OP
OP
Tetedelacourse
New Member
- Location
- Rosyth
Oh. My. God.
Well, if I'd bothered to check my PMs yesterday I'd have seen that Noodley wouldn't make it to the meeting. My mistake, sorry folks. If I'd bothered to pay attention to the forecast, I might have sent one myself!
We headed off out of Stirling just before 11am. Jassy had cycled 12 miles to get to the start. Gavin and his wife had done around 40 - 50 miles yesterday. HlaB had done a nice loop in Fife. I had about 12 pints and an Indian takeaway. Already I was thinking "uh-oh".
There was some light spitting as we set off - that's folk from Stirling for you ho ho ho, but there was general agreement that the day had turned out better than expected weatherwise, and the mood was high.
Jassy set a brisk pace up to Bridge of Allan and then Gavin and HLaB took over for the rest of the day. These men are machines. A big long gradual hill up towards Thornhill had me on my chinstrap, but little did I know it would get much much worse.
We turned south and into Hurricane Kippen. I now know what those giant monks on It's a Knockout feel like when they get buckets of water thrown in their faces. That pretty much continued for the next 3 hours. I have to thank Gavin's wife for pulling me along in the cyclone.
Shortly after Jassy had uttered the fateful words "I think there's a few wee hills coming up", we began to climb, and climb, and climb. Kippen is on a hillside. A steep road up to it, the main street is a steep hill, and there's a steep hill after it. Whenever the road levelled out, the gradient was replaced by a face full of weather. Aargh!
Anyway we battled on and I can barely describe the euphoria I was filled with upon seeing the sign for Fintry cemetary. That's where we had decided to stop for food (Fintry, not the cemetary). We pulled into a decent wee pub and squelched in. A few coffees, teas, pasta, chips and toasties were consumed as we sat huddled round a fire.
The great cycling football fans we were, we enjoyed a few moments from today's Swindon v Sunderland game, until a caption came up saying Sheffield Wednesday 1, Sheffield United 0. Time to brave the elements once more, which hadn't abated, no not for one moment.
We left our mark on the pub, which thankfully was removed by a wee lady with a towel when we stood up. Walking back outside into the rain, I began to visibly shake, either due to the weather or the shock. My body was demanding to know why I was subjecting it to tundra-like conditions again, with only Wiggle's cut-price attire by way of protection.
As we pulled out of the car park, I heard a motorist say to another that a tree had blown over in the direction from whence we had just come. That was another "what the f&&k are we doing here" moment for me.
Anyway, the general consensus was that the extra hills discussed earlier in this thread were not needed and we headed up Carron Valley, which in parts provided brief respite from the facefuls of water falling from the sky.
Sadly, just before Carronbridge, HlaB hit a pothole in the middle of the road, covered by surface water. Various bits flew off his bike and so he stopped. Gavin's wife did'nt have time in the still horrendous conditions to take evasive action and there followed that horrible sound that we all know only too well of bikes coming together and shouts of horror.
Such was the extent of the crash that she couldn't complete the ride. As we were only 8 miles out, it was decided that she'd wait at Carronbridge in the pub while Gavin got the car. Jassy departed at that point too. Or did you wait too? Hope you're bearing up ok Laura, looked like a nasty gash to the shin courtesy of a chainring. HlaB's brakes were affected too and he had to go easy on what must be the fastest longest downhill stretch I've cycled.
Gavin, HlaB and I reached Stirling at around 3.15 and said our goodbyes (I gave HlaB a lift back to Fife). And so came the end of an epic day in the saddle.
I can't remember ever feeling so cold and wet and exhausted on my bike as I did today. I can't remember ever having to put up with weather like that for so long. I can't remember seeing a nasty crash like that so close up.
But equally I can't remember spending a day in the saddle with a nicer bunch of folk, and I'm already looking forward to the next meet-up, provided I can't sell my bike and kit on ebay beforehand, and provided the weather isn't quite so biblical next time.
As I said at the time - that was an unforgettable day, and not for all bad reasons.
