Antibiotics, Going Psychotic

I had planned to cycle through the winter weather of Christmas and managed a couple of short runs with some KOM's on STRAVA, but alas my bad luck injury/illness streak has continued and I am back on antibiotics for a heavy respiratory infection.
So annoyed. I can only hope the new year brings some new luck on the health front and I can curb my current cabin fever. Doesn't help the neighbours are all cyclists and I see them cycling past every time the sun comes out. Anyway here is a summary of my two rides before the cold set in!

Unfit for purpose....

I went for a 20 mile run yesterday. I felt so unfit. Injury and illness are taking their toll so while I puffed around like an old man I was glad I went out. Got the bike set up for winter with my new extension on the bars for lights and the mudguards. I also tested my £15 winter cycling jacket from Aldi's which is perfect. Make's a bit of a mockery of Rapha charging £175 for winter jersey's.
Anyway here's the route and the cross bike set up for winter roads.

Cross Out the Beach

It was the Irvine Beach round of the Cyclocross this weekend. This is my favourite race as it is only 25 minutes from my house and is fast and generally dry.
I started fairly fast and was pleased with the opening laps but the sickness bug and lack of fitness with the rib injury took their toll and I dropped off from what was developing into a great wee race within the race with Ally from Walkers Cycles. I doff my cap to you sir.
I managed to keep up my career record of "never last" though to finish 56th.

The next day I was to wake up though with a sharp pain in the eye which to cut a long story short turned out to be a tiny shard of metal which had to be removed at hospital. I can only think it came from the face full of sand I got at one point.
I can't wear my contacts for 6 weeks so this may put me out of the last race of my season, The Scottish Champs at Dunbar. I will wait and see. I don't fancy cycling blind or with my classroom spectacles on!

Feeling Cross

Strathclyde Park cyclocross today. It was a very fast course but my lungs weren't up to it today. The ribs are still hurting and any hill climb and the associated heavy breathing was difficult. Never the less I didn't come last and my bike stayed in one piece unlike my last 2 visits.
Weather was great today. Beautiful sunshine to go with the muck.
Check out the photos and the details below.

Sunday Spin

Not much to report but after saying my road bike was away for the winter I spotted a break in the weather for a quick 20 miles in the sunshine.
Didn't try anything really challenging as I have bruised my ribs playing my original sport of football, and breathing is quite painful.
Anyway I got the legs a spin before Strathclyde Park Cyclocross next Sunday!

Bravehearts and World Champions

I took part in the annual Braveheart Cycle from my home town of Kilmarnock yesterday. The Braveheart Fund was launched in 2003 by former British champion, Motorola professional and Giro d’Italia survivor Brian Smith. Its aim is simple: to raise the funds to allow young Scottish cyclists, be they roadies, trackies or mountain bikers, to fulfil their potential.

I was doing it with Tony and Danny who I completed the Etape with earlier in the year. We took it at a casual place so we could stay together and enjoy the chat.

Danny, Tony, Lone Biker

Highlight of my day was meeting World Champion (CycloX, Mountain Bike, Track and Road) and Olympic Road Race gold medallist Marianne Vos. Truly one of the greatest cyclists of all time. I was also fortunate enough to meet Tour Legend Sean Kelly as well.

Marianne Vos and Me

Callander Date

I headed to Falkirk for my first Cyclocross race of the season. Really enjoyable course, even if I did manage to fall off on a straight!

It was nice and fast with a few greasy hills and bends to make it interesting.

Felt a bit out of practice and that may account for the 70th place at the end of the race but at least I had good fun and I'm still looking forward to the next race.

The Bike Cave

Just a quick lookat my den (cube is away for minor repair). It is now resplendent with some posters I found from my childhood.

