This week I travel to the border and outskirts of Ayrshire to the infamous Whitelee Wind Farm. I have been told this is the most accessible area for Gravel riding in the central area of Scotland.
This is the largest onshore windfarm in the U.k. with over 215 Wind turbines!
I have preloading a Komoot route to my Garmin headset to see if the Sat Nav/ Gps is any good in the location. Many assents and technical decents as well as a mechanical again before I hit the Cafe stop!
Hope you enjoy this weeks very wet and soggy video.
Thanks for watching and until next time guys, Bye for now 👋
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Welcome along to another video I am that cycling chump and in this one it’s a Saturday morning and I’ve decided to come up to White Lee Wind Farm which is just south of Glasgow and north of AA I was getting a little bit monotonous in
My R where I was going back and forward to tr and Irving and out to the heads of air kind of that area so decided Spruce it up a little bit we’re starting to get into time where the nights are getting a little bit longer and we can travel a
Little bit further I plotted a 40 km route through Kut into my Garin headset this is the first time I’ve used my satin half part of my headset so I want to see how good it actually is so is a kind of wcky mission as well as just out
For some fresh air anyway if you want to see a little bit more stick around and we’ll see you later on the Video hey don’t get me wrong I think this would be quite good in the summer time when the gravel’s a bit dry it has been raining so the gravel’s wet and of my biggest regrets so far I forgot to put my mud guard on so I’m going to have
A nice wet soggy back probably going to get back to beas Camp one of my regrets as I just said there was have no mud guard but somebody must be looking over my shoulder this morning cuz I’ve just found something line next to the road that will come in
Very handy let’s see what you think I’m pretty sure that’s going to save my ass once or twice today so let’s get on the bike it’s clearly for a child’s bike with his size it but we’ll do it for my ride today so far so good with the Garin sa outside
It I used to have the edge 130 which was just a little breadcrumb map it was okay but it would only kind of give you an idea of where you were going would actually show you where you were going upgraded to the 1040 plus and I’m pretty happy with it so
Far and talking to be pretty happy I can understand and appreciate the Buzz for gravel riding I did say in my last video that I was going to be doing a lot more Hills to get into training for from the real cycl season in Scotland starts it’s nearly there so
I need to up it and when I had a look at the profile for this route today it said it was a little bit hilly but don’t think it was going to be as hilly as this check this out just had to stop for a little minute
To get my breath back the first H that went up there it was okay it was a bit steep but it was not bad I wasn’t expecting to get around the corner and directly hit another one it was even steeper I think it was about 7% gradient
And that’s the other thing I love about my garm because it gives me clim Pro it tells me exactly how hard to push it or when to back off so so far but not too bad but my heart rate is pretty high after that last H again my fitness has taken just that
Tiny little bit of dip with the weather that we’ve had it’s not been very good the last few while in Scotland so it’s near been two weeks since I’ve been outside outside done a couple indoor training sessions but I’ve not actually been out out I managed to get out
Yesterday for maybe an hour but I just knew I was looking for something that was a little bit longer and as I said earlier on I was getting kind of bored doing my same old training routes I wanted to come in a little Adventure I’m seeing a reoccurring theme
Here today and it seems to be Hills it’s actually somebody descending this one only 10 km in quarter of the way around my route and pry TI but sure my squ he had to take my we hat off cuz I’m absolutely cooking underneath it just get some air r with my head and
Dry my hair off that’s one of the things I do like it’s totally sign posted up here and every single one of these same po have got a QR code on it you can download the wind farm M to your phone so you know exactly where you are at all times one
Of the biggest things I do like about it is just the remoteness it’s although you can hear the turbines kind of moving and you can hear the wind it’s absolutely silent up here it’s a good place to come and recharge especially if you’re on your bike apparently my GPS is sending
Me this way according to the sign I’m heading towards Strath Haven which is roughly about 12 km I don’t know if that’s exactly where my maps taking me but at least I know if I get lost when I’m heading towards and I can use my phone if really need to I’m quite happy
That the weather stayed the way it is it’s quite mild today as well but the rain is coming in you can actually smell in the air but I’ve got my rain jacket with me so I know I’ll not get absolutely soaked my trousers in the other hand they’re already covered in
Mud as are my shoes so thank God I brought a change of clothes and they in the car at base camp so probably getting change when I get back anyway onwards one of the things I do like about coming up here for the gravel it’s a technical
Descents as well even though the ascents are quite good and they are pretty challenging the descents are just as challenging as well cuz you pick up speed that quick you don’t actually realize how fast you’re going so you’ve got to try and navigate the potholes rocks brush stuff like
