Clocking up Team Matilda’s 7000th mile in tandem on celebration sunny “overseas” ride on Millport with new round island record!

The “old gal” taking in the sunshine and stunning views towards Millport Town.

This blog is the story of how my dynamic crew had fab fun on a truly epic Sunday clocking up Team Matilda’s 7000th mile in #tandem on a celebratory “overseas” ride on Millport What’s On Millport, Isle of Cumbrae complete with an amazing  new round the island speed record!

The big 7k was approaching and – unable to attend the Tandem Club rally in Nottingham – the “old git” and “old gal” decided that there was no better place to hit the mileage mark than a day trip to ‘Costa del Millport’ Visit Cumbrae.

You can check out the details of our route by clicking on the Strava map below.

It was definitely one of those sun-kissed, wind free, days when the Isle of Cumbrae lived up to its slogan: “Millport – in a world of its own!”

Up at 6am and after a near 80 mile drive to Largs my dynamic crew boarded the 10 minute CalMac Ferries trip from the mainland.

The “old gal” with her Cal Mac ferry ticket just before boarding.

The “old git” and “old gal” enjoying the short 10 minute crossing from Largs to Cumbrae.

On arrival on the island there was a quick pedal clockwise from the ferry slipway to the town of Millport and a very welcome yummy strong morning coffee at Crocodeli Millport – seated in their new outdoor seating table with wonderful views across the bay.

Coffee spot with a view … fab coffee too from Crocodeli Millport

Lap one was a fairly brisk clockwise pedal with my crews breathing in the fresh sea air and taking in the wonderful coastal views all the way round the 10 mile perimeter road. The sunny vistas towards the island of Arran were just spectacular.

The ‘Sleeping Warrior’ of the hills of Arran was a spectacular view with crystal clear visibility.

The “old gal” captured the “old git” making sure the camera angle is just right!

Millport is known as a cycling paradise due to the virtually flat and quiet circumference route – and it was great to see the island so busy with visitors. Super to see big queues at bike hire shops like Mapes of Millport. Round the island is not an official The National Cycle Network route – but it should be!

Back into the town and there was a look at some of the shops before going anti-clockwise to our fabulous “table with a view” – situated just before Fintry Bay – which overlooks the beach and has stunning views across to the island of Bute. Team Matilda’s retro AG2R CITROËN Team tops perfectly matched the blue of the sea and sky!

This is one of my dynamic crew’s favourite spots and naturally it was the ideal venue for one of Team Matilda’s signature prosecco picnics.

Picnic table with a view – the stunning outlook across to Bute!

My dynamic crew took a fun selfie on a walk on the sun-kissed beach.

It was idyllic sitting in the sun having the picnic, before a walk on the beach and some madcap photos at a spot potentially earmarked for a future top secret Team Matilda project!

The “old gal” having fun on the beach – with cycling top matching the blue of the sea and sky!

On the rocks! The “old git” posing for a madcap photo on the beach.

With still a good few miles to pedal to hit the 7k mark, the “old gal” decided that our picnic spot would be the ideal place to hit the milestone. So recharged after the picnic, my dynamic crew did some calculations to work out just how far was left to pedal, and completed the anti-clockwise lap cycling back into Millport for a loo stop and coffee and cake at The Dancing Midge Cafe.

Now it was time for the “speed lap” with the “old git” determined to break Team Matilda’s record of 38 minutes – which they failed to do by just 5 seconds on their previous visit!

The Strava sector is known as “Millport TT Clockwise Out and Back from Royal George Hotel” and my dynamic crew were totally up for the challenge – helped by the warm sunshine and hardly any breeze.

The “old git” knew they had to pedal at above the average speed of 15.6mph on their previous attempt to break my dynamic crew’s existing record for the 10.02 miles circuit.

And amazingly the energy levels held all the way round as the “old git” and “old gal” completed the circuit in 35.01 minutes, at an average speed of 17.2 mph. And that spectacularly shaved some 3 minutes off their previous best! Wooooo!

The “old git” feeling the pain after smashing Team Matildas round the island record by 3 minutes.

The “old git” was more than a bit out of breath by the end, so made a call for a celebratory – and recovery – refreshment in the new beer garden at Millport Pier, which is the new name from the recently taken over Royal George Hotel. The celebrations were helped by Strava informing my dynamic crew that they had registered the “seventh fastest worldwide” time for the lap of the island for a female as this “old lady” tandem is obviously registered as a female. Fabulous to get such recognition!

And proof from Strava of the 7th fastest time ever!

Team Matilda next paid a flying visit to the great new island business – Isle of Cumbrae Distillers – set up by a group of five women on the island who distill gin to match the mood of Cumbrae.

Team Matilda had to pay a visit to the fab Isle of Cumbrae Distillers – a local gin distillery!

A purchase was made of Croc Rock gin – which has a hint of ginger and therefore seemed highly appropriate for the “old gal”! The “old git” decided that the only thing to be done was a fun photo opportunity – with the Croc Rock gin at the iconic Crocodile Rock on the promenade!

A purchase was made of Croc Rock gin and there was only one place for the photo ….

… naturally the “old git” had to introduce Crock Rock gin to the iconic Crocodile Rock!

There was now just 5 miles to go to hit the 7k mark so my dynamic crew headed clockwise back towards their favourite picnic stop. And as luck would have it, just as it came into view, the