Ride 19/03/2023 Braco Randonee

Second Randonee of the year and this time it was around Braco. Good weather day, sunny to start with but eventually it became overcast, but we had light winds and a decent temperature, not cold but not warm, but I only had to wear 3 layers rather than the usual 4 or 5 that I’ve been wearing for the past few months 8 of us on the run today, going over Kncokhill and up through Glendevon and down to Gleneagles. With all of the hills over it was pretty much flat all the way, other than the climb I would have back up to home. The cafe stop was quite late in the ride, I had covered 45 miles before we stopped at the Coffee Bothy but it was a good lunch of soup, coffee and cake With most of the riding down it was back home via the usual Sunday bun run along the coast and back home via Dalgety Bay thus clocking up 76 miles at an avg speed of just short of 17 mph, that last damn hill climb always wrecks havoc with my speed as I was averaging 17 mph up till that point anyway a good days ride all round.

Ride 18/03/2023

So we’re back on the 08:30 wrecking crew although there aren’t many of us, only 4 today. I need to step up the training and it’s been a good 4 years since I’ve ridden with them, how things change Anyway a good weather day, no rain, no wind and not cold, slightly overcast but a good day to ride. We make good time to the cafe stop avg 18 mph to get there for the usual rolls and orange juice. Unfortunately for me I had a temp crown put in yesterday to cover me till I get my new crown next Friday and that decided to fall out whilst eating my roll, not a happy bunny >:-( Anyway I’m back at the dentist next week so I’ll live with it until then. Since this is the 08:30 ride we ride a slightly different route back to Dunfermline going up to Yetts and doing the full Knockhill climb from Powmill, this is fine with me as it affords me the full 50 mile ride without having to go down to Dalgety Bay to make it up So 50 miles clock up at a good avg speed of 17 mph

Ride 12/03/2023

Well me, myself and I today as no one else turned up, it’s not even a bad weather day It didn’t rain at all on the ride, it’s not bloody freezing, the only issue might be the wind but again that meant a head wind all the way to the cafe stop but a tail wind all the way home Anyhow, I rode alone today, doing the usual Sunday bun run route. As mentioned I did have to deal with a head wind all the way to the cafe stop but it wasn’t too bad and overall did affect my avg speed to much either. The usual coffee and cake at the cafe before heading on with a nice tail wind. This was quite beneficial as my avg speed to the cafe was 15 mph but my avg speed home was over 17 mph So 55 miles clocked up at an avg speed of 17 mph, not too shabby for a days cycling on my own

Ride 11/03/2023

Another bright sunny day but bloody baltic, 8 of us on the bun run today. Thankfully little wind around so not much of a wind chill thank God, sub zero temperatures to start with but it did get above zero around lunch time. Usual route to the cafe stop for roll and orange juice but getting started again after the stop brrrrrr. Doing my usual tempo up Knockhill got some heat back into me and given Ken was working today I did go down Dalgety Bay to get a little extra mileage, not much just 5 miles So 55 miles clocked up at and avg speed of 15 mph but it did afford me some extra elevation which I’ve been a bit short of late.

Ride 05/03/2023

Another sunny cold day with little wind with 9 of us on the bun run. We were going to go to Falkirk but changed it last minute to go to Bannockburn. This would be a flatter route with a cafe stop at Bannockburn Coffee Shop. We would be head wind to start with but given how little wind there was this wasn’t a big deal. We headed along the coastal road and crossed over the Kincardine bridge and took the back roads into Bannockburn until we hit the cafe stop. This was the first time I’ve been in Bannockburn Coffee shop and it had some very nice food there, just wish I could have eaten it but I stuck to scrambled eggs and salmon which was nice but I could have done with more We then headed into Stirling and headed back home via Alloa and then back along the coastal route, the usual Sunday bun run route. I followed Ken back down to Dalgety Bay and then headed back up to Crossgates. I was looking to do 65 miles today so I did a little bit towards the end just to make up the last 5 miles I was after. So in total 65 miles clocked up at an avg speed of 16 mph, and made it home just in time to miss the hail storm that came out of now where

Ride 04/03/2023

Well after nearly a week off the bike due to dental surgery I was back out with the group, and although my performance has dropped, it hasn’t dropped too much. Given it was very cold today, sub zero temps to start with, I was surprised to see such a large group on the ride, 18 or so of us. It was sunny and little wind around but I was still riding with 4 layers on We split into 2 groups and headed for the usual cafe stop. We set a good pace not particularly fast but still avg 16 mph or more. The usual scrambled egg roll and orange juice was had, thankfully I can chew a little bit now but I still have stitches in my gums so I took my time to eat. We went the normal way home but I didn’t bother going down to Dalgety Bay and opted to just do a loop around Cowdenbeath to make my 50 miles up. So 50 miles done at an avg speed of 16 mph which is fine for me getting back into the game, a few more rides and I should be able to transition to the wrecking crew rides at 08:30 and get my arse panned like I used to do when I rode with them

