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!