It's been a cold wet week, Spring hasn't sprung in Scotland yet!

At least the water level had fallen enough today to let Baz and me use the stepping stones and keep our feet dry, unlike midweek when it was about 6 inches over the top of them.

Went round the side of West Kip today and here's the view I can never get tired of, though Baz appears to have lost interest in it!!

Kathy, looking as cute as ever at the top of Maidens Cleugh, though if truth be told she was shivering with the cold!

How I managed 130 off road miles this week I'm not really sure because it's been an absolute bitch of a week weather wise. An north east wind that blew in icy rain, sleet and occasionally snow threatened to destroy my weekly target of over 100 miles but a pair of new biking shoes helped to keep the feet a bit warmer and drier and I reverted back to the heavy duty winter gloves I'd very nearly laid away.The forecast is for the weather to heat up (a bit) but return to colder weather again by next weekend!!! 

More than one way to skin a cat......

Baz opted for the "calm and dignified" approach to crossing the river using the stepping stones which today were actually above, though only just, the water level!

Clive went for the "gung ho" approach, which can sometimes prove disastrous if you hit a boulder in the deepest bit!

The slog up round Harbour Hill which was even more of a slog than usual today after the heavy rain we've had this week.

A group selfie before Harbour Hill, and Clive contradicts his Southern England childhood by wearing only a T-shirt (he did put a jacket on later!)

A Saturday afternoon ride this weekend for a change and the weather smiled on us though by the time we'd finished it was decidedly chillier. The going was greasy and wet but we still managed 27 miles to bring my weeks total to 130 miles, if only the weather would dry up and get just a bit warmer I'm sure |I could increase this a bit.

Biting the bullet and spending some money on one of the bikes

After over 3250 miles I suppose I cant grumble about having to change all the drive train, but I did moan about the freehub giving up the ghost, what's more I ordered one with cup and cone instead of the sealed bearing type which was original. However it's not often I admit defeat and after the inevitable cursing I managed to swap a bit from the old freehub and fit it into the new one to change it into a sealed bearing one. (there was a lot of foul language involved)!

  

I met this dog (and its owners) when I was out today, absolutely beautiful. Apparently it's a Romanian sheepdog or to give it its correct name a Carpathian Shepherd Dog........they must have sheep the size of horses in Romania.

My neighbour, Norman, took this picture of me when I met him and his wife through the week. This photo was taken from about 50 yards distance with a lens that looked like an anti aircraft gun. He's a keen bird watcher and photographer and this seems to be required gear for this hobby.

Wednesday night and we met this man and his dog running up the Pentlands. He said the the dog was a cross between a collie and a greyhound but I suspect there was a bit of racehorse in it as well given the speed the two of them went up Allermuir. 

This picture was taken exactly 3 years ago when the winter just went on and on, this year doesn't seem so bad now!

And finally......Mark and his phone...where would he be without it?

The tracks are drying even though there's always the odd rain shower, at least now we're into British Summer Time and the daylight goes on longer each week, wish it would warm up a bit though.

Magic Monday doing the Pentlands....if only this weather would stay

Kathy with her usual sunny smile, having ridden up the drove road without an off

We're only a mile or two from Edinburgh but it looks and feels like the Scottish Highlands at times

Going over step five with the notorious step six still to come on the ride up to the top of Maidens Cleugh

There's that view again, what isn't there to like about mountain biking on a day like Monday, great weather and great company!

To cap it off we stopped for a biscuit beside two lady hill walkers who'd biked to Harlaw and then were walking the loop back round from there to their bikes again. (I even got a couple of grapes off them to keep me going!)

Monday morning and the sun was shining for the third day running, which must be just about a first this year so far, so it was off up the Pentlands with Kathy for more mountain bike experience for her as she's entered a triathlon (maybe two) with off road biking involved. Each week we try to do something slightly more technical to build up her confidence and when I think back to when she first went out she wouldn't come off a roadside kerb without dismounting she's fairly improved. Now her big worry is that the new helmet she's bought makes her head look too big!! Women are definitely from another planet!!!!!

Clive gets another year older and we see a lot of hot air

There must surely have been a politician (probably SNP) supplying the hot air for this balloon we saw this morning given the speed it inflated at!  

It was just above freezing point when this was taken this morning circa. 7.15am

Saturday and the weathers perked up considerably as Baz makes his first visit to West Kip in nine months.

Clive demonstrating the size of the lies he told when out in New Orleans in order to secure some work for his company!!

The infamous stepping stones which currently substitute for a bridge as the money's run dry (pun intended) to provide a decent crossing. When the river's in spate they'll be under two feet of water! 

This was Friday and I nearly got lost in the mist half an hour previous to this higher up in the hills.

A week which started off with a glorious day, descended into near freezing fog till Saturday and then brightened up again. Still managed over 140 off road miles and the tracks are really drying out. Sadly as usual next weekend, it's Easter and predictably the weather's to go downhill again!

Riding buddies scattered around the world this week!

Baz starts the steps at the bottom of the shelter belt

Thanks to modern technology I can do multiple shots as he comes down them

Hey he;s down in one piece and I had to jump out the way smartish to avoid being flattened!

 

Me and my Monday riding mate, Kathy, on a day when the sun shone all the time!

Doing my best to look Mr Cool (and failing) but on a day like yesterday smiling was dead easy!

This is a view of Kathy I'm going to have to get used to as she gets faster every time we're out now, going to have to put sand in her tyres I think!

Clive's in New Orleans on a business trip (so he says anyway), Baz is down in London town with his work (so he says as well), so it's left to Kathy and me to keep the flag flying up in the Pentland Hills and we couldn't have picked a better day for it, bright sunlight and virtually no wind, perfect conditions for a longish ride with a good bit of climbing flung in as well. Just as well we went yesterday as today there's been low cloud and a slight drizzle, the Scottish weather never fails to keep you  guessing!!

Could this be winters last throw of the dice?

Monday morning and out with Kathy, snow overnight and a bright blue sky, perfect riding conditions!

Near the start of the climb up Maidens Cleugh and there's ice here and there to avoid.

The top of Maidens Cleugh and the view is amazing,.

Jock, the bridge builder on his dumper up to collect a few bits and pieces after they've finished the job, not often you see a Thwaites dumper up here so a photo was required!

This could be winters last snowy blast (I may live to regret that) and Monday was just too good a day to miss up in the hills. Today, Wednesday, and the snow's more or less all gone, it's not been a particularly hard winter though the spikers were needed on a few occasions but now we're all looking forward to warmer weather and longer days!

The bridge is finished.....now it needs a name

My maiden ride over the bridge demanded a selfie pose!

The view looking north

And the view looking south

And todays piccy amazingly supporting three of us plus bikes!!

The bridge to nowhere is complete and now needs a name to honour Jock and Kevin who made such a good job of building it, I've suggested The JK Bridge in recognition of their initials but I think everyone suspects its after me as that happens to be my initials too (as if I would!!)

Anyways its a mighty fine structure even if it doesn't actually solve too many problems as you still have to cross back over the river again to get back on the track and though it's relatively easy just now to cycle/walk through the fordable bit it's a different kettle of fish when it's in spate!