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

[RabH]

After a couple of days rest I was ready to get back out today for a recovery ride after Monday's epic! It was another beautiful but blustery day, the winds were mainly from the SW but swirling about a bit and around 25mph! So I headed NE and had a nice tailwind to break my legs in, making my way out to Caldercruix where I turned north on to the aptly named Telegraph Road to Longriggend!

I wonder why they named it Telegraph Road...Dire Straits fans in the local council perhaps?

At Longriggend I joined the back road to Slamannan which starts with this climb, then it flattens out and ends with a very nice descent!

I had a view of the Campsie Hills from here, although it was a little hazy!

From Slamannan I made my way to Shieldhill and decided to use the back road down into Glen Village again with a little help from a tailwind this time, 43.6mph compared to 40.6 into a headwind the last time! The Ochil hills in the background were also a little hazy!

From Glen Village I turned east into Hallglen and enjoyed a cracking big descent before turning SE through Brightons, Rumford and Maddiston and then east towards Linlithgow! Mostly downhill with a tailwind along here and my average speed was over 18mph at this point, as I passed over the canal I was lucky to catch a narrowboat just about to disappear around the bend! The red one was on the move, the blue was berthed! If I had been really lucky I might have caught it passing below me on the bridge but not today...

After another mile or so Linlithgow Viaduct came into view!

As I arrived in Linlithgow I turned into the local housing scheme to avoid the busy road through town, I thought I knew where I was going but made a wrong turn at one point, no biggie as I soon found the right road again and it was time to take on Preston Road which is a 3.5 mile climb with an average gradient of 4.6% and some really steep parts! I was now battling the strong headwind also...

This is part way up the climb looking back down!

At the top of the climb I had these amazing views!

The oil refinery in the background in the first photo is due to close this summer, the last refinery in the country... The climbing then continued up past Beecraigs Country Park, where I passed Lochcote Reservoir!

Then I took a brave pill () and decided to take on the Cairnpapple climb, a real beast of a climb but the views on the way up are worth it and the descent down the other side is insane! I hit over 43mph into a headwind! The road rises steeply immediately before flattening out for around 50 yards before the corkscrew climb!

As I said the views on the way up are worth the effort!

The corkscrew from the other side!

Then it was time for the descent, I said it was into a headwind but it wasn't a full headwind thankfully hence the 43mph! At the bottom of the descent I turned towards Dechmont, it starts with a steep climb and then its another awesome descent down to the main A89 near Dechmont! A very busy road but I used the excellent cycle path that runs alongside it pretty much all the way to Whitburn and no dog walkers holding me back today, what a result! I then took the cycle path up to Armadale, I was very happy when they completed this one last year as the road is a bit of a nightmare with boy racers!

From Armadale I took the back road to Blackridge, what a brilliant road this is and it was fully resurfaced recently!

From Blackridge I turned west for home, passing Hillend Loch which was a little choppy today due to the blustery conditions!

The last 20 miles was into a 25mph headwind, level 2 and 3 assist stopped me from grinding to a halt at times... Another awesome day on the bike, only 114 miles now required to reach 2000 for the year! I was hoping to take the bike to the motorcycle racing at Knockhill this Sunday but the weather isn't looking very promising, it had to end at some point of course!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Poland's pub grub. Notice the pickles

 

[Watana Bob]

A few pics from today's 23km ride:

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Beautiful looking day! How are you liking that new bike JG? What are the major differences?

 

[Chargeride]

My ride to Flint Castle, this is the bridge over the river Dee, which is the Welsh border, so I've started in England and two minutes later I'm
in another country.

This part is not attractive at all, mud flats and there's Tata steel, we sold British Steel to India, which is probably poetic or something.

A strange deserted landscape dominated by the the pylons from the power station, expect a four fold increase in this if we every actually go grid only for our power.

Everything feels a bit half hearted, like they made the cycle path and plonked things to make it very slightly interesting

The trail cafe is in an industrial estate, an attempt was made.

I cant articulate how it feels, I'm seeing very few people and about to ride into no mans land under the bridge.

The noise of the traffic makes it feel less desolate, but I'm separated from normality down here

Lots of picking the bike through vandalised fences

On the right is a bird reserve, watched over by the menacing new style evaporators for the power station.
The amount of heat they waste when it used to be piped into local houses, its simply hilarious that they now do this, if they saved it the entire towns heating
and hot water could be run from it.

I ended up in the security zone as was chased out.

Lovely.

This is a lovely set of bike and walking trails, but its just simply eerie.

Very clean and un vandalised though, the local tearaways wouldn't be bothered coming all the way to this.

This is the coastal path, but I'm the only person here so I rode it, went on for miles and I wasn't sure if I could get out at the end, very unsettling, large whirlpools
at those rock barriers, just you and nature, only a quarter of a mile from the town, but disconnected enough to feel unworldly.

Finally the castle, yes I'm casually going to ride into it.

No entrance fee, no staff, no tourist shop.

Rode the bike around inside, I did consider taking it into the dungeon, but a family turned up and even I'm not that cheeky.

Its 750 years old, the same as our local pub.

