The Fridays Tour

[redflightuk]

Hi everyone.

It feels a bit weird coming back to this thread and reading it through after getting home this evening from the Western Isles. I can't believe that all these things happened just a week ago.

What an amazing experience and thank you to EVERYONE on the ride for making it so much fun. To Simon for organising such a well designed ride and the effort you must have gone to with this both before and during the ride. To Ian who must have unbelievable organisational skills to keep all the drop offs, extra bits of kit, food, water and everything going so slickly. To all the Waymarkers and TECs throughout the ride. The renegade three who found the other route to Kinross with that beautiful decent out of the forest. To mmmmartin for finding me a room in Newtonmore when I was soaked to the skin and not looking forward to pitching a tent, and to George and Sahar for your company on the last day (that is some real determination you have) and for talking the Wetherspoons into serving me food in Wick.

I'll write a fuller report later when I've had time to put everything back together, but I think the simplest summary is WOW!

Thanks
Marcus

Well done Marcus, hope the rest of your ride went well.


Blimey!!!!! don't know how i did it but if it works i've put all the links to photos that i've found through the thread at the top of my blog page.
http://redflightuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Sorry if i've missed any and i do hope it works.
Once again Thank you all for a fab week of cycling, it really was the best holiday i've had for years.

 

[ianmac62]

While you were pedalling between Jedburgh and Lauder (for the Flat Cat elevenses), the van went to a bike shop in Kelso. Great service from Simon Porteous Cycles of Kelso - he answered the phone well before 9.00 a.m., sorted AKA Bob's bike, and had two tyres ready and waiting for collection. Your vanman then visited Kelso's public conveniences to discover that the town is not just the centre of fly-fishing but of in-line skating as well:

 

[ianmac62]

Done!

 

[Gordon P]

You will I am sure remember the mess that was Edinburgh. I've been meaning to "research" the story behind the trams & have at last accessed that trusted source Wikipedia. We are evidently not the only ones to have been inconvenienced: they have been at it since 2008! What a cock-up! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Trams

 

[dellzeqq]

and they're bidding for inclusion in the TdF! Priceless!

 

[fimm]

Do Not Mention The Trams.
Just Do Not Mention Them. Please.

 

[dellzeqq]

Do Not Mention The Trams.
Just Do Not Mention Them. Please.

http://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/i...b=13ht0fqmq&sigi=124go13a8&.crumb=q.bKqnEZdM9

I love the phrase 'it's a great scenario for a shoot-storm'. And it's beyond wonder that the trams have already been bought!

 

[fimm]

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-e...-lane-slammed-as-a-crazy-death-trap-1-2385647

CYCLISTS today blasted post-tram Princes Street as a “death trap” which stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill would struggle to navigate. The street ... has angered the city’s bikers because it has no designated cycle lane. Instead, a section has been marked for trams, cycles and buses together. The right-hand lanes on both side of the street have been painted with white bikes in between the tram tracks, with a 40-metre strip at the West End also painted green.
....
A council spokesman said the new markings were not intended to create a cycle lane, merely make it clear that cycling was allowed. “This is standard signage advising cyclists that they are permitted to continue westbound from Princes Street on to Shandwick Place.

 

[dellzeqq]

blimey, Fimm, that sounds really dodgy.

If you haven't negotiated tram tracks on a bike then..........don't. New Addington to Croydon, anybody?

 

[fimm]

There's two lanes in each direction, so you can cycle in the other one... it is just really, really bizarre, to be quite frank.
To be honest, I am in favour of the trams as a thing to have - the construction has just been such a mess, both literally and figuratively. I used to avoid Princes Street and will continue to do so, but there will be places where I won't be able to avoid the tracks so easily. Hopefully we will all get used to them being there.

Apologies for the thread diversion, everybody!

 

[Michael Adu]

While you were pedalling between Jedburgh and Lauder (for the Flat Cat elevenses), the van went to a bike shop in Kelso. Great service from Simon Porteous Cycles of Kelso - he answered the phone well before 9.00 a.m., sorted AKA Bob's bike, and had two tyres ready and waiting for collection. Your vanman then visited Kelso's public conveniences to discover that the town is not just the centre of fly-fishing but of in-line skating as well:
View attachment 10587

Missed that as would have loved to skate around Jedburgh, that was my favorite place in Scotland !

 

[rvw]

Did anything come of the idea of a reunion party?

 

[mmmmartin]

Did anything come of the idea of a reunion party?

Yes, quite a lot actually. We're going to hold it next June in Normandy........

 

[rvw]

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEN!!!

 

[srw]

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THEN!!!

We could hold our own private reunion party on Thursday night.