Out Again.

       Managed out on the bike yesterday, June 7th. just a wee spin round the Lowmoss area, wee runs are all I do nowadays, circumstances dictate. Gone are the days when I could get up in the morning and decide is it Loch Ard, Arrochar, Callander, Lake of Menteith, Loch Venachar, Strathyre, or Dunoon, then set off with a smile on my face. Now I usually start with a wee cruise around the Cadder Cemetery before heading out onto the road. At that point I lose my camera assistant Stasia, hence the view of so many tombstones. It was a pleasant enough day but I picked the wrong thin cycling shirt, so the temperature was just that wee bit lower that I find comfortable. Of course there is something that most cyclists will be aware of, some of the road surfaces are downright dangerous. There is a bit of the road on the Lowmoss to Lenzie road, though not the only road, that is really a killer lying in wait. The road isn't that wide and you have to go wide from the edge to avoid craters rather than potholes, and with cars doing their usual 50mph minimum it can sometimes be a wee bit nerve racking, especially to an old crater like yours truly.

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Familiar Road.

     What a beautiful day, so ventured out on the dream machine to a familiar patch, but one I hadn't visited for some considerable time. A wee run around Milton of Campsie. Not the flattest of routes but well loved by yours truly. I'm sure they make those hills a bit higher each year, or so it feels. I'm sure there must be another reason I'm overlooking for that thought. 

      Stopped to take a couple of photos at the cafe I sometimes popped into for that obligatory plate of soup and coffee, It is of course closed because of this Covid19 beastie. No following camera woman Stasia on this route. The name of the cafe refers to where it is, near the Campsie Fells. 

    Across the road from the cafe there is a little garden with a marble bench seat. The inscription, which I don't think you can read in the photo, tells us that it was created in memory of one of our far too many politicians, Charles Kennedy, JP., and counciller, for this area, not to be confused with the other Charles Kennedy Liberal MP. 

      Another claim to fame for this wee village is that a farm in Milton of Campsie area was the birth place of Scottish radical, Thomas Muir.

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Sun And Bike.

     Managed out on the bike yesterday, just the same wee circuit that I abandoned last week because of roadworks temporary traffic lights in two sections, and single lane driving always a bit of a nuisance to an old guy like me. However all that had gone so it was just a half a dozen wee runs round the circuit from Cadder cemetery out past Lowmoss and towards Lenzie, turn and join the main Kirkintilloch Bishopbriggs road round the Cadder cemetery and repeat about half a dozen times or so. Just enough to remind the legs what they are supposed to do.

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Peddle Happy.

       Everywhere I turn it is covid19, coronavirus, pandemic, so it is good to escape now and again, my favourite escape is the bike. I have managed out a few times recently, and it always feels great to be on the road again, doing my thing in my own peculiar way. The last couple of times it has been a short buzz round the Lowmoss area. The wee video might bore most of you, but it brings a glow of pleasure to my heart. If you look carefully you can just about make out "yours truly" peddling his way along the main drag from Kirkintilloch to Bishopbriggs. I finished my wee run of pleasure at the Cadder cemetery, I do believe that a lot of people finish their run their, my grandfather for one.

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And Now For Something Completely Different.

 

        Been a mixed bag of weather over the last few months, in spite of the good spells I haven't got out on the bike very often, because of one thing and another. I have been out but sadly all rather short runs, hence can't be bothered to stop and take photos. Today was forecast to be the last dry day for a while, so just to remind myself that I used to be a cyclist I took the opportunity to head out for a short spin. My partner Stasia comes along for a spell then settles down and takes some photos. So thanks to her for this one, this afternoon. Don't like swans, they hiss as you cycle past, I have had the odd on go for my ankles. But I suppose they don't like us humans as some of us can be rather nasty to them.

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Public Park And Broken Glass, Bad Combination.

       Another lovely day, isn't our climate wonderful. I have a short memory problem when it comes to our wet and windy, cold and drizzly Scottish weather, because of which, I am always optimistic about our climate. So another wee run out on the bike, again one of those embarrassing short runs. This time very local, headed for Springburn Public Park, my local park. It is not that large but was a maze of tracks and paths lots of them shrouded in trees and shrubs. You can merrily cycle around twisting and turning under the impression that you are going somewhere. It is the public park I played in as a school kid, many centuries ago. As well as football pitches, a bowling green, kids play area, and what is a large green space, used as a cricket pitch, it has three ponds. One is labelled Duck conservation pond, another is a beautiful wild life pond, the third, when I was a boy, used to be the boating pond, where you could hire small paddle boats and for a short period, be a pirate. It is now another wild life pond. At the moment as well as lots of mallard ducks there are swans standing guard over their cygnets. Most of the tracks are smooth tarmac, good for the bike, a few stretches are rather in need of repair.

