golden hour.
View attachment 181308
…. And beyond. This was the night of the blue moon. It wasn’t blue but it was big and bright on the Monterey Bay.
View attachment 181309
Part 2, our second ride, coming when I get around to it 😆.
Great photos! Would love to explore the 17 Mile Drive by bike some day.

Got married at the Lone Cypress 40+ yrs ago with a reception in Carmel. Lived in the Bay Area then but spent many weekends in the Monterey-Carmel-Point Lobos area. Gorgeous!
 
Great photos! Would love to explore the 17 Mile Drive by bike some day.

Got married at the Lone Cypress 40+ yrs ago with a reception in Carmel. Lived in the Bay Area then but spent many weekends in the Monterey-Carmel-Point Lobos area. Gorgeous!
Wow, that’s cool. 😎 You really get around!
 
Wow, that’s cool. 😎 You really get around!
Unfortunately, the quaint little Carmel we knew from those days has been taken over by Silicon Valley money. Downtown shops and restaurants are totally unaffordable and uninteresting now, and the streets are clogged with Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Mercedes GTs.

Way beyond even La Jolla!

A least Casanova — one of our favorite Italian restaurants anywhere — is still there.
 
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A chill ride to the beach via the tidal rd, Im pretty sure I was doing more that 39mph down the monster hill.

Wonderful! Thought for sure you were gonna ride across that shallow channel where the mom and kid were wading.
 
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Unfortunately, the quaint little Carmel we knew from those days has been taken over by Silicon Valley money. Downtown shops and restaurants are totally unaffordable and uninteresting now, and the streets are clogged with Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Mercedes GTs.

Way beyond even La Jolla!

A least Casanova — one of our favorite Italian restaurants anywhere — is still there.
Yeah, I’m smelling what you’re stepping in. We couldn’t believe the prices. Even our cheap motel was outrageous. $150 for dinner for 2 at this place. I had a burger and she had fish.
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The cost of living isn’t a whole lot cheaper where I live, in Sonoma County. Night #2, we hit the El Torito at happy hour and had tacos and margaritas on the cheap! 😉
 
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We hauled our bikes up to Minburn Iowa and road a trail called the Raccoon Trail. It’s very nice and smooth concrete the piece we rode on, it’s a little over 10 years old. Straight as an arrow that follows an old rail line. A picture of the old depot in Minburn, our truck and my in laws Jeep hauling out bikes and the trail.
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I have been out nearly everyday for two weeks on rides over two hours, usually battery flattening, and I'm freaking knackered, its nothing but ckimb and descend, I did an epic three hour offroad ride this morning before seeing my dad and I can barely stand up :)
Bodys getting old.

Anyway, visited my cousin in Teignmouth, gorgeous little port town, her boyfriend has a boat, he took me down the Jusrassic coast as they call it, where all the fossils are found.
They stayed on board drunk and rowed me to the shore to drive home, living the dream.
Its the same tune, but hey ho.

 

You're a talented videographer, editor, and narrator, @Chargeride . Keep 'em coming!

I have been out nearly everyday for two weeks on rides over two hours, usually battery flattening, and I'm freaking knackered, its nothing but ckimb and descend, I did an epic three hour offroad ride this morning before seeing my dad and I can barely stand up :)
Bodys getting old.
... he took me down the Jusrassic coast as they call it, where all the fossils are found.

Then you should feel right at home.

;^} I'm even older, but hey, the best defense is a good offense!
 
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I wont link the article, its a dreadful webpage.
Wales Online.
Seems they have rerouted cycle races because the 20mph blanket limits across Wales, but its because of the cars not the bikes.

The Junior Tour of Wales cycling race has been forced to change at the last minute due to Wales' default 20mph speed limit according to race organisers. The race, due to begin on Friday, August 23, attracts some of the best British junior cyclists with previous participants including Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and Josh Tarling, who narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics due to a puncture.

Several sections of the race have been rerouted, meaning that the usual 237 mile race is shorter this year at under 230 miles. Race organiser Richard Hopkins said that safety for riders and the public could not be guaranteed on all 20mph sections due to support vehicles not being up to keep up with the riders, whom speed limits to do not apply to, without speeding.

Its new to me that the speed limots dont apply to bikes.
 
