Saturday 31 December 2016

Last beachride of 2016!...


Overcast and breezy last beachride of 2016!...
A fun day spent at Peffrsands and Tyninghame with good friend Craig...
Some pics by Craig...












See you next year!

Wee film....
Song is `Meaning` by Quantic...


Last beachride of 2016! from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Friday 30 December 2016

Last Commute of 2016!



Thats this years commuting done for the year!,  again this year i cycled more than drove, driving on average 1 day a week.  Since November the route to my new place of work has been busier with cars as i cut through the rat race to Edinburgh on two roads, and the rout is 2 miles longer each way but the destination is way better!.
And today i took the new Pashley Speed 5. the pics are a bit grainy in the fading light and i will post up a blog on this new bike and why i bought one soon....







Groovy ride :D


More soon...

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Sunrise to Savanna...



Cold morning and a winch into the chill wind towards Yellowcraig for a loop through the grassland `Savanna`  dunes at Archerfield...





Shot a little film, enough to edit into something...

Song is `Introduction` by Drenge...

Sunrise to Savanna from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


More soon...

Boxing Day Beach bash...


The above pic could be an advertisement pic for Alpkit waterproofs as i was still dry having had just cycled through 2 crazy downpours on the way to the coast today for the annual Boxing Day beachride...

The flooding on the road along from home shows how heavy the showers were today....


Through Binning Wood and saturated ground. Full mudguards and chunky Surly Nate tyres on the old Surly Pugsley make this Fatbike ideal at this time of year...


Mosshouse point, and time to get out the gale around the corner at the salt marsh...



Saltmarsh Canyon from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


The sun popped out now and then and i managed to get some film with the Go Pro...


Onward and into the woods here the secret trail waited...


first a selfie!, and some sun...



Back home after a brutal headwind although it was only a half mile and once home and the stove fired up,  and a Cider poured while i edited the days pics and some film...


Song is 5/4 by Gorillaz...


Boxing Day Beachride bash 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

More soon...

Saturday 24 December 2016

2016 Retrospect...

New Years day beach ride 2016...

January;
As always i start off posting the Bike line up for the year ahead though sadly some of my bikes would have to be sold off through the year to pay for bills etc... another two new bikes would appear through by the years end! - one to celebrate a corner turned and a new career!, more about that in a bit...
My two Surly Pugsleys (old and new) have adopted a black and orange colour scheme and both have 29+ wheels and cover all options of my type of offroad riding...
New Pugsley...



Winter here in Scotland may have short days of light but we did get a lot of cold clear days on the coast, what i really enjoy in winter...


A great book about Firewood was a great addition to my collection of favourite reads and i`m really happy with the new stove at home...

The only Snow Ride of last winter on the local Lammermuir hills and the only day riding the white powder but it was scenic and memories of those surreal winters of 2010/11...


I wrote some waffle about 29+ wheels and is it all you need if your `Fat Curious),  i think so if your away from real soft sand, as do a few friends who own 29+ wheels/bikes...

My conclusion is a Fatbike with a spare + wheel set is better as you have loads of mud clearance and can take a wider frame bag with the wider 100mm BB,  i have since sold both specific 29+ frames and running dual wheel sets on all three Fatbikes i own...


I enjoyed writing a post on Aberlady Bay

An area i love having grown up looking across to there from our family house and childhood memories of days out there with dad, and then later working at Gullane and looking across the bay every day, to later cycling there when i got my first Surly Pugsley Fatbike over 9 years ago...

February;
A day at Seacliff, one of many...

Time for two films!, made loads of them too this year!


Surly pugsley; Carr Rocks; Feb 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

From Seacliff to the dunes at Peffersands, my back yard bit of coast...here is another winter sun cycle...


Surly Pugsley; Dune cruise; Feb 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Another fun day ride to Dunbar...


March;
I rebuilt my original Pugsley or as i call it the Old Pugsley, i still love riding that bike as much as my newer bikes!....

Surly Pugsley Dawn Cycle to coast; March 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Winter sunset images at Tyninghame with friend Ali and his mate, and more Boards of Canada music....