Glentress Red and Blue

I headed over to Glentress for some MTB action today. I sometimes forget I was (am?) a mountain biker originally. Its just that with the price of petrol, the constraints on time and the ease of road biking to your door and back mountain biking has taken a back seat over the last year or 2.
Anyway I took the opportunity to don the baggy shorts today and had a blast completing most of the Red Route and then heading back up to do the amazing Blue descent.
The route is slightly more entertaining now as you have people zip wiring above and below you as there is now a Go Ape there.
I took my own sandwiches for lunch. I used to look forward to some scran at the Hub but alas it is scandalously no more and the newer franchise in its place is over priced and underwhelming. Nothing will ever rival the Hub's millionaire shortbread or nachos.
Anywhoo, take a look at my route below. Sadly the photo is a stock photo as I forgot my phone to take pictures.

Monday Morning Sunshine

On holiday this week so I made a happy return to some cycling. I have been off the bike for 2 weeks with a hateful cold and too much study for non-successful interviews. (Side note: I have more insightful thoughts while cycling than trying to study so might hit the roads instead of the books next time I have an interview.)
As this was a ride of recovery I decided on a mostly flat-ish cycle. Apart from the bump that is Dundonald Hill I was successful and got my legs and lungs back into working mode with a 40 mile cycle to Barassie, along to Irvine then back through Kilmarnock to home.
Tired, but feel a bit more ready for my first cyclo-cross race of the season next weekend at Callander Park in Falkirk.
Great weather. Although it was cold you cant beat an almost windless sunny day for a cycle, especially on a day and time you are normally at work!

September 3

So I have been off the Lone Biker radar for a while but I've still been on the bike. Unfortunately my car was in the garage getting a dent and scrape (other story) repaired so I have been on the bike to work 3 or 4 days a week for 3 weeks.
Car is now returned and with the advent of the September weekend it was time to get back to cycling for fun over commuting.
On the Saturday it was a nice ride up past the windmills at Whitelees and then over to the back road that links up with the Clunch before into Kilmarnock and back to Darvel.
Ride number two was a quick circuit to Strathaven and back after a day out at the Farm Park with the family and ride number 3 was a quick training run 25 miler into Kilmarnock and back.
Check out the rides below.

Figure of 8

Just nipped out for a couple of hours on the Cube for a quick spin. Did a hilly figure of 8. Very windy on the way out but it blew me back along the A71 on the flat homeward journey!
Good training course for the future.

It was good fun being out on the Cube again after its service and cable change. Carbon is great but my aluminium do everything machine is still the best all round purchase I have ever made. Its getting close to that time of year again when I take it and run it through the worst trails, weather,mud and sand. Yes its nearly cyclo-cross season!

Vote John Snr

My dad has been nominated for a Local Hero award from Sky and British Cycling.
Currently he is only 1 facebook like from the 1000 mark so follow the link and like please.
"VOTE JOHN"
You can read about why he was nominated on the sight and check out what he is up to at
www.mccrackenprocycling.btck.co.uk

Please go vote!

Sun in the Wind

Took a ride into the wind farm  today. I took the same route as the MTB ride in the Irvine Valley Walking festival.
Great weather, plenty of dragonfly's and at one point a fox for company. It ran across the road then I watched its bushy tail sticking out the grass.
Check out the gravestone in the middle of nowhere in the wind farm. Whoever Euphemia Whyte is she chose a nice place to rest in peace......probably not foreseeing having 250 giant wind turbines in Europe's biggest wind farm for company in the after-life.

I think my daughter Hannah wanted to join me but she changed her mind last minute to head for the swings with mummy!

