Ride Out – Page 3 – Clyde Valley HOG 9894

Linlithgow Shop Ride Out

08/10/2024

We had about a dozen bikes and riders away to Ride to the Wall at the weekend, so it is fair to say a big turn out wasn’t expected for a wee shop ride out on Saturday. In the event, we had 11 bikes and a dozen members at WCHD. The destination was to be Linlithgow which by coincidence was hosting a market day. We were a little concerned about our planned parking up area but in the event it turned out OK. We had a plan A+ and a Plan B to deal with any eventualities arising! ( Apart from Chris going to the totally wrong town… all we could do was try to stop him turning off the route ).

Once Nicole had turned up ( she was sweeper for the run, along with Frazer taking up the tail position) we headed off along the M8 picking up the A89 and skirting around Coatbridge and Airdrie before heading out across quiet country roads up through Caldercruix, Avon Bridge and in to Linlithgow on the Linlithgow Bridge road.

A really nice set of roads, in reasonably good condition ( there is a shocker) and some nice twists and turns, on what turned out to be a very pleasant Saturday morning.

Once parked up at the cross and after a few chapter photo’s most of the riders dispersed to the various coffee shops and the farmers market. Who knew what a Lamington was…..?…Nicole evidently!

It was such a nice day I think everyone was quite content just to sit around and blether but eventually everyone departed with a group taking a run in to EHD as its not too far away.

Wanlockhead Ride Out

19/09/2024

Burnsy took us on a brilliant ride through North Ayrshire, heading to the Custom show at Wanlockhead Inn and after a bit of a grey cool start it ended up a pretty nice day. We headed down some great roads to Muirkirk for a break.

Unfortunately we had to abort the official ride here due to unforeseen issues, but some of the bikes still made their way to the show which was very busy with some great bikes on display.

Ettrick Bay Beach Ride Out

19/09/2024

Raymond Brodie took a ride out on the 31st August to Ettrick Bay Beack on the sunny Isle of Bute, going the long way around there and incorporating two ferries into the run.

Photos pinched from Pete Chisholm and Louise Campbell

Looks like it was a brilliant day.

Raymond made a wee video.

Dumfries Aviation Museum Ride Out

19/09/2024

While many were up north enjoying Thunder in the Glens, Scott took a small group to Dumfries Aviation Museum by way of a shop ride out and they had pretty good weather for it too on the most part.

Pictures from Ian MacKay

Comrie Chapter ride out August 2024

27/08/2024

Last Sunday ( 18th August) we had a Chapter ride out to somewhere a bit different ( and soon to be no more) the Tullybannocher Cafe by Comrie, in Perthshire. As it was a Sunday and the plan was to try to evade motorways and the main A9, we started the ride from the Maccy D’s at the Showcase on the east-side of the city. The weather while forecast to be bright and sunny was a bit overcast and rain kept threatening while down on the southern ( Glasgow) end of the route but it did eventually turn out to be not a bad day.

The route took around 22 bikes up the A73 ( lots of roundabouts) and then onto Kilsyth ( even more tricky roundabouts) so many of the riders popped their proverbial cherries at second rider drop off. I think almost everyone was called upon to take care of a turn at some point. We do generally try to limit the drop off’s as much as possible but there is a trade-off to be calculated between roads with basically no turnings ( ie Motorways and trunk roads) or taking the route less travelled and more interesting roads and accepting that we might need to steer the chapter down the right path.

What time do you call this — Oh dear…was someone late…. Nicole?

As it was no one was lost, and we allowed for a wee regroup and fuel stop at Stirling just to make sure everyone was still with us and able to make it up to Comrie and back without needing to refuel.

After a 10-minute leg stretch we headed off around the Stirling Ringroad…more roundabouts, then Bridge of Allan, around the nasty A9/M9 roundabout then right through Dunblane to Kinbuck, Braco and then off through the glen to Comrie past Cultybraggan camp.

It is probably fair to say the last section of the ride out went down particularly well with the riders, being through some picturesque scenery and quiet roads. A successful day and the run back via Loch Earn and down the side of Lubnaig is never to be missed.

Comrie Chapter Ride Out — Images from the day out to Comrie on Flickr

The Dukes Pass and Loch Katrine

15/08/2024

On Saturday, the shop ride out took us up to Aberfoyle and then over the Dukes Pass on what transpired to be a pretty decent day. It had started with a few heavy showers but the ride was in dry conditions and very pleasant.

They seek him here, they seek him there… Gordon on the Stealth bomber

In all we had over 30 bikes out which is a good number. One member kept appearing and disappearing but we think Gordon was mostly there…. it has been said that he isn’t all there on ocassions 🙂

It was kept quiet.. by everyone but Gilly… shh…who said that?….but rumour has it the RC (ahem, Scott…oh that’s a bad cough I have)… might have turned into the wrong opening after crossing the Dukes Pass and heading into Katrine but none of the bikes at the back noticed as there was so many ….apparently it was used as feet up U turn practice….

Some additional images courtesy of Connor Edinborough at WCHD

Gilly never mentioned at all about the wrong turn…..

Connor at WCHD’s camera had an Invisibility penetrating lens so could see Gordon clearly

All the pics from the day are at Flickr below.

Dukes Pass and Loch Katrine 2024 — Photos at Flickr

Kirkudbright Ride out

05/08/2024

On Sunday we had another Shop ride out which was destined to head for Kirkudbright, a nice run to somewhere different led by Davie Fulton. In the event a yellow weather warning was issues for rain approaching from the south west so the decision was taken to curtail the ride and head to Girvan where there was a RNLI gala day in progress and which had been a planned stop for the riders returning back from Kirkudbright anyway.