Ride 19/02/2023

Well it’s a slightly better day than yesterday, a bit warmer, not raining but we did have stronger winds, which meant again a head wind all the way to the cafe stop. I started early again to get some extra mileage, looking to do about 65 miles today. I headed down to Dalgety Bay and along to Carineyhill before heading back to Dunfermline to meet up at the start point for the bun run. Slightly better turn out today, 10 of us, so I lead the way (headwind) to the cafe stop. We meet up with Rachel at Powmill and Ken at the cafe stop for the usual coffee and cake. Ken joined us for the leg home where we would have a tailwind blowing us home. I then followed Ken back to Dalgey Bay and back up to Crossgates and home, thus clocking up 66 miles at an avg speed of 16 mph.

Ride 18/02/2023

It’s a very cold wet day and given weather conditions, thanks to storm Otto, I wasn’t holding out much hope of many people turning up for the ride. In the end there were 5 of us, even with all the layers on I still got very cold hands and was grateful for the cafe stop. It rain most of the way to the cafe stop but did eventually stop afterwards. I had the usual scrambled egg roll and orange juice and got a chance to warm up and dry my gloves out a bit. The road back was against a small head wind but not enough to bother me but given the weather I wasn’t going to be doing any extra today. So it was straight home for me thus clocking up 45 miles at an avg speed of 15 mph and a hot shower

Ride 12/02/2023

First club randonee of the year and 12 or us were on the ride. We would be doing a 100 km loop from Dunfermline to Kelty then to Leslie and over Falkland hill down to Auchtermuchty for a cafe stop. Then continuing over Glentarkie hill down to Abernethy and up Glenfarg to Milnathort. We would then head for Cleish and finally up and over Knockhill. Weather wise it was dry, not too windy or cold so we had decent weather for the ride. The cafe stop would be at our favourite one in Auchtermuchty were I had soup, cake and coffee, needed the fuel Some nice climbs today, not too steep or high, so I was able to go up then at a good pace. I was looking to do the usual 75 miles today so rather than heading back to Dunfermline, I headed right through it and onto Dalgety Bay to knock out the extra 10 miles that I would need. So all in all a good days ride with some excellent climbing, nearly 5000 feet and clocking up 77 miles at an avg speed of 15 mph.

Ride 11/02/2023

Another windy day but at least a dry, not too cold one. 16 of us on the bun run so we split into 2 groups, I was in the first group of 7. Surprisingly by the time we got to the cafe stop we were down to 3! the rest had pulled off and headed home. It was a head wind all the way to the cafe stop so I lead all the way there, maybe that was why some turned off Anyway the usual at the cafe stop and I joined the second group since there was no point the 3 of us continuing on our own.On the way home Ken took a different route home but I still went home via Dalgety Bay just to get the mileage I was after which was 55 miles. So I got my mileage tally at an avg of 16 mph, roll on tomorrows first Club Randonee

Ride 05/02/2023

It’s a bright sunny no wind day but frigging freezing, I started early again to do some extra at it was -2 degrees 🥶 I was going to do the loop over Knockhill via Cleish so I put the hammer down to stay warm, thus clocking up 22 miles by the time I hit the meet up point in Dunfermline. 8 people turned up today but by the time we got going I was frozen again and I didn’t warm up until I hit Knockhill for the second time. Usual route to the cafe stop for coffee and cake and we meet up with Robert on the way there who didn’t want to start at the same time as us and took the short cut to the cafe stop. At the cafe stop we meet up with Ken who had also gone a different route, so by the time we got going again we were 10. Thankfully by the time we got going again we were into positive figures temperature wise but it wasn’t any higher than 4 degrees by the time I got home again. I followed Ken down to Dalgety Bay and back up to Dunfermline again to round off my 75 mile target, averaging 15 mph but with over 4000 feet of climbing which is a good workout for me.

Ride 04/02/2023

Bit of a dull windy day but at least it’s dry. So 11 of us on the bun run today doing the usual route to the cafe for rolls and coffee. Bit of a head wind on the way to the cafe stop but at least we would have a tail wind on the way home. No Ken today so I didn’t go via Dalgety bay but to get my 50 miles I went home via Kelty and Cowdenbeath thus getting my distance at an avg speed of just under 16 mph.