West Lothian Roadies
Comments
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richara3 wrote:we went east towards along the south edge of becraigs before taking the longest route ive ever seen to get to dalmeny estate, had a wee pootle round there before heading back to linlithgow from Kirkliston.. I cant shed much more light than that as Ive never been on most of those roads before.. I am guessing about 30 odd miles worth. It was 50/50 on which way we went but I can only guess that TP01 suggested Dalmeny as it was reasonably flatish compared to 'up the braes' and so would be easier for the newbies ( ME)
The other bloke from Linlithgow was me.
First of all, I plead guilty to the choice of route which took us along some pretty icy parts, especially the roads past South Mains and Faucheldean. It didn't seem that cold the previous night, and Preston Road was fine, so the amount of ice was an unpleasant surprise. No harm done, though. A good run on a lovely day if just a bit on the cold side.
The full route was KWM, South Mains, up to Ochiltree, Faucheldean, Winchburgh, Kirkliston, Dalmeny House, South Queensferry, back to Kirkliston and the B9080 back to Linlithgow. 34.5 lumpy miles, with the odd puncture stop. Average speed of 13 odd mph, with some very low speeds necessary in the first few icy miles.
Glad to see the new guys enjoyed it. Hope to see you back soon.
Jim0 -
Jazza1969 wrote:richara3 wrote:we went east towards along the south edge of becraigs before taking the longest route ive ever seen to get to dalmeny estate, had a wee pootle round there before heading back to linlithgow from Kirkliston.. I cant shed much more light than that as Ive never been on most of those roads before.. I am guessing about 30 odd miles worth. It was 50/50 on which way we went but I can only guess that TP01 suggested Dalmeny as it was reasonably flatish compared to 'up the braes' and so would be easier for the newbies ( ME)
The other bloke from Linlithgow was me.
First of all, I plead guilty to the choice of route which took us along some pretty icy parts, especially the roads past South Mains and Faucheldean. It didn't seem that cold the previous night, and Preston Road was fine, so the amount of ice was an unpleasant surprise. No harm done, though. A good run on a lovely day if just a bit on the cold side.
The full route was KWM, South Mains, up to Ochiltree, Faucheldean, Winchburgh, Kirkliston, Dalmeny House, South Queensferry, back to Kirkliston and the B9080 back to Linlithgow. 34.5 lumpy miles, with the odd puncture stop. Average speed of 13 odd mph, with some very low speeds necessary in the first few icy miles.
Glad to see the new guys enjoyed it. Hope to see you back soon.
Jim
Ah , its coming back to me now.... Jim , Mike and Mark .
Hope to be out again this Saturday or perhaps Sunday.
Andy.0 -
Didn't turn a pedal over the weekend - intended cycling into work on Saturday however it was far too icy through here in the West - well done to the brave souls who ventured out on that - I'm paranoid about falling off and breaking something when it's that slippy.
Had a lie-in yesterday
Maybe have a wee go on the turbo tonight!
Good to hear there's some new folks out though - we must be pushing 30 members now? Nice one!
P.S. Anyone interested in a New Year run? How about 2nd Jan - give time for hangovers to clear?
I had posted a few pages back about this and, from memory, I think Jim had said he'd be up for this - any other takers?
Bill's route round the Alps - a 30 mile hill-fest apparently - was the plan0 -
Sounds good Grantus - want me to stick it in the mail out?
Also are you still thinking of running a club reliability trail?
OS 650 -
+++BOXING DAY 10 TT+++
Hey Folks
The club boxing day Christmas 10TT is up and running.
Start: Bridgend 10am
I'm afraid it is only open to first claim club members so if you want to take part join up before hand!
PM or email me if you want to take part 'cos we'd like to get an idea about numbers.
I'm timekeeping, Grantus is pusher-off
One marshal is still required, if you don't want to race fancy helping out instead?
I thought we could have a pint somewhere afterwards to celebrate out madness - Possibly the Black Bi*tch, or somewhere else if you've got any suggestions?
OS 650 -
Sounds like you went the route I would normally take to the KWM if the roads aren't icy. Chapeau to you guys for giving it a go. I think I might struggle for daylight until mid January but I'll take each week as it comes.================================
Cake is just weakness entering the body0 -
HI Matt,
Yes please - if you could stick that out in the mail it would be good.
As for the reliability ride - Bill had suggested doing the Dalmeny and/or Musselburgh Audax as a club to perhaps show off our new love it/hate it kit. Perhaps we could do that rather than a reliability?
