A CXy Half Century

If I'd been paying attention at all I would have made this up to 60 miles in sycophantic BBCesque flag-waving deference to Her Maj. But the distance for this ride wander ed all over the place. I'd intended on a century, then thought I'd do a 35 mile loop over part of the Pentlands that I've planned to do for years.

In the end I took that long-planned route, tweaked on the fly, took in the four reservoirs of Threipmuir, Harlaw, Clubbiedean and Torduff, dropping back into the city, before launching an assault from Dreghorn up and over the hills. Okay, so the angle on this may be real, but the cycling is perhaps... staged. I was pushing at this point, due mainly to the rocky gravelly under-tyre situation rather than the gradient. But a little over 50 miles (with a dead slow average due to the pushing that I'm not going to reveal) and a top speed of over 40mph (a while since I've done that, one day I'll hit 50) and that was the most fun I've had in ages. Got video of some off-roading along the perimeter fence of Dreghorn Barracks, and down the other side of this climb, together with a handbrake turn round a hairpin between Roslin and Rosewell to upload to edit and upload... Might link them tomorrow.

The ride took in a bit too much shared use path (with a couple of (good natured) discussions on bells - you can't win as a cyclist, if you don't ding but instead use your voice politely you're told you should have dinged, if you ding you're told it's rude and you should just say 'excuse me' - and yes, I have come across both); but the day was fab. Reinvigorated an enjoyment of off-roading (which has put me in a better frame of mind for a CX race I've inadvisedly signed up for in July), oh, and I saw my first ever Yellowhammer.

Top banana.

Yellowhammer
Juvenile Robin
I Love You
Wheel. Gravel. Blue Sky.