Saltire 200 Perm - 8th March

[eck]

 
Aw, that's a shame, Mr Bag. Sorry you're no' weel. I wish I had an excuse, perhaps the bottle of Vino Collapso I'm planning on quaffing tonight will help. 
GWS.
There will be tall tales, maybe with added foties, nae doobt. 

[valkyrie]

I just don't feel up to it.

I don't feel up to it either But I've not been on my bike for three weeks, so I'm going anyway

Hope to see you on the Affywyndie-Lyne, Applebag.

[Noodley]

Fear not, given the motley crew that will be participating yours will not be the last claim of not having ridden for a while and to expect everyone to see you at the back....then bugger off up the road. 

I don't feel up to it either But I've not been on my bike for three weeks, so I'm going anyway

Amazing!    It's as if I am psychic. 

[valkyrie]

Rest assured Mr Noodley, that when we are grovelling into a gale all the way back from North Berwick, I shall be glued to your back wheel^*.



^*Unless there's an even bigger bugger to hide behind.

[eck]

I see Y Lee G is scored out on the start sheet.  Was that when he was injured?
I was hoping we could have a wee practise for Team Eightsome Reel... sitting on Mr Whispering Whistling Death's wheel for hours at a time. 

[Noodley]

Rest assured Mr Noodley, that when we are grovelling into a gale all the way back from North Berwick, I shall be glued to your back wheel^*.

Suppose I'd better go and fit the race blades....wouldn't want you getting wet and dirty 

[TheBagie]

Guys - I was going down to see my mum nr Duns today so did the first leg as a training ride, up the Redstone rig etc.  Here's a couple of recky notes.  The surface after redstone rig plateau on the downhill to the bridge is badly pot-holed - I guess snowplows are one factor so brakes and great care on this first if short part of the downhill.  After about 3-5K the potholes disappear, thankfully, so don't despair.

Crosswinds today were a wee bit hairy around horsey-up-cleugh (Horseupcleugh Farm) as we Duns Dingers call it.  Think tomorrow also promises SSW.

Descending into Longformacus theres a badly damaged cattle grid - it's been hit in the middle by a snowplough.  I'm sure you wouldn't try it at speed but if you do keep left or right.

Care as you go down hardens hill (after the mad quad bike track) until you round the last RH curve - muddy.  But you can push on after that on the downward straight past the golf course.

And say hi to the Grouse and the mountain hare I saw on the top of RR.  Once pretty, but by tomorrow no doubt, two-dimensional.  If any of you tie your own fishing flies, take a sharp knife for his ears!

Have a great day

[Ariadne]

Can't wait to read the ride reports for this one - after I saw Eck, Noodley and Valkyrie at the start of this, I got caught in a pretty crazy blizzard for a while, coming through Seafield. I was riding with one eye shut to keep the snow out - not great for distance perception - and getting battered about by the wind.

But now I'm home and warm and you're ... on Redstone Rigg? Surely not!

Oh, and photos of my wee camping jaunt here:
http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=16204.0

[Cyclops]

But now I'm home and warm and you're ... on Redstone Rigg? Surely not!

Mmmm....not quite. Most of us were sitting round my dining table having a second breakfast by 9am.

I got really dark when we set off and the weather went down hill fast. About 3km into the ride on the climb up to Tranent there was already a couple of inches of snow on the road and it was falling fast. As the only other vehicles about seemed to be snowploughs a tactical withdrawal to Musselburgh was agreed.

I believe some brave souls hacked the ice from their gloves and saddlebags to take foties.

[eck]

Well, that was fun, wasn't it? 

The darkening skies as we set off were surely an omen that All would not be Well. For once, I'm glad we had an outbreak of common sense, and agreed on the "tactical withdrawal" back to Musselburgh.
Sorry that we didn't make it back to yours, Cyclops. Noodley tried to put your address into his satnav but I think his fingers were too frozen and it denied the existnce of your address. We eventually decided on a second tactical withdrawal, and made our way to Tesco at SQF for a big fry-up.   
It was lovely to see Ariadne before we set off - you wee intrepid explorer you! 