However, if there is sufficient interest I'd be happy to devise a route which sets off from Linlithgow.
P.S. Paging Mr Young, come in please Mr Young!
Bill, can you divulge the details of this fiendish hilly 30 miler you mentioned a couple of weeks back?
Cheers,
Grant0 -
Guys,
I have been on holiday so back on line ready to go now.
Turbo session tomorrow night at mine usual time and place, fixed gears more than welcome now that I have one !!!
Grantus, I will do a bikely route and post the link over to you for the 2nd Jan run, West Lothian Alpine Challenge, and you can see what you think.
Hopefully see a few new faces at the hanger of anger tomorrow night ????
Bill0 -
I'm planning on being at the hanger for an easier session... 8)
After popping into Craigies farm Cafe for a coffee on Sunday, I was thinking... does anyone else have a favourite local cafe they visit on a bike ride?
OS 650 -
Craigies is the business Matt myself and Shona have been going there since it opened. Are you or anyone else bringing their fixies tomorrow night?? I am using mine !!
Bill0 -
Cheers Bill,
West Lothian Alpine Challenge - like it!
May I book myself in for a visit to the Hanger of Angryness next week? Is it a 7.30 start?
WLC seems to have gone fixed crazy!!!!!!!0 -
Yeah, I can see a lot of fixed bikes popping up on ebay or bikeradar early next year.
Passing fad, that's what it is.0 -
Bill - I'm only using my fixed for Kingscavil these days
So I'll bring my Raleigh Royal 5 speed (with windmill clip-ons) as usual.
I reckon about 5 out of 27 members now use fixed. how about doing the bealach or the TTT on fixed? C'mon! :twisted:
OS 650 -
I'm doing the boxing day 10 on my trusty steed with one gear of 72"
Bill0 -
Grant,
Arrive at mines just after 7 and start at 7.30 until 8.45 then dismantle and finish.
Bill0 -
Great - anyone else going to enter the Boxing day 10TT? Its free!
72? you'll only get an average of about 22-23mph on that (unless you have a spectacular spin!) :P
I reckon you should move up to 80-85 or even 90
You can buy sprockets from here
http://www.hubjub.co.uk/
http://outspokencycles.co.uk/sprockets.html
You can calculate your gear ratios here
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
OS 650 -
Matt,
I have a nice 100" set up available if that's any good :roll:0 -
100"?
I think we'll have to get a crowd out to watch you ride up both hills to Winchburgh!
OS0 -
Hey Matt,
Can you remind me?
Does membership of the Clarion get you any form of membership of BCF or is this a separate thing altogether?
The reason I ask is I am toying with the idea of trying a race or two next year to see if I like it/can finish.
Cheers,
Grant
P.S. Bill, is there space for another fixie next week then? If so can you put me down for a spot as I can finish work a bit earlier next week so will manage through. I can bring your helmet back as well.0 -
No problem Grant plenty room mate
EPO are you going to bring the fixie as well ??
Bill0 -
I think new members who haven't been in a club before get bronze membership and once we get over a certain number of members we get a few free bronze to hand out.
See below from the BCF website
'free Bronze' membership offer for clubs?
We are delighted to be able to award free Bronze memberships to club members who are not current British Cycling members and have not been members in the last 2 years. Forms are sent periodically to the club secretary for this purpose. If the new member is under 16, the free membership will be awarded at Silver level.
Rather than take a free Bronze membership, you may instead opt to have the value of a Bronze membership discounted from either a Silver or Gold Membership. This discount can also be applied to a Family membership.
Info on the different membership categories
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/si ... ership.asp
OS650 -
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TTs, Road race/Crits and Track for me... We're gonna have a Club Best Allrounder and the weekly 10TT series to go for as well
Plus all the National Clarion events too, I reckon the guys who did the scottish TTT should have a crack at the Clarion 50TT champs, there's a good chance of winning 'cos the winners for the last two years have been at the 2-10
See some of the the list of events here:
http://www.clarioncc.org/diary_dates.html
There is also a National Clarion points series too. I managed 32 and I only entered the Track champs. The series totals all the points you get in each of the competitions you enter through out the year.
Because these events are clarion restricted you've got a descent chance of getting placings
OS 650 -
Matt,
I fully intend doing the club 10s and a few other open time trials however I hadn't considered road racing until recently.
If I can get a decent level of fitness I was thinking of trying one of the closed circuit races at Ingliston to see if I could handle it although I'm a bit unsure of the formats.
