The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread...
Discussion
Cycled the Five Ferries route yesterday, the weather was great until I returned back at Glasgow by train and then a wet 4 mile ride back to the house
Train from Glasgow to Wemyss Bay where I met up with the rest of the guys. Ferry to Rothesay, cycle to Rhubodach, ferry to Colintraive, cycle to Portavadie, ferry to Tarbert, cycle to Claonaig, ferry to Lochranza, cycle to Brodick, ferry to Ardrossan. Train back to Glasgow and the rest of the guys rode back to Wemyss Bay to collect their cars.
Train from Glasgow to Wemyss Bay where I met up with the rest of the guys. Ferry to Rothesay, cycle to Rhubodach, ferry to Colintraive, cycle to Portavadie, ferry to Tarbert, cycle to Claonaig, ferry to Lochranza, cycle to Brodick, ferry to Ardrossan. Train back to Glasgow and the rest of the guys rode back to Wemyss Bay to collect their cars.
Silver940 said:
Fixing the first of two punctures yesterday, 5 mins earlier it was full on downpour, had to put my sunglasses on to open my eyes!
Second puncture happened within 100yds of the first, I wouldn't recommend this cycle track on a road bike!
Devil's Punchbowl? That's the old A3 down there, curling around the top of 'the bowl'. You're not far from the Sailor's Stone in that photo?Second puncture happened within 100yds of the first, I wouldn't recommend this cycle track on a road bike!
I think you must be doing it wrong ( ), because I ride right up to the top of Gibbet Hill when I go up there, for the views right across to Leith Hill from the Trig Point at the top. I'm gonna jinx myself now by saying I've not yet had any tyre trouble up on that cycle path round Hindhead Common, nor on the flinty path up to the trig point.
Being serious for a moment? Two within 100yds? That's nasty. I had a deeply unpleasant night near your place of employment one night this winter past. There's a pond with a streetlamp and a railing near the roundabout (used to be a footbridge there?), and I spent a frustrating half hour with cold, wet hands trying to repair and then replace an innertube in the dark, having picked up a puncture coming down the Griffin under the railway bridge. I seem to recall it being hard work trying to push the tyre back onto the rim with numb hands, then resorting to a lever, which pinched the tube resulting in me having to start again, then the second repair failing and having to go to my "new tube of last resort".
Two punctures has to be worth it as payment for the views and the climbing that the route gives you though, surely? Gives you more time to appreciate the beauty of nature all around you, while you curse and swear at the tyre, the tube, and the cause of the punctures.
Was still a good ride, I was unlucky, I changed the tube and got the second puncture in a different place on the tyre. Thought I'd patch the first but it failed to seal so had to start again. Put in my second tube ( 3rd tyre change) - last resort with a 20 mile ride back to the office. Spotted the bike shop though and bought some more patches just in case. I had just been absolutely pummelled with rain at the bottom of that climb, guess that may also be a reason there was so much debris on the track. Back tyre is worn too which will have contributed.
Lovely view though, need to go back with a mountain bike at somepoint
Lovely view though, need to go back with a mountain bike at somepoint
http://vatternrundan.se/vatternrundan300km/
any PHers done/doing this?
One for the headbangers, 200 miles around a swedish lake, general unwashed friendly.
any PHers done/doing this?
One for the headbangers, 200 miles around a swedish lake, general unwashed friendly.
Nothing like the epic shots on this thread but my 14 mile trip out this morning along the towpath from Waterloo to Eldonian Basin in Liverpool as part of my 'getting back to cycling, less of being a fat feck' initiative
I thought nothing of 50-60 mile jaunts when I was a teenager and 100 mile outings weren't unknown. But time moves on and I'm now within hailing distance of the big 5-0 with a gut to match, every journey starts with small steps...
Edited by Pot Bellied Fool on Tuesday 21st June 16:07
I went to a book signing with Chris Boardman this lunchtime. Interesting Q&A session finishing with questions from the floor.
Outside of racing Chris has had a varied life and seems to enjoy what he's doing.
