RabH
Well-Known Member
6 days ago I had zero miles for 2025, 3 rides in and I'm now on 236 miles! Quite a turnaround after a dismal start to the year, thanks to the milder weather! I set off at midday today under leaden skies and fully expected to get wet, temp was around 7C and for once we had light winds! My plan was to head down to Garrion Bridge in the Clyde Valley and head out to Strathaven but the roads were really busy heading down to the valley so I decided to take on Manse Brae and take the back roads to Kirkmuirhill! What a decision that was as the road was totally free of traffic for the most part, its a tough old climb but it was more than worth it! Its actually a road I usually avoid in winter as it usually has a river of water running down it and its well known for ice but with the temp well above freezing all was good today!
When I reached Kirkmuirhill I decided to give Strathaven a miss and elected to head south to Uddington and take the A70 north through Rigside and on to Lanark! After passing through Uddington the skies cleared a bit and I could even see some blue sky, that was a welcome surprise!
I wasn't going to take any photos due to conditions but I couldn't pass up the opportunity with the skies clearing! The A70 just after Uddington, the road then climbs steeply up into Rigside!
I continued up the climb and reached the summit and enjoyed some lovely descents, its such an amazing road and I was glad I made the decision to go this way instead!
I even got some sun!
You can see why I love this road, a lovely fast descent followed by a slow climb!
That was a tough climb but more descents were just ahead! I kept stopping for more photos...
The River Clyde to the north!
I then plunged down the fast descent to Hyndford Bridge and stopped on the bridge for a few photos!
Just to the right of my bike you can see a stone on the path here, believe it or not it almost ended my ride...as I walked back to the bike I was distracted by the swans and stood right on top of it and almost landed in the middle of the road oops!
I thought I had sprained my ankle at first but luckily I got away with it, it is a little painful now but I will survive!The big descent I had just hurtled down at close to 40mph, the photo doesn't do it justice!
I then had the big climb up to Lanark but part way up I took the road to Carstairs Village to avoid the busy town, another great road but I was surprised to see lots of trucks on it today! After passing through the village I took the quiet back road which passes the Alpaca farm, it starts with this big climb!
Then this lovely twisty descent!
A short time later I reached the Alpacas!
I then headed up the climb past the farm and took another quiet back road that eventually joins the road to Forth, it has some nice twisty parts and although the road is a bit rough in places it was at least dry and at the end of the road there is a big fast descent which is quickly followed by this climb up towards Forth!
Time was getting on now so it was time to get my head down and stop taking photos or I would have arrived home in darkness! At Forth I took the back road up to Climpy, another tough climb but the road was resurfaced last year and was still in excellent condition! After the climb which goes up to just over 1000ft the road plunges down into the valley, that was a real blast! At the end of the road I was intending to take the road to Shotts but it was closed so I had to join the main road for a mile or so before taking the alternative road into Shotts!
From Shotts I took the back road to Hartwood, its such a fun road with very little traffic and lots of fast descents! At Hartwood I took the back road up to Hareshaw, time to start climbing again and then another awesome descent through Hareshaw where I joined the cycle path up to Salsburgh and then the back road to my home town! I used this road recently and it had 3" thick ice in some parts but it was fine today thankfully! Another fantastic day on the bike and no rain which was a bonus, no range anxiety today thankfully but still lots of elevation gain!
Has anybody heard from Art, @Prairie Dog he seems to have disappeared this year? I hope all is ok mate, maybe the weather is doing its worst over there but hopefully you and Sai are doing okay!
