Ride 16/10/2022

So today was the last of this years Randonee’s, with the ride heading over to Falkirk and Beegraigs park. It started as dull, wet and windy days but would eventually turn into a nice sunny day albeit still windy. There were 16 of use today split into 2 groups. We would have a headwind all the way to Falkirk before turning south towards Beegraigs country park for our cafe stop. It’s a bit of a lumpy ride once into Falkirk, which was fine with me, I’ve ridden these road loads of time before when I lived in Falkirk. At Beegraigs it was time for some coffee, soup and cake to fill up the fuel tank And after the cafe stop it was pretty much tailwind downhill all the way to Kirkliston. I was looking to make the 100k mark so I split from the rest of the group at this point to do some extra by heading into Rosyth, once across the bridge, and along to Cairneyhill, back into the headwind and then the usual route home going via Dunfermline. So 65 miles clocked up at 15 mph with a good amount of climbing

Ride 15/10/2022

It was a dark, dull, wet and windy start to today’s ride, so it’s back onto the winter bike in full wet gear and given the weather I was expecting to be riding this on my own. I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 other people turn up for this ride when I got to the start. We had a head wind as per usual to the cafe stop but given we were going kinda slow it wasn’t a big deal to sit all the way at the front. I decided to, given the weather, to have coffee and scrambled egg roll rather than the usual orange juice and scrambled egg roll, I was still a bit cold by the time we got to the cafe stop. After the cafe stop the weather started to clear up a bit and we still had some showers on the way home, but it was starting to get brighter and sunny by the time I got home. No extra miles today given the weather, so 45 miles clocked up at a steady pace of 14 mph.

Ride 08/10/2022

When I looked at the weather forecast for today it was supposed to be pissing it down from the get go, but much to my surprise it stayed dry for the entire ride. So today there were 6 of us on the bun run doing the usual route to the cafe stop for cake and coffee. I wasn’t going to be doing any extra just because I didn’t trust the weather and also just because it was raining it was still a lot windier than yesterday and as such I was leading most of the time with a head wind all the way to the cafe stop. Even as we left the cafe it was still windy, even though we had some tail wind, it was like the wind was determined to make life difficult no matter what direction I was going Anyway whatever the weather I still clocked up 50 miles at an avg speed of 16 mph and stayed dry to boot.

Ride 08/10/2022

A bit of rain, a bit of wind, a bit of sunshine, a bit of a mixed bag of weather day. But given the weather conditions we still had quite a large turn out of about 20 riders. We split into 2 groups with me in the first slightly faster group, straight into a headwind all the way to the cafe stop but it wasn’t too strong, so we kept a good pace. After the cafe stop I decided to join Ken and Nick to do some extra mileage by heading toward the Wallace Monument and heading back home via Fallin and Airth before crossing the Kincardine bridge and heading home back via Dalgety bay. So today I clocked up 65 miles at an avg speed of over 16 mph.

Ride 01/10/2022

It’s a better day that yesterday, sunshine, not rain but still a bit windy. 13 of us on the bun run today, more that I was expecting and more than the usual Sunday bun run. We headed for the usual cafe stop for coffee and cake but I would be doing some extra today given the better weather. After the cafe stop I parted ways and headed back down to Dollar, the way we had come up to the cafe stop. I was going to do a loop around Loch Leven by heading down to Dollar and along the A91 to Milnathort. Once there I would do my loop of the Loch and then head back home via Cowdenbeath. It was a nice tail wind heading to the Loch, better than the headwind we had all the way to the cafe stop, but it would mean that I would have some headwind getting back home again. Didn’t bother hammering it today so 63 miles clocked up and an avg speed of over 16 mph.

Ride 01/10/2022

17 of us on the bun run today, wet since it was raining a bit but not too cold so it was ok weather wise. 2 groups set out, given the numbers, and I was back on the winter bike given we are now into Autumn. Given the weather I wasn’t going to do any extra today so it was a straight shot to the cafe stop and then back home again going via Dalgety bay to get my 50 miles mark, so 50 miles clocked up at an avg speed of just under 16 mph.

