Exploring (featuring Mad Doug Biker)

[Pat "5mph"]

What a day! What a ride!
It all started when I fancied to ride from my place in Glasgow to a little village on the shores of Loch Lomond, called Luss. See the full itinerary here.
Some flights of fancy should really be ignored at my age.
Now, my partner in crime was going to be our very own Mad Doug Biker, who lives quite near the village of Luss. What is near? What is far? How long is a piece of string?
We planned to meet half way, in the picturesque town of Clydebank, to ride along the Forth and Clyde canal.
My ride to get to the meeting point was uneventful, more or less all like this:
we shall not dwell further on it, apart from noting that I was riding my Boris featuring extra comfy saddle, 1.95 slimed city jets, and a BIG bell.
To be continued ...

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Oh oh, I can't wait!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Uneventful, I was saying, but on reaching Clydebank the scenery started to improve. here are a couple of pictures:

Luss, on the shores of Loch Lomond is where we want to go, so it's all good, according to plan ... you would think!
As I was a bit early (sort of an hour earlier than the meeting time) I decide to waste some time, have a fag (as you do) nibble on a snack, visit the ladies powder room in the strategically placed shopping centre.
Meanwhile, it starts to rain - the sun was shining hot until I got there. This does not abode well, I say to myself, and why does MDB not text me to find out my location?
You have to know that he had my number, but I did not have his for some obscure reason.
Also, we never set eye on each other before: actually did meet a long time ago, but we forgot, so it was like we never met, get the drift?
We needed to be able to recognize, me him, him me
MDB was going to wear his CChat jersey, me I was going to wear ..... (to be continued)

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

So, what happened?!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Where was I? Aha, what do you think makes one stand out of the crowd on a cycling path?
But of course, this:
yes, I was going to wear a "Nessie the Loch Ness monster hat" for MDB to identify me
Time waits for nobody! I decided to set out along the canal to the next village, Bowling, expecting MDB to ride toward me anytime. This required me to closely inspect all male riders of a certain description, close enough to check out the jersey they were donning. they must have thought I was on the pull, for sure!
For the life of me, could not fathom how all the guys smiled, even waved at me. Roadies, commuters, mb riders, little kids, ladies walking their dog. Then I remembered the hat!
I reached Bowling Basin (don't ask me, something to do with it being a big pool of water, I guess), here are a few pictures:

To be continued ....

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have a slightly bad feeling about the next post.....

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Before continuing this tale, I need to go back a bit, at Clydebank to be precise. Where I was told to look out for a "fake boat on the canal".
What could that be, I asked myself? A modern art exhibit? No, it was this:
a chippy build on the canal bank, build to resemble a boat.
Some architects are just to clever by half, don't you think?
Anyway, I'm now in Bowling Basin, still wearing my hat, still searching for MDB. Next village is Dumbarton, his abode. Is he still in his bed, I wonder?
While I was pondering the situation, two small boys shout: great hat, Mrs, wanna see my fish? It's a Pike!
The boys had just caught this, bless them:

Still no word of MDB, I set out for Dumbarton.
A man to his kids, all on bikes: look boys, it's a crocodile on a bike! Me: NO, it's Nessie!
To be continued ....

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I have a slightly bad feeling about the next post.....

Shhhh, I'm trying to write here!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Riding along, riding along, mobile rings: it's MDB!
Where are you, he says, I'm running a bit late. I answer, well, would you believe it from a wee woman with wee legs? I'm almost in your village!
Stunned silence.
Don't worry, I'll stop soon, take your time, text when you get out of the house, I said: I was ready for a water top up anyway, and a wee snack.
So I find a suitable place to dismount: text: directions to MDB's house.
I answer: I'm sitting under the bridge having a fag, be there in 10.
Wasn't really sitting under a bridge, but it sounded sort of like "look at me, I'm a poor soul, lost my bearings"
To be continued ....

 

[YahudaMoon]

Fantastic

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

When she said bridge, I didn't question it as there is a nearby small bridge on the route.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I thinks the rest of this tale will be told tomorrow (when no doubt I'll be asleep and unable to defend myself! ).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Got to MDB's house, he's ready to set out with, I could only guess (but I have a nose for fancy bikes, after frequenting this forum) a RACING bike!! His tyres are thinner than my handlebars!
My poor Boris was shaking in his rubber, poor thing!
Here's a pic of the incredible MDB and his steed:

As you can imagine, I had mixed feelings about the next bit of this ride.
Well, I had tried to get a few guys with road bikes to come along, had no joy.
The next 4 miles, to Balloch, and the following 6 to Luss, were eventful, sadly don't have any pictures as it all became a bit blurry, me trying to spin my little legs as fast as I could, Boris huffing and puffing like never before.
MDB was an absolute gem, slowing himself down to allow me to keep up.
True enough, he lead me into a path full of cow manure, it could not be helped. There were cows, there were fields, there was a cycling path going through the fields thank you Sustrans!
The path was completely unsuitable for a skinny tyred racer, still MDB reached 30mph, my Nessie hat off to him!
How do I know his speed? Easy, I looked at mine while he was disappearing in infinity - with my blessings, of course, a man needs to stretch his legs on a ride
Ah, before you all raise eyebrows - I can hear you - in that section of path one could see for miles ahead, ideal for a wee speed up. Alas, poor MDB, the road would have been much better, but he didn't take it to ride ahead of me, show me the way. Thank you MDB!
What happened to report?
The two of us got pushed in the grassy bit by a CAR that appeared from nowhere in the middle of the path!
Some water works vehicle, who would have expected that, he came out of a side entrance.
Also, we saw a London 2012 Olympics branded car, almost hidden in a clearing .... near Loch Lomond? Athletes sightseeing? Who knows!
The strangest thing of all: a kind of moped, driven full speed by a 14 year old!
The dogs were no bother, apart from one, that got MDB to engage in a kind of tango on the bike, while the owner was watching, calling "Fluffy" or such name, came back, darling!
To be continued ....

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I thinks the rest of this tale will be told tomorrow (when no doubt I'll be asleep and unable to defend myself!).

I'm writing the last chapter while you moan

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I'm writing the last chapter while you moan

Sorry!

Yes, the near dog strike was very much a slow motion one as I had slowed down for it, and yet it just continued to dodder in front of me, so I had to use the very edge of the Cyclepath save I get knocked off/have a clippless moment.

Lovely looking dog though.

Incidentally, if you look at the picture of my bike closely, then yes, I do have one of the arm rest thingies for the TT bars missing.
That picture was taken outside of the Halfords at Dumbarton incidentally