Monday 23 October 2017

Another Fatbike Gathering!, October 21st/22nd 2017


pic by Tony...


A long weekend holiday, and another Fatbike Gathering,
The plan was simple-ride the Forth Fat routes  Saturday and Sunday,
Friday afternoon and Tony and Kath arrived and we spent a couple of hours sitting out front the house in baking sunshine-in October!,
The unsettled forecast never happened and we would get 3 dry days with sunny spells and mild conditions...

Friday afternoon i cycled to town then west along the coast to meet Tony who had booked into there B&B,  we met up below Archerfield and returned to NB to meet Kath with their two Patterdales and we sat outside at the Ship Inn until dark,

Last light of the day...


Tony`s first visit to our coast and he was blown away with it`s beauty and the riding !...

No binge drinking this year and i rode home for an early night after a couple of pints...


Saturday;
Saturday i was down early and sat in the van and had breakfast then folks started to turn up,


The day would see around 20 riders of regular and new faces as some joined the ride late and some left early...


Heading out and west on the John Muir Way (JMW) to Gullane then up Gullane Hill for a regroup and banter...



Descending to the cliffs it was then along though the Reserve and out to the WW2 midget Sub wrecks...


First time visitors to these tiny ships crewed by 4 men are always in awe at there tiny size (51 feet long and 5 feet diameter inside),  and their story of how they were used to train submariners who volunteered for a mission that is a real David and Goliath story of how they were towed 1000 miles across the North Sea and managed to attack and disable the pride of the German Fleet - the mighty Tirpitz Battleship,
Read about the subs and `Operation Source` Here...

A pause of thought for the crews that were lost and a raise of a hip flask in their honour before riding east...


Tail wind and sunshine along Gullane sands...


A yacht washed in after breaking it`s moorings somewhere, biggest beach find yet!...


Rocks and sandy single track navigated we turned inland at Archerfield Estate and rode up to The Walled Garden for Tea/coffee/Beer and snacks, then returned to tackle the rocks of `Scorpion` and along to Yellowcraig racing an incoming Spring tide that would beat us at Point Gary and we rode up over the headland and onto the West Bay and Harbour, and regrouped at the slipway wall...


Again an early evening after food and a drink at The Ship Inn...

I never got that much footage leading most of the day but managed to put something together,
So from the Punk era (for Sheera) song is  `Feelin` alright with the crew` by 999


Fatbike Gathering; Saturday 21st Oct 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




Sunday;
Only 5 of us for Sunday`s ride out to Seacliff, so a tweaked route so we could visit other stuff being a regular size small group and would include a cafe break at Tyninghame, the `infamous five` headed east to soak up the views of Tantallon Castle perched on the cliff, then a look round the ruin of Seacliff  Castle and then a visit to the tiny harbour with amazing view out to Bass Rock...




From the harbour it was then along across the rocks to Peffersands, stopping for a chat with a couple out walking interested in our Fatbikes and could not resist having a go, and being amazed at the bikes abilities...


Quick surf on the dunes then along to the woods and the `Secret Trail` passing this impressive sand castle...


After great soup then cake at Tyninghame Cafe we rode to re join the JMW back to NB after a loop around Binning Woods, the Beech trees starting to turn gold...

More Tea/coffee and cake again in NB at The Seabird Centre before we parted as some had long drives home,
Again the weather turned up trumps, the sun lit up the coast with great light and i think everyone went away with great memories and some nice pics of an ace weekend...

Here is a wee film from Sunday`s ride, again leading but got more than the previous day,
Song is `I Wish` by Jane Weaver...


Fatbike Gathering; Sunday 22nd Oct 17 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


More soon...

No comments:

Post a Comment