West Lothian Roadies

OS 65

Hey Brian
Thanks for passing on our details, great news. Your pals will be more than welcome. Look forward to seeing you tonight
OS 65

BillR1

See you guys tomorrow at 9am at the KWM in the Bathgate alps

Rgds, Bill

BillR1

Great turn out yesterday, 8 riders in total, not a bad start to the club. We headed out to Cramond and back to Linlithgow where some of the team peeled off. Ended up doing 50 odd miles with Jonathan after fatheed bowed out with a broken seat post at 40 odd miles.
All in all a great day for cycling with a good bunch of lads.
See you all next week at 8.30 KWM as we are going back to our original time.

Rgds, Bill

fritoz

Cycled up to the KWM last Saturday but never left myself enough time to get there by 9am from my house so missed you all, Doh! I did pass eight or so riders heading into Linlithgow as I headed out the other way after a solo run to Avonbridge and aroundabouts. Will definitely make it next Saturday for 8:30.

Brian T

OS 65

CLARION EASTER MEET
Location: Stamford (Picturesque town just off the A1 in Northamptonshire)
21-24 MARCH 2008

This event as been running for about 110 years, last year about 100 riders attended. They are great fun, It's a packed weekend of relaxation and riding. You choose how much of each you do. Its the kind of even that the whole family can attend. The weekend costs about £40 plus accommodation.

ACTIVITIES
Friday Evening: The mayor's Reception, followed by Ghost Walk
Saturday am: Annual Conference
Saturday pm: Hilly 11.2m TT
Saturday Evening: Dance, Buffet plus jazz/blues band
Sunday: Sportive (50/100/160Kkm options)
Sunday pm: relax around Stamford and watch a pro bike race from Belgium
Sunday evening: Annual Banquet and prize presentation

Accomodation at Lady Annes Hotel (http://www.ladyannesstamford.co.uk/) at special rate is £240 for 3 nights
To book rooms tel: 01780 481184
Or you could find your own accomodation in the area: http://www.stamford.co.uk

More information here:
http://www.clarioncc.org/catalog.html

If you want to come let me know and I'll get the details to you

OS 65

Fat Head

yes, great run on saturday, lesley was due to come out with us but she went down with an eye infection so hopefully she will be out this coming saturday. i had to ride back 15 miles with a cracked seatpost that finally snapped off just as i reached the front door, took the frame into work today to try and get the post out with a vice but there is not enough post showing to get any leverage...thankfully bill has put me in touch with someone who may be able to help but unlikely to have it ready for saturday...

Foz72

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 151682.stm

Okay - where would you plot a Stage 1 curtain raiser for the TdF in central Scotland?
First KOTM points in the Bathgate Alps followed by a sprint to Limerigg centre-ville?

OS 65

I reckon 3 times round one of Bill's circuits and that should sort them out.

Anyone at the KWM tomorrow 22nd? Not managed to get out this week. Weather man says intermittent rain and sunshine, max temp 7, min 1! better than today

I'll pop by at 8.30

OS 65

BillR1

OS yes give them 3 laps of the Cairnknockcraigs that would sort them out !!

I will be there in the morning but I may be a little drunk as I am off to our works night out tonight at 5pm so a long session ahead.

Anyway I will try to be there at 8.30 and if not I will be out later on.

Bill

OS 65

Stick Some Irn Brew in your bottle and you'll be fine!
OS 65

Fat Head

Just back from a night at the panto, temperature gauge in the care was saying -6 as I got home.....short notice but I'm going to have a lie in as I think it will be a bit icy early tomorrow but I am desperate to get out so I may head out later and text Bill (who cancelled himself) and see if he fancies a later one maybe about 10 or 11 bells

Fat Head

Anyone fancy a run on boxing day, meeting up about 9ish for a few hours?

May also head out tomorrow morning for a bit too if anyone wants to get in touch...

Foz72

Gahhhh......sorry Fat Heid didn't see your post but was out today myself. Good wee run & amazing what a difference an extra 2 or 3 degrees make at this time of year - my feet weren't even numb.

Not around for the 26th but are folks still planning on KWM on the 29th? Merry Xmas, one and all.

