Search results for:

Here is the route for tomorrow night. There are a couple of short, non technical, untarmaced sections, most notably a 0.5km section of off road at Newhailles Gardens. Very similar to the Hermitage which we have done plenty of times and can be cycled on any bike.

Lights are essential. It will be dark as we head home. Make sure they are charged and ready to go!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48294144

That's right folks, we are officially on the wrong side of summer which means bike lights are essential! but don't be sad because QoP is here to keep you moving whether it's golden hour or gloomy town. Setting off from Figgate Park, taking in the sights of North East Edinburgh.

Route to follow!

As usual, this is a strictly no-drop ride and we will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to bring is a working bike - any type will do. Fully charged lights are a must and we encourage you to wear a helmet! A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube to fix a flat tyre is a must and some tools would be grand but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (if disaster strikes, you will get help)

Our rides are completely self supported which mean we will be there for you as best we can but by signing up for this ride, you agree that Queens of Pain and the ride leaders are not responsible for your safety - you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well being.

Looking forward to being your captain for the evening.
Ruby.

I’ll take your spot at the pub 😉

I’m a maybe. Got plans for that weekend but they might be changing.

Spaces!

Just a gentle nudge to bring lights tonight - it’s looking a bit glooming out there.

Route for tomorrow: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46756660

According to Google, this will be the 21st Wednesday of the year, the 65th day of spring and 30 days until summer - that means we're still in 'Spring Showers' territory so have your waterproof to hand! We'll meet at the Royal Botanics and go for chill pootle around the city. Route to follow!

No drops as always. We will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to have is a working bike - any type will do, and we encourage you to wear a helmet!

A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube or plugs to fix a puncture is a must and some basic tools would be helpful but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (in case disaster strikes, you will get help with it).

Our rides are completely self supported which means we will be there for you as best we can but you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being.

Here's the route, see you in the morning!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46596344

We have a treat for you this weekend! Queens of Pain are joining forces with The Bike Station at Causewayside to introduce you to Dr. Bike. Dr Bike is a mobile repair station brought to you by the mechanics at The Bike Station. This will be an opportunity to meet some of the Dr. Bike team, get a little bike maintenance and maybe even learn a thing or two about fixing your bike. The Bike Station is a great charity that does lots of cool things, so let’s go support them!

The ride will set off at 9am from The Meadows by the Pavilion Cafe. We will pedal South, taking in some of Edinburgh's cycle infrastructure and heading back North to finish at The Bike Station at Causewayside around 11.30. The route will be 20-25km and our wonderful hosts will have a few refreshments waiting for us at the end.

Route to follow!

No drops as always. We will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to have is a working bike - any type will do, and we encourage you to wear a helmet!

A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube or plugs to fix a puncture is a must and some basic tools would be helpful but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (in case disaster strikes, you will get help with it).

Our rides are completely self supported which means we will be there for you as best we can but you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being.

Space free, grab it quick! X

Here's tomorrows route!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46342325

Hello, hello!

We are excited to release a NEW start point at Figgate Park onto our rota as we seem to be building up a Porty/Musselburgh contingent and like to keep things fair! This week we will go a little further East than we have gone before on a Wednesday so you can look forward to some new sights and route Highlights.

We will meet to the West side of Heron Island by the pond viewing point - here's the map location and visual attached to help you get there but message me if you are still unsure: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AnGBFbrF9Zv7U91i8

Route to follow!

As usual, this is a strictly no-drop ride and we will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to bring is a working bike - any type will do. Fully charged lights are a must and we encourage you to wear a helmet! A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube to fix a flat tyre is a must and some tools would be grand but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (if disaster strikes, you will get help)

Our rides are completely self supported which mean we will be there for you as best we can but by signing up for this ride, you agree that Queens of Pain and the ride leaders are not responsible for your safety - you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well being.

Excited to share this new adventure with you!
Ruby.

Not to worry Aoife. Thanks for letting me know. Hope to see you on a ride soon!

Hello to you brave souls that are still signed up for this birthday bonanza bike ride!

The weather is looking less than optimal but not terrible (hopefully little to no rain) so we're going ahead with the full ride. Adna has supplied some stats on the wind - see attached. Thankfully we are setting off early when the wind is at its lowest but regardless it will be strong on the route to Glasgow which will effect the effort and pace. It also looks chilly in the morning but much warmer as the day passes so start wrapped up and have somewhere to stash layers incase you decide to take them off!

Please bring decent, easy to grab snacks! The headwind on the way out will have us burning energy quickly.

If you decide to switch your direction/avoid the outward headwind, no shame but let me know here so I can keep a track of who we are waiting for at the start and who we are waiting for in Glasgow. We do have a table booked and all going well Adna will be there to grab it for us at 1pm and welcome everyone rolling in.

Any questions ask away. If you'd rather keep it private feel free to WhatsApp me. Really looking forward to this. So cool to be celebrating QoPs birthday with our longest group ride!

Keeping myself right here!

Both ways: Ruby, Helen, Lindsay, Eve D., Eve B., Alison D. and Emma Y.(7)
Edi > Gla: Aoife, Marisa and Gabi (3)
Gla > Edi: Adna, Morag (2)

You are not locked into these so let me know if you change your mind. It just helps me keep track of things.

