Ride 13/07/2024 July Randonee

Since there was no official Randonee this month I organised an ad-hoc one starting in Denny and heading out to Balloch and Loch Lomond and returning to Denny. 7 of us on the ride today and weather wise it was quite pleasant, no rain, warm with little wind All of the elevation was stacked towards the beginning of the ride, but it’s a lumpy route, so even after the cafe stop we still had a few lumps to get over. We started in Denny and straight away we were climbing up to Carron Valley. We would then head for Fintry and drop down into Killearn before heading along to Balloch where we would have our cafe stop. Soup, coffee and cake were the order of the day before we headed back to Denny. This time we would take the slightly flatter route to Strathblane, Lennoxtown and Kilsyth before the last 10 miles back to our starting point in Denny. So 66 miles clocked up at an avg speed just under 16 mph, and we even had some sunshine on the way back

Ride 13/07/2024

Well this was an interesting ride, 19 of us at the gates this morning so we split into the usual 2 groups, the first group being the faster one, which I’m in, and we head for the usual cafe stop. What I didn’t know was they were planning to take the KOM for this route and it was put the hammer down from the start We absolutely motored our way around the route avg over 21 mph all the way to the cafe stop which was a 20 mile ride. Suffice to say I was a sweaty mess by the time we got the cafe stop, I had dressed for a rainy day, which it did not so I was pretty cooked by the time we stopped. But all in all we broke the KOM and got to the cafe in 56 mins and since 4 of us all rocked up at the same time I got the KOM as well The usual OJ and roll for the stop before we decided on the route home. This being heading down to Dollar and along to Milnathort before heading south again towards Kelty and home. I was hoping we would calm down for the ride back home but nope, it was a rapid ride back as well. So I clocked up 55 miles in under 3 hours, which is damn fast even for me, with an avg speed of 19 mph

Ride 07/07/2024

11 of us on the bun run today doing the usual Sunday bun run route. Weather wise it’s not as windy as yesterday but I didn’t check the weather forecast this morning and that was an error as I would find out later on. Anyway usual stop at Muircott for coffee and cake before heading back home again. Unfortunately it was when we hit Fishcross and Clackmannan the heavens opened up, and I was planning to do extra today by riding to Denny but that put the nail on the head to that idea, so I just followed everyone else and headed home instead. I had no wet weather gear, had I looked at the forecast I may have made a better decision but it was what it was. So I was wet through for the rest of the ride back, thankfully the rain did eventually stop and I did dry out a little bit but my feet were soaked and I was covered in a lot of spray. We took the longer way home from Cairneyhill down to Roysth and Dalgety bay before heading back up hill via Mill farm road where it started to rain again, but by this time I was only 5 mins from home so didn’t care So 55 miles clocked up at an avg speed of 17 mph.

Ride 06/07/2024

Well this was a better ride than last week, I feel a little bit more myself, not quite 100% but getting there. After taking a few days off and the stupid hard TT race this Wednesday which although I took easier than last time, I actually didn’t do as bad as I thought I’m feeling not as fatigued as last Saturday. So weather wise the forecast was for rain, but ironically it didn’t rain when I was riding, I was fully prepared for it with overshoes and rain jacket but in the end I didn’t need them 21 of us today so we split into 2 groups and I joined the faster paced first group doing the normal bun run route, I wasn’t going to be doing extra just due to the weather forecast. Usual food and drink at the cafe stop before we headed back home over Knockhill and down to Dunfermline. Tomorrow is a better weather day to I’ll get my extra miles tomorrow but for today I clocked up 50 miles at an avg speed of just under 18 mph and that will do me nicely

Ride 29/06/2024

20 on the bun run this morning and weather wise it was overcast with some sunny spells but the wind was the killer. We split into 2 groups and I was in the faster first group leading that out straight into a headwind all the way to the cafe stop. I got some rest bite when Paul took the lead just after Kincardine but I would be on my own after the cafe stop. Had the usual beverage and roll before splitting from the group to do my own thing. I wanted to do about 60 miles today so I continued on into the head wind all the way to the Coffee Bothy cafe before swinging around to the hill foots and riding all the way to Yetts with a glorious tailwind I then headed back home the usual route over Knockhill and back down into Dunfermline and home. So I clocked up 61 miles and got my target at an avg speed of just under 18 mph

Ride 22/06/2024 100 miles Loch Earn

Today we decided to move away from the normal bun run ride and do a 100 miles ride around Loch Earn since it was going to be a good weather day. Although it was overcast for most of the morning the sun did make an appearance after lunchtime and it was clear blue sky’s all the way home. We would start at the usual spot in Dunfermline before heading over Knockhill and heading up Glendevon before dropping back down again to Gleneagles. From here we headed for Crieff before turning west towards Loch Earn and straight into a headwind. Thankfully once through Comrie we would be stopping at our first cafe stop from some refreshments, which meant in my case a roll that practically had everything on it, beacon, egg, lorne sausage and hash brown followed by cake With me leading the crew we headed around Loch Earn and up to Strathyre and then back down to Callander where we stopped for lunch which consisted of soup, coffee and cake again (you can never have too much cake ) After lunch we then headed for Doune, Bridge of Allan and Stirling where we had our final stop for some ice cream, since it was now sunny and hot before heading back home the usual coastal route up into Dunfermline. So 116 miles clocked up at an avg speed of over 16 mph, a good steady pace for me given all the cycling I’ve done this week.

