With the lowest tides of the year there are a lot of exposed rocks, coves and old wrecks to see.
Thursdays full moon was the low tides, but there were still low tides on Saturday and Sunday.
Earlier rides both mornings got me on the coast before the tide turned and this year riding my new beach bike, the Surly Moonlander i was able to ride exposed rocks that i have ridden before on the Pugsley but struggled a bit.
The extra grip and comfort of the Moonie was pretty impressive, but it has to be said my legs are beat tonight from two big days of techie rock riding on the beast!.
Saturday;
Low tide of 0.3 meters at 9.30am, i headed to Gullane to ride east to North Berwick.
9am and onto Gullane Beach, a bit cloudy and overcast but a dry forcast...
East from Freshwater Haven the low tide is more noticeable. with a 9.30am 0.3 meter to a 5.9 meter high tide at around 3pm there is a big difference in 5 meters height where the coast is flatter...
Right along to Eyebroughty Island you can ride below the exposed rocks on the sand...
A tidal island not often accessible makes Eyebroughty an ideal nesting site for Eider ducks, often seen along the coast here.
I had to cross several areas of water, twice the hubs and cranks were submerged. This is why i fitted a Hope rear hub and recently there external BB bearings (Moonlander review update soon!)...
Looking in to land...
West...
View out to the island from the shoreline...
Time to put the moonlander to work and riding through this lot was easier than on the pugsley, but still a workout!...
Stopped by this ledge it was time to push, or as the Alaskans say `stumblefu##ing`... -:)
East of Marine Villa and more exposed coast...
Fidra...
Onto Broadsands at Yellowcraig, ship ahoy!, starting to disappear again with the tide now turned, the wreck of HMS Ludlow, not much to see compared to last year...
Be good to see this from the air...
You cannot see the wreck on google earth, but you do see a large area of rock, above the point, partly exposed daily every low tide...
Today it was all exposed, so waiting on friend Andy to arrive i went for a walk and did some rock pool hunting...
Time for coffee and hot cross buns while i waited...
I shot some helmet camera film with the Tachyon XC camera, so again it is in 4:3 SD ratio and a bit shaky but will let you see some of the rock sections. setting up a tripod would have been better as you would see the terrain better, but it is all time and riding time was priority. Helmet camera views can look a bit remote and flatten the terrain but you can just get on with the riding and still have something to view after along with pictures...
Song is `Poppy Seed` by Boards of Canada...
Onto North Berwick...
Meeting up with friend Andy on his Mukluk we rode east to North Berwick, and again more exposed rocks to explore by bike...
Pick a line and just ride through -:)...
Across to the Towns Victorian Harbour, dry with the low tide...
Boat repairs being carried out...
Too slimey to ride into, pity as been a giggle...
16 feet of water in the harbour from empty to full...
Favourite pic of the day. I wish the Victorians, inventors of our pastime and the builders of the harbour could see these bikes ridden here!...
A look around the promanade, east beach...
Hello!...
The original Victorian boating pond is underneath this one...
Coastgaurd station...
The pier...
Time to ride some more rocks, then cruise along the sands before heading for a cafe...
More film...
Song is `Lady Labyrinth (remix)` by Ludovico Einaudi...
Sunday; low tide 10.05am 0.4 meters...
Andy joined me again on Sunday and we rode to Seacliff, then east of the exposed Carr Rocks.
The weather was better with some sunshine, and a strong wind which wipped up the sand on exposed beaches.
Seacliff...
Tantallon Castle, and to its right the buildings at Gin Head , the former WW2/cold war Radar research and testing facility...
Watch how many coastal views i got in the next mile or so with the Bass Rock Island offshore behind, such is the diversity of rocks here...
The Moonlander was superb over the rocks, it has amazing grip and riding comfort from its huge tyres. Andy`s Mukluk is a halfway house with its 80mm rims and 3.7" tyres between a stock pugsley and the Moonie. I paid the price for having more float on the ride here with more drag on the bigger tyres!.
The colours of the Carr Rocks here in the Sunlight with the blue sea behind was stunning...
Andy rock crawling across a landscape that most folk would think a bicycle cannot be ridden over...
A route through this lot looked unlikley, then just on the other side a channel led to the shore line...
A needed break after crossing all that and then out to see the remains of a wreck only visable at the lowest tides of the year...
Can you see it?...
Hold on i will zoom in...
This according to the RCAHMS website is the wreck of the 732 ton Steam Ship Poderosa which ran aground here on the 27th November 1896. The 21 year old ship, built in Sunderland, was travelling from Grimsby to Grangemouth with a crew of 17 on board when it ran aground on the reef and broke up...
You will have passed the anchor of this ship if you have driven or cycled around the coast road from Whitekirk to Tantallon Castle. It sits at the road entrance to Schoughall farm (pronounced Skoal, like the lager -:) )...
The wreck is a good half mile out from the High tide line, if you want to go see it head straight out from the Peffer burn across the sands following the eastern side of the rocks...
Nearby is another wreck, of a wooden fishing boat, its rib cage hull poking out of the sand...
A quick blast down the wide and near deserted beach to St Baldreds Cradle, another rest stop then through the woods to the cafe at Tyninghame Village...
My replacement Go Pro camera turned up on Saturday so Sunday i filmed with it, again just some helmet footage, riding time was priority.
Now an annual weekend spent beachriding, the spring tides are a favourite time on the coast.
Next year i need to show the high tides of the weekend too!...
Some film in glorious 720p HD
Songs are `American Dream (into)` then `American Dream (afterlife)` by Jakatta...
The Moonlander is earning its keep on the coast, its a beast of a bike!, it flogs you on the road if your tierd but get it onto anywhere technical or soft going on the coast and it is simply amazing...
Watch out for toads this now!...
Glad you've got your Gopro back, looks like a good couple of days!
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