simon simpson

ok ok I was just meaning that usually we get to February before we have the debate on the format etc etc iin the middle of the series when everyone is arguing over who tore the legs off the bunch in the first 5 miles / on the first hill... who never waited etc etc ss

Great! Something to put in next years diary already! Had to bite my tongue during the forty-twa's and 30 milers and 9.30 group discussion and managed not to mention reliabilities.... Maybe we could establish the point, purpose, pace and procedures on the 'Reliability Conundrum' before we ride any this year? Scotlind's Gym sounds good.

r-ong it was "Like a drifter..."

Holy hell... I forgot all about Leavin on a jet plane.....

In today's post was a letter, written by Linda O'Malley, on behalf of the Eskine Chief Executive, Colonel Gibson OBE, DL, thanking Mr Kenneth Steele, 19 Ormiston Ave, Scotstoun for £520.63 raised by JWCC. ss Someone proposed a pound per pint tariff at the weekend ..... ss

well there's only one way to find out isn't there? 800 feet of climbing every 8 miles should make it interesting.... go on... you know you want to We can discuss it next weekend over a beer

Sadly going south tomorrow.. ss

Sous chef suggests we eat in the pub... seems ok... also I may not be along as my daughter may be having an operation that day... I will post as soon as I can to confirm that so someone can use the extra bed.. ss

Any decent panniers can easily hold 6 bottles of wine..... I think it's shame to miss out on the Moniave approach so that's down to Carsphairn onto Moniave over to Tynron and then into the hills ss will post on food later this week when I have spoken to the sous-chef ss

9.30 saw the tandem with David and Aileen, Joyce, Chung, SS, Ronnie Chard, Jim Daly, Dennis, Campbell and Mike assemble to go on down the cycle path to Kilbirnie. Frank joined us en route. The path was a bit leaf strewn and seemed unusually busy with walkers. A great advantage was the windshield provided by the trees as we soon discovered when we started the rise out of Kilbirnie. David Aileen and Joyce claimed to be turning back but were probably on a secret training run as they appeared to continue through the town 100 yards back.... After the cycle path we were keen to rev up a bit and needed a slight regrouping at the 'triangle' junction and we were off again. Frank and Jim were on the 'fixies' and spells were taken into the breeze to get over the hill to Largs where Frank and Mike headed off round the coast while the rest of us did a cafe stop sitting outside in the sun in Largs Main Street for a while. Howie passed by as we were leaving and joined to make the magnificent seven The predicted tailwind pushed us up the Brisbane Glen with minimal splitting ( bacon rolls, cakes threw all that revving up stuff out the window) and the descent was its usual brilliant self only marred by a bunch of sheep appearing in the road after the narrow bridge which killed the momentum at the point where it seems worth having a blast. An offer of a bit of cross country was declined at the reservoirs and in the Port SS headed for the coast and the bridge while the bunch went up the Whin and home. A good ride at a sensible pace. Bit disorganised and slow at the cafe (us not the staff) 40-50 miles by the end.. maybe... ps the coast road from Newark Castle rbt to the woodhall rbt was closed. The boardwalk was the alternative but is strewn with seaweed and wood.

count me in

Why flatter? That report was beginning to sound good! ss

ok...2 hours then... ps inner ring is a 24.... ss

Billy Bunter is back on the road! Does anyone have a spare RHS ergo lever they cant find a use for? The bar end shifters are retro-cool but mmmmmmmmm..... Actually, a Shimano 8 speed down tube shifter might sort it out..... ss

I intend coming along: for an hour or so Clubrooms.... 30 milers or more... what time ? ss

ok I might be up for sunday where is the route? where is the start? Kenny , I'll post again if definite so you can seatpost me...... ss

yip... so how do you get there ? Carsphairn- Moniave- Tynron- Thornhill would seem the most scenic Has anyone thought of going down on the Friday to allow a full days riding on different roads?

is there a run? ss

Not sure there was any need to remove muddies this summer..... I'd say the October school holidays are the muddy turnaround time... ss

Sorry Kenny ..it'd last at least 15 minutes which is longer than any other event I've ridden this year.... ss

Well apparently penny farthings were ultra good on those old farm tracks.... Theory says a larger wheel has less rolling resistance -probably on everything but a glass smooth surface.. think about it ... which would ride up over a kerb better a mountain bike wheel or a 12" wheeled kiddies bike... There comes a point when the extra weight of the bigger rim / tyre is too much.... centre of gravity might be a problem too.... The 26' mtb is historic... in the days of freewheels and crappy wheels the smaller wheel was available, cheap and relatively strong (partly due to the smaller diameter) ss

Apologies for this.. mixed up the weekends and had previously commited to ride Glasgow Edinburgh on the tandem with my daughter. Marco Van Whitehead was out and about on this as were 3000 odd seriously wet people. Still, the Gallery of Modern Art had good soup, coffee and Kiddies Art Pack day shame about all the silly pictures on the wall and the even sillier commentaries on their significance Never done 60 miles on the tandem before; 1 puncture (no spare tube... v silly) , 3 food / sock squeezing stops and 4 and a half hours... ss

In reply to Alan re; timetable Plan A is leave Johnstone on cyclepath 7 ish get to Ardrossan boat at 9.30 over to Arran dump the bags - light lunch- ride 50 miles round island at 15 mph- recover -shower- dinner -pub - wind 1 mph ne... sunny spells 18 degrees reality...Plan B and C leave late and miss the boat and / or the boat is broken and we go Johnstone / Ardrossan / Wemyss Bay / Bute / Tighnabruich / Tarbet / Claonaig/ and / or torrential rain ...get to Arran in wind fron hell -serious riders write it off and go to pub 2pm while pretenders do 20 miles in rain before shivering in the pub ... lets go for Plan A

Last year I booked Lochranza by card for us all .. it will possibly be officially closed so late in the season so I'll need to phone them... it was about £11 or so a night can we have final numbers by middle of next week? Also any provisionals/ I'm happy to pay for it all at the moment. ss

what is the sign on time? might be there that is sign on for old guys?