Chapeau!
Well, if I'd bothered to check my PMs yesterday I'd have seen that Noodley wouldn't make it to the meeting. My mistake, sorry folks. If I'd bothered to pay attention to the forecast, I might have sent one myself!
We headed off out of Stirling just before 11am. Jassy had cycled 12 miles to get to the start. Gavin and his wife had done around 40 - 50 miles yesterday. HlaB had done a nice loop in Fife. I had about 12 pints and an Indian takeaway. Already I was thinking "uh-oh".
There was some light spitting as we set off - that's folk from Stirling for you ho ho ho, but there was general agreement that the day had turned out better than expected weatherwise, and the mood was high.
Jassy set a brisk pace up to Bridge of Allan and then Gavin and HLaB took over for the rest of the day. These men are machines. A big long gradual hill up towards Thornhill had me on my chinstrap, but little did I know it would get much much worse.
We turned south and into Hurricane Kippen. I now know what those giant monks on It's a Knockout feel like when they get buckets of water thrown in their faces. That pretty much continued for the next 3 hours. I have to thank Gavin's wife for pulling me along in the cyclone.
Shortly after Jassy had uttered the fateful words "I think there's a few wee hills coming up", we began to climb, and climb, and climb. Kippen is on a hillside. A steep road up to it, the main street is a steep hill, and there's a steep hill after it. Whenever the road levelled out, the gradient was replaced by a face full of weather. Aargh!
Anyway we battled on and I can barely describe the euphoria I was filled with upon seeing the sign for Fintry cemetary. That's where we had decided to stop for food (Fintry, not the cemetary). We pulled into a decent wee pub and squelched in. A few coffees, teas, pasta, chips and toasties were consumed as we sat huddled round a fire.
The great cycling football fans we were, we enjoyed a few moments from today's Swindon v Sunderland game, until a caption came up saying Sheffield Wednesday 1, Sheffield United 0. Time to brave the elements once more, which hadn't abated, no not for one moment.
We left our mark on the pub, which thankfully was removed by a wee lady with a towel when we stood up. Walking back outside into the rain, I began to visibly shake, either due to the weather or the shock. My body was demanding to know why I was subjecting it to tundra-like conditions again, with only Wiggle's cut-price attire by way of protection.
As we pulled out of the car park, I heard a motorist say to another that a tree had blown over in the direction from whence we had just come. That was another "what the f&&k are we doing here" moment for me.
Anyway, the general consensus was that the extra hills discussed earlier in this thread were not needed and we headed up Carron Valley, which in parts provided brief respite from the facefuls of water falling from the sky.
Sadly, just before Carronbridge, HlaB hit a pothole in the middle of the road, covered by surface water. Various bits flew off his bike and so he stopped. Gavin's wife did'nt have time in the still horrendous conditions to take evasive action and there followed that horrible sound that we all know only too well of bikes coming together and shouts of horror.
Such was the extent of the crash that she couldn't complete the ride. As we were only 8 miles out, it was decided that she'd wait at Carronbridge in the pub while Gavin got the car. Jassy departed at that point too. Or did you wait too? Hope you're bearing up ok Laura, looked like a nasty gash to the shin courtesy of a chainring. HlaB's brakes were affected too and he had to go easy on what must be the fastest longest downhill stretch I've cycled.
Gavin, HlaB and I reached Stirling at around 3.15 and said our goodbyes (I gave HlaB a lift back to Fife). And so came the end of an epic day in the saddle.
I can't remember ever feeling so cold and wet and exhausted on my bike as I did today. I can't remember ever having to put up with weather like that for so long. I can't remember seeing a nasty crash like that so close up.
But equally I can't remember spending a day in the saddle with a nicer bunch of folk, and I'm already looking forward to the next meet-up, provided I can't sell my bike and kit on ebay beforehand, and provided the weather isn't quite so biblical next time.
As I said at the time - that was an unforgettable day, and not for all bad reasons.
Chapeau!
Sounds like a few of you only narrowly missed joining him 