You know, you just never know exactly what you will see and do on one of these rides. We went on a short 17 miler, mostly paved path.
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About 5 miles out, my rear brake failed. The cable pulled the lever but it wasn’t moving the caliper pads. So I took the caliper apart, didn’t see anything wrong, put it back together and it worked great. Go figure. Anyways, this happened right outside this guy’s custom furniture shop.
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We talked for a bit and he took us on a tour of the shop and showed us what he was working on, he builds mostly wall unit fold down beds but can make custom furniture to order.
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As a general contractor, I was very interested and impressed by his work.
We continued on, having lunch in Sebastopol, then rode some dirt trails around the Laguna de Santa Rosa, a preserved wetlands park.
After that we headed back and got back to our home town just in time for a market festival thing that we didn’t know was happening.
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The live band was very good, they played rock and country from the 80’s, everything from Dwight Yokam to AC⚡️DC.
So I ended the day with a couple of Racer 5’s, good Mexican food, and great live music.
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And I thought it would be just another uneventful ride! 😁
 
We road the High Trestle Bridge Trail in Iowa yesterday. We started at Woodward and this pic is the old depot.
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The next couple of pictures are the bridge and views from it.

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The last couple of pictures of the restaurant we ate at called the Flat Tire. Also a picture of the bike rack for the serious bikers without a kickstand.
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A really nice trail, all concrete and very smooth. I wish it was closer, it’s about a 4 hour drive from our house.
 
Longest West Coast beach ride yet!

On this gorgeous day last week, got in a 7-mile down-and-back beach ride between Terramar head and the South Ponto jetty. As usual, the put-in was North Ponto Beach, just 2 mi from home.

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I've had much longer rides on North Carolina beaches, but this was my West Coast record.

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North turnaround at Terramar. Beyond is another mile or so of rideable sand — but only at tides a good bit lower than this.

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The rock at water level above is 40-something million year old Del Mar Formation — a greenish marine mudstone with abundant oyster shell fossils that tends to erode into oddly organic shapes under wave action.

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Parked below a cliff face of slightly younger Torrey Sandstone just south of Terramar. The Torrey sits on top of the Del Mar, here obscured by sand.

I should know better. The Torrey's sand grains are poorly cemented, and that makes it prone to fall. Just last week saw a fresh Torrey rockfall at Cardiff Beach 10 mi south.

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Had the beach pretty much to myself on the southbound leg.

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South turnaround just short of the South Ponto jetty armoring the mouth of Bataquitos Lagoon. First time I've been able to ride all the way from Terramar to South Ponto at any tide.

I normally avoid direct ebike-seawater contact like the plague but just couldn't resist this day. By some miracle of sand migration since my last visit, the mile or so of totally unrideable beach cobble usually blocking bike access to this part of the beach had acquired a rideable veneer of sand.

First time I've seen this and wasn't about to pass up the opportunity, incoming tide be damned! Don't worry, I only rode between waves to minimize splashing.

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Bike dirt doesn't get much scarier than salty sand. The bike got an extra-thorough rinse this time.
 
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I was looking forward to cycling to Knockhill Racing Circuit tomorrow for the motorcycle racing but on checking the latest forecast on Friday night it wasn't looking as promising as it was previously, it was showing a gusty 30mph easterly wind with a 30% chance of rain in the afternoon so I thought it would be a day for the car this time! I then had a lightbulb moment as I noticed Saturday was looking really good but I very rarely get a Saturday ride due to family commitments! Some family bribery then ensued and I secured Saturday and was extremely delighted with myself, only then I noticed that the racing doesn't start until 1pm on a Saturday whereas Sunday is a 10am start!

Then I had another lightbulb moment, why not do the scenic route and make it another 100 miler so that's what I did and what a decision it was!:D I set off at 7.40am with early morning mist around and a light easterly wind which was rather chilly at around 7C! The afternoon temp was expected to be around 17C which is just perfect for watching the racing and cycling, the wind was expected to increase in strength in the afternoon but for once that would be in my favour as I would have it at my back almost all the way home!

5 days ago I crossed the Forth bridges and that was going to be my plan again today but after crossing the Forth I would be continuing east to Burntisland and not turning for home! A few miles after departing I passed the Black Loch at Limerigg and stopped for these photos!

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Strangely the mist wasn't hanging around the loch!

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After 18 miles I arrrived in Linlithgow, the mist was hanging around the Ochil Hills and it was rather hazy!

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I was now nearing the bridges and stopped for this photo!

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For once the path was open at both sides of the bridge so I chose the western side to get some photos of the Queensferry Crossing from the Forth Road Bridge! The mist had now lifted thankfully!

