The first real frosts of the autumn

All dressed up in cold and wet weather gear ready for what the Scottish winter weather has in store for us!

Barries bike is still awaiting repair so he was still on the Giant Anthem and  soon felt the effects of the extra lair of clothing as we hit the Castlelaw climb!

Clives mountain biking has come on loads since he moved onto an ebike, here he is descending a section he wouldn't have dared previously

A quickie on Sunday evening rewarded me a chance to photograph the sunset in the Pentaland Hills, ti was amazing just how quick darkness fell after the sun went down

To prove its not all doom and gloom in our neck of the woods just now, heres whats going on in nearby Portobello....... beach volleyball, maybe not in bikinis but still highly attractive girls taking part, theres still hope for us yet in Scotland!!

 

 

From summer to autumn in two easy steps (or is it pedals?)

A couple of weeks ago and already the temperature’s does from what it should be for this time of year!

Barrie’s ebike is out of action so it was back on the Giant Anthem for him, however he gave a good account of himself 

Clive and I met some of the local army out on a training run using some of the tracks we ride on, we didn’t try to argue and gave way to them right away!

There’s still some decent weather to be had though and this still rates as my favourite view in the Pentland Hills 

When you forget to charge up your battery....

Barrie arrived along early Sunday morning all ready for a long mountain bike ride up the Pentland Hills with Clive and myself. He got his bike unloaded from his car got himself dressed in his riding clobber, climbed on his bikeand....discovered the battery was more or less empty of charge! He'd left it for half an hour from his previous ride but had forgotten to recharge it, so that was him ruled out of the ride, however Clive and I had a good one, not that that helped when I spoke to him later in the day!!

The top of Castlelaw with Clive achieving a kom with his climb to the summit!

And next was Allermuir, how Barrie would have enjoyed this route!!

Next was the descent to the pump house ready to start the new section we discovered last week

The last major climb up to West Kip, its more or less downhill after this.

The "best view in the Pentlands" before the final 10 miles or so back to the house!

The Strava map, I bet he doesn't forget to charge the battery next week!!

Into Autumn now with the ebikes

The last week of summer and it was more like winter with the rain pouring down nearly every day , this was the water crossing just up from the bridge which is usually an easy pedal through, I was nearly swept away and was up above my knees when I managed to dismount and wade through!

Usually only a dribble here!

The summer ended on a high even if it was too greasy to climb Black Hill and instead go round the track on the north side

Last year the reservoirs were at an all time low, this year the water's coming over the overflows!

Autumn has at least started off not to bad and last night Clive and I did the "winter loop" in reasonable conditions so here's hoping it's a long dry Autumn to make up for the miserable summer we've had!