#s24h

[positivewordsresearch]

Go Romania! #s24h #romania🇹🇩 #romania https://www.instagram.com/p/BoB0d0BB3B4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=178ymhdha9fra

[positivewordsresearch]

These 200 positive words made 3 new friends at @dianaamza home while waiting to find their owner next week when they will randomly be pulled from the box by each runner before the marathons of 24 and 48 hours @s24h_race #s24h #timisoara https://www.instagram.com/p/BnzDSlfjLjv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17blajkn4ot1x

[positivewordsresearch]

The back of the 200 cards that we will give to the runners of the 24 hours marathon next week S24h #s24h @dianaamza @s24h_race #marathon #run24hours https://www.instagram.com/p/BnrGDp3BtAP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1slansrq29kuk

[positivewordsresearch]

My next collection of positive words will be for the 24 hours running marathon that will happen in Timisoara next week. Every runner and member from the organizing team will receive a positive card.! My inspiration for this collection was Hortensio, the colored snail. @dianaamza @elukinich @s24h_race @irina.ursachi.1 #s24h #marathon #positivewords #staypositive #youcandoit #actuallyican (at Timisoara, Romania) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnrj0PshhCu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1urk5ji2q580m

[sklarbikes]

About ready for some of this. #sklarbikes #bikepacking #s24h (at Bozeman, Montana)

[my--country]

Fife Bikepacking - S24H Trendy Trip

There’s more to Fife than linoleum, nails and ice cream. Along The Kingdoms coast, through its forests and among its rolling, hilly centre is a huge network of core paths, farm and forest access trails which with a little OS-fu, can be linked together into a very satisfying ride.

I’ve been completely taken by the riding in Fife since I first rode across it during my double century attempt a few years ago. Since then I’ve always made a point of passing through it on cycle tours and have been fascinating about the idea of doing a cheeky and very trendy S24H trip there for months now.

After a 6AM start at work, a trough of coffee and a bag of pastries had got me through the day and with an increasingly anxious feeling tummy, I decided that I was post-tired and in the mood to sleep outside. With a surprisingly clear forecast for that night and the following day, I quickly worked out how to attach my Alp-Kit tapered stuff-sack to the #29durr, zip-tied a head torch to my helmet and headed out at around 8PM.

Spinning West through Edinburgh and out to Dalmeny Estate, I spent most of my time adding and removing layers, working out how best to deal with the damp ground and oddly, windless evening.

Arriving at the estate and escaping the glow of street lights, a full fat moon was enough to light my way across open ground. Joining the single-track that runs along the coast, I made quick progress and was soon at North Queensferry and crossing the bridge into Fife itself.

Arriving in Inverkeithing, I joined the Fife Coastal path which was to take me as far as Largo the following day. The Fife Coastal Path is an underrated long distance walking route which takes you from Kincardine at the Eastern end of the Forth Estuary, right along the length of the coast to Newburgh in the North.

The nature of the trail changes constantly along its 117 mile length, from well paved cycle paths to fun, swoopy singletrack that hugs an often precipitous coastline. It’s very well signposted, GPS files are readily available and given its proximity to so many big population centres, I don’t know why it’s not more popular.

The riding between Inverkeithing and Kinghorn, although tame, is very enjoyable and I made sure to say hello to our boat at Aberdour. Things get more interesting between Kinghorn and Kirkaldy and the single-track trail is more like a blue graded mountain bike route than a walking trail, with high skid and wheelie potential around every corner.

That evening, I made it almost as far as Wemyss and eventually crawled into my bivvy bag at around 1 AM, 21 hours after waking!

Setting off the following morning, I enjoyed more varied single-track, made my way through the rather dour Methill as quickly as possible, before heading inland at Largo in the direction of Ceres. 

Arriving in Ceres, I ate a tepid macaroni pie and joined a rather convoluted route of farm and forest tracks which meandered their way across the very pleasant high plateau which makes up the middle of Fife.

A mix of recently defrosted ground and recent farm activity made for some seriously sloppy riding which will have no doubt made short work of my bottom bracket.

After a short hike-a-bike section* on the North-Eastern face of Clatto Hill, I re-joined well paved trails which, as the high-point of my trip, would lead me downhill as far as Thornton.

*If one does not hike-a-bike, is it bikepacking at all? Or have I transgressed into ‘overlanding?’

I had hoped to continue further than this, returning via the coastal path to Aberdour, but commitments latter that day stopped me at this point.

Regardless I had a wonderful little trip which ironed out a lot of questions I had about my bikepacking setup. This also means I have cut out approximately 20% of the needless humming, hawing and faffing I will inevitably endure in planning my next big trip.

The ride has also made worse my desire to explore Fife by bike. Maybe it’s my lust for post-industrial ugliness juxtaposed with bucolic loveliness taking over, but riding in Fife really does have it all for me. Strava links here and here.