Finished the day with a spin out to Chester and back, lovely evening for a ride out...this is a view up the man-made navigation that take the River Dee out to the western side of the Wirral
Outside of racing Chris has had a varied life and seems to enjoy what he's doing.
Finished the day with a spin out to Chester and back, lovely evening for a ride out...this is a view up the man-made navigation that take the River Dee out to the western side of the Wirral
Mr Gearchange said:
It's fking harsh - you are so slow dropping off the top that it feels like a flat landing - there was quite a bang!
I've looked at that, a few times, and though "I'll wait and see if someone else does it first, before I have a go". And I've never been up there when a single other rider's come through on that route.Two questions;
- is the bike oKay?
- Would you do it again?
Bike was fine - although it did bottom out quite a lot - never done that before, an extra token would help.
I would do it again - I hit it 4 times on the day which was enough to get a good feel for it, plus taking the big drop seems to be the only way I have enough speed to clear the two doubles which follow it:
The 'problem' with it is the speed at which you come over the edge, you really are crawling which makes the landing feel like it's flat as there is no nice arc of momentum which smoothes out the landing - I've done bigger drops but they have been hit a greater speed so felt a lot less harsh.
Potentially you might be able to roll down the first few feet then pop off to the landing - but there is a big rock jutting out which make me fear catching the rear wheel - going OTB on that doesn't bear thinking about so I just jumped right off the top.
ETA - I've ridden Antur probably 10 times - I've never seen anyone go over it either!
I would do it again - I hit it 4 times on the day which was enough to get a good feel for it, plus taking the big drop seems to be the only way I have enough speed to clear the two doubles which follow it:
The 'problem' with it is the speed at which you come over the edge, you really are crawling which makes the landing feel like it's flat as there is no nice arc of momentum which smoothes out the landing - I've done bigger drops but they have been hit a greater speed so felt a lot less harsh.
Potentially you might be able to roll down the first few feet then pop off to the landing - but there is a big rock jutting out which make me fear catching the rear wheel - going OTB on that doesn't bear thinking about so I just jumped right off the top.
ETA - I've ridden Antur probably 10 times - I've never seen anyone go over it either!
Edited by Mr Gearchange on Wednesday 22 June 14:45
Edited by Mr Gearchange on Wednesday 22 June 16:47
FurryExocet said:
Quick stop at the trail centre in Swinley for a coffee. Some of the red trails are just water and thick mud!
I'm also being plagued by punctures. Tiny tiny perforations in the tube, caused by the world's tiniest thorns. They're not even causing immediately noticeable pressure loss. I got home alright on them, but after two days in the garage there was no air in the tyre. The 'bowl of water' trick revealed the four small holes, which I patched. Then I matched the tube to the tyre and found three of the offending 'sharps'. The fourth couldn't be found.
I put it all back together and both tyres are now (very slowly) losing pressure. Tyres have been washed, then inspected thoroughly. The holes have been patched and then re-checked in the bowl of water, and seem air-tight before re-assembly. I realise that it's that irritating time of year when brambles spread over the trails, and gorse bushes shed branches like it's going out of fashion, but surely to God after 30+ years of patching punctures I could get this feckin' task done right first time?
All together now (to the tune of Adele's "Chasing Pavements"):
Should I give up?
Or should I just keep chasin' punctures
Even if it leads nowhere?
Or would it be a waste
Even if I knew their place?
Should I leave that thorn there?
Should I give up?
Or should I just keep on chasin' punctures...
...Or is 'Ghetto Tubeless' the real solution?
Seriously, this is beginning to annoy me. It started with the front tyre, slow loss of pressure after two days, pump it up before setting off, ride for four hours, home again no problems. Repeat as required. Then I did the 'Summer Monkey' race lap three times the evening before the race, and that's where the four 'pin-prick' punctures were picked up and subsequently patched. Two days later, and both tyres still contain a bit of air under some pressure, but they're getting distinctly soft. I can only do the pump'n'ride thing for so long before they no longer hold pressure. New tubes won't help, neither, if the problem is a thorn or some other 'sharp' still sitting in the tyre - it'll just ruin the new tube straight away.
Grrr!
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