Foz

Fat Head

Weather wasn't too bad today as you say Foz, but there sure is a lot of poo and stuff on the roads! my bike is boging after a tough 60 miler today, whitburn, avonbridge, torpichan, ecclesmechan, winchburgh, lithgow, whitecross, avonbridge, limerigg, kirk of shotts, harthill......the road passed cairneyhill quarry up to kirk of shotts is a killer, i took os65 on this few weeks back and he burnt the legs right off me....

Right, richyboy is instigating a loch tay 60 miler taking in the glen quaich, ben lawers and schiellon (sp) climbs, we are wanting to do this between xmas and new year so this coming weekend may be a likely possibility....anyone viewing this is more than welcome to joing us...once we settle on a date we will put it up here....

BillR1

Looking to be at the KWM for 9am boxing day for a couple of hours on the bike if the roads are not too icy.

See you if it's decent.

Rgds, Bill

Brian B

Been unable to get out since I was out with the group two weeks ago. I hurt my back AGAIN ands thats been twice in the last 3 months and both have been after weight lifting sessions.

Thats the weights out the window now and have since recovered but my better half has the winter vomiting bug and I am playing at nursemaid with her and the kids.

Have a good new year when it comes and hope to see you's soon.

Anonymous

Not long back from a very tough Campsie Fells adventure....forced into this run as only day wife was of work was tomorrow and it forecast lashing down...so got a babysitter and got out today...

Started in Cambusbarron...and headed straight up the Easter Cringate climb...when was the last time that road was surfaced!...anyway I find that climb pretty tough as its always gradual then very steep then gradual again..but today it was doubly hard due to my recent illness...I really was kancked...no rythym can be held on this climb...this must be the biggest climb in Central Scotland? 310 meters.....there were lots of ice dangers up there aswell...descended into Fintry...had forgot how beautiful that valley is..up the Crow Road climb next...godd rythm here and not too bad...I've suffered on this climb before due to winds but today was fine...great decent to Lennoxtown...then along the horrible Main road to Kilsyth...then up the Tak Ma Doon...started fine but the run started to take its toll...by the upper steeper stretched I was suffering...still had a gear or 2 but it did give me a bit of a kickin...off passed Carron Bridge then made my way back passed North Third Resevoir back to Cambusbarron. Did this on my heavy Winter Bike...Focus Variode Expert with Compact Chainset and found this route tougher than normal..the best bit about the ride was getting back to the car...its was just so cold and at higher altitudes the ice dangers were everywhere...and the 3 climbs I did were all pretty tough....a hard route indeed!

Glad I never did the Tay run...Glen Quaich is so much tougher than those I did today...I would have suffered badly in present condition...and I was thinking that If the Campsie Fells were all iced up then wondered what it would have been like at Glen Quaich and even worse Ben Lawers!...Hope you lads got back safely...

Fat Head

Good to see you got out Richy, hope you enjoyed it friend

Me and OS65 drove to Crieff and were on our bikes for about 0830 on what was a very cold morning. we headed through Sma' Glen, passed a marsupial like creature at the side of the road that appeared to be eyeing up OS65, then headed into Glen Quaich onto what was in places an icy road. we were a bit stop start due to ice but then perked up when the big climb appeared, i was pleased to introduce OS65 to this one.....as expected he made it look pretty easy and beat me to the top by about 15 secs or so.....i then punctured on the descent thanks to a bit of glass....we limped down the other side and sought refuge in freezing conditions over a coffee in the kenmore hotel....we decided to stick to the main roads instead of our planned route up and over the lawyers and down glen lyon due to ice....having settled on a new route of north loch tay road, killin, taking a left after killin to lochearnhead, then loch earnhead road north to crieff, we set off briskly in an attempt to get warm but the quick pace stayed present as we made absolute mincemeat of loch tay north....the pace remained high with about 8 or 9 miles of quick through and off along loch earnhead road north to comrie...this really was tough but rewarding riding, including sprints for the 30s in which i threw away a 1-0 lead to capitulate to 2-1 thanks to, in the first instance, sitting up after thinking I had smoked my buddy only to see him come out of nowhere to take the win, and in the second instance, getting taken to pieces on a wee climb a mile or so before the sign.....back to crieff for all day breakfast.........

great ride, great company, great scenery - the highlight being the view north from the top of the glen quaich climb.