Now home, just going to have a bath and spend the rest of the day doing not very much. Shame we had to pack, as I think we had the makings of a grand day out with cheery banter and gratuitous insults. There will be other days. Hope to see some of you at the Twa Wee Coonties in a couple of weeks.

[Noodley]

I didn't realise it was possible to get so cold in such a short space of time   

I still think we could have got the snowplough driver to follow the routesheet....

[MercuryKev]

Am I sad to admit that I though it was pretty fun... except for the cycling bit.  That was probably the grimmest 3 miles I've ever cycled.  Sleet, wind, slush and blizzards do not make for a nice day out.  Cyclops, once again your wife's hospitality exceeded all expectations.  Who else would put up with 7 wet and snowy cyclists turning up unannounced - a real star.

So for the proof of the terrible conditions:

A lovely group shot


Get me out of here!


Valkyrie at the bottom of a hill
 

[eck]

Guys, just think. Just as otherDave and I have been boring enthralling you all with our tales of the atrocioius blizzards on our York Arrow last year, you'll be now able to tell your grandchildren about the day we rode from Musselburgh to, oh, nearly Tranent, and all the way back again. 

[Captain Zep]

Jings tae hang! That was probably some of the most atrocious weather I've cycled in.  Some photos:



The brave souls who thought, "The weather's not that bad" until they realised that they were in the lee of Musselburgh Town Hall and the sky was darkening rapidly.  L to R  Noodley, The Cormerant, Cyclops, neilmc, Eck, MercuryKev, Valkyrie, OtherDave.



Cyclops and OtherDave enjoying the weather on their day out



The decision was made to beat a hasty retreat to chez Cyclops - Noodley seems overjoyed with the decision





Traction not being quite ideal, Valkyrie has to push backup the hill that was snowploughed 2 minutes later.

Thanks to Cyclops and Kev for their hospitality.

RJMcB

[Pingu]

That looks like a load of fun 

No snow up here 

[GlasgowDave]

I've been regretting not asking to join this event, now I'm glad I hid in Glasgow.

Well done for having the sense to chuck it.

GD

[Mrs Pingu]

You lot are all mentalists. 

[eck]

Sorry, I'm going to have to give this a miss.  I just don't feel up to it.

Hope you're feeling better today.
What did you know yesterday that we didn't? 

[Noodley]

Get me out of here!

It's yacf Ecosse's answer to Ant and Dec 

[Captain Zep]

Get me out of here!

It's yacf Ecosse's answer to Ant and Dec 

The next person to say that will wish they hadn't.     

Ant  Dec  RJMcB

[The Bairn]

Well done for attempting to brave the foul conditions.

Even more well done on the common sense decision to cut it short.  The weather was mental even in low lying EH12 this morning. 
 
Looking ahead, I'm planning on riding this on Saturday 28 March, weather/other things permitting.  Discuss at Dalmeny on the 22nd?

[audave]

Looks like a fine day out you had a bit more snow than us. We went up Glen Prosen and Clova and it was a bit baltic with a nasty biting head wind all the way home. 
I liked the photos but was a bit disappointed with Noodley I expected to see him in shorts sporting the new Angus CC leg warmers

By the way which is Ant and which one is Dec ?  I can never remember 

[mr magnolia]

Ho Ho

gave you all a little thought this morning as i threw another log on the fire, watched the snow battering the garden and supped on my coffee.

Good call to pack that one, I think!

[bodach]

I rode round this about ten days ago and I thought I had it hard because of the wind but it was not a patch on the lovely day you all had. I would be up for doing it again when you have forgotten your blizzard. There were also some nasty potholes before West Saltoun where I suffered a puncture and shivered in the bus shelter changing tubes.

[eck]

Hello peekay.
Funnily enough I was at school at the same time as someone known as "PK".
Fancied himself as a bit of a cyclist even then. 

Glad you've joined this band of nutters. (See foties, above)