Ride 22/06/2024

6 of us on the 08:30 bun run this morning and weather wise it was overcast, a little bit of wind, dry with some sunny patches here and there. Usual route to the cafe stop, with a head wind most of the way, not too strong but enough to be noticed. Orange juice and scrambled egg roll as per usual at the stop before we headed back home again. Doing a slightly shorter route by going via the golf club rather than all the way up to Yetts but still doing the full Knockhill climb. Colin and I decided to do a little bit extra when we got to Redcraigs and headed along to Kelty rather than down to Wellwood and Dunfermline. We too the road up to Hill of Beath rather than Kingseat and then down to Fordell Firs where we split and I turned around and headed back up the road to Crossgates and home. So 55 miles clocked up at a decent pace of over 17 mph

Ride 16/06/2024

Well only 2 of us on the bun run today and given the weather I’m not surprised. I was riding the correct equipment and clothing today, winter bike and full rain gear and most grateful for it as it rained the entire ride Given the shite weather today, thankfully it wasn’t Baltic or too windy, Nick and I decided to just stick to the usual Sunday bun run route and hope for the best. It wasn’t pouring down but it was consistent, which meant you were going to get wet not matter what. By the time we got to the cafe stop, I wasn’t fairing too bad but Nick was still on his summer bike and summer clothing, so he was pretty wet. Coffee and cake were had as per usual before we set off on the homeward leg. Thankfully we would have a tailwind blowing us home and this also meant we weren’t riding into the driving rain anymore. The rain did ease up a little bit going home, but didn’t stop, but enough to not make the 25 miles back home a misery. So by the time I got back home, I was wet but not drenched and thus clocked up 50 miles at just shy of 16 mph avg speed, and that was enough for the day.

Ride 15/06/2024

So it was back to riding the 08:30 ride today, weather wise it was dry, with a little bit of sunshine on a cool day. 7 of us were on the bun run today doing the usual route to the cafe stop, where I had my usual scrambled egg roll and orange juice. After the cafe stop it was the usual route back home down to Dollar and up to Yetts before riding over Knockhill. We did a little bit extra, rather than riding down to Dunfermline from here we instead headed for Kelty before turning back to Dunfermline and home. So 52 miles clocked up at an avg speed of 17 mph, not a bad day

Ride 02/06/2024 DCC Sportive Full Route

So today’s ride was our clubs sportive Tour of the Kingdom, with 2 route options I went for the longer 92 miles route. I joined some of the other lads from the club making a group of 6 of us. For the first 25 miles we would follow the Saturday bun run, but rather going over Knockhill we went up Saline hill towards Cleish. We would be going over this hill twice today, once on the outbound leg and then on the return leg. Once over Cleish we headed for Leslie to climb our second big climb of the day over Falkland hill and down into Falkland itself. From here it was a straight shot to Freuchie where we would stop at the feed station. Since I race the TT’s here it was familiar territory and nice not to have to ride a lunatic here for once After our food stop we would be heading for Lindores before returning back on ourselves up the small climb to Auchtermuchty. We decided to take an “unofficial” break at Dunshalt for coffee and cake and then we were back on the road back to Falkland before swinging west for Strathmiglo. From here we’d take Dryside road before hitting the road around Loch Leven and then onto Kinross. We would then take on Cleish hill climb again before dropping back down to Dunfermline and our finish line. After some pizza and a couple of ours in the pub with the guys I headed home thus clocking up 102 miles overall, although I stupidly hit the finish button on my Garmin at the pub by accident, but still had the 5 miles to cycle home again so I’m calling it 102 miles for the day at an avg speed of 17 mph

Ride 02/06/2024

Another glorious day to be cycling and given the good weather I was surprised that only 8 people turned up for the bun run. Anyhow we did the usual route today, I wasn’t looking to do extra or a different route as I was stilling feeling yesterday in the legs and the 50 miles we do every Sunday was enough fro me. It was a struggle to get the legs going to begin with but eventually they caught up, once we had ripped down Knockhill at least Anyway we headed for the usual cafe stop, but there was a bit more wind today which meant we would have a headwind to the cafe stop but thankfully a tailwind going home. The usual coffee and cake were my fuel stop before heading off home again. With the tailwind behind us the pace picked up a bit resulting in me doing 50 miles at an avg speed of over 17 mph, not too shabby after the 105 miles of yesterday

Ride 01/06/2024 100 miles Dunkeld

Given the glorious weather that had been forecast for today we organised a 100 mile ride up to Dunkeld. 9 of us on the run today starting at 08:00 to get a head start of the traffic. We headed up over Knockhill, through Glendevon before making our way to Crieff, for our first stop of the day. Scrambled egg roll and OJ as per usual for me before we carried on. On such a nice day and with very little wind around we made steady but good progress through the small glen before our long decent down into Dunkeld. We then headed to Murthly where our second stop of the day would be had at lunchtime. Carrot soup, tuna sandwiches and sticky toffee pudding would be the order of the day washed down with some coffee. We would then head south towards Perth and this was where things went a bit pear shaped. The cycle path was gone, it was just a building site now where they were building a new road This forced us to find a way through which meant cycling off the beaten track and along some gravel tracks before finally picking up the road that entered on the outskirts of Perth. Back on the road now we carried on heading for Bridge of Earn but it was at this point we would lose Bill who wasn’t feeling well, some bad food we think, and he would get picked up and driven back home. Unfortunately Ken was also suffering from craps in his legs and would do so all the way home. We soldiered on, now on more familiar roads through Bridge of Earn, up Glenfarg and along to Milnathort before heading into Kinross and back towards Cowdenbeath and home. So I clocked up 105 miles at an avg speed of 16 mph on a nice hot sunny day