James

Ok guys it looks like the lasufriDA organiser only sends the correspondence to the booking person.
I have most of your emails in a separate folder on works computer so I will send it to youse all tomorrow.
 
Cheers

Well Billy, Rome, like Sheffield, is a city built on hills...

Good run. Enjoyed the coffee and scone at Kilmacolm. Was needing that. Don't think I will get that at Lasufrida !!

Should be okay for me

Alarm at 5.15am, shower and off to the east at 6.00 for my first Kinross Sportive, a really popular but relatively new event, so popular in fact, you have to sit up until midnight months ago for entry to open as it is sold out in minutes!
 
Arrived at Kinross in good time to be met by deep blue skies, still icy air and snow on the tops of Lomonds of Fife and surrounding hills.  
 
Rider number admin done, wait in queue for the start and then sent off in small groups ...away you go. Riders from all over the country, clubs from Dundee, Dunfermline, Pentlands , Carse of Gowrie, Falkirk  and many more, plus one from JWCC! 
 
6 hours, 88 miles later (140k) and 2000m of climbing over  6 or 7 decent long steady climbs and fast descents, e.g. Dunning and Knockhill, the route was complete. Well marshalled with two feed stations and some of the quietest roads, in very good condition, I have seen in Scotland for cycling. Hardly a pot hole over 140k, even on the back roads!
 
Clearly the dry sunny weather helped, however today proved you don't have to travel too far for a decent day out.
 
cheers,
Eric
 
    
 

For years I held some utterly obscure running KOMs around here. Unlike cycling there is far less assistance from wind and bunches, so really niche routes can remain untouched for ages. Amongst punters like me any gains are usually measured in a few secs/km at most.
 
However over the winter someone hoovered up my KOMs by >1 min/km. They were moving at 3min/kms on the track between here and Paisley, ie 20 km/h. I assumed it was a fat bloke on an ebike having a laugh.
 
Actually it was the amazing Callum Hawkins, selected for British Olympic marathon team, and his brother Derek who hopes to be selected tomorrow. These guys are from Kilbarchan and are among the best runners in the world.
 
 
On one hand It is great to have locals running in the big event but from my Strava running career POV it is a disaster comparable to Wiggins and Froome putting down their markers without the chance of me ever getting them back!
 
sample Olympic training run here, I like the way he eased off in the last 9k.
 
https://www.strava.com/activities/359417856/laps

Paul McD / James in one room.
That makes 10 and I have entered 10 in the original entry so all covered. LA Paul is entry 11.
Any other takers for this ADventure

Big thanks to our friends Gregg (who really wants to be in JWCC) and Richie from the Koooriers who, as well as doing lots of work at the front, also introduced us to the wonders of Largs Poundbasket, opposite the comfort stop.
 
Astounding amounts of much-needed sugar for a quid. Makes my teeth hurt thinking about it now, this must be the caries-ridden centre of Ayrshire, but it cannot be beaten when you're on the edge of bonking.

Good to hear you okay John and wish a speedy recovery.
Hope you managed to get all the thorns out Paul.
Enjoyed the run today. Even managed to bolt on a small loop with some more hills when we finished. Need the practice for Spain

Good to hear you okay John and wish a speedy recovery.
Hope you managed to get all the thorns out Paul.
Enjoyed the run today. Even managed to bolt on a small loop with some more hills when we finished. Need the practice for Spain

Good your ok John... more importantly, hows the bike??? 😉 good run... still picking torns out of my face 😂😂😂

Hope you are ok John.
 
Large slice of humble pie for me today but will keep chipping away until I return to my mediocre best.
 
As if things weren't bad enough I got the knock 2 miles from home & had to stop at Nissa for chocolate. Just two bars....
 
Thanks to Ians Carvill & McTavish for the company.

Just to let u knw guys got home safe and sound a bit sore davie and i cycled down the road a bit totally my decision as just wanted home, no dizziness and took it very easy on pavement , and ma mothers now tending to us great run first and hopefully only crash al ever have but afraid it doesnt work out like that thanks very much for all your concern glad a didnt rake anyone else down with me havnt sustained head injury thanks to the mavic helmet a fancy a go at fishing next week if anyones interested! am jist kiddin trying to stay positive so a dnt go into shock a think av been very lucky and ma mavic helmet saved ma life so member when u go out ever without one on think o me and might make u think again hope yous all got home without any incident and ended up great weather and fab run might b out next week but al no commit masel just yet feet up now and once again thankyous all for the concern and good advice john

Can we not have 10 minutes head start....please?

Thanks Iain & Ian for the time keeping and starting. Would like to say the pain was enjoyable!!

Going to give my first TT a go. See you tonight

Going to give my first TT a go. See you tonight

So as me and Andy don't actually work, we decided to go a wee adventure. We planned to do the route we had done 3 years ago, Dunoon and cycle back via C11, hells glen, Erskine bridge total 130 mile, that changed as the day went on!
 
Andy met at mine and we set off to get 50m up the road and noticed I hadn't put the tyre on correctly from last nights puncture, so back to mine for a quick fix!
 
Down to the ferry where the guy letting us on had a great laugh saying I moved the boat when I stepped on! (He used this joke 4 times!!! On off then back on and off on the return!)
 
