Wednesday 10 July 2013

The Amazing Summer - And Drought Continues... Mid Week cycling...

The heat wave continues!, and the temperature dial got cranked up last weekend and has stayed warm. Some cloud/ Sea Harr early mornings and often just before sunset on the coast but still warm...
Sunday Afternoons 26 Celsius was warm, but then Mondays sticky 87% humidity was way warmer!.  20 Celsius at 5.30am on the way to work...







Home from NB and i was out on the KramPug for a hour.
Then Tuesday evening i took the camera and went out for 4 hours, again on the KramPug, only stopping for pics i rode an estimated 35 - 40 miles, need a trip meter for the bike. I had no plan of where to go, with a light easterly i rode east then inland on a big loop, soaking up the warm weather,  big skies and fantastic light and views our County has in good weather at this time of year.
Roll the pics..

Good year 1971...  -:)

And in theme with 1971 my Mert Lawwill  Flat track pose... -:)

Big sky...


Summer trails, summer tyres, summer socks... -:)


A lot of potatoes this year around here, and a lot of irrigation going on...


Still water in the river tyne which feeds most irrigators, once powered many Mills too...



Many farm steadings are unused  like here at Phantassie...



Doocot... when pigeons were part of the diet of folks...


Along part of the John Muir Way...






Funny i am doing a ride with what i had in mind to do with a Salsa Fargo i built, which i then sold the frame set shortly after building it and built the parts into a geared SURLY Karate Monkey 29er to do it instead as i hated the harsh ride of the Fargo, and now i prefer to do this type of riding on trails and country roads on the Single speed KramPug!,
Maybe i only need Pugsleys in my bike world!...


It is certainly perfect for these easy trails and paths with the comfort of the Pugsley frame set and the roll and cushion of the 29+  3" tyres, without the rebound bounce of the 4" fatbike...
The single speed set up is lovely and quiet, i can get up most small hills and ride into strong winds, and am content to just freewheel along on tail wind roads and down hills...


You may see these near some historic places of interest around East Lothians road sides. There is another up the road at Whitekirk for Whitekirk hilltop Burial Cairn. It was the East Lothian Archaeological Motor Trail.
Set up in the 1970s by East Lothian Council, a Helen C Nisbit wrote the guide book in 1975..



The markers have a map on top with some information...


Here it is for the Standing Stone at Kirklandhill...

When i get the guide book i will go and see all the sites and if the markers are still there. Make a good blog post...

Onwards and south of the Railway and A1 and into the rolling countryside below the Hill Foots...



Old roads...


Hawthorn hedged country roads...


Farmland views under big skies...


And old cast iron roadsigns...


There is that huge wind turbine at Ruchlaw...War of the Worlds!...

Big Sky...


Traprain Law...



Pic of a tyre of a tyre  in a pic... -:)



Down here...





And along the river Tyne for a bit...


Hailes Castle...



Neat water pump...


Then up here, with a bit of puffing on the single speed...






Love this bike... -:)



One of my secret trails... secret because of whats lying at the side of the trail...


A real old Lambretta scooter, this is from the 1950`s or 60`s...
Proof that along with Faries, Pixes, Elves, Goblins and Trolls there was once woodland MODs... -:)




The `Scooter trail` is overgrown with tall grass this now, but no nettles so ok, a single speed has no clogging issues in long grass...


Back down to the River Tyne..








Camera grab...


Through Haddington Town then onto the old railway line path to Longniddry...




Then turn off to ride east up past Bangley. into the easterly wind was cooling and refreshing...


A favourite view west over Edinburgh from Bangley hill...


Along to Black Mains Toll and along the old Ridge Road of the Garleton Hills, once a toll was payed to use this ancient byway...






These do not work well with bikes... -:)



Up onto Barney Hill...







I like taking pictures of transmitter masts and pylons. Always think they make the sky look huge...




Now the fun bit, blasting down the twin track of the Garleton Ridge Road...







Out to sea a sea harr was coming in on the increasing easterly wind, again as on so many evenings this summer there would be no sunset after a cloudless clear day...



9m and 4 hours on the SURLY KramPug, what a great midweek ride...

The sea harr blew in by the time i reached East Fortune...

And finish...


A good evening ride, a great bike, and a cider earned...

7 comments:

  1. Long ride for mid week! You could just put some racks on the Krampug for touring the flat lands!

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  2. I was out agin last night for 2 hours Ped, and going out again tonight!,

    I think i will be taking the SS KramPug to Holland . I have a frame bag and racks already -:)

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  3. Bikes looking great Bruce. Nice ride

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  4. Great Pictures!!

    That hill up the potato field from the irrigation pump is a killer! :-) I made the mistake of turning left at the top and had to loop all the way back around as there is no way to skip along the fields south of the A1, school boy error!

    I Must try the road along the ridge next time I am up!

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  5. Nice post Bruce. So, you're loving the singlespeed eh?
    I've got a copy of the Archaelogical Motor Trail Guide. I remember following it many moons ago.
    I could scan you a copy if you want?

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  6. Loving riding the old Pug in it`s new clothes Stuart!
    Ridge road is a nice decent/climb Mark,
    Derek that would be gret to get a copy!

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