Embra-St Andrews 2010

[Theseus]

What a great day and nice to see all the familiar CC faces and a few more . I don't know if he notice but I saw Touche at the start and I said to my friend he's doing on a fixie; she nearly fainted.
I never realised I was capable of going slow but the company was great as were the cakes in Freuchie. I was enjoying my self so much I hung around to see them off on the Bus and took a more direct route home, except I got my Milton of Balgonie confused with my Coaltown of Balgonie (easy mistake ) and ended up going an extra mile and a half. I also thought about the A92, I thought it might be quieter about 9pm but decided against it! I ended up doing 126miles.

Sorry, but I didn't see you. You should have called out. It's not too bad on a fixed. This year I dropped the gearing from 70 to 65 inches and it made a big difference. I only needed to walk 3 times, the last few yards to the T junction that had the police officer controlling traffic, the hill after eating cakes, and the rise to the junction you turn left at about 10 miles out of St Andrews. Going down Cliesh hills was an experience though and I did something that is not recommended for riding fixed, I unclipped and let it run with my legs tucked away and controlling it on the brakes.

 

[HLaB]

Sorry, but I didn't see you. You should have called out. It's not too bad on a fixed. This year I dropped the gearing from 70 to 65 inches and it made a big difference. I only needed to walk 3 times, the last few yards to the T junction that had the police officer controlling traffic, the hill after eating cakes, and the rise to the junction you turn left at about 10 miles out of St Andrews. Going down Cliesh hills was an experience though and I did something that is not recommended for riding fixed, I unclipped and let it run with my legs tucked away and controlling it on the brakes.

No worries. By the time I had finished pointing you out you were long gone. We got chatting to another fixie rider at the end, I think he came from Glasgow.
I got asked a few time how steep that hill was after Freuchie (Cakes) looking at Garmin, its just under 15% and was pretty constant. I think its the sort of hill a fixie would excell on, being a constant gradient but you'd have to get the gearing spot on and it'd have been no good for the rest of the ride, especially the down hill.
Talking of down hills Cleish hill sounded fun

 

[GAVSTER]

I saw two CC tops at the bandstand at the end ... would have said hiya but spent most of my time talking Mrs Y into where i was for pick-up.

Spent almost five hours on the road - would have been quicker apart from punc*ure about ten miles from St A's.

Everyone who came past offered help ... nice folk.

Cadger's Brae wasn't as bad as I expected .. still bloomin' steep tho'

Grand day - managed to get back to Dalgety Bay in time for quick shower - hit the 16.46 train into Embra and a wee pint and curry.

Good points were new (well new to me 1970's Holdsworth Mistral) was foot perfect minus puncture ... tonight's curry was excellent too.

Gavster

 

[HLaB]

Grand day - managed to get back to Dalgety Bay in time for quick shower - hit the 16.46 train into Embra and a wee pint and curry.

I didn't get home till 9:45, then again I didn't leave till 7pm. A curry and a pint sounds good . I just had to make do with a small bottle of Magners and the pasta from a limited menu in a St Andrews pub.

 

[r0bbti]

Saw quite a few CC tops en route,well done everyone, I thought the wind made it a much harder ride than usual, against us most of the way, but strong enough from the side to blow me across the road a couple of times on the way into St Andrews. As usual, well organised - the staggered start is a good idea -well signposted and great cakes. Some of the roads we were on seemed busier and faster traffic than previous years.
A big thankyou to the CCer who saved me doubling back for a mile to find my other half who had disappeared and I had assumed had punctured - but, no, had just stopped to have some juice and a snack!

 

[currystomper]

Hi All

Just to say my son and I where on the ride -

Scott rail where being a pain - only allowing four bikes per train on virtual empty trains, we eventually got the third train in and got to the start is the ride started - so had a rolling start into the end of one of the bunches!!

We saw Ranger going against the tide over the bridge!!

queued for 15 minutes for an ice cream - it was good. The guy in van said the first riders went past at 10:15!! (but didn't stop for an ice cream!!)

Thanks to the ladies for the cakes at Freuchie!!

My son had a minor spill at the top of Cadger's - trying to clip in and not looking where he was going. The next time he went of low gear the mech hit the spokes and snapped off - so after 55 miles that day that was the end of the ride.

..still a grand day out!!

CS

PS I was on my new diamond frame not the recumbent.

 

[HonestMan1910]

Saw quite a few of you on my commute in (crossing the Bridge going the wrong way was a nightmare). Saw 2 CC tops go past as I was unloading the bike, then Touche and (I think) HonestMan.

I saw you just as you were coming out of the car park and heading to the bridge, never knew your name or I would have stopped for a quick chat.

Good day out and great to meet up with the guys.

Improved my ride time from last year by just over an hour.

Looking forward to next year already

 

[HonestMan1910]

Some pics of the day.

Next year action pics will be taken if I set off before the greyhounds !

 

[Scoosh]

A big thankyou to the CCer who saved me doubling back for a mile to find my other half who had disappeared and I had assumed had punctured - but, no, had just stopped to have some juice and a snack!

Hmmm ... white top/pink top ??? Got drafted across FRB ???

If so - you were motoring ! and we would have loved to have a chat as we rode . I was in a CC jersey (green Condor Fratello bike), riding with Bhoyjim (white Riddley), also in CC colours.

 

[r0bbti]

Indeed, that was us! And, yes, thanks for the shelter across the bridge, was almost getting blown backwards till I tucked in behind you.I am sure we saw you later on as well, but cant now remember where.
Hadn't realised it was my MCL arch-rival bhoyjim, who has now just overtaken me again!

 

[Scoosh]

Oh Dear ! Why didn't you introduce yourselves and say who you were ? I was the man who told you about 'pink top's' re-fuelling stop when you were by the Vintage Bus Museum !

It would have been wonderful to meet you and chat - and we might have been able to arrange for the CC jersey to find its way to you for signature and onward transmission .

Please, please, next time you see a CC jersey, introduce yourself and say HI.


ps I was unashamedly drafting you over FRB

 

[Telemark]

Sorry, but I didn't see you. You should have called out. It's not too bad on a fixed. This year I dropped the gearing from 70 to 65 inches and it made a big difference. I only needed to walk 3 times, the last few yards to the T junction that had the police officer controlling traffic, the hill after eating cakes, and the rise to the junction you turn left at about 10 miles out of St Andrews. Going down Cliesh hills was an experience though and I did something that is not recommended for riding fixed, I unclipped and let it run with my legs tucked away and controlling it on the brakes.

mowing down the Romans like Boudicca's chariot?

T

 

[MrRidley]

Couple of pics from the day,

 

[HLaB]

Couple of pics from the day,

Scoosh looks a bit surprised in those photos, LOL

 

[Theseus]

Couple of pics from the day,

Not the best I have ever looked!