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After crossing the Forth I continued east towards Burntisland, soon I had the 16% climb to take on at Aberdour where I stopped for a snack and a short break and some photos of course!

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I reached Burntisland where it was time to head up the big climb towards Mossmorran wind farm and I had the wind at my back for the first time, at the top of the climb I stopped for this photo looking back down the hill! Next time I'm going down it...;)

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I was loving the breeze at my back as I reached Crossgates where it was time to turn north towards Kelty, more big climbs ensued until the big descent down into Cantsdam near Kelty where I managed 43.2mph! If only it was an easterly descent, I would probably have hit 60mph if that was the case!😂 @Chargeride I'm surprised you didn't know cyclists can't be charged with speeding, that has been the case for a very long time! There is a crazy law called furious cycling which we can be hit with instead, looking at your videos you better be careful...🤣

I arrived in Kelty where it was time for yet another big climb but at least the wind was at my back and I managed up the difficult climb in eco mode! It was now due east to the Knockhill turnoff, after cresting the climb I was flying along with the strengthening beeze at my back! Well I thought I was until I spotted a peleton of around 15 riders waiting to join the road, a short time later they passed me as if I was going backwards!😂 I reached the turnoff for the track but I had only covered 53 miles which would have been 55 miles when I arrived at the track! As I was still early I decided to continue east towards Saline and enjoy that tailwind, its such a great road to ride especially with the wind pushing you on!

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I then enjoyed the fast descent into Steelend and decided to stop for a snack before taking on the big climb up to Knockhill! This is looking back up the hill, you can imagine how much fun it was hurtling down it with a tailwind!:D

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The road then leads into Saline which is another big descent, sadly there were roadworks with traffic signals on the descent so it wasn't as much fun as usual! At the bottom of the descent I turned on to the narrow back road that takes you back up to the track and its quite a climb, at this point my first battery had dropped to 22% at the 58 mile mark and I had climbed 4000ft so I switched to battery 2 to continue up the climb! I grabbed a few photos on the way up!

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As you can see the weather was glorious and it remained that way right through the day, most unlike Scotland!😂 I sure wasn't complaining and enjoyed a few hours of excellent racing, some photos from the track!

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It was then time to depart and I decided to turn south and enjoy the descent down into Saline again, it starts with a climb from the circuit and then its mostly downhill for a good 18 miles and I had a tailwind to enoy! This is at the top of the climb looking back down at the entrance to the track!

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I was flying along and hardly used any battery power for many miles (I still had 40% left when I got home), I passed through Forestmill and was heading to Kincardine and finally got a decent view of the Ochill Hills which were hidden in mist and haze for most of the day!

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From here I used the same roads as most of my rides from the east and I reached Longriggend and headed down the Telegraph Road and grabbed my final photos before turning for home! The first one is looking south which was the direction I was heading and the second looking north! As a Dire Straits fan I always think of them when I take this awesome road!

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I don't think I could have asked for a better day, a truly awesome ride and a great day of racing!😁I am just about to to hit the sack and I won't have any problem falling asleep!;) Just before I go, I passed the 34000 mile mark on my amazing bike today!👍
 

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I was looking forward to cycling to Knockhill Racing Circuit tomorrow for the motorcycle racing but on checking the latest forecast on Friday night it wasn't looking as promising as it was previously, it was showing a gusty 30mph easterly wind with a 30% chance of rain in the afternoon so I thought it would be a day for the car this time! I then had a lightbulb moment as I noticed Saturday was looking really good but I very rarely get a Saturday ride due to family commitments! Some family bribery then ensued and I secured Saturday and was extremely delighted with myself, only then I noticed that the racing doesn't start until 1pm on a Saturday whereas Sunday is a 10am start!

Then I had another lightbulb moment, why not do the scenic route and make it another 100 miler so that's what I did and what a decision it was!:D I set off at 7.40am with early morning mist around and a light easterly wind which was rather chilly at around 7C! The afternoon temp was expected to be around 17C which is just perfect for watching the racing and cycling, the wind was expected to increase in strength in the afternoon but for once that would be in my favour as I would have it at my back almost all the way home!

5 days ago I crossed the Forth bridges and that was going to be my plan again today but after crossing the Forth I would be continuing east to Burntisland and not turning for home! A few miles after departing I passed the Black Loch at Limerigg and stopped for these photos!

View attachment 181451
Strangely the mist wasn't hanging around the loch!

View attachment 181452
After 18 miles I arrrived in Linlithgow, the mist was hanging around the Ochil Hills and it was rather hazy!