 

       What started off as a great day went all wrong after about 8 miles or so of pleasant pedaling. Sadly the park has a couple of spots where some idiot has smashed a bottle and left it there for kids to fall on, dogs to walk over and cyclist to get punctures. Yes, you guessed it, I got a puncture, back wheel. Walking is not my thing any more, nor is sitting on the grass fixing a puncture. It's not the sitting on the grass, its the getting back up, arthritis and all that jazz. So I walked a bit, found a tree stump, sat there and fixed the puncture. stumbled back to the path and went to get on the bike and discovered that the front wheel was also flat. Too much bother to fix it, so ended my wee cycle, the rest was a slow rather painful walk pushing the bike. Ah well, there's always tomorrow.

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On The Road Again.

       Well Tuesday was a mild day, a bit overcast, but no rain and little in the way of wind. So who wouldn't want to get out on the bike? First time in quite a long while since I had been on the road, recent outings have been along the Forth and Clyde canal, it's relatively flat, (its been a rotten year with one thing and another), so nice and easy.

      Today it was cycling round and round the Lowmoss area, back on familiar roads round my patch, and it was great to escape the canal. I suppose, as far as cycling goes, I have covered too many road miles, over too many years, to be anything but a bike "roadie". When I started cycling cars were an oddity, one would roll past every now and again, today, it is an endless convoy of tin boxes of all shapes and sizes, flashing past you, sometimes at frightening speed and dangerous close, they call it progress. 

      Glasgow recently hosted the European cycling championships, and I suppose you could say of the council, "Didn't they do well", whole swaths of road were repaired, potholes were sorted, sunken drain covers were fixed. Sadly it was only the roads to be used by the professional cycle racers. All that repair work for a couple of hundred cyclists, when the city has thousands of cyclists that  use the roads on a daily basis and nothing is done to fix the multitude of potholes, crack and broken tarmac, sunken drain covers, on the roads all over the city. I think they got their priorities dreadfully wrong. Surely the citizens of Glasgow deserve as good a treatment as cycling visitors. Then again, the big spectacle is all about big money, and our city council will always pay homage to the big bucks. Ah, that's capitalism.

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Cycling Shoe To Moon-boot.

         Last week Stasia and I decided we would head for the Isle of Bute with the bikes and enjoy a few days cycling on the island. We booked into a wee cottage in Rothesay. Unfortunately the day or so before we left for the Isle, while doing some DIY in the garden, I dropped a rather heavy piece of teak on my left foot. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when we arrived in Rothesay, my foot was "loupin", (throbbing with pain). So it was a visit the the local Accident and Emergency unit, efficient examination, Xray, and told I had three small fractures on my foot, fitted with a "moon-boot" and handed a walking stick. Back at the cottage I thought, the "moon-boot" is to hold the foot firm and support the bones, well, a cycling shoe with its solid sole and tight Velcro straps would do just the same. Undaunted, off we went for a short cycle along the coast, stopping at a quiet spot, I sat and admired the view, while Stasia wandered along the beach. After a while it was a pleasant cycle back to the cottage. However by this time my foot was complaining something terrible, so it was back on with the moon-boot and that was the end of our cycling around the Isle of Bute. Now home and the foot is still "loupin". 

Enjoying Isle of Bute sunshine.

Stasia doing her walk-about.

Not the ideal cycling shoe. 

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Two Stables And Not a Horse In Sight.

       What has happened to Scotland? Glorious sunny weather day after day, "Aye, we'll piy fur this, mark ma words."  However, in the meantime let's grasp it while we can. Still trying to get some miles in my legs, it was back to the Forth and Clyde Canal, stretching it a little each time out. What a great afternoon, the canal was busy with walkers and cyclists, as well as the odd boat chugging its way along, with people sunning themselves on deck. I was also delighted to see a group of school kids canoeing their way along the canal. I passed two "Stables" but not a horse in sight, they are both now eating houses. One Lambhill Stables, where I saw the canoeists, the other, The Stables near Kirkintilloch, in the past, I have sampled its hospitality and it was very pleasant, both were busy.

 I never got this at school.

Lambhill Stables.

The Stables near Kirkintilloch.

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Back On The Road Again.

