That's the first month come and gone and it's been a wet one

Mid-week and the rain hadn't long stopped pouring down when I took this, it would have been a brave man who tried to cycle over this bit today!

The first snowdrops I've seen this year, they looked a bit on the timid side, frightened to show their face!

Saturday and the spikers were back out as Clive and I went in search of fallen trees after Storm Gertrude.

Another bites the dust and it's Storm Henry that's due to hit us on Monday, I'll be glad when we get through the alphabet and it's all over

Out this morning for the last ride of the month and pretty miserable weather it was too!

January's over and somehow or other I managed 496 miles off road in what's been the wettest January on record. It's gone from mild and wet to freezing and hellishly wet with the occasional bit of snow and ice flung in to keep us on our toes, bring on February it cant be any worse (maybe!)

From freezing to almost balmy!

A week ago, everything's frozen solid under a covering of snow and ice spikers were the order of the day.

A week later almost exactly to the minute and only slightly further up the valley, the ice and snow have totally disappeared and in its place a stream of water.

What a difference a week makes, from sub zero and ice and snow adding to the fun we're back again to temperatures where I had to take my jacket off this morning to avoid "boil in the bag". Midweek was sheer hell as I slipped and slid on patches of ice and tried to cycle through about 4 or 5 inches of what seemed like soft icing sugar. I arrived back home on Wednesday night quite depressed at how much "hike a biking" I'd had to do to get round our usual winter loop> This morning was totally different, the ice was gone as was the snow and even though the tracks were soft in places and a bit muddy at least I was able to remain upright (well most of the time). 

A quick mention to Dougie and Dylan who did the Strathpuffer 24 hour race at the weekend and did a very creditable 20 laps (must be all that Pentland training) !  

A bit more like real winter weather last week!

Saturday, and Clive and me are bound for the hills in the background

First climb over and it's time to admire the view for a second or so.

We attempted the climb to West Kip from here but the snow was just too deep and difficult to cycle through so we turned back. 

Sunday morning, and a Baz rehabilitation run, and everyone was spiked up, it would have been impossible without them.

A rocky outcrop with a spectacular display of icicles.

As far a we went on Sunday, Clive appears to be begging for a bit further!

Earlier in the week Clive had another go on his rollers which had ended in disaster the first time he tried and this time to both his and my surprise he was successful!

A good weeks biking nearly all on the spikers due to ground conditions, without them broken bones were a distinct possibility. Mishap of the week was me coming off at near zero speed when my rear derailleur jammed for some reason and I went down like a felled tree. I think I've possibly cracked a rib but in the interests of personal safety and an extreme ear bashing I've kept these details from "her indoors"! Better to suffer in silence than to be reminded frequently of my stupidity biking in adverse conditions. Anyway I've done it before and it heals fairly quickly. 

A bit of frost,a bit of rain, a bit of snow......then rain again!

Out without spikers on and feeling a bit nervous as I come across the odd patch of ice!

Plenty of room to avoid the ice on this bit of track

Clive and me out on Saturday this time with the bikes with spikers fitted, and they were needed.

Out with Kathy on Monday and it was tricky going in wet snow with soft greasy ground underneath as demonstrated by her "technical dismount"!

She was unaffected by her off to demonstrate her weight lifting abilities!

I had to copy this show of strength but was going a bit red in the face as I did!

A week of contrasting ground conditions from firm going with a touch of frost to wet snow and soft underneath to just plain wet and greasy, but Scotland never fails to surprise me with its almost daily change of weather and riding conditions, I don't think I'd honestly enjoy every day being hot and dusty.............well maybe I would when I think a bit more about it! 

What a year that was!

2nd last ride of 2015 and I'd manage to reach 5500 miles for the year and Kathy produced some numbered candles to mark the occasion, I can now reveal that when she handed me the number 5, I thought it was a cake and nearly took a bite out of it!

Baz getting back into some mountain biking again after snapping both achilles back in June, it's been a long haul but he's getting there.

This photo was taken just a day or so before Baz had his accident, good job you don't know what's just round the corner sometimes.

Stolen in September by some slime bag from my garage, a lot of good rides and memories on this bike which I'd built up myself.

Slime bag stole this one at the same time, chained to the other one with a motor bike security chain, I'd done the Strathpuffer on this little beauty!

