If you watched BBC Coast light night "The Secret Life of Beaches" you will have seen somewhere often visited by myself and friends and often featured on here - The WW2 midget sub wrecks...
Watching the amazing series of Coast it makes me wonder why so few people have an interest in coastal cycling here in the UK when you see just how much coastline there is in the UK with so much variety that is so unique.
The link below will take you direct to the Sub wrecks feature but you may want to watch the full hour programme as it features some great ariel views of some of the UK coast.
Not sure but hope this can be viewed by readers abroad
Whether you are a Royalist or not these films that have popped up on youtube since our Queens Diamond Jubilee on 19th May show a part of British history that will always be remembered...
Our country is still at war and daily young servicemen of our country are still losing their lives....
Good to see there sacrifice is remembered by a nation...
Today...
And remembering 70 years ago, the live TV showed the Queens reaction to the noise of the Merlin engines as they passed overhead...
And saved the best till last, the view from in one of the Spits, listen to the noise of that Merlin engine, if your not moved by that then move abroad...
Friend Mike just did this film of his first month`s riding of his Surly Pugsley...
My old frame set i sold him last year when the unused purple Pugsley frameset turned up on ebay a year ago this week...
And i have to say i am made up that Scotland's first Pugsley frame set has gone too a good home and is getting used and loved.
I remember the same joy on the same bike 4 1/2 years ago...
Longest day is next Thursday 21st, so i did my Solstice over night beach ride last night as on holiday this week.
Riding 8 miles by road to Longniddry i then left my parents fed and watered and was onto the coast at 10pm for sunset, a cloud bank out across the fife coast and North sea would be making this a dusk to dawn ride rather than `sunset to sunrise`, not to worry as a nice evening despite a cold easterly that had made me decide to scrap camping and to ride through the night. I packed a bivvy bag in case i felt like a snooze.
Riding east from Longniddry to North Berwick i had 5 hours so plenty time to do some loops on trails above the coast on the way...
Around Ferny Ness...
And down and along Gosford Bay...
As is often the case the light in the sky was better after sunset...
Camera would struggle to take pics once dark but ok for now...
Around Green Craig to Shell Bay...
The glow in the sky already moving east...
Along the shoreline at Kilspinde. sky reflecting on the sea was amazing,
`Kings Kist` rock...
Around the salt marsh on the path that leads to Aberlady i walked across to the old fishing boat wrecks. The 8 wrecks are Scheduled monuments...
Aberlady, from Sea Green...
Not as dark as the picture shows, it was midnight when i rolled out onto the Nature Reserve point. Kept my lights off as i could still see with the white of the sand. Also birds are nesting this now. Parked up on the rocks at the east end of the beach i has a swig of Glenmorangie out of the hip flask then headed up above the cliffs at `Maggie's Loup` due to the incoming tide...
Climbing i did a loop around Gullane Hill then enjoyed the descent back down to then ride some of the many trails around the Bents at Gullane...
Along to the woods above Freshwater Haven. Pitch black in under the pine woods and this appeared out of the darkness, yikes! -:) ...
Was silent in here... i had plenty time so i did another loop round and a few other trails here that lead out from the woods to the coast....
Then along the grassy trail that drops to the beach near Marine Villa. The light from Fidra Lighthouse guiding the way...
Pushed over the rocks past Marine Villa as not much room with the tide and no point taking a risk here at this hour. On and into Yellowcraig woods. A refill of water then a couple of loops of the sandy trails here.
Dropping onto the coast it was 2.30am and starting to get light...
Into North Berwick, no sign of life. First this morning to leave tracks on the beach...
Not be a sunrise at sea level today with that cloud bank out to sea...
Mission accomplished and another swig from the hip flask. Was not going to hang around in this perishing cold easterly wind for the time of year. Quite happy to not be camping in this...
`Ghost Town` by The Specials played on my i pod as i did a lap of a deserted North Berwick -:)...
Been a while since i did a Tuesday 5pm film. Used to nearly always do mid week films on Tuesdays.
Dunno why but Tuesdays are always good evenings to do a beachride if you do not want to meet anyone.
We rode from Longniddry across Gosford Bay then forded the Peffer to ride across Aberlady Bay past the midget submarine wrecks then returned over the Nature Reserve and met no one on the Reserve, the car park was empty.