That yep I’m definitely going to workout today anyway now I’m not saying I’ve got another function in the back wheel but it does look as if it’s starting to go flat again I’m going to pump this up I think I’m going to change this tire because that’s the last three o I’ve had
There’s always been something with this back tire I’ve checked the carcass I can’t see anything in it at all so I’m wondering if it’s maybe a Spoke is coming through and may be poking in tube very much out that um I don’t know we’re going to pump up anyway and see
How we’re going we’ve got a cafe stop May in about 10 km so hopefully we’ll get there if not I’ve got plenty of inner tubes anyway I’m just not really wanting to change one at this this this early into the journey unless it’s needing it a few inches later yep
Definitely think I’ve got another puncture definitely going to change this carcass when I get home as well because I think it’s I think there’s something in this tire that just can’t get out always remember to have a a pair of latex gloves on you I’m wondering whether it’s maybe
Been a pinch flat check that I go home I don’t think it has been according to the Garment I’m not even halfway around the course yet so I need to get my skates on we got a coffee at the little coffee shop that’s coming
Up in the next 5 or 6 km just to heat up and hopefully we don’t get another mechanical before we get back to base camp let’s go so nice we got halfway own that of at the hering cafe for a little mocker the Raina is starting to come on
Now I made another couple of secrets on there as well they’re doing the same kind of route as me today so I might bump into them in the way back and I did comment on the YouTube channel as well so thank thanks very much you guys it’s great you appreciate the videos anyway
I’m going to try Dr it back to the wh Le visitor Center’s car park which is about 20 km maybe 25 if I take the wrong turn and we’ll see how we got on we’re back on to some good old Country Roads Terror firmer the firmer it is the
Less of the terror the rain’s not too heavy yet but I’ve got a funny feeling it’s going to come on with our engines the only benefit is if it does rain quite heavy my bike will got a free wash I got few runs to get the mud off it anyway
I’m absolutely covered in mud let be turned off the country road I was on and I’m back onto spine road which is going to take me all the way to the white Le Visitor Center car park I think so far the GPS has been really
Handy cuz if I hadn’t had it or a map I think I would have struggled a little about today cuz there’s been one or two turn offs you just wouldn’t know they were there the rain is starting to get a little bit heavier now even though the weather has changed and
It’s raining pretty heavy I’m still enjoying today because it has showed even only half an hour away from what your usual training pattern is with my route changing slightly than it usually is I’m a be bit more engaged into the cycle not only that I’m discovering new
Places that I’ve never seen seen in my life before and I definitely will be coming back up I definitely want to come back up in the summer to see what it’s like when it’s to hard packed gravel and just Dusty and warm not saying I’m cold in anyway I’m absolutely sweating
Underneath this rain coat anyway I’ve got a rolling salmon waiting for me in the car and we’ll do what our grandfathers used to do when they’re out in the B and drum up a cup of tea there’s something very familiar about this road it’s as if I’ve already cycled
On it yep the RO must have took me around in a big loop and I can see behind me there’s a Pelon coming how B the cyclist it was at the head in Cafe I’d left maybe about 5 10 minutes before then as we get back to the white Le Visitor
Center and this is actually quite a good thing I as to use the toilet you got to get the key I need to get changed cuz I’m absolutely salt and covered in mud we to come into the guy’s toilet they’ve got a full shower if you need a shower
And they’ve also got facilities for you to use I just think that’s absolutely great I’m not going to have a shower although I did bring a to so I could have a show if I wanted to but um I’m just going to quickly get changed then
I’m going to get something to eat in the car ah I don’t think anybody appreciates how good it is when you get a wet clothes and into some decent clothes that’s really good there because I’ve got a Sher facility and everything you can use and it is free but always
Got to give a little donation anyway I’m for a cup of tea in a roll well that’s got to the end of another video just like to thank you all for staying tuned today it has been a fun day even though it’s been wet but yeah I definitely come back up to quite
Le win Farm I’ve enjoyed it would you advise anybody else to come up yeah definitely I can’t believe I’m getting a cup of tea I’ve been looking for I’ve been looking forward to that cup of tea for a little while and I’m going to have a little salmon roll enjoy today’s video
Give us a big thumbs up and if you really enjoyed it hit that subscribe button cuz you’re subscribing keeps me in the channel riding I’m going to go and eat this salmon roll and drink this cup of tea now so I hope to see you all
In the next one in the meantime you can check out my last video here or you can check out previously on that cycling chimp down below there till the next time guys bye for now
1 Comment
Smashing.