The theft of my two 26ers had one good result however, I replaced them with an Anthem 29er and never looked back, 29ers were built to ride the Pentland Hills on!

First snow of the winter in November, but it didn't last long

Kathy, who I've done a lot of biking with this year, full of fun, full of energy and going to leave me in her wake before too long, hope to do a lot more in 2016!

One of my favourite bits of track in the Pentland Hills, especially on a day like this.

A long week-end in Northern Ireland with Mark, Dougie, Dylan and Neil and more alcohol consumed than can possibly be good for anyone, but a laugh a minute!

Christmas Day up the Pentlands with Clive Kathy and Graeme, which was very appropriate as I spend nearly every day up there!

2015 has come and nearly gone, if 2016 is half as good it'll be fantastic, what I look forward to next year is Baz back to full fitness, more biking with Clive, Dougie, Mark and Marc and more Pentathons with Kathy! Happy New Year! 

Mountain biking with a bit a bit o' alcohol thrown in, not really recommended, but good fun at Christmas!

Out with Clive on Tuesday afternoon and we refuelled with some mini stollen bites!

Christmas Day and what better way to celebrate than a bike ride up into the hills with Clive, Kathy and Graeme on a crisp December day.

We've reached the snow line, for what it's worth, and our destination is the top of that hill on the right of the photo, so a bit more climbing to do yet!

Nice and toasty after the climb up Castlelaw!

Destination reached, the top of Allermuir and to meet up with members of Carnethy Hill Runners club to celebrate Christmas day.

Kathy and Graeme are both members of Carnethy Hill Runners who apparently celebrate each Christmas Day with a run to Allermuir summit in the |Pentland Hills, so what better way to celebrate with them than biking up instead of running up, anyway my hips aren't into running up hills now!

We actually were the first to arrive but were soon joined with a crowd of fit hill runners some of whom were wearing very short shorts, I'm still shivering thinking about them. There were copious amounts of alcohol being shared around, brandy, whisky,port, mulled wine and what Clive and me,at least voted the best, raspberry vodka, a dangerous combination which makes vodka taste like a soft drink! It took me all my time to stagger back to my bike after sampling each of them, some more than once (especially the raspberry vodka)! The descent back down Allermuir was a bit hazy and I managed to fall off the bike once or twice on the return ride home but put that down to ground conditions rather than over consumption of the demon drink. A great mornings' ride and a great way to celebrate Christmas Day! 

Bazs' fight back to fitness continues

This was Baz 6 months ago, both achilles snapped, sewn back on to his calf muscles again and consigned to wearing moon boots for about 7 weeks, he'd have been better with broken legs!

Friday morning and it's Bazs' first ride back up the Pentlands, admittedly not a tough one but still 1k feet of climbing, we're getting there slowly but surely!

This morning, Sunday, and we go a little further but not too far! Don't want the same thing to happen again!

It's been a long 6 months for Baz since he somehow or other managed to snap both achilles simultaneously while playing badminton, quite an achievement apparently doing both at the same time. Now he's back on the bike again, the badminton racquets having been binned and slowly trying to build up his calf muscles which presently resemble a pair of water filled balloons. Another 2 months should see a big difference and we'll start to go off road and on to the harder stuff again.  

Years target reached!

The Forth Road Bridge which is currently being stitched back together again with Meccano and Lego. Just this side of it is the new bridge which should be open in 2016 as long as it doesn't develop any faults before then! Maybe we should start on another bridge in a couple of years just in case. The old railway bridge has now been working away for about 150 years which just goes to show how the builders then failed to realise that a new bridge every few years could help to solve the unemployment problem in Scotland.....

Sunday morning and its -4 C but the view is stunning from the top of the shelter belt

Clive and me trying to look warm (and failing)

Baz casts his engineers eye over the car less Forth Road Bridge as he tries to come up with a solution to its problem that wont cost any more than £3 trillion.

Kathy looks down at what appears to be molten marmalade but is in fact the overflow from Threapmuir Reservoir as a result of last weekends torrential rain.

The years target of 5200 miles has come and gone, passed last Wednesday afternoon. Mishap of the week has to be the Garmin starting to play up and refusing to upload its data, that's going to get a serious talking to or it's in the bin!