Ride 25/09/2022

There were 9 of us on the bun run today and it was a cold start again only this time made worse by the head wind that we would have for the first half of the ride. After yesterdays ride I stayed at the back all the way to the cafe stop where I had my usual coffee and cake. I would be doing another 65 miles today so I parted ways with the group once we hit Kincardine bridge on our way back home. Thankfully from this point I would have a head wind to take me home. I was going to go round to Falkirk, through the Kelpies and along to Linlithgow. I would than take the southern road through Winchburgh and Kirkliston before heading due North and crossing the Forth river over the Forth road bridge. I was then a straight shot up the hill to Crossgates and home, thus covering 65 miles at an avg speed of 16 mph which after yesterday avg speed was fine with me, I wasn’t looking to go fast today

Ride 24/09/2022

Another cold start to this morning, “Winter is coming!” 20 of us turned up today so we split into 2 groups and headed for our usual cafe stop. I was looking to do some extra mileage today, 65 miles was my target, so after the cafe stop I departed from the group and went my own way. I was going to take a route that I haven’t done since I moved out of my flat in Falkirk, it used to be my route back to the flat coming back from a ride that took me via Stirling. So I headed for Stirling then veered South towards Bannockburn, this route would take me further South from the river route that I would normally take going back to Kincardine. I headed for Carronshore but rather than keep going into Falkirk I headed North East back to Kincardine Bridge and my usual route back home via Dalgety Bay. I managed to keep up a good pace so in the end I did 66 miles at an avg speed of just over 18 mph, happy with that.

Ride 18/09/2022 100 mile Randonee

So today was the clubs 100 mile Randonee organised by me in stead of Lynsey’s absence (he would normally do these but he was on holiday). I picked the Loch Earn route as it’s been 3 years since I’ve done it, and the last time I did it I got dropped from the group, so this time I was going to complete the ride with the group today. It’s no especially hilly, most of the hills are at the start, with a flat middle section and the hill climb back up to home. There were 7 of use today, it’s a slightly better weather day, still a bit chilly, but warmer than yesterday. Out first stop would be just past Comrie in Tullybannocher Cafe, a bikers stop (motor) and we were lucky, we got in the cafe just before a 100 bikers turned up to get fed It was the usual coffee and cake at this stop and then we carried on towards Loch earn. Once past the Loch we headed for Callander were we had a quick pit stop for some water and then carried on. Out next official stop would be just past Doune in Blair Drummond Smiddy farm shop, where this time I had a roll and egg with cake and coffee, can’t get by without those sugars We were then on the road back home through Stirling, Airth, over Kincardine bridge and the usual route home via Dalgety Bay. I did a little extra just to make it up to 120 miles but that was enough for me for one day. So 120 miles at an avg speed of over 17 mph, can’t complain about that it was quite a fast ride for the distance, but I suppose it’s a fairly flat route but still still managed to climb over 4300 feet so all in all a good days ride.

Ride 17/09/2022

Well the cold weather has hit us now, I was wrapped up today given it was on 6 degrees out there today, it was still bright, but just cold. I thought I would be out on my own today as I stood at the meeting point on my own until the last 5 mins when 12 other people turned up Anyway given that I’m going the 100 miles Club Randonee tomorrow I decided to not do any extra today. So we split into 2 groups and set off at a brisk pace. I was leading the first group so I was going at my pace which goes to explain why todays ride was one of the fastest but given that when we got to the cafe stop we were joined by one of the fastest guys in the club things really heated up after the cafe stop. John (the fast guy) lead the group back home at a faster pace than I was going in the beginning so by the time I got back home today the avg speed was above 17 mph Anyway given I wasn’t doing any extra today the 45 miles clocked up at that pace was fine with me, roll on tomorrow.

Ride 11/09/2022

6 of us on the bun run today with the weather similar to yesterday but slightly warmer. After yesterday trek I was happy to just do the normal bun run today, so it was to the cafe stop for the usual coffee and cake. After the cafe stop we headed home going via Dalgety Bay to get the 50 miles I was after for today. So 55 miles clocked up today at an avg speed of 16 mph.

Ride 10/09/2022

It’s a decent day today, low wind with some sunshine and still warm, which was probably why there was 20 of us today. We split into 2 groups and headed for the cafe stop. I was going to do some extra mileage today so once I had my scrambled egg roll and orange juice I parted ways from the group and headed for Stirling. The plan today was to head for Sheriffmuir, which I hadn’t been up in several years now, and then along to Braco. I would swing towards Gleneagles and head through Glendevon, going back over the Ochils and head towards Knockhill and the usual route back home. This would give me about an extra 25 miles and some extra elevation. Given the extra distance an height I managed to do to it in a decent time, so 75 miles clocked up over 4100 feet of climbing at an avg speed of 17 mph, can’t argue with that