Newbie from Alloa in Scotland

[Pedal pusher]

Hi all, newbie from Scotland putting out my first post. I'm not only new to Cycle Chat but new to cycling. So new I don't have a bike, well not strictly true I have a mountain bike that Iv'e converted for the road so I will be on the lookout for something second hand to get me started. Tell me, all you long timers out there does it get any easier on your backside mine's been killing me !

 

[Fran143]

Hello and welcome!

Yep it does get easier....or your rear end toughens up!

 

[HLaB]

Hiya

After a while yes you butt does get used to it, a good pair of padded shorts help

 

[Hardrock93]

Hi, from just along the road (Stirling). As I'm sure you know, Alloa's a great starting point for some nice and easy off road routes to Dollar, Dunfermline and Stirling.

 

[Pedal pusher]

Hi, from just along the road (Stirling). As I'm sure you know, Alloa's a great starting point for some nice and easy off road routes to Dollar, Dunfermline and Stirling.

Thanks for that. Have done the Dollar and Sterling runs hopefully doing the Dunfermline run this weekend

 

[Scoosh]

Pedal pusher and

to CycleChat !

I've done the Dunfermline/Alloa cycle path a few times

- nice and flat, quite scenic - and a nice round 100km from my home

. Good for some easy miles ....

As HLaB says, a (good) pair of padded shorts can make a big difference

- as can a decent saddle. Don't be tempted to go for something soft and squashy

. There is a reason why racers, tourists and long-distance cyclists use firm (some might even say hard) saddles - they are much more comfortable over long distances. Soft and squishy might be OK for a doodle to the shops but for anything much over 20km, you need more support.

Look forward to riding with you on a CC Ecosse Forum Ride and having CAKE !

 

[Col5632]

Welcome to the site

Done the Dunfermline to Alloa path a few times myself, most i have done on that path is 41 miles though (i could see the wallace monument )

 

[HLaB]

Does it go on in a decent state after Clackmannan now? The route before between Clackmannan and Alloa was just a rough unsurfaced path, unlike the Clack - Dunfie path which is good but I haven't been on the Clack-Alloa path for several years, I prefer to take the road there.

 

[ACS]

 

[Milemuncher]

Hello!!!!

 

[Hardrock93]

Does it go on in a decent state after Clackmannan now? The route before between Clackmannan and Alloa was just a rough unsurfaced path, unlike the Clack - Dunfie path which is good but I haven't been on the Clack-Alloa path for several years, I prefer to take the road there.

IIRC, the Clacks to Alloa path is ok now. The other major recent improvement to NCN76 is on the Cambus – Tullibody stretch. Instead of a very muddy track behind the Diageo warehouses, there is now a wide, surfaced path, which follows the route of the old railway. This is scheduled to be extended to Menstrie by spring 2012.

On the south side of the river, the NCN76 ‘Round the Forth’ route still includes a really rough stretch, of slightly less than a mile, to the east of Cowie.

 

[Pedal pusher]

Pedal pusher and

to CycleChat !

I've done the Dunfermline/Alloa cycle path a few times

- nice and flat, quite scenic - and a nice round 100km from my home

. Good for some easy miles ....

As HLaB says, a (good) pair of padded shorts can make a big difference

- as can a decent saddle. Don't be tempted to go for something soft and squashy

. There is a reason why racers, tourists and long-distance cyclists use firm (some might even say hard) saddles - they are much more comfortable over long distances. Soft and squishy might be OK for a doodle to the shops but for anything much over 20km, you need more support.

Look forward to riding with you on a CC Ecosse Forum Ride and having CAKE !

Thanks for the info on the ride and shorts

Where can I get info on the CC Ecosse Forum Ride and do I need to go into training

 

[HLaB]

IIRC, the Clacks to Alloa path is ok now. The other major recent improvement to NCN76 is on the Cambus – Tullibody stretch. Instead of a very muddy track behind the Diageo warehouses, there is now a wide, surfaced path, which follows the route of the old railway. This is scheduled to be extended to Menstrie by spring 2012.

On the south side of the river, the NCN76 ‘Round the Forth’ route still includes a really rough stretch, of slightly less than a mile, to the east of Cowie.

Cheers

Thanks for the info on the ride and shorts

Where can I get info on the CC Ecosse Forum Ride and do I need to go into training

The CC Ecosse rides are more spontaneous than organised, if you keep you eye CC & informal rides section they crop up in there.

 

[Col5632]

I didnt know there was a path from clackmann to alloa

 

[Pedal pusher]

I didnt know there was a path from clackmann to alloa

I did the Alloa to Dunfermline path last Sunday (about 50 km). I went out on the old Alloa road that runs along the Clackmannan bypass. At the end their is a cycle route sign for Clackmannan.