Nicole (ready to stop some traffic and dig some roads) and Lairdy ( using Denis and his new Heritage softail as a sat nav apparently and managing to get lost later in the day) took up the crew duties.

Though the threat of a warning on weather seemed to have put off some members we nonetheless took 10 bikes down and they rode through very quiet roads in the Ayrshire countryside and reached Girvan nice and dry. (as is so often the case on days with threatened bad weather).

Photo’s from Catherine Fulton.

Kircudbright ride out — All our photos on Flickr

Cairndow Inn Ride Out

01/08/2024

On Sunday we had a shop ride out led by Road Marshal, Andy (Burnsy) Burns, supervised by Road Captain, Davie Fulton which went from WCHD up to the Cairndow Inn on the south side of Loch Fyne.

We had very good weather for the run and a turn out in excess of 30 bikes which is great.

While out we learned that Activities Officer and Road Captain, Davy Henderson had been involved in a Hit and Run incident near his home at Shotts while out on a “Birthday ride”. The people who caused the collision have yet to be traced. Any information please get in touch with the Police. Davy has found himself in Hospital with a number of painful injuries which will require surgery. His recuperation is likely to take a while and a GoFundMe has been set up by his sister to help him out financially while unable to work. Any contributions would be most welcome.

The first leg went from WCHD to Balloch where we had a stop at thew CO-OP car park and as progress was being hampered by a lot of traffic on the backroads out through the Campsies, ( in large part due to road closures on the M8 but also just general Sunday road users) we decided to cut the run a little shorter than planned and take the direct route up Loch Lomondside to Cirndow via the Rest and Be Thankful.

Andy did well on his first ride out lead and we all had a nice we break at the Inn before heading our respective ways.

Cairndow Ride Out — See all the images on Flickr

Doune Castle and the Blair Drummond Smiddy

04/07/2024

On Saturday, riders from Clyde Valley HOG went on a shop ride out to Doune Castle (of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Outlander fame), with a stop off at Blair Drummond Smiddy for a leg stretch and a bite to eat. Led by Raymond Brodie the route headed up by Balloch and then along the A811 ( the original route was to be somewhat different but road works led to a change out by Balloch and Raymond also had to deal with some other road issues along the route and adapt quickly.

Heading towards Stirling the plan was to then take the link road between the A811 and A84 known locally as Kirk Lane emerging at Blair Drummond and a stop off at the Smiddy. Who knew that in the preceding day they (presumably Stirling Council) had only gone and laid fresh top dressing on the road ( which really was not in bad condition at all previously) resulting in a gravelly, unpleasant stretch of road just before arrival at the Smiddy.

Denis's ill fated Sportster Iron — Denis’s ill fated Sportster Iron

After a wee break at the Smiddy it was off again along a wee back roads loop coming out on the A84 at Deanston and then into the village of Doune and the Castle. In all there were about 16 or 17 bikes…we even had Denis along back on his wee Sportster Iron though he had a few key (lost!) and warning light issues and managed to pick up a puncture….think we will name that bike Christine….

Once at Doune Castle most of the riders went for a walk around the castle grounds with the usual outbursts of “Your mother was a Hamster and your father smelled of Elderberries”.
No one had brought coconut shells unfortunately.

A nice wee run out and it stayed dry and was a pretty pleasant day if a little windy.

Short video of the ride out from Raymond Brodie

Chapter Ride Out Musselburgh and Luca’s

27/06/2024

Last Sunday we had a successful chapter ride out which was rearranged at short notice due to a mix-up with dates. The original destination of Portavadie was therefore rearranged at short notice and instead of west we headed East by a more winding route. It being a Sunday there was no real point to gathering at WCHD and with an Eastward trajectory in mind, we assembled at the McDonalds at the Showcase Leisure area near Coatbridge before heading off at 10:30. It’s fair to say we had a bit of a Mickey D’s take over as we managed to fill one entire side of the car park with Harleys. In all we had 37 bikes ( one non-Harley due to an ongoing bike off-the-road situation).

The route settled upon avoided Motorways and took us first out on the old A8 then South East down the A73, through Lanark and then cutting across via Symington to join the A702 towards Edinburgh up what has to be one of the best motorcycle routes in the land. Finally, we picked up the dreaded A720 Edinburgh City Bypass where we tackled the Sherrifhall roundabout ( which wasn’t as bad as it can be ( or had been during the recce on Friday), then leaving the A720 on to the A68 to enter Musselburgh via the back roads in through Whitecraig and Inveresk. A nice wee 67 mile canter through nice scenery in mostly sunny and warm conditions for once!

After coffee and a bite to start the day we started engines and were off

As we progressed South and East down relatively quiet roads it grew brighter and warmer and it was pleasingly sunny and warm once we reached The Honest Toun and parked up our bikes opposite Luca’s in bright sunshine.

Of course there is always one… but it was his birthday. (93 today and looking great on it).

A great turnout in the sunshine for a Luca’s

We have another two Eastward facing events coming up soon, with the Festival Of Motoring Exhibition event and then our ride to Dunbar to support the RNLI Gala day so watch out for them.

Tag: Ride Out

Linlithgow Shop Ride Out

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Wanlockhead Ride Out

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Ettrick Bay Beach Ride Out

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Dumfries Aviation Museum Ride Out

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Comrie Chapter ride out August 2024

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The Dukes Pass and Loch Katrine

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Kirkudbright Ride out

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Cairndow Inn Ride Out

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Doune Castle and the Blair Drummond Smiddy

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Chapter Ride Out Musselburgh and Luca’s

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