Top Blokes Broken Spokes

Headed out on to the A71 to be asked about the Whiteless loop by 2 other cyclists (Stewart and Peter). In trying to describe the route they asked me if I wanted to join them. I did and was glad I did as It was a great day and lots of the road had been resurfaced. I left them in Eaglesham and headed over the windfarm and moor to Kilmarnock where a broken spoke curtailed my ride, luckily near my parents house, and I chartered a lift home!
Here is the route for the day, specifically for Stewart and Peter so they know where they went!
Darvel - Whitelees

1st Place Shocker

Well it happened. I came 1st in a bike race. I went along to the trails at Craufurdland Castle for the last round of XC in the Ayrshire Mountain bike Series run by Walkers Cycling and Extreme Valley Riders. In the two years it has ran this is only the second time I've been able to make this local event and the firts time was cancelled because of flooding.
Anyway I duly entered the adult (17+) category in which there were only 4 riders. Never the less I took the lead on lap 1 and held it under pressure from Alec Crawford (course designer no less) to take my first ever podium.
The prize from walkers was great. A good bag with gift vouchers, water bottle and a cracking camelbak!
Don't have any pictures other than my legs post race.
Check out the Garmin details below!
So chuffed!

My 1st Century...and a bit

Ive done plenty of cycles in the high 90's mile wise but never quite broke the century until yesterday.

The weather was forecast to be good on Arran yesterday so I decide not only to do the 57 mile circular route of the island but to cycle from Darvel to the Ardrossan ferry either side of it.

I just made the ferry at 11am which got me to the start of the circular about 12. I headed, as I always seem to do against advice, on the anti-clockwise route.


On my way to the biggest climb on the island (The Boughlie boo-g-lay) I saw seals in the bay and I'm pretty sure a basking shark.
I made the climb to the top which averages about 9-10% but goes on a long time on about 4 false summits. Unfortunately the decent wasn't much fun as there was a strong headwind.

Made great time along the Mull of Kintyre side of the island and saw some Cormorants dive bombing in the sea.
The south side of the island doesn't have hills like the Boughlie but has 5 or six that are hard and never a flat stretch between, although the new tarmac section at Blackwaterfoot is nice.

 I made it back to Brodick over the climbs at Lamlash and Whiting Bay unfortunately just missing the 16:40 ferry, but giving me time to have a chip butty and wait for the ferry at 6pm.

I was greeted on the Ardrossan side by a great tailwind which helped me home to Darvel, utterly knackered and ready for dinner with 110miles (175.5km) under the belt. Great ride to end my holidays!

Applecross Weekend

Last weekend saw me and my friend Tony head to the Applecross peninsula. Its a fairly remote part of the west Scottish Highlands, not least because of the road in, the highest in Britain. The road is the Bealach Na Ba (Pass of the Cattle) and rises from sea level to 2053ft. This was the focus of our journey, to cycle up and over it.

Day 1 Applecross - Sheildag - Pass Loop


So on the first day we set off in very wet and windy weather to circle the peninsula and finish with the pass. Despite the weather it was still enjoyable as the single-track road was well surfaced and had spectacular scenery. Some very testing climbs descents and bends made for a great cycle.
We even managed to snag a burger at the Sheildag gala day, an acheivement in itself as there are very few places to grab hot food in this part of the world.

The journey from Sheildag to the foot of the climb proved to be windy with a full force headwind which was to continue with a vengeance on the Bealach na Ba.

I managed to make it about two thirds up the climb before on the turn of a corner before the switchbacks a full force 40mph headwind made it impossible to cycle. Sadly a section had to be walked before I was able to get back on the pedals and take some pictures of Tony down the pass, before heading to the top.

The weather at the top was horrendous. It was blowing a gale, the rain was sore and I could only see 3ft in front of me. I waited for Tony at the top before we made the scariest decent ever to the campsite in the crosswinds and devoured some well earned pasta.

Day 2 Sheildag to Loch Maree (and back)



Day 2 yielded much better weather. The journey took us along Loch Torridon and then into the Glen of the same name before cycling to the top of Loch Maree. It was still fairly windy but cycling in sunshine and short sleeves was great. There were still some very challenging 15% climbs but it was a great 100km cycle and earned us (if we don't say so ourselves) the lobster, steak and chips at the Applecross Inn.
A superb weekend was had and I'll definitely be back to cycle that mountain pass again!