When I Get Older, Losing My Hair...

The day started well enough: breakfast at 7.15am - poached egg on toast. Checked FB, read some mail, looked at some bike stuff online - all good so far, usual Saturday morning. Got out on bike at 7.50 with Colin and rode over to Dalgarven, where Al joined us, before heading up the steep wee hill at the back of the mill and out onto route 7. At this point the heavens opened and we struggled up the Blair, before the rain stopped near RNAD Beith.

We headed across the bypass and through Beith toon centre before dropping into the valley and hanging a right on a wee country road alongside the dump - mingin!!! before following the Barr Loch along to the Hungry Monk and then down a section of busy road before joining a nice new cycle path from the RSPB centre down to Castle Semple. By this time the sun had put in an appearance and we warmed up as we stopped for a quick blether before heading back up the cycle route towards Kilbirnie. The plan was to head over the Hagthorn, as Colin's gears were jumping around a bit and he didn't want to test them on Auchengree hill, at Longbar.

We headed off the cycle route at Stoneyholm Road, Kilbirnie, headed through the Cross and down to Garden City, before being stopped by a police car, which had closed the road to Dalry. They informed us there had been a gas main severed along the route and we hurriedly revised our plans, heading along the wee road to Glengarnock.

We had just passed the railway station when catastrophe struck - there was a loud crunching sound as Colin's chain snapped, whipped his shin and wrapped itself around his rear cassette. Clearly he would be going no further.

Being Colin, he didn't have either phone or cash on his person, so he borrowed my phone to call his wife for assistance. No reply! Al and I figured we had enough money between us to fund his train fare to Kilwinning, but that would've meant walking home from the train station, so he declined this offer. Eventually, I phoned Pam to come to our aid. Three roof-mounted cycle carriers are very handy.

Chain-less and incapacitated

We then waited in a shelter on the railway platform, while a clearly disgruntled Colin gently simmered, annoyed at his misfortune recently. A few weeks previously, whilst out on his other bike, he had snapped a crank in half and had to walk home unaided from Dalry. Well, at least he had made it a wee bit further this time, but he hasn't had his bike problems to seek lately and they will be expensive to remedy.

Happy Chappy!

Pam arrived in the Broom Wagon very quickly and we loaded the bikes onto the roof before beating a hasty retreat to the comfort and warmth of home, as the weather continued to rage unabated all around us. Colin - you did us a favour getting us away from the clag and wind - every cloud has a silver lining. We can organize a benefit gig to pay for repairs. I'll sing and Al can play guitar - we'll sing 'When I'm Sixty-Four' by the Beatles, and you can play spoons!