First ride with an additional 300wh battery for back up

The ride we planned today was the first time I'd taken my new spare 300wh battery along with me to give me back up in case \I ran out of power which is highly likely now as Clive's bike has a 625wh battery and Barrie has a 625 on order, it's a big enough job keeping up with them so some spare power to go in a higher mode is very welcome! The photo above shows Penicuik House which in its day must have seen some high ranking gentry coming and going in horse drawn carriages!

Then through the village of Silverburn whose name has always fascinated me, just what is its connection with silver?

Soon we were on the hard climb up from Eastside Farm and I was able to use a high power mode here without fear of running out!

Black Hill was the next climb to benefit me with my extra battery and I could easily hold my own with Clive and Barrie as long as they didnt up their power level to the same as mine!!

The crazy steep climb up Bells Hill was done partly in turbo mode as I was by this time becoming a bit blaise  about the whole spare battery experience!

Eventually when I thought I dad more or less exhausted the 500wh battery I exchanged it for the 300wh one in my backpack the whole changeover taking only a couple or so minutes and made it home without depleting this battery too much, now for some even bigger ald longer rides without the worry of running dry!

And tomorrow a special backpack to carry a spare battery is due to arrive....life is good!!!

An epic trip on part of The Southern Upland Way

Barrie and I started in Peebles and cycled along the side of the river Tweed crossing it at  Cardrona before we went through Innerleithen and set of up the track just after Traquair.

It's a long hard grassy climb for at least a couple of miles and the ebikes certainly come into their own on this terrain.

Eventually after some downhill when we lost all that we'd climbed we reached the final hard climb before the mast, what the mast is for I've no idea, probably a mobile phone mast!

This is the trig point at the summit of Dunrig,I think, the highest we reached on our trip, but it would get no easier for a fair bit yet!

Some of the landscape resembled the moon and the bogginess on top of the hills was unbelievable at times!

At last we could see Peebles again which was just as well as my battery was running low and in actual fact ran out completely with about half a mile to go!

A great trip and next time I'm taking a spare battery so I can use a higher mode more often, but at least you sleep well after a hard bike ride like this!!

Mountain biking with a hamstring injury

For the last week I’ve been suffering with a strained hamstring and kept off the bike in an effort to let it heal but decided I was going out today with Barrie and Clive whatever it was like and surprisingly it actually seems to have helped. The pain is less and I’m moving better, is biking the answer to hamstring strains?

Barrie thought it would be too greasy for the descent down the steepest track on Bells Hill but it turned out to be okay 

The climb up Black Hill never looks as steep on a photo as it actually is, when first viewed from the bottom you shake your head and think that’s not possible but the ebikes take it in their stride providing you keep the power steady and position yourself correctly on the bike.

Always a bonus after the hard climb is the descent down the other side, another good morning’s biking and the weather looks good for next week as well....now that’s a real bonus!

The height of summer and the weathers hellish!

Out last monday evening and it looked as though I was dressed for mid winter....at least I kept dry!!

This is what I had to cycle through on the way over to the hills!

Mind you it perked up a bit on Tuesday and here's Clive doing his 25 pressups in aid of charity at the top of Harbour Hill!

Out this morning, Saturday, and we managed a dry start till we were about halfway round then the heavens opened! Severe gales forecast for tomorrow so that looks like a non biking day so fingers crossed for next week