Foz72

Hi Fat Head - good effort by you guys. I got out myself for a blat round the danker parts of the Slammannan moors before my feet froze up. My folks stay in Comrie so I've ridden some of the local roads, especially out towards Auchterarder. But I'm interested to how how you found Glen Ogle - it can be a really busy road in the summer and its the main road from Stirling/Edinburgh up to the west Highlands?

Happy New Year, ane and a'

Fat Head

hi foz, glen ogle wasn't that bad, it was pretty busy but i'm sure os65 will agree with me and say that the outlook of the drivers today towards us was very impressive....

r.e. frozen feet, do you use overshoes foz?

happy new year to all my friends, too

Foz72

Aye, overshoes and finest merino socks. But basically, below about 5 or 6 degrees they eventually become like two wee frozen turkeys.

Brian B

Was out myself today as well. Just Avonbridge and up to the Bathgate hills and then down to Winchburgh. Weather was ok but pretty icy in some b roads.

Fathead - I love the Glen Quaich climbs but my favourite side is from Kenmore. You're a braver man than me for going up there in this weather though as I have had it freezing up there in April. I agree about the views though - they are second to none and really give you an idea how high up you are. Always fancied Glen Ogle but have been put off by traffic and the road is pretty tight in places when traffic is coming both ways. There is also a nice snack van at the viewpoint at the top.

Foz72

Hi Brian - had same concerns as you about Glen Ogle but it shouldn't be as bad heading north - the climb up from Lochearnhead is shorter than the fast descent down to Lix Toll. One idea I've had is to use long midsummer days, get up stupidly early and ride some of the scenic/busy Highland roads like the A82/4/5 before the caravans take over.

BillR1

Totally jealous that you guys have managed some mega rides !!!

I have a chest infection so breathing is a wee bit hard but still managing some turbo sessions for an hour at 60% to &70% mhr just to keep the legs up to speed. Hopefully be ok for this weekend and maybe a run out before locally just to test the lungs.

I will txt you guys if i'm going out.

Bill

OS 65

Great ride with Fat head on 30th. Decided to ride along the valleys 'cos I wimped out of climbing and descending iced up hills. the 20 miles of through-and-off was fun. Worryingly Fat heads thighs seem to be getting bigger every time I see him, I have to make him suffer on the climbs so I have a chance of keeping up in the sprints.

I reckon a club chaingang needs sorting out, a great way of training. maybe Sundays or slip into it after an hour's tempo on Saturdays?

I've been using a 5 mile circuit near winchburgh

Hope Santa brought you all some nice biking toys!

OS 65

vanleapo

Hi,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I'm planning to do a loop starting in Dunblane and going over Glen Quaich and around Loch Tay & Loch Earn.

Would you recommend the main roads to north, of both Loch Tay & Loch Earn or the smaller roads to the south of the lochs.
I've never been down either of the smaller roads, and I was wondering if you had any experience of them.

Cheers

Phil

Anonymous

vanleapo wrote:

Hi,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I'm planning to do a loop starting in Dunblane and going over Glen Quaich and around Loch Tay & Loch Earn.

Would you recommend the main roads to north, of both Loch Tay & Loch Earn or the smaller roads to the south of the lochs.
I've never been down either of the smaller roads, and I was wondering if you had any experience of them.

Cheers

Phil

The quiet South Shore road at Loch tay is far more beutiful than the big busy north main road, but its does come at a price..you will basically drop of Glen Quaich into kenmore on the south shore road, and this road is pretty unrelenting all the way to Killin...bit of a roller coaster and it can sap you....especially if youve just climbed over the very steep Glen Quaich beforehand...you will be glad of the fairly flat road around Loch Earn afterwards...just be very careful when you attempt Glen Quaich...its very high up and it doesnt get salted etc...very dangerous in winter conditions...

vanleapo

Thanks Richyboy.

I'll certainly be choosing the day I do this ride with great care to avoid ice, snow etc.

BillR1

Is anyone up for a run tomorrow starting at the KWM for 8.30 snow permitting !!

I am going to be out for 3 + hours if anyone wants a slightly longer run.

See you tomorrow.

Bill

OS 65

Had a short ride with Bill and Stevie but couldn't stay out for 3 hours, I went on and did my little circuit around Winchbro' and did about 37 miles. On Sunday I tried interval training for the first time - 1 min on 1 min off 5 times repeated 3 times. What a killer! it took me 3 days to recover, Haven't felt so bad since I rode 65 mile with fathead!
OS 65