View attachment 181453
I was now nearing the bridges and stopped for this photo!

View attachment 181454
For once the path was open at both sides of the bridge so I chose the western side to get some photos of the Queensferry Crossing from the Forth Road Bridge! The mist had now lifted thankfully!

View attachment 181455
View attachment 181456
After crossing the Forth I continued east towards Burntisland, soon I had the 16% climb to take on at Aberdour where I stopped for a snack and a short break and some photos of course!

View attachment 181459
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I reached Burntisland where it was time to head up the big climb towards Mossmorran wind farm and I had the wind at my back for the first time, at the top of the climb I stopped for this photo looking back down the hill! Next time I'm going down it...;)

View attachment 181462
I was loving the breeze at my back as I reached Crossgates where it was time to turn north towards Kelty, more big climbs ensued until the big descent down into Cantsdam near Kelty where I managed 43.2mph! If only it was an easterly descent, I would probably have hit 60mph if that was the case!😂 @Chargeride I'm surprised you didn't know cyclists can't be charged with speeding, that has been the case for a very long time! There is a crazy law called furious cycling which we can be hit with instead, looking at your videos you better be careful...🤣

I arrived in Kelty where it was time for yet another big climb but at least the wind was at my back and I managed up the difficult climb in eco mode! It was now due east to the Knockhill turnoff, after cresting the climb I was flying along with the strengthening beeze at my back! Well I thought I was until I spotted a peleton of around 15 riders waiting to join the road, a short time later they passed me as if I was going backwards!😂 I reached the turnoff for the track but I had only covered 53 miles which would have been 55 miles when I arrived at the track! As I was still early I decided to continue east towards Saline and enjoy that tailwind, its such a great road to ride especially with the wind pushing you on!

View attachment 181463
I then enjoyed the fast descent into Steelend and decided to stop for a snack before taking on the big climb up to Knockhill! This is looking back up the hill, you can imagine how much fun it was hurtling down it with a tailwind!:D

View attachment 181464
The road then leads into Saline which is another big descent, sadly there were roadworks with traffic signals on the descent so it wasn't as much fun as usual! At the bottom of the descent I turned on to the narrow back road that takes you back up to the track and its quite a climb, at this point my first battery had dropped to 22% at the 58 mile mark and I had climbed 4000ft so I switched to battery 2 to continue up the climb! I grabbed a few photos on the way up!

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As you can see the weather was glorious and it remained that way right through the day, most unlike Scotland!😂 I sure wasn't complaining and enjoyed a few hours of excellent racing, some photos from the track!

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It was then time to depart and I decided to turn south and enjoy the descent down into Saline again, it starts with a climb from the circuit and then its mostly downhill for a good 18 miles and I had a tailwind to enoy! This is at the top of the climb looking back down at the entrance to the track!

View attachment 181474
I was flying along and hardly used any battery power for many miles (I still had 40% left when I got home), I passed through Forestmill and was heading to Kincardine and finally got a decent view of the Ochill Hills which were hidden in mist and haze for most of the day!

View attachment 181475
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From here I used the same roads as most of my rides from the east and I reached Longriggend and headed down the Telegraph Road and grabbed my final photos before turning for home! The first one is looking south which was the direction I was heading and the second looking north! As a Dire Straits fan I always think of them when I take this awesome road!

View attachment 181477
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I don't think I could have asked for a better day, a truly awesome ride and a great day of racing!😁I am just about to to hit the sack and I won't have any problem falling asleep!;) Just before I go, I passed the 34000 mile mark on my amazing bike today!👍
Awesome ride and report, thank you Rab. Congrats on 34k.
 
View attachment 181449

I was looking forward to cycling to Knockhill Racing Circuit tomorrow for the motorcycle racing but on checking the latest forecast on Friday night it wasn't looking as promising as it was previously, it was showing a gusty 30mph easterly wind with a 30% chance of rain in the afternoon so I thought it would be a day for the car this time! I then had a lightbulb moment as I noticed Saturday was looking really good but I very rarely get a Saturday ride due to family commitments! Some family bribery then ensued and I secured Saturday and was extremely delighted with myself, only then I noticed that the racing doesn't start until 1pm on a Saturday whereas Sunday is a 10am start!