It was part of the Ring of Iron to contain and supress the Welsh, the castle and the town were built for 6000 pounds.

It was a great day out, mainly for the various emotions the landscape gave me, I was constantly imagining how it would look 700 years ago, untouched by modern technology.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Its 750 years old, the same as our local pub.

 

[JGcycle]

Beautiful looking day! How are you liking that new bike JG? What are the major differences?

I'm loving the new bike. The motor is quiet, and because of its central location, the bike feels better balanced (not so arse-end heavy.) Also, on the subject of the motor, I seem to go faster for my efforts. The old bike was cadence sensor only, which imposed a speed limit for each assist setting. The new bike simply amplifies my efforts, imposing no speed limit.

The new bike also has a smoother ride, and a higher quality fit and finish. I believe the smoother ride is due to the lighter wheels--compared to my old bike--these wheels are feather-weights. The new bike is fitted with slightly higher volume tires (27.5 x 2.4 compared to 27.5 x 2.10), which also contributes to the smoother ride.

 

[Watana Bob]

I'm loving the new bike. The motor is quiet, and because of its central location, the bike feels better balanced (not so arse-end heavy.) Also, on the subject of the motor, I seem to go faster for my efforts. The old bike was cadence sensor only, which imposed a speed limit for each assist setting. The new bike simply amplifies my efforts, imposing no speed limit.

The new bike also has a smoother ride, and a higher quality fit and finish. I believe the smoother ride is due to the lighter wheels--compared to my old bike--these wheels are feather-weights. The new bike is fitted with slightly higher volume tires (27.5 x 2.4 compared to 27.5 x 2.10), which also contributes to the smoother ride.

Great to hear that you are loving it, sounds like you made a good choice. I have a feeling that bike is going to get quite the workout!

 

[Chargeride]

Another Flint coast ride, this is the Duke of Lancaster, a well known landmark, it was docked forty years ago and turned into a Fun Ship, loopholes in local laws
for ships enabling it to make a handsome profit from gambling and arcades.

I'm using the drone without a screen and cut the front off, that barge embedded in the breakway is used to store water in case of a fire.

Strangely middle eastern looking name, but it sounds OK in welsh

Its been rusty white, covered in graffiti and know its flaking black.

I'm working out why there is so much industry on the welsh coasts, the interior is so remote and mountainous that its the only viable land for flatness and utilities.

Miles of lovely treelined coastal trails, but every entrance is blocked with concrete to stop the caravan people.

Huge empty lots everywhere, this was a fabrication company, just one little shed left.

Wales has gone speed camera mad, this entire road is infested with them, constantly changing the speed, fixed cameras, average speed, I've been done twice doing 24 in a 20 zone, a stretch of road that alternates from 20 to 40 to 60 and back to 20 in a quarter of a mile, I didn't brake hard enough for the 20 and entered the grid still doing 24, auto fine and licence points.
Its quite simply an attack on motoring, the backlog in the courts is over a year now for people contesting them.

A bridge over the rail line so you can access this glorious beach.

Well its not Ivor the Engine is it.

Cute little town of Ffynnongroyw, in Wales the F and L is the Polish version of Z.

A rare sighting of the Union Jack in Wales.

And he were are, the notorious seaside town of Talacre, which is impossible to say without sounding scouse, as in Tala kkkhhha.
I might of mentioned this before, but many years ago a large road sign was put up in Wales, by Welsh workmen.
The English was fine, but the Welsh underneath actually read
'insert welsh translation here'.
We laughed for five years.

It has quite the reputation for being low brow, tattoos, large dogs called killer on spiked chain leads and bar fights.
It has changed a lot, but still has a hint of it.
I would challenge any social class not to have a good time here, pure family fun in a tiny package.

There are some sights I couldn't possibly film, the one's where you want to look, but dare not .

The blazing sun gave it a more upmarket feel.

There's always an idiot an an electric fatbike.

Point of Ayr lighthouse, built in 1776, which I can assure you was the most exciting event that year in British history.

I found a short cut back, which meandered through miles overgrown remains of long gone industry.
The only buzzing industry I saw were chemical plants and wind turbine maintenance.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A Visit To Specialized Warsaw Soho And Elsewhere

It is 66 kPLN or £13,360 or US$17,450 including tax.

S-Works Turbo Levo 4

Non-drive side.

Rear brake.

S-Works 3.1 motor.

Kashima coated suspension fork.

The drivetrain.

A Spring walk along Kamionkowskie Lake and Skaryszewski Park.

Hungarian Pancake in Fregata.

At CUDA (Wonders) craft beer pub in the former Communist Party House (now Warsaw Stock Exchange).

Jabeerwocky Craft Beer Pub, which is located just 210 metres from the gate of the house we live. Just behind the corner! (This beer is 13% abv!)

Our walk in South Praga.

Our walk in Warsaw Midtown. PKiN is that enormous Soviet building taking almost all City Centre!

 

[Chazmo]

Nice, Stefan. Here’s me today. Freak (really freak) serious blizzard/snowstorm today in central Massachusetts. Over 4” (too deep for Fättie). Though not deterring my dog, Papi, at all! Probably not going anywhere.