For full transparency, the weather is looking very blowy and this route is quite exposed. I expect this to change nearer the time because it always does - I’ll be keeping an eye on it and you all updated. If it gets to a point where it looks unsafe I will reconsider the date. It’s important to me that I get you all home as close to 8pm as possible and an 80km headwind will have a big impact on that!

Yes, of course. Get yourself signed up!

Here's the route!
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45973657

For basic bike checks here is a good reference:
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/get-active/2019/everyday-walking-and-cycling/mcheck

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY TO QOP!! We have come so far in the last three years so why not pedal far to celebrate it!?

Route Information
Many of you know that you can pootle along the canal path from Edinburgh to Glasgow and back, but for this ride we are going to explore the lesser know, more direct route which follows much of the NCR75. We will set off from Fountainbridge, shortly joining the cycle path at Murrayfield. From there we head past the airport, Ratho Station and saying goodbye to Edinburgh at the Broxburn Viaduct. We keep heading West along mainly shared walkways and off road cycle paths all the way to Coatbridge where we will ride past the west coasts beloved Timecapsule. Sticking to cycleways as best we can we will start to share the roads with cars more often as we head closer to Glasgow. Once there, we will roll in to West Brewery at the edge of Glasgow Green for some lunch and a rest. If the sun is out we can enjoy their extensive outdoor seating, if not they have saved a spot for us indoors. Once everyone is satisfied we will head off to do the whole thing again in reverse!

Riding Information
I will be putting a minimum average speed on this event of 21km/h (13mph). The overall route is around 161km (100miles) with lunch booked for 1pm - 3pm. We will set off at 8am with the hope of arriving back at Fountainbridge for 8pm. Adding minimum speeds to rides is not something Queens of Pain like to do as we understand it is a barrier to entry and can be very off putting but for this particular ride I felt it is important to make sure those who join get home at a reasonable time, in as much daylight as possible.

There are plenty of stations along the way so there are regular outs if needed. There are also plenty of opportunities for snack and pee stops however, we will try our best to coordinate these as a group to limit faff time - this is a long ride for QoP but if we make good progress we will have more time to relax in Glasgow. Although there are plenty of supply stops, I encourage you to bring all the snacks and liquids you think you might need for a full day in the saddle.

Some of you will be joining us for a one way ride which is great! Please let me know know in the comments if you have signed up to do the out and back or one direction (and which direction that is). I can plot a route from Queens Street Station to West Brewery for anyone who needs it. If spaces fill up but you want to join one way leave a comment and maybe you can be a relay buddy with someone else doing one way!

Safety
As we know, things don’t always go to plan so think about packing extra layers incase the temperatures start to drop or the weather changes: some sort of waterproof layer is essential, we’re in Scotland after all! If you are running tubes, please bring TWO spares and patches as well as all the tools you might need - some of these sections had lot’s of broken glass around during the last recce. If you are tubeless I recommend a Dynaplug repair kit (other types/brands will do but I have found these to be the most effective) and a spare tube just incase!

This is a no-drop ride and we will wait at key points to keep the group together but unlike our usual rides I will be encouraging a steady pace as mentioned before. Please have a good check over your bike a few days before hand to make sure it is in full working order. Fully charged lights are a must and we encourage you to wear a helmet!

Our rides are completely self supported which mean we will be there for you as best we can but by signing up for this ride, you agree that Queens of Pain and the ride leaders are not responsible for your safety - you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well being.

Thanks Claire! It should be public now :)

Here is tomorrows route. Keeping it short and sweet:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45835619

This is looking like the last month of dark starts, spring is upon us! This week we will weave around and explore some of North Edinburgh together on a mix of roads and cycle ways. Final route to follow.

As usual, this is a strictly no-drop ride and we will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to bring is a working bike - any type will do. Fully charged lights are a must and we encourage you to wear a helmet! A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube to fix a flat tyre is a must and some tools would be grand but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (if disaster strikes, you will get help)

Our rides are completely self supported which mean we will be there for you as best we can but by signing up for this ride, you agree that Queens of Pain and the ride leaders are not responsible for your safety - you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well being.

I’ve heard that it’s hard to get women on bikes. That can’t be right, surely?!

Keep pedalling, see you Wednesday,
Ruby.

Here is the route for Wednesday. Unlikely to change so if you have the means please have the route on you. See you all then!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45365833

We might need to brace ourselves this week for the return of another cold spell but we can cuddle together in a QoP gang to generate some heat! Might be wise to pack some extra layers and get your thickest cosiest socks on!

Setting off from Leith Links at 7pm this is a strictly no-drop ride and we will wait at key points to keep the group together. These group rides are more about claiming some precious & potholed tarmac space, rather than chasing QOMs. The only essential thing to bring is a working bike - any type will do. Fully charged lights are a must and we encourage you to wear a helmet! A small request that everyone checks their brakes beforehand as we want to keep you all safe. A spare tube to fix a flat tyre is a must and some tools would be grand but there will always be someone with tools to help out if you need to borrow anything (if disaster strikes, you will get help)

Our rides are completely self supported which mean we will be there for you as best we can but by signing up for this ride, you agree that Queens of Pain and the ride leaders are not responsible for your safety - you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and wellbeing.

Route to follow.