Ride 07/09/2014 Comrie by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

So decided to ride to Comrie today as there was a westerly wind, so if I did a straight north south ride things would be ok. I didn’t quite take into account the hills involved in this especially the hill up to Sheriffmuir, which is bloody steep on the mountain bike but just a cunt on the road bike. Suffice to say I couldn’t get up it in a oner (like I can on the mountain bike), I had to stop cos my lungs died, strange feeling when you just can’t breath fast enough. Legs were willing, heart rate was over 200 but manageable, but me lungs gave up the get go. Anyway after a short rest stop I pushed on, up and over the Ochils. The hill by Langside was actually a nice hill to ride over, you parallel the river Knaik. It’s a steady climb that plateaus at the top so you are riding flat for a few miles before you descend into Comrie. It’s like riding in the highlands all you see are hills, took some pics but it was a bit dull by this point in time. Decided to skip out riding back over the Ochils on the return journey and returned via Dunblane and Stirling. Its a nice 70 mile ride, bar the beginning

Ride 30/08/2014 Callander Loop by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

After last weeks mammoth ride I wasn’t looking to go crazy today so decided to do a loop up to the Trossachs around Aberfoyle and Callander. Unfortunately there was a 15 mph headwind all the way to to Aberfoyle that hurts! Of course I then had to climb up Dukes Pass which is a 10% hill climb, thank god it’s not a big hill. So after getting over this I’m knackered and thank god I have the wind behind me all the way home otherwise I don’t think I would have make it without doing some damage to myself. On the way home I stopped off at the Sir David Stirling Memorial near Doune, I’ve passed here before but never took any photos. Some light rain for the rest of the ride but nothing too heavy A slower ride but again it doesn’t help with stupid head winds, “Winter is coming”

Ride 24/08/2014 Falkirk, Dundee & Perth by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Home and thank fuck! I am absolutely shattered, I don’t think I will break this one as I have no motivation to do so after today. Pushed myself to the limits as I stupidly shot out of the starting blocks way too fast and got to Dundee in 3 hours. You don’t realise that it’s not just the physical toll that takes affect, as I was riding the A91 back to Blaringone I found my mind doing strange things like staring at my front wheel rather than looking where I am going, trippy man! and potential dangerous, that’s a new one to me o.0 anyway I not only broke my own record but I did it a pretty fast time, roll on next week and back to normality

Ride 09/08/2014 by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Well it does pay to have decent tyres on your bike and my Continental’s did them selves proud. 106 miles clocked up and not a single puncture even over some rough stuff. A pretty good weather day with only a few spots of rain so did my full Ochils loop and then tagged on a few more miles just to break the century. Although the 15 mph head wind back to Falkirk didn’t help, slowed me right down, so I’m quite tired now but all in all a good cycling day.

Ride 02/08/2014 by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Absolutely pissing it down not to mention not starting the garmin at the beginning of the ride. Why is it sunny through the week and raining at the weekend…

Ride 26/07/2014 Fintry Loop by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Did a sprint around my Fintry loop as we were due some heavy thunder and lighting after lunch time. 55 miles in just over 3 hours, pleased with that.

Ride 20/07/2014 by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

So it’s finally stopped raining, decided to do a sprint loop around my forth loop. Did a pretty good time, fastest so far but skinny tyres man bah! Pothole 1 – 0 skinny tyre. And trying the change these inner tubes sucks as well, the presta valve is huge it’s 48mm long! how the hell you supposed to get one of those in, must of spent 20 min pissing around trying to change an inner tube. I have some Continental grand prix 4 season  duraskin tyres which are supposed to be good tyres (would hope so at £50 per tyre) but I wasn’t going to use them until the winter weather sets in, may have to rethink that idea.

Ride 19/07/2014 by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Well it’s pissing it down all day so this wasn’t going to be a big ride. Decided to do a loop around the forth going the Stirling way, didn’t want to stray too far from home as I would be soaked most of the way round. In full wet gear and 20 mins out I’m wet to the bone, just as well it’s still a warm day, so I’m soaked for 2 hours but not cold

Ride 13/07/2014 Loch Leven and T in the Park by Paul_Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

So after 25 years riding mountain bikes I’ve decided to get a road bike and boy what a difference!! It’s a full carbon bike, ridiculously light and fast and the difference is night and day. Whereas I would average 12-13 mph on the mountain bike, today’s first ever ride on it to T in the Park and Loch Leven I averaged 17 mph which is unheard of for me! I clocked up 53 miles in just 3 hours. When I did this ride to last years T in the Park it took me 4 hours. It was certainly worth the expense and next years Lands end to John O’Groats should be a doodle The only bad point is the stupid race seat OMFG I would be better riding on a razor blade. That’s going big time and my Brooks saddle will replace it, even if it’s heavy and looks a bit odd on a road bike, but my arse takes priority!

Falkirk to Evans Cycles by Paul Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

Decided to ride to evans cycles, things to do bikes to see

Ride 01/07/2014 by PaulLund at Garmin Connect – Details.

YES! After 2 years of doing this 15 mile sprint I’ve finally managed to break under the hour barrier! I’ve averaged around the 1:04 hour/min but it’s always been bloody impossible to get under the hour until today. Not so sure about the 236 bpm Max HR but the 175 Avg HR is about the norm. Doubt I’ll ever beat this time, getting old, happy days

Ride 28/06/2014 by Paul Lund at Garmin Connect – Details.

So this plan went to pot I was planning to do my full Ochils loop (85 miles) today, as the so called weather report said it wasn’t going to rain until around 16:00 and I would be close to or at home by that time. Suffice to say the weather report got it so wrong that by 11:30, when I reached Bridge of Earn it poured down, and of course I had no water proofs with me, didn’t think i needed them, bastard weather. I spent the next 2 hours riding in the rain with no hope of getting home soon, I’m just too far away, getting soaking and cold I cut my ride short but I’m so far away that I can only cut it by 10 miles and I have to ride over the Ochils instead of around them which makes it harder. It did stop raining for a little while but started up again by the time I reached Kincardine. Suffice to say by the time I got home I’m wet, cold, knackered (cos I put my foot down to get home asap) very soar thighs and thoroughly pissed off! >:-(