Friday 29 September 2017

Midweek Evening cycle along the coast...


Thursday evening and a mild day of sunshine and ideal for a beach ride after work, down to the coast below the Estate and west along to Gullane Point...


Gathering rain clouds to the west would rob me of a sunset later but for now there was some nice light on the sea and wet sand...



I played around on the rocks and did some filming all in an area about a 1/4 mile of coastline below Archerfield to Freshwaterhaven, with not a lot of film i have slowed most of it down to fit a favourite
Song; `You Have Been Disconnected` by The Brian Jonestown Massacre...


Midweek Evening  Beachride; Sept 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Filming done i continued, across Freshwaterhaven`s firm sand where i played some more...

 Gullane sands...



Gullane Point...


Happy, i returned above the coast climbing up above the cliffs and on down to `Bake Bean` trail and through the grassland dunes to Marine Villa, the light now fading...

Soon be at Yellowcraig and the JMW back to the Estate and the Van, dark by 7am...

More soon

Monday 25 September 2017

Return to Shell Bay...


The woods i grew up in and played as kids, and the beach at Shell Bay where we spent summer days beach combing...







The coast here has never really changed...



With a low tide i cycled out across the wet sands and across Gosford Bay...









Ferney Ness and a deserted car park from a closed coastroad for a running event...






A coast road of runners...






Wee film...
Song is Here It comes` by The Brian Jonestown Massacre...


Surly Pugsley; Cycle across Gosford Bay Sept 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


More soon...

Return of the FatBOB Trailer!...


Been a while since i used the Fat BOB trailer to haul hardwood logs washed into John Muir Park from the river Tyne.  You can read Here... how i modded the trailer to take a fat wheel,
With the new van picked up on Friday after work, and a cordless battery operated chainsaw i am all geared up for harvesting firewood on the coast...


Saturday morning and paid my £2 to park and  enjoyed a quiet coastline with just the odd runner and dog walker...



More erosion here...


With in 2 hours or so i had ran 6 loads of logs,  some the right size for trailer, some i sawed up and had a good load in the van...


Here is some film i shot with the Go Pro,
Song is `Party in the Dark` by Mogwai...


Fatbike &  FatBOB Trailer; Hauling Firewood, Sept 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

More soon...

Saturday 23 September 2017

Another FORTH FAT GATHERING 2017! 21/22nd October 2017...




Seeing as some folks never made it to North Berwick here in the Shire for FORTH FAT 2017, some are not on the Facebook page, and some friends are travelling from afar i`m having another Fatbike and +Bike Gathering :)


Right then, for the Diary;
October 21st/22nd at North Berwick Town,
Not an event, your responsible for yourself...
All you need to know is turn up at the Celtic Cross in Town by the Harbour for 9am Saturday, and 10am Sunday for 2 days Beach riding the usual FORTH FAT routes,

You should have reasonable cycling fitness and off road cycling skills, carry your own tools (Inc a spare tube or two), and be able to repair your own bike if need be, carry suitable clothing for Autumn weather, bring lights and a lock,
Both days are around 18 miles and include some technical rock riding and some stretches of beach although flat may be soft or into a strong headwind,

You arrange your own accommodation etc as usual,
Local Pubs and Restaurants for food and booze - be a Friday evening session at The Ship Inn, err probably Sat too!
Some folk are arriving Thursday evening and there will be riding Friday and Monday, probably on local trails,

Minimum tyre width is 3" on + rims or regular Fatbikes...

See you on the coast, `We will ride them on the beaches`...






Wednesday 20 September 2017

Day Trip; Pitmeddon Forest...



Been 2 years since i last cycled the ace trails through the woods of Pitmedden, Sunday seen me whizzing across the new Forth Bridge to meet friends Phil, Stuarty, his friend Ian, and also Steven for a +bike meet organised by Phil on the UK Fatbike Forum...


And while last time we were all on Surly Krampus bikes, this time only Stuarty was on his same Krampus, i had my Wednesday on 27.5+ wheels, and Phil on his 29+ Jones bike which he showed a clean pair of wheels to all day on the techy climbs and descents...


North of `The Paps of Fife` lol...


An ace day with some short clips of a load of ace descents to the tune of `Eighty Eight` by Working For A Nuclear free City...



Days ride done and home in time to fire up the stove and enjoy Countryfile on the box... :)




More soon...

Monday 18 September 2017

Across the moor to Coldingham...


Saturday i loaned friend Craig the Surly KramPug 29+ and riding the Wednesday with the 27.5+ wheels we rode along the coast across Coldinham Moor in Berwickshire, An epic day with jaw dropping cliffs and dramatic coastal scenery.

Berwickshire is a gem of a county rarely visited compared to the other old County Regions that now make up The Scottish Borders, and it is full of trails, esp old roads, some green with grass, some mettled.

The Coastal Path from Cockburnspath to Coldinghame is now well advertised and signed,
When i first cycled it it was signed but not much sign of it on the ground,
Today Craig parked the van at Dowlaw farm to cut out the road miles which include a long slog of a climb and after a chat with a guy from Musselburgh whose father he was with was walking his last section today to complete the whole coastal route, not bad for a 91 year old - hats off to you sir!,


We were soon rolling and a gentle down hill to the old Threshing machine...



Lovely old bridge...


An empty field allowed a visit to this WW2 building, not seen one like this before, Craig reckoned the steel rods would have been to attach camouflage netting for concealment...


Single track awaited, created by the feet of sheep...


Enlarge this pic and see the zig zag path descending to the shoreline, also a huge pice of rusted steel...




Ahead the huge cliff of Heathery Carr...








Pic by Craig...


Big push up but did not take too long,,,



Ahead is St Abbs...



Here is some film from Dowlaw to St Abbs,
Song is `Processed Beats` by Kasabian...


Coldingham Moor Singletrack; Pt 1 Sept 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




From the light house the trail is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and nice single track feet away from hugh drops so not for the Vertigo induced cyclists...


Craig walked the stuff close to the edge while i rode it and filmed...




Pic by Craig...









Here is some film of those clipped trails, the Go Pro fish eye lense flattens out the steepness to the descents,
Song is theme for `Lonely Planet` by Dreamcatcher...


Coldingham Moor Singletrack; Pt 2 Sept 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

From St Abbs we rode to Coldinghame on the Creel Road, an ancient old road...



Loads of trails around here we will save for another visit...


And from Lumsdaine road end,  green road to Dowlaw in the distance


We need to go look closer at the Radar at form RAF Crosslaw CHEL R2 Rotor Radar Station The former Guard house over the flooded bunker is now a private house...


Pic by Craig...



And back to the car park...


Superb ride.


More soon...