Tour of the Borders

Should've brought a canoe!

Everything about this sportive was great (area, route, organisation, food, goody bag) except the weather. The heavens opened and with gale force winds it made for the most horrendous conditions I have ever cycled in. Up-hills were close to torture and you had to cycle to get downhill, with rivers streaming across all roads. I was meant to be doing the 112km route but bailed and decided to do the 80km route. With major rivers bursting their banks and foot deep floods to cycle through it seemed a wise choice and timely too as shortly after I made the decision the organisers were sending all riders on that route. It was fun however having a gale push you up a hill on the return journey.
Next years Tour is to be on closed roads and with a bit of luck some fine weather will mean this will definitely be a sportive I will do again.....hopefully dry!
Side note: The entire route today was covered in dead frogs. Barely a km went by without two or three dead frogs lying in the road.

Pre-Tour Prep

Just went on a quick spin today to get the legs ready for the Tour of the Borders on Sunday. Report will follow after the event. Info can be found here - http://tourotheborders.com/

Accredited by Royal Appointment

I have completed my accreditation as a track cyclist. part 3 of my accreditation was punctuated by a surprise  (to me) visit to the velodrome of Kate and Prince William. Alas the photos are a tad grainy. I forgot my camera and my dad had to use his phone to take the pictures. I can assure you among the blurry people in the background are Kate and Wills. I'm blurry because of my sheer speed!!!!

2 Days in the Lakes

I was meant to be riding in the Lakeland Loop Sportive but owing to the cold weather recently most of the high passes it was to pass through were shut with snowdrifts. With the accommodation being non-refundable and sunshine predicted on the rest of the roads I headed off to the Lakes to do some cycling anyway.
I was based at the Great Langdale Camp Site in one of the pods. See below. The pod was fantastic and i want one for my garden. Nice and warm inside with plenty of room for all my stuff and my bike with fantastic views from my door.

Day 1

I arrived at the campsite on the Saturday afternoon, set up the pod then went for a cycle in the lower lakes. I headed south through Conniston to Lakeside then back up through Hawkshead and back to the camp.

Weather was dry as a bone and as an introduction to Lake District cycling it was just the right length of cycle. You learn quickly that although not a large place the cycles are never flat. Plenty of up and the odd quality down!

Day 2

Went for a slightly longer and hillier ride on day 2. It started very quickly with a steep ascent over to Grassmere. You know how steep a road is when the signs are aimed at you!

After safely getting down I cycled over towards Keswick along a fantastic road aimed at cyclists. It ran alongside Thirlmere lake which was so still it was like a mirror.

I joined the C2C route in the north of the lakes and headed to Greystoke, which for those not in the know was the supposed birthplace of Tarzan. I headed there as I had read about a cyclists cafe on the C2C route. Alas it was on one of its 2 closed days a month but it did have a sign directing cyclists round the back of the cafe to a barn with tea and coffee for cyclists. It also had a great view of the Castle of Tarzans birth which after seeing I swung off into the cycle again!

The biggest challenge was to come. I headed over to Ullswater and along its beautiful shores to the less attractive Kirkstone Pass at 1500ft. I am proud to say I cycled up the steep side and pedalled every bit. It took 5 minutes to control the shaky legs at the top though but the descent into Windermere was worth it!

I can honestly say that was the hardest hill climb I have ever done. Although the other side would have been a longer gentler climb I'm not sure the steep descent would have been much fun so glad I took the steep side.

Finished the cycle with a cool down through Ambleside and into great Langdale followed by a hot shower and some Cumberland Sausage and Chips at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. 

A fantastic weekend of riding. I will definitely be back to try the snowed in passes when they are snowed out!

Tour De Ayrshire

Headed out on what was a cold but sunny day for a big ride through the wilds of Ayrshire. Headed to Galston before taking the back road to Sorn, Auchinleck and Cumnock. From Cumnock I took the wilderness route over to Dalmellington. It was a bit weird but very picturesque riding on dry roads but with 6ft of snow either side. Very Passo del Stelvio!

After Dalmellington I took a singletrack road over to Straiton which was terrific and very remote. Great descent into Straiton, hitting 75kph at one point.
On the return journey which started the loop back around Dalrymple there was a head wind. Not a strong one but dry and cold enough to make my eyes bright red by the time I arrived home through Coylton, Annbank, Tarbolton and Galston again.
Then I recovered the way any self respecting pro-rider does......with a haggis supper and a Peroni!

3's a crowd

Good run on a sunny day yesterday and not quite the Lone Biker either with two more in the party. We did a loop of Ayrshire on what was a cold but sunny day with little wind. We took in as many back roads as possible past Whitelees and Eaglesham and over to Irvine via the minor roads before completing the loop to Kilmarnock.

It was meant to be a warm-up for my sportive in the Lake District next weekend but alas it has been cancelled because its ‘cold’! Anyway the pod is booked so I will be heading to the Lakes and doing by own route somewhere instead. Maybe the snow will have cleared the Hardknott Pass and I can do the Sportive route.

Anyway here are the pics from yesterday including Struan (young gun) and Tony (old blunderbuss) and a comedy pose from me. It’s not often the Lone Biker has company so you’ve got to make the most of a photo op! Comedy poses aside it was a a good chance to take out the Cube CX bike. It was basically a wrecked machine after the Scottish Champs with not a single bearing escaping a grinding mud bath but it had been lovingly restored to health by mccrackenprocycling.