coastrider: Saturday half day ride...

I have rode mountain bikes since 1987. Those early days were all about seeing where you could get on those bikes with funny very low first gears... riding was all cross country locally and odd days up in the hills... Around 1999 Glentress forest trails started to take shape and by 2003 it was a trail centre which has become probably the most famous and busy trail centre in Scotland and the UK, if not world wide after Whistler in Canada...
I used to ride there all the time as well as Downhill trails along the road at Innerliethen...

Glentress freeride 2006...

2008...

After 10 years of riding man made trails i realised i was missing something in my riding in these places, and that was scenery, nature and local history to look at, something there is not a lot of in conifer forests no matter how good the trails are - and they really are good trails in the Tweed Vally - both natural and man made...

Here is a film of two adjoining trails on Glentress Red Route; Pie Run and Magic Mushroom

Song is `Smash it Up` Pt 1 & 2 by The Damned...

Nowadays i look at going cycling as to how people walk dogs... - no really, let me explain... i do not understand why folk own a dog yet to walk it they hardly walk out their front door but must use their car and drive somewhere to walk the dog 99% of the time... the odd day further afield by car with your mutt is fair enough...

A 3-4 hour ride at Glentress is a full day away at 6-8 hours for half that time riding.
With an hour drive each way, change to ride, pre ride fettle with bikes, change post ride, cafe, and you have not much change out of £25 for a day cycling with fuel and parking fees, and due to the type of riding your doing bikes service parts take a bit of a beating, tyres, Brake Pads, drive trains, suspension, and that's without crashing -:)
Fun at trail centres costs money.
But it is still cheap when your riding trails that are free to access with only parking to pay - these trails have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to construct and maintain over the years.
Too many people take the all weather trail centres like Glentress that are ride able all year round and are also mostly closed to walkers allowing flat out riding for granted...

Like many folk i have not had a pay rise for 5 years now and have to get the most out of the green stuff month to month.
Trail centre riding may cost a bit for the fun, but in the whole it is still cheap for a hobbie/sport.
What you call fun as you get older in cycling definitely changes, your older, heavier, and more problematic to injuries healing etc... i have went full circle after 10 years of mainstream mountainbiking riding the trail centres and for a time the bikes all the magazines rave about as the next `must have` full suspension bike and now riding bikes the same as 25 years ago only modernised with improved geometry, higher quality components that are lighter and stronger, disc brakes and sealed bearings everywhere, and riding these bikes where i first rode them on my backyard trails, though i can ride the coast now too -:) .

`Home is where the heart is` , a saying i can relate to, growing up in East Lothian, more than ever i appreciate its scenic beauty and history and the changes through the seasons.
For cycling i have adapted my bike collection to suit the local countryside trails and coast on my door step to make the most of it.
Nothing wrong with the odd days riding further afield using the car of course if funds allow...

At last i think i have the perfect collection of bikes for what i like to do and i am contented doing it...

Ha ha i can hear my mates laughing at that statement -:) ...

Saturday, a 3 hour ride as visiting dad in Hospital in the evening...
20 miles, on Surly Pugsleys, with a good friend having good banter, riding good trails, gravel track, a quiet beach, stunning scenery, wildlife, harvest action, cafe - coffee and cake... a perfect day...

Ooh Arr...combines...