         I have been out on the bike quite a few times recently, but have never bothered to post anything about the journeys. The main reason being that they have all been of the soft option, easy and short, along the Forth and Clyde Canal. 

          Today, for a wee change, I thought I would have a go at my favourite patch, the Campsie area and post a few photos, just to let my friends know that I am still out pushing the pedals. Though nowadays I don't refer to myself as a cyclist, more an old guy who goes out on his bike.  Part was on the road to Strathblane, where my old legs complained a little at the hills, and my pace was pathetic. The other part was on the Strathblane Railway Path. I suppose it used to be a railway that served the rural area, until Beeching put paid to that. I never feel happy on these cycle paths and canal paths. They seem too narrow, and with joggers, dog walkers, families with prams and kids, and cyclist, all moving in both directions, I get a little frustrated and apprehensive. I'm happier on the road I just have the vehicles to contend with and they are all moving in the same direction as myself.  Well that's my wee moan over for the meantime.

The road at Strathblane just before you enter the cycle path.

A view from the cycle path.

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A Wee Bit Of Cycle Track.

 

      I have been silent for a while, some might rejoice at that and hope it continues, others may have missed my mouthing off, to them, a thank you. Circumstances have made it difficult to carry out my usual routine, but things are beginning to fall into place again. My silence is in no way an indication that the hatred and anger that I hold for this exploitative greed drive system of capitalism has diminished, on the contrary, reflection has only strengthened my desire to do what I can, in my own humble way, to help bring about the demise of the capitalist system and with it, all its injustices, inequalities, exploitation, misery, deprivation and of course its endless wars for power.

      However, I thought I would make my first few lines on another subject, that love of mine, cycling. Wednesday was probably the best day we in Scotland have had for a while, around 17 degrees, blue sky and a not too nasty a wind, about 12 mph, so it was a little circle round my usual Campsie area. One peculiar aspect of Wednesday on the outward journey, was the absence of motor vehicles, a rare occurrence on our roads nowadays, making the road a very pleasant place for cyclists. The return journey was back to the usual speeding tin boxes, screaming past in both directions. Again there were lots of cyclists out on the road, usually passing me with a friendly "Hi", I'm getting used to them passing me, and as they do, I usually murmur to myself, "ah, those were the days my friend, we thought they would never end--".   I have always been a road cyclist and have very, very rarely ventured onto cycle tracks. However I thought I would give the one that runs through the Campsie area a wee try, and joined it before it reaches Lennoxtown. I can recommend it, well the short patch that I followed. It was a pleasant ride on a smooth tarmac surface, and no worries about HGVs and speeding off-roaders.   

Cycle track just before it ends as you enter Lennoxtown.

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Memories.

 

        Another beautiful day, 20 degrees, practically no wind, a clear blue sky, and that wonderful short term Scottish memory, after a couple of days like this we start to think, what a fantastic climate.

     So I set off to complete what I didn't the last time out on the bike, go to Balmaha. It is a beautiful spot, if the weather is kind, it was today, very kind indeed. It is another spot I used to take the kids to, though in those days it wasn't quite so popular, just a place for some walkers, cyclists and a few cars. Today it was awash with walkers, lots of parked cars, though I seemed to be the only cyclist there today. 

      It was also the place, in my younger days, we walked through heading for Rowardennan and then up Ben Lomond. Lots of wonderful pleasant memories as I sat in the sun.

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It Never Rains In Fintry!!

        Today was another beautiful day, after a couple of dull windy and wet days, how our weather fluctuates, from the beautiful to the lousy, several times a week. So the bike and I headed for Killearn, and then on to Fintry, and back to the Killearn tearoom for some sustenance. The tearoom in Fintry's main street, died many years ago. In my distant past, at times I would "escape" to the tranquillity of Fintry. Oddly ever time I went, it never rained and was beautiful weather. So I had in my mind this thought, that it never rains in Fintry. However speaking to a local he pointed out that I was obviously deluded. I suppose he should know.

      Fintry is a quiet little village that lies over the Campsie Fells from Lennoxtown. It has won lots of prizes for its floral displays along its street, but I didn't see much of a display today. Perhaps they are bored with all the accolades. One thing that is different about Fintry, the village is involved on a community basis in a wind farm, from which the village benefits.

     It is also a village where you have to have a bike or some other form of transport, as there is no public transport service to the village. Though I think looking at some of the property, it will be cars as the main mode of travel, rather than bikes, pity, such a beautiful cycling area.

At Fintry Cross.

      Lots of lovely routes to take from here.

Looking along Fintry main street towards Killearn.

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