Dropped the full mudguards and front rack and swapped the semi slick Halo tyres for GATO mtb tyres and added a front down tube Crud Catcher mud guard to make the bike more suitable for trail riding now summer is on the way and i will be using the Genesis Cdf for work.
This set up makes more sense for this bike now that i think about it as it is a more robust option of drop bar off roader than the old 1980`s Peugeot and the new Genesis Cdf bikes i own...
I did a 51 mile loop today on the KM, not too hard a day except for the westerly head wind i would later ride back into!. The trails were dry enough to have used the lighter and faster 700c drop bar bikes but it was the KM i wanted to ride today. East of Drylaw Hill and the first dry trail of many today, then down and along the river Tyne to join some of the John Muir Way...
How many signs do people need when out in the in the countryside? lol!...
Spring is on the way!...
2 Little Egret`s that were here last year...
Early Gorse flowering...
A big sky day on the coast...
Heading inland...
Remains of the destroyed water reservoir in Badger Wood...
The Witches stone near Spott Village...
Time to clear the lungs, south of Spott village is `Starvation Brae`...
No stopping as the lungs get a workout. The KM`s low gearing makes this climb not too much an effort...
This dead end old road once led somewhere. I used to ride down here then explore along the smally valley to the west in the pic below, need to do some old map research and return here....
Too windy to head up into the Lammermuirs today to be much fun so instead i headed for the Radio mast on Brunt Hill in the distance...
Not been up here since i lived in Dunbar Town 8 years ago, a tough climb esp with the gale forch side wind of today that blew me eastwards here...
Looking back (west) as i climbed up. I remember a fast twin track descent from up here i hoped was still there...
The views towards North Berwick are still as good...
The mast as seen from miles around...
The view West...
North West...
And North over Dunbar...
The track still drops down to a junction where left leads to Spott farm, turn right and through a small quarry then East down to the old road from Doon Hill to the Brunt...
Joining the old road after a fast descent!, and looking South on the old road where i was a few weeks ago cycling the Genesis...
Black Castle tower, not been up there for a while either, need to re visit soon...
Lime being spread in the nearby field...
Again past the Keepers cottage, but instead of honking down the hill as planned...
But turn off to the right, i spied another track heading East...
Past the first new Lambs i have seen this year...
We were inland on Pinkerton Hill by now looking down above Le Farge cement works...
When the track turned then to a grass field boundry, but does it lead anywhere?, one way to find out, if not then be a winch back up hill into the gale wind...
Thankfully i came to what looked like an old track, turned out an old track from Easter Pinkerton to Thurston on the OS map once back home...
The sign pointing up where i came down assured me i was on a track i was suppossed to be on...
Looked like a cracking descent...
But looks can be decieving and the descent down to the farm had huge ruts axle deep on the bike that would be fun to try ride come summer in overgrown grass!...
Down to the farm and then down to the busy A1, not that fast a descent due to the near side on gale force wind...
Onto the cycle route for a bit...
Then turned off to cycle down to Barnes Ness....
Now into that gale and i was glad of the drop bars that made it easier work as i rode back towards Broxburn from Barnes Ness Lighthouse and south of Dunbar on the Cycle route passing Whitesands...
Time for food...
Stroke of luck as i then met friend Andrew once i was underway who lives nearby and i got a coffee at his house and a catch up blether!. Then into the woodland paths built when the new housing was built here...
I used to look into these woods to this ruin when i lived here for 6 years before moving 8 or 9 years ago...
And there is my old flat in Brunt Grove!... Who ever is living there now i hope your enjoying the insulated 4x3 meter wooden shed and insulated summerhouse- both with conduit electric fittings!... :)
The paths here are a lot better surface than since i moved home...
Surprised to see this old wall has been (allowed to be) pulled down in the woods of what was the old estate...
Down to Dunbar High Street...
This year celebrates 100 years since the passing of the world famous naturalist and preservationist John Muir who as a child left his birth place town of Dunbar with his family and bound for America would become one of the worlds most famous Conservationists for his founding of the Sierra club and his work to preserve Americas Yosemite Vally and Sequoia National Park and many other endangered areas. John Muir was an inspiration to my father, and millions of others to preserve and look after our countryside and it`s special places...
Down to the coast...
Time to ride West towards home...
The bridge to nowhere, it is today with the high tide...
Into John Muir Park and it`s ace trails...
Love cycling here...
Back along the John Muir Way towards home i decided to do another hours riding and left the Tyne and JMW and headed through Tyninghame Woods and along the secret trail above the coast...
Along the trail as the high tide lapped the coast below...
St Baldreds Cradle...
More trails and forest road to ride through Binning Woods...
Nearly home and after over 6 hours cycling time i was not sore and stiff from riding the Surly Karate Monkey with the Drop bar set up despite the stiff wheel set fitted, a result!
It is a fun bike too on the trails here in East Lothian...
`Into the light...` and a great day out...
A few nice ciders in front of a roaring fire...
More soon...
That's a loop to stretch the muscles. All the new sign are getting me interested in doing the JM cycle route this summer. Catch up soon.
ReplyDeleteAye be up for that with you Ped this summer, :)
ReplyDeleteCracking looking ride. I had an ace little East Lothian adventure this weekend. It's so easy to forget how fun it can be scooting around the well maintained trails on a drop bar bike can be!
ReplyDeleteInteresting use of a KM as a drop-bar off-roader. Would be no good for me because of the short headtube / steerer, even in in the XL size. Would have to be the Fargo with a suspension seat post - perhaps a Gryphon.
ReplyDelete