Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Mugdock Cleggfest!

Last night was a cracker of a ride through the best sections of Mugdock park, led by fellow GMBCer Graeme. The club have midweek rides all year, but I don't generally bother as Milngavie is an hour or so in the car, and for most of the year Mugdock is a muddy hovel, and Fairlie is a better option.

Graeme, Des and myself were joined by my bestest Kiwi mate Gareth, and another member called Graeme who I think I met on the new year social ride (must've made an impression!). We started off on singletrack pretty much straight away, Don't know what was the most surprising - Just how dusty the trails were or how bloody high the nettles were. At least nettles don't bite, the Cleggs (horseflys, Adele!) were having a feast on us at every stop, actually biting through clothing!.

The trails were excellent, Flux, Rocky Rooty and the Carbeth huts trail being among the best, dry, fast and with enough rocks and roots to make it very interesting. Hopefully this weather keeps up, and we'll get some more club rides in before the rain gods wake up from their summer slumber.

Gareth and Elaine are back in Scotland for a month, and I'm sad to say I only managed out with them twice, And I never got a chance to see the wee one either. Just need to save some pennies and get to NZ in the future.

Anyway, That'll be the last ride before Italy, apart from possibly a wee hour on the road bike later in the week, So if I needed any more time in the saddle, it's too late!.

Next post will be apre-Molini.

Ciao!.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Hot hot hot....

I've been out a few times in the last week, last Thursday myself and young Lloyd headed up to Cathkin braes, the new XC course that's been designed and built for the 2014 Commonwealth games. It's well done from a spectators point of view, as it's a short loop, around 5.5k, so will feature lots of laps, so plenty opportunities to see the riders in action, but from a legacy point of view it's a bit disappointing.

We were both pretty uninspired after a lap, and only the fact we'd drove half an hour to get there forced us back round again, sessioning the good bit(s).

I had a road ride with my work buddy Ewan on Monday, which was torture, as I'd only just necked dinner, and we decided to try and beat our best strava time up the Kerrix road. Combined with the heat, it was bloody tough going, although it just goes to show the difference if two roadies team up and switch turns at the front, as I knocked my time down from over 10 minutes to under 9!. Top 10 on the strava board of competitive geeks, happy days!.

Last night, I headed up to Stirling to meet Gareth and Elaine, a couple from NZ that I became really friendly with 2 years ago, as they are back over for a month to allow their relatives in Perth to see the new arrival, 6 month old Talia. Was awesome to see them again, especially renewing mine and Gareth's previous favourite past time of talking shit about bikes, amongst other drivel! A bike bromance continues....

Was a lovely night for it, if not a bit too hot, as you'll see from how red I am in the pic below!. I've an excuse, I'd been riding at cambusbarron for an hour before!. That place is maze of awesome singletrack, but really hard to navigate, I'll need to get a local out next time.

We were led by Sam, a fellow member of my bike club, who lives in bridge of Allan, and she took us round some great trails in mine woods and round the uni before heading up onto dumyat, and then back down yellow crags to finish. I absolutely loved chasing Gareth down the descents again, just like old times, good old times...

Anyway, never got home til nigh on midnight, and the work alarm was off before I knew it. Work. Always getting in the bloody way....

Gareth, Sam and Elaine.

 

Big G heading up dumyat

 

 

Bromance above the Wallace monument!