I like that as i do not like to disturb people enjoying the reserve, We do as cyclists have a legal right to use the shared paths (responsibly) and i do not ride on the Reserve between the dunes and Bridge with groups and i tend to avoid peak times like weekends mid day and holidays etc..
We will not be leading FatBike Tours through here, only along the low tide line from Gullane to visit the submarine wrecks then returning, this is something we have made clear in our Ethos. Live and let live -:)
Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve was the first Local Nature Reserve to be established in Britain (1952).
It is a special place for everyone to enjoy, from the visitors to the locals and for myself somewhere i spent a lot of my childhood with my dad when he was County Ranger...
Memorial to local writer & historian Nigel Tranter...
Otter spotted near the bridge...
Wee film, Song is `Glass Bead Game` by Thievery Corporation
The annual road trip to Fort William for the UCI World Cup...
Every year this weekend is a great couple of days spent in a fantastic area of Scotland with friends. Watching what i think are the most skilled cyclists in the world as they race on the longest, toughest track on the UCI world circuit.
Down Hill racing takes all skills to be the best, fitness, skill and sheer bravery, and to witness it feet away at the track side is something you do not see in many sports nowadays. You get to brush shoulders with the best riders in the world in the pits and on the Gondola ride to the top and the atmosphere as you walk down the track on race day is electric as the riders near the arena and the noise from the loudest crowd on the world cup circuit gets louder as the race times get faster.
Then someone comes down and blows the socks off all previous times and the crowd at the arena - hyped up by the DJ and pumping tunes as they watch the race up the hill on the worlds largest TV (official) go bonkers!. And this year it was Aaron Gwyn who was 9 seconds up at the second split, as the rain had now eased the track would have been harder as the mud started to cover the rocks making it an even greater achievement...
I did not film this year as it was as mentioned a heavy drizzle and low cloud, and left it to the professionals and posted some on line official films further down a bit, so just chilled and soaked up the atmosphere of a great weekend...
Here is a film on youtube from the riders view of the track to give you an idea of the lenght and technical challenge of the course...
Drive up Thursday morning and as always stop off at the Commando Memorial and pay respect...
Down the road and soon were there...
Tents pitched and down the town for the usual pub lunch, and visit to the `Nam shop`...
-:)
And a wee bottle to share over the weekend...
Friday;
Ride up to the Calidonian Canal.
Retro bikes this year and 3 generations, 1980s Muddy Fox Courier, 1990s Kona Kula and Millennium Orange Patriot...
Joined by midges for the evening when the wind dropped but a lovely evening...
Saturday;
Along to Anoch Mor by bike and a look around the trade stands and check out the factory team bikes, old and new...
This is a piece of history - Myles Rockwell's Kamikaze Downhill bike form 92/93, check the gearing -:)
Friend Jake was there. He works for the UK importers of Crank Brothers Products. Jake built my Pugsley and all my fatbike wheels since. He is enjoying his new job. here he is servicing a pair of Steve Pete's pedals...
-:)
Original Orange Clockwork on the Orange Bikes stand...
And Peaty`s 2005 Fort William winning bike...
Bling at the Hope stand...
Trials event going on around the village...
Mobile band!...
Time to head up the hill on the Gondola...
Perfect weather...
Warming up for qualifying...
Current world champ Danny Hart...
Friends Rick and Andrea were working at the event...
Qualifying runs...
A walk up to the view point...
Back down and a long wait to get a fence side view onto the track for the 4X event...
Sunday; Race Day...
Heavy rain during the night then low cloud and drizzle up the hill, was quite atmospheric as the riders came out of the low cloud and then disappeared again...
Amazing the speed they ride over the rock garden...
Down out of the cloud and through the woods...
The new motorway section...
Noise of the crowd was nuts as the last riders came down!...
Esp when Aaron Gwin came down and cleaned up. Danny Hart got 0.8 secs close but it was Aaron's day. Film from youtube...
Great weekend. I set a new personal best time when i slipped and took off down the hill on the mud while walking down the track side!, roll on next year...
I live in East Lothian, S.E. Scotland.
I fill my time with my hobbies, interests and passions. Often cycling along the coast here. I ride steel bikes with big wheels, I like to enjoy all interests of the coast, Its scenery, wildlife, local history, with my other interests in art and music when out and about...
I was diagnosed with Relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis in August 2018, it`s early days but i plan to continue to live my life as i have and show that having a medical condition like MS does not mean you need to stop enjoying your life,
Please excuse the bad grammar, i am working on it!
