Madmax's mishap, or how not to take corners when there's loose gravel!

Mark looks like he's been on a pretty severe diet but in actual fact on close inspection you can see his collar bone has managed to detach its self from whatever the other bones name is that it should be fixed to! This was as a result of an attempt by Mark to take a corner at high speed on a level tarred path without noticing that there was a fair bit of loose gravel. To say he went down like a ton of bricks would be the understatement of the year and the only saving grace was the fact that he'd put on his knee pads beforehand or the injuries would have been worse! The ride to Glenterss was aborted and instead there was a visit to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he was x-rayed and given the bad news about his shoulder. On the plus side he got a natty blue sling to rest his arm in. I'm sure he'll be back out on the bike before long, madder than ever.....

This photo was taken just after he "bit the dust" so to speak and the full extent of his injury wasn't apparent, close inspection of his left knee pad shows that it could have been worse (but not much)!

Slightly different bikes today.....

A visit to Knockhill Racing Track in Fife to see Baz's old schoolmate racing in the Scottish 400 cc championship series.

Baz's daughter couldn't resist a glamour pose beside a good looking young rider (not Baz's mate by the way!)

Baz had been in touch with an old schoolmate through Facebook and discovered he was into motorbike racing, so a day at a club meeting at Knockhill Racetrack in Fife was arranged.God do these guys have balls of steel, it may have been only a lowish level of racing but no quarter is given or taken and if they come off they're on their feet in no time and back on the bike, if it's still rideable!

The track itself was originally started by my fathers cousin who had a farm there (and a son who was into motor racing etc.) and though he no longer has any part in it; the restaurant is still named after him. Next week  a round of the British Super Bikes Championship is being held there and crowds in the region of 40,000 are expected. Though this one we were at was only a small meeting we left with a high level of respect for the guys taking part.

Can this be real, almost a week of warm weather in Scotland?!!

Wednesday night and Mark and me reach the summit of Castlelaw.

Mark and Dougie get all technical about how to transfer Garmin technology to Strava!

Friday, and a stop to photograph my two favourite horses!

Nearly a week now of warm dry weather when biking up in the hills only requires a pair of shorts and a light top, I'd nearly forgotten how this felt. The downside is sweat running into your eyes......I cant think of any other downsides, I'll just put up with the sweat it's better than driving rain!

Wet and greasy = great fun!!!

This descent from Castlelaw Hill down to the shelter belt track is as Baz describes it "steep, steep, steep, steep!" and today it was wet and greasy as well just to make things a little more interesting! Excuse the mild cursing at the bottom, I was just relieved to have reached there still attached to the bike! Another great morning's biking with 31 miles and over 3700 feet of climbing (and hike a biking).    

An early rise for a good bike ride!

6am and we're heading up the steep approach road to Castlelaw

The Strava segment known as the Castlelaw Summit Grunt, so named because if you're ever gonna grunt it'll be here!

Castlelaw summit, the Grunt's been conquered and the view's tremendous! 6.30am approx. 

Now to conquer West Kip, a bit more hike a bike needed here!

We've made it and just look at that view!

5.30am and we were off, a bit chilly at first but once we started climbing that was soon forgotten. We hadn't been up the Castlelaw Summit Grunt for ages so decided on that today, the track was so loose that even Baz couldn't make it up without coming off today. We tried a new descent down the South side and after a few false runs eventually found a route down, bloody steep and a bit hairy in bits!

Next bit of hike a bike was up West Kip, when we reached the top we could hardly stand, the wind was so strong. Down the east side of that and up over East Kip then the descent down to the Howe and home. 27 miles with over 3000 feet of climbing, just ready for the bacon rolls!

Dry for one day then wet for two days!

How can you get a day with weather like it was on Friday and then the rubbish it is today?

The top of the Strava segment known as "Bonkers Bavelaw" where speeds of up to 50mph have been recorded

Looking down over Threapmuir Reservoir in idyllic conditions.

I went out solo yesterday,Friday, forenoon for a short ride of maybe 10 to 15 miles and conditions were so good that I ended up doing 25 miles, I'd promised Clive I'd do a ride at night and we set off with about 15 miles maximum in mind but conditions were still so good that we ended up doing the same 25 miles I'd done earlier in the day, a bit boring I know but If you could see the weather outside my window just now........absolutely tipping it down. The motto:- "make hay while the sun shines" (and get out on your bike as well). 

A tour of the eastern end of the Pentlands

Top of Allermuir Hill early this morning.

No, this isn't our tent, but whoever was in it can think themselves lucky there wasn't much wind or they'd have taken off!

A fantastic early morning view along the Pentland Skyline

Ready to go along the track on the north side of Black Hill

Two lady horse riders who kindly stopped to let us pass in the Bush Estate.

A 5.30 am start this morning and fora change it was warm enough to even forgo a base layer. The climb from Boghall to the top of Allermuir soon had the sweat dripping from our foreheads but the views from the summit made the effort worthwhile.Our trail today twisted and turned back on itself as we went along, nothing like a bit of variety to spice things up! Over 29 miles cycled and just short of 3000 feet climbed meant that the cheese toasties we had for breakfast on our return went down a treat!