Surly Pugsleys; Mid week evening cycle ;  Tyninghame March 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Cycling with friends and through time...

EL Fatbiking Pt 1 of 6; Salt marsh to Aberlady Point from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Easter and spring is on it`s way...



April;
Evening light drawing out and midweek rides back on, a new album by a favourite band Phontaine  new tracks for films!...  this was one of my favourite solo rides of the year...


Surly Pugsley; Gullane Point Dunes April 16 Pt 1 of 2 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Some Urbex to The Goblin Castle...


A present from Surly...
I was sent a Surly Wednesday frame set and Halo wheel set from Pat, former Surly UK rep as a thank you, how cool was that!!!
The reveal of the build was of course on a Wednesday!, and Wednesday Addams favourite number The 13th!


Surly Wednesday; Build and quick ride... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

The bike has proved to be a blast to ride, i shoe horned 4.8" tyres into it when i built it but after a month or so set it up with 4" tyres...
The bike is superb at rock crawling with the long top tube, raked fork and short chain stays, it is very very stable and inspires confidence, watch it here at work on the rocks!


Surly Wednesday; Rock Crawling; CARR Rocks April 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



FORTH FAT 2016!!!
The highlight weekend in my cycling calender, and what a fantastic Gathering this year!,
So many people to thank for making it happen, i hope i have mentioned you all on the Aftermath report!.  And all the faces old and new who turned up over the weekend. From the USA came Alex and John from Surly Bikes.  Tommy and Lars from the Netherlands, and people from all corners of the UK.

Friday evening at Steampunk cafe and a fascinating slide show talk on the Iditabike adventures of Carl Hutchings...


The streets of North Berwick rumbled to the noise of over 80 Fatbikes on Saturday morning as they headed west on the now pilgrimage to visit the WW2 XT sub wrecks, then roll along the coast back to town and sample food and drink around the town...


Sunday we rode to Seacliff, the worlds smallest commercial fishing harbour, soaking up the views across to Tantallon Castle and the Bass Rock, before riding the rocks to Peffersands dunes for some dune surfing then woodland trails to the secret trail and Binning woods and back for a BBQ before heading home....



The sun shone and big sky days showed off our amazing little corner of Scotland's coast at it`s best for beach riding...

Forth Fat Fatbike gathering, North Berwick, April 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

FORTH FAT 2017 dates are set for 29th/30th April...


Picture dump from a couple of days cycling on the coast with friend Phil...

Some nice midweek sunset pics...






May;
Across the void;

the rocks below Gin Head and  Tantallon are the toughest section of coast here to ride. i try ride there a couple of times a year. It is dangerous here but hell where would the micro adventure be in doing it if it was safe?!!!  lol


Surly Wednesday; Rock crawling; Gin Head rocks to Seacliff from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Out and about midweek cycling...




An Update on the old Pugsley, now with an Alfine 8 speed IGH again...

Friend Dave G gave me some footage he shot with his drone. I edited up a couple of films. i have more to do when i find time.
Here flying over the old hospital near my house. I edited this short film, kinda eerie film...

Drone filght; Abandoned Hospital... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

And another out at the sub wrecks in Aberlady Bay...


Drone Flight; XT Class Sub Wrecks from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


A radio Weekly Does of Fat Radio show podcast with Swen and Gomez at FAT-BIKE.COM...

More rock crawling to Boards of Canada, song is `BMX Track`...

Surly Wednesday; Coastride May 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


International Fat BOB Rescue;  out with the trailer on one of the hottest days of the year...


June;
Surly Wednesday Update...


Sadly i bike i did not keep due to car bills to pay but i can still ride this concept with my current to Pugsleys,
From Surly ECR to Pugsley KramPug  was a nice looking bike!


Lammermuir ride with Craig...


Lammermuir Hills 29+ exploration west side... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Summer Solstice ride to Lindesfarne...
Ace 2 day ride with friend Mike...


The 45 Ride... Birthday beach ride with my big bro and friends...



July;

Low Plains Drifter...


Back on the rocks with the Surly Wednesday...