From what I can gather 4th category racing at one of these races could be around 24-25 mph average so I don't know if I could get to that level of fitness in the next three months or so. I'm willing to give it a bash however. Also, if you are a 4th cat are you racing against just 4th cats or is it a free for all with 3rd/2nd/1st cats, etc.?
I had a look on the Glasgow Nightingale CC forum as they promote the Sam Robinson Memorial RR. They do a support race which last year was three laps of the hilly 11 mile circuit around Balfro which is the finishing circuit for the main race. I've been trying to find out what sort of times people achieved in this to try to work out the speeds involved.0 -
There's a thread in itself OS65.OS 65 wrote:After popping into Craigies farm Cafe for a coffee on Sunday, I was thinking... does anyone else have a favourite local cafe they visit on a bike ride?
OS 65
I used to like the Park Bistro as a winter stop-off but I guess it's not much of a trek for you western folk. I can recommend the New Hopeton garden centre too but I have to agree with you, Craigies farm is the best (unless you can get to Balquhidder library and back in a day).================================
Cake is just weakness entering the body0 -
wakemalcolm wrote:
There's a thread in itself OS65.OS 65 wrote:After popping into Craigies farm Cafe for a coffee on Sunday, I was thinking... does anyone else have a favourite local cafe they visit on a bike ride?
OS 65
I used to like the Park Bistro as a winter stop-off but I guess it's not much of a trek for you western folk. I can recommend the New Hopeton garden centre too but I have to agree with you, Craigies farm is the best (unless you can get to Balquhidder library and back in a day).
The park bistro is nice as is the cafe within Hopetoun house itself, It may be a bit posh but does a nice cream tea :P It is seasonal though, that place in queensferry at the far end nr the hawes inn does some good cakes, as does the garden centre just up the road from sandy wallace cycles in Cairneyhill.Not that I am a cafe creeper of course... 0 -
exactly where is craigies??? the park is ok for people meeting their bit on the sides/rich wifies meeting for a chingwag but I think their staff are a bit wooden
grant, just get as fit as you can and give the racing a go next year. this was my first year and it is a real eye opener but racing provided my top thrills for the year. ingliston was brutal on me. i was surprised how hard going it was given that it was 4th cats only. people seemed in such great shape, i think with sportives/commuting on the increase the standard and numbers entering races is very high. thinking back i know where i went wrong in many place, ingliston for me i wasnt prepared to work my ass off staying near the front before the bunch breaks and after you've missed it its only a matter of time before the breakaway group comes round and laps everyone else. you have to put in 4/5 hard intervals for the first 10 laps at least and i jusnt wasnt up to it. even when i realised where i went wrong and went back for a 2nd and 3rd go I couldnt do it. I need to do more interval work to meet the demands. my cornering is poor compared to the others as well i think and that is important as gaps are often made on the corners at inglistong. i managed better in the 4th cat road races and was strong going into the first one, in march before wich i had done loads of training, only to lose my bottle seeing the winds create some crashes, seeing someone go down in front of me, and feeling the pressure of staying in a concertinaing bunch scared me loads and I was almost happy to see a bunch go off and things calm down
give it a go we all start somewhere and the fact that you are thinking about doing it means you must give it a go at some point0 -
A wee question,
I kind of assumed you guys were just getting together through this forum but there has been mention a number of times about club kit and stuff. Should i be a 'club' member to be going on the saturday/sunday runs,.
I would be a little reluctant to join up as so far in the last couple of months ive only managed one ride, but if its only a few quid then its not a problem.
I was also thinking about insurance and stuff. If any one can shed any light that would be great.
Andy0 -
Grant
I agree with Fathead 4th cat races in scotland are pretty tough. I've raced in England and 4th cat races are generally for beginners so its fairly easy to move up to 3rd. I entered the 4th cat glasgow crit and was up against guys who were doing sub 55 minute 25 TTs. It was a pretty tough race.
I chatted to a few of the riders after the crit, and it seems there are very few races just for 4th and 3rd cats so riders end up racing against 2nd cats, making it difficult to get points. A few of the 4th cats had been there for 10 years!
That said, racing isn't all about fitness, racing intelligently plays a big part and the only way to do that is by gaining experience.
Maybe do a few TTs first to get your body used to racing and then try some handicap races, Falkirk do a May day Gallup.
The club could also start running a chain gang after xmas so riders get used to the the idea of a paceline and sheltering in a group
OS 650
