Weekend cycling on the coast

Saturday it was back on the coast with the gang. Brian, Colin, Gary, Craig and Jason all came out for a ride from North Berwick to Gullane and back, an easy relaxed day of around 15 miles on the coast with loads of breaks and chatting,  suited me after a busy week at work and cycling daily to work and in evenings every day...
It was a bit overcast but it was warm and an easterly breeze that whipped up quite strong later in the day as we rode back to Town, though it did clear the heavy clouds and whip up some white top surf...

`Scorpion trail`,  adopted title from Jason`s naming. We call this rock crawling route as there is a sting in its tail when ridden in the oppossite direction at it` easterly end with a hard wee climb that often catches you out. Riding it west to east- a clean in wet weather on old narrower 65mm wide rim fatbikes is well earned on this trail...

Jason rode from Gullane and met us here...

Cue food and a blether stop...

Craig has fitted a Hope 30t front ring and a 42 bail out ring to his Pugsey Ops, the first of this 1x10 concept  done amongst friends...

Up from the coast to Gullane village for an ice cream stop and laze about in the warm sun...

Back to the coast and along the Baked bean Trail then down through the pine woods and into the crater...

Rock crawling at the Black Rocks...

Then along Freshwaterhaven and mose sandy singletrack...

Tyre and rim width - a noticeable comparison;
With the dry week the sand was very soft and fluffy in places. i was often struggling on the Pugsley with the narrow 65mm rims and 4" tyres. It was noticeable Craig's 82mm rims on his Pugsley with 4" tyres was slightly better, while Jason and Brian`s bikes both have 5" Surly BFL`s (Big Fat Larry`s- same as my Moonlander) and their big deft had more float and better steering. I kinda wish i had the big Moonlander today but i did ride down to Town via the JMW so for that reason had rode the Pugsley...

Scorpion trail...

Not get around the last section today with the incoming tide...

Tide was well in so we had to bail up onto the Golf course...

Some chips in town then we headed our seperate ways, myself home via the JMW, what a great relaxed days cycling  out on the coast with friends...

Sunday to the sub wrecks with Mowgli;
Better weather on Sunday and i drove to Gullane with Mowgli, and after the soft sand of yesterday brought along the big Surly Moonlander...

I shot some helmet mount film with the Go Pro, Mowgli was on full song today!, that wee dog can movwe and cover some miles!...
song is `Dumbarton Wilderness` by Scottish band Peat Bog Faries
Click on the cog icon to view in HD





There are various springs along the coast where Mowgli can get a drink while doing all this running, like here at the old Iron Ore mines on the Reserve, the spring was piped by the local Greenkeepers many years ago after the mine entrances were sealed for safety, this water tases lovely...
Short bit of film from the mines along to Gullane beach...
click on the cog icon to view in HD
song is `Pleasure and Business` by Phontaine



On again the same route as yesterday but this time the soft sand was near effortless on the Moonlanders big 4" rims and 5" tyres, it really is quite a different beast to the older 1st generation Pugsley...

Flat and easy sand along towards Scorpion Trail...

Here is a film of riding the trail with out footing the whole way to the table seat at the eastern end...
Click on the cog icon to view in HD
Song is `Isla de la Piedra` by Phontaine




Just after that a low level pass along the coast by the local Bi plane that flies from Archifield...





I got a pic a few minutes later as he returned along thee coast, be cool to go up in that, esp when he does loops and stalls and stuff!...