Surly Wednesday; Rock crawling; Gullane Point; July 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



Singular Puffin on trial
Sam from UK company Singular Cycles kindly loaded my a Singular Puffin 2nd Generation Fatbike with a pair of 29+ wheels to review and blog for a month. I really like this bike esp with the 29+ wheels fitted, with the adjustable eccentric BB you can adjust the crank height and set it up as a sweet trail bike with loads of tyre clearance....

Puffin 29+ review

It`s a fun bike!
pic by Craig


Singular Gen 2 Puffin Fatbike; 29+ trail ride from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Puffin with 5" tyres fitted

Singular Puffin Fatbike;  5`` tyres Dune ride from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Here is my full Singular Puffin review of an impressive bike!.


Airshow Day;  always a favourite day of the year

Trail spectating East Fortune Airshow 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


August;
Fun day riding some of the Hillfoot Trails

Waiting on the harvest, enjoying a Big sky day in the shire...

My favourite time of year in East Lothian, the harvest!...

More pics here!...


Whitekirk Harvest Pt1 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




Whitekirk Harvest Pt2 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.




I put up the Orange/yellow Pugsley for sale for £600 and it sold within half an hour and in the end had a queue of 16 people wanting it!...


A day on the  Trails with Craig...


More harvest...





Harvest Cycle; Aug 16th 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Surly KramPug; Harvest sunset cycle; 18th August 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



blog post about my trail bikes starting with my first 29er to 29+ specific  to Fatbikes with two wheel sets, and having gone full circle and back to Pugsleys!



September;

 A day spent gathering firewood with the  Fat BOB Trailer...

Surly Pugsley & FAT BoB trailer; JMP Aug 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Main Wheat Harvest is go!



Harvest Cycle around Balgone...



A fun day at Tentsmuir in Fife for this years Angus Cycling Festival


A cycle to the scene of a local WW2 crash site

Harvest Cycle; Sept 13th; Kingston Hill to Whitekirk Hill from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


A ride to Seacliff



Daytrip with Craig to ride the Callander to Killin cycle route

And on the return journey stopped at a memorial, Who Dares Wins



I went into Edinburgh to meet friend  Markus returning from cycling around the world,  single speed!...



A nice September sunrise...




Bike  packed for The Capital Trail, here is What i carried


This years Capital Trail 2016 was fun!,  rode with friends old and new...

More here on the weekend words and pics...

and my shorter film...

Capital Trail 2016 (6mins) from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


October;
One of the best cycling films of this year has to be Danny Macaskill`s `Wee day Out`!  the lad has skills....




First big Winter storm  rolled in...

With Mike here for the weekend we visited the local National Museum of Flight

and rode the coast with friends...





I did a Slideshow talk at Humbie Hub about writing the blog and cycling offroad in East lothian  it was fun and i think those who came along enjoyed it!


Last week of October and big changes happening in my life!  as started a New Job!, as an Estate Manager, I`m really happy and loving it working in such a lovely place full of history and great staff!. I can still commute by bike, and we have Fairies too!  :D


Archerfield Walled Garden from Square Foot Media on Vimeo.

October;

Beachriding with friends...


Autumn pics i took at work...

More coastriding with friends

East Coast Fatbikes; 5th Nov 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Wide screen viewing on winter nights,  natures TV...


Saturday cycle...

East Coast Fatbikes; Nov 12th 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.



Ride to Cove harbour



Autumn Gold in Binning woods

This film was popular...

Surly Pugsley; Autumn Woods, Nov 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Picture This... getting creative at work...


A ride up Lammerlaw with friends

East Coast Fatbikes; Lammerlaw Nov 16 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Into December - more pics


Global Fatbike day

A great day out!

Global Fatbike day 2016 East Lothian from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


Flying with Phil;  Phil visited and brought his Drone to do some filming,,,


I edited this version...

Coastrider; Flying with Phil... from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


A day at Glentress nearly rounds up the years days out riding...


Last ride of the year at Seacliff...


And film...

Surly Pugsley;  Seacliff cycle; ; Dec 2016 from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

Been some year!, kept sanity through the previous job with my cycling and all has come good again in the end...


Seasons Greetings!, and see you next year, and another chapter...