Got off at Dunoon to find I had a puncture from the ferry journey!! Andy went to get a cup of tea while I fixed it, when two workies decided to watch and give a running commentary to my tyre changing abilities! In haste/rage I nicked the tube! So another change we were down 2 tubes with one left and 2 gas cylinders left!
 
Off we set and climbed over the C11 slowly but we got there! Into otter ferry pub for lunch and a seat next to the fire!! Lovely lunch and we set off only to find 4 mile up the road I had another puncture!! So last tube down we set off nervously!
 
Got to Strachur post office and I went on the hunt for a puncture repair kit, they sold multi tools but no kits so bought some super glue!! At this point we heard a strange whoosing noise and Andy's back tyre was slowly deflating! So glued inner tube hanging off my bars we changed plans and tried to get back to Dunoon at least to get ferry home!!
 
2 miles up the road we went into a petrol station which sold puncture repairs kits so spare inner tube fixed, we headed to ferry! Got on the ferry (where the guy cracked a belter of joke!) got into gourock bike shop where guy fixed slow puncture and we bought a couple of tubes!
 
Got into Port Glasgow and heavens opened! Frozen we made it on the cycle track and home!!
 
93 miles on clock, happy!!
 
https://www.strava.com/activities/546206686

Hauld on - story has gone south here. I think you'll find that AnDy brought the gas and tubes that kept Ross on the road Leaving me having to do the strachur to Dunoon run on a slowly deflating rear tyre. I should get some kudos folks!!!

Ah the 2 wee stalwarts. They may have changed the name M'Lud but the personnel remained the same. That was epic. Stewarton climb into the wind was full on. Cheers for the company Charlie.
 
Stopped raining when I got home!!!

Yip was a great night indeed. Cheers for tow from Stewarton. Gore waterproof top is a great bit of kit. Though took feet 30 mins to thaw

Well, having not turned a pedal or planted my back side on a bike saddle since last Saturday around Oudenaarde, I was hoping for a few wheels to sit on to "ease" myself back into things :-)
 
8 of us - Eric, Gerard, Iain67, James, Paul Levy, Paul (Iain's mate), Robbie & myself met & set off from the bridge around 9.45am (Iain, we did try to wait for you but not knowing if you were coming or not)
We stuck to the proposed route proper - Hardgate, Kyber Pass, Strathblane, Lennoxtown, Kilsyth, Tak, down onto Carron Valley, then Fintry & Crow road for Café/lunch stop at Lennoxtown, after which a blast back to Milngarvie then over the bridge for home.
 
Over some new roads for some, so hope youse enjoyed it. The Tak from Kilsyth end is always hard with steep gradients & poor road surface, even doing Flanders last week didn't make this any easier
Well done to Paul (Iain's mate) for digging deep even after cramping on top of the Tak, it was still a long way to go.
Not to bore youse with more Flanders comparison :-) even though I only managed 130km today compare to last Saturdays 230km, some how - there were bits today that I found harder ............. weird!
 
Anyway, thanks again to all for the wheels & great company today. I think Gerard took a photo (or two) of us today, any chance in posting them up (especially the one at the café stop :-))
 
P.S Robbie, remember to take the chocolate bars out of the back pocket before washing the gilet, otherwise you'll be riding for AG2R Le Mondiale Pro Team :-)
 
Cheers
 
Chung

Glad you had a great day, well deserved captain I also loved it (arran has that effect) I had planned on heading out today with the bunch but the SA took its toll and after paying for the boxing on sky I crashed out missing the lot and sleeping in for today's ride, god knows how we're going to do the challenge of all challenges 112 miles at 20mph avg DA. I look forward to trying it though

I thought black was sliming!
 
Cracking day out on the fair isle!
 
Straight off the ferry, turn left and start climbing! After the shock to the system start, we got onto the coast road and boarded the Mcbride express. Alan had huge spells on the front which Alex decided to sprint away from when it was his turn!
 
About half way round a Joansin Jet was standing roadside cheering us on!
 
6 miles from the end Paul enjoyed a birthday blow....... out! Alan waited and Alex, Colin and Jan cracked on! I popped after another 2 mile, I looked up and couldn't catch up a family of four up the road on mountain bikes, I was sitting at 21mph!! later found out why!
 
Alan pulled Paul back very quickly and then started shouting at the Ferry steward "can we get on the ferry!!!!" The guy said "yes" which Alan replied "its ok we don't want to just now"
 
A quick café stop that didn't serve hot food apart from all the hot food that was passing our table! All Alex wanted was toast!
 
We then headed up the Ross climb , for fun After that Colin and I stopped again for "hot" food and the rest put some training in for Spain and headed up the String.
 
Back on the Ferry, nearly without Paul and Charlie, who lost their tickets!
 
We enjoyed some grub and a birthday cake for Paul!
 

Great day out as Arran always is.
 
Lots of highlights but particularly memorable was a young girl about 10 years old and her brother a couple of years older who overtook us on e-mountain bikes about 4 miles out of Brodick, we ended up jumping on their wheel and getting a tow at 25 mph all the while struggling to hold their wheels - must have looked comical to the cyclists going in the other direction as the battery pack wasnt particularly obvious at a quick glance!