Then I had another lightbulb moment, why not do the scenic route and make it another 100 miler so that's what I did and what a decision it was!:D I set off at 7.40am with early morning mist around and a light easterly wind which was rather chilly at around 7C! The afternoon temp was expected to be around 17C which is just perfect for watching the racing and cycling, the wind was expected to increase in strength in the afternoon but for once that would be in my favour as I would have it at my back almost all the way home!

5 days ago I crossed the Forth bridges and that was going to be my plan again today but after crossing the Forth I would be continuing east to Burntisland and not turning for home! A few miles after departing I passed the Black Loch at Limerigg and stopped for these photos!

View attachment 181451
Strangely the mist wasn't hanging around the loch!

View attachment 181452
After 18 miles I arrrived in Linlithgow, the mist was hanging around the Ochil Hills and it was rather hazy!

View attachment 181453
I was now nearing the bridges and stopped for this photo!

View attachment 181454
For once the path was open at both sides of the bridge so I chose the western side to get some photos of the Queensferry Crossing from the Forth Road Bridge! The mist had now lifted thankfully!

View attachment 181455
View attachment 181456
After crossing the Forth I continued east towards Burntisland, soon I had the 16% climb to take on at Aberdour where I stopped for a snack and a short break and some photos of course!

View attachment 181459
View attachment 181460
View attachment 181461
I reached Burntisland where it was time to head up the big climb towards Mossmorran wind farm and I had the wind at my back for the first time, at the top of the climb I stopped for this photo looking back down the hill! Next time I'm going down it...;)

View attachment 181462
I was loving the breeze at my back as I reached Crossgates where it was time to turn north towards Kelty, more big climbs ensued until the big descent down into Cantsdam near Kelty where I managed 43.2mph! If only it was an easterly descent, I would probably have hit 60mph if that was the case!😂 @Chargeride I'm surprised you didn't know cyclists can't be charged with speeding, that has been the case for a very long time! There is a crazy law called furious cycling which we can be hit with instead, looking at your videos you better be careful...🤣

I arrived in Kelty where it was time for yet another big climb but at least the wind was at my back and I managed up the difficult climb in eco mode! It was now due east to the Knockhill turnoff, after cresting the climb I was flying along with the strengthening beeze at my back! Well I thought I was until I spotted a peleton of around 15 riders waiting to join the road, a short time later they passed me as if I was going backwards!😂 I reached the turnoff for the track but I had only covered 53 miles which would have been 55 miles when I arrived at the track! As I was still early I decided to continue east towards Saline and enjoy that tailwind, its such a great road to ride especially with the wind pushing you on!

View attachment 181463
I then enjoyed the fast descent into Steelend and decided to stop for a snack before taking on the big climb up to Knockhill! This is looking back up the hill, you can imagine how much fun it was hurtling down it with a tailwind!:D

View attachment 181464
The road then leads into Saline which is another big descent, sadly there were roadworks with traffic signals on the descent so it wasn't as much fun as usual! At the bottom of the descent I turned on to the narrow back road that takes you back up to the track and its quite a climb, at this point my first battery had dropped to 22% at the 58 mile mark and I had climbed 4000ft so I switched to battery 2 to continue up the climb! I grabbed a few photos on the way up!

View attachment 181465
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As you can see the weather was glorious and it remained that way right through the day, most unlike Scotland!😂 I sure wasn't complaining and enjoyed a few hours of excellent racing, some photos from the track!

View attachment 181469
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It was then time to depart and I decided to turn south and enjoy the descent down into Saline again, it starts with a climb from the circuit and then its mostly downhill for a good 18 miles and I had a tailwind to enoy! This is at the top of the climb looking back down at the entrance to the track!

View attachment 181474
I was flying along and hardly used any battery power for many miles (I still had 40% left when I got home), I passed through Forestmill and was heading to Kincardine and finally got a decent view of the Ochill Hills which were hidden in mist and haze for most of the day!

View attachment 181475
View attachment 181476
From here I used the same roads as most of my rides from the east and I reached Longriggend and headed down the Telegraph Road and grabbed my final photos before turning for home! The first one is looking south which was the direction I was heading and the second looking north! As a Dire Straits fan I always think of them when I take this awesome road!

View attachment 181477
View attachment 181478
I don't think I could have asked for a better day, a truly awesome ride and a great day of racing!😁I am just about to to hit the sack and I won't have any problem falling asleep!;) Just before I go, I passed the 34000 mile mark on my amazing bike today!👍
You know, with just a little more effort, you could've beaten my distance above by a factor of 10.

Really a shame that you guys didn't name the next river over "Back".
;^}
 
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