2026 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[Jeremy McCreary]

I was funnying

Kinda figured but good to know we don't have to worry about you — at least not on the movie front.
;^}

 

[stompandgo]

I recently skimmed through Jaws on a whim when it came up on the Netflix or Prime feed. Define "masterpiece".

For its day, it was.

Last year was the 50th anniversary of the making of the film. There was a huge celebration on the Vineyard all season long. We avoided the chaos and went after it was over. There were some fantastic exhibits and speakers.

Great White Sharks are summer visitors here, every year. Many of them have geotrackers. There is a Sharktivity app for beachgoers so that they know when to stay away.

 

[Chargeride]

The original Jaws is superb, it was treated as popcorn back then but nothing comes close today.

 

[edobici_forza]

I had to reconnect with my analog bike...

 

[edobici_forza]

...about a 22 mile ride

 

[RabH]

Back to the scene of my first ever ride on my Giant on April 1st 2018 with a ride out to Kirknewton near Edinburgh! We have been stuck with easterly winds lately but they have been light and very welcome, today they were around 15mph so it was a fairly easy ride out to Kirknewton into the headwind! I was looking forward to having a tailwind on the way home for a nice change! I made my way out to Armadale and used the cycle path down to Whitburn, I stopped for this photo on the path with the Pentland Hills in the background! The Pentlands featured heavily today as the road from Kirknewton to Carnwath runs alongside them!

From Whitburn I used the excellent cycle paths to Bathgate and Dechmont and then SE through Pumpherston and East Calder, I enjoyed a few flights passing overhead into Edinburgh Airport on my way to East Calder! From there I continued east to Kirknewton and joined the amazing A70 towards Carnwath!

I stopped for a few photos of the Pentlands at Kirknewton!

Now on the A70 where I stopped for more photos!

Its such a great road with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns!

I got a very pleasant surprise to see they had laid some nice new tarmac up the climb to Harperrig Reservoir!

I stopped for more photos before heading up the climb!

At the top of the climb looking back down!

Harperrig Reservoir!

Now at the western end of the reservoir!

Now it was time to enjoy the A70 with a nice tailwind all the way to Carnwath, I stopped for many photos along the way!

From Carnwath I headed east towards Carluke on the awesome A721, lots of climbing followed by some excellent descents!

Another view of the Pentlands part way up the climb!

Tinto Hill from the A721 near Kilncadzow!

The final climb into Kilncadzow, the descent from here to Carluke is amazing!

That was the last photo as I had to get home around 1pm to help my sister, she had a nasty fall recently and is nursing some very painful ribs! After helping her into bed I had some free time so headed back out and did a 20 mile loop out to Slamannan and back! What a fantastic day that was, it started very gloomy and I wasn't going to bother taking any photos but things cleared up a little! I need another 53 miles for 49000 on my amazing Giant Road E+1 Pro, I would almost certainly have taken it past 50000 miles this year if not for the motor failure! The 50000 will have to wait for 2027, I think 1053 miles in less than 2 months would be pushing it... Especially with the Dolan primed for action if the weather plays ball! My total for this year is now 6,271 miles which equates to 10,092km for those that use metric!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

View attachment 217379

Back to the scene of my first ever ride on my Giant on April 1st 2018 with a ride out to Kirknewton near Edinburgh! We have been stuck with easterly winds lately but they have been light and very welcome, today they were around 15mph so it was a fairly easy ride out to Kirknewton into the headwind! I was looking forward to having a tailwind on the way home for a nice change! I made my way out to Armadale and used the cycle path down to Whitburn, I stopped for this photo on the path with the Pentland Hills in the background! The Pentlands featured heavily today as the road from Kirknewton to Carnwath runs alongside them!

View attachment 217380
From Whitburn I used the excellent cycle paths to Bathgate and Dechmont and then SE through Pumpherston and East Calder, I enjoyed a few flights passing overhead into Edinburgh Airport on my way to East Calder! From there I continued east to Kirknewton and joined the amazing A70 towards Carnwath!

I stopped for a few photos of the Pentlands at Kirknewton!

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Now on the A70 where I stopped for more photos!

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Its such a great road with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns!

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I got a very pleasant surprise to see they had laid some nice new tarmac up the climb to Harperrig Reservoir!

View attachment 217388
I stopped for more photos before heading up the climb!

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At the top of the climb looking back down!

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Harperrig Reservoir!

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Now at the western end of the reservoir!

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Now it was time to enjoy the A70 with a nice tailwind all the way to Carnwath, I stopped for many photos along the way!

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From Carnwath I headed east towards Carluke on the awesome A721, lots of climbing followed by some excellent descents!

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Another view of the Pentlands part way up the climb!

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Tinto Hill from the A721 near Kilncadzow!

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The final climb into Kilncadzow, the descent from here to Carluke is amazing!

View attachment 217407
That was the last photo as I had to get home around 1pm to help my sister, she had a nasty fall recently and is nursing some very painful ribs! After helping her into bed I had some free time so headed back out and did a 20 mile loop out to Slamannan and back! What a fantastic day that was, it started very gloomy and I wasn't going to bother taking any photos but things cleared up a little! I need another 53 miles for 49000 on my amazing Giant Road E+1 Pro, I would almost certainly have taken it past 50000 miles this year if not for the motor failure! The 50000 will have to wait for 2027, I think 1053 miles in less than 2 months would be pushing it... Especially with the Dolan primed for action if the weather plays ball! My total for this year is now 6,271 miles which equates to 10,092km for those that use metric!

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Here's a nice problem to have: How will you split your time between the Giant and the Dolan? Guessing the Giant will get the longest rides, as you already have the extra Giant batteries for it.

 

[RabH]

Here's a nice problem to have: How will you split your time between the Giant and the Dolan? Guessing the Giant will get the longest rides, as you already have the extra Giant batteries for it.

I expect the coming winter months to be almost exclusively the Giant, any good days without grit on the roads will see the Dolan get an outing for sure! I can't wait for next summer to really test the Dolan's range in warmer weather, it was just unfortunate I got it so late in the year! I feel blessed to have 2 great bikes at my disposal now and look forward to adding many miles to both! There is no doubt the Giant will have more range given the 3 batteries and will be used for the much longer rides!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I expect the coming winter months to be almost exclusively the Giant, any good days without grit on the roads will see the Dolan get an outing for sure! I can't wait for next summer to really test the Dolan's range in warmer weather, it was just unfortunate I got it so late in the year! I feel blessed to have 2 great bikes at my disposal now and look forward to adding many miles to both! There is no doubt the Giant will have more range given the 3 batteries and will be used for the much longer rides!

Winter bike & Summer bike, perfect!

What size and make tyres are you running Rab? Do you have similar on both bikes or trying something new on the Dolan?

 

[Chargeride]

In the pub with Bri last night, he'd had a few and decided we should do the Hebrides over the next few months.

November and December..
Scottish Hebrides....

Who knows maybe global warming might ramp up.

 

[RabH]

Winter bike & Summer bike, perfect!

What size and make tyres are you running Rab? Do you have similar on both bikes or trying something new on the Dolan?

I have always run 700x35 Schwalbe Marathons on the Giant but I didn't have the option with the Dolan so went with 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur Techs and I like them, only 5 rides so far though but they roll well and have decent grip!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I have always run 700x35 Schwalbe Marathons on the Giant but I didn't have the option with the Dolan so went with 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur Techs and I like them, only 5 rides so far though but they roll well and have decent grip!

and both are ok on the often less then perfect tarmac of UK roads? I mean the fact you have rolled those Marathons over so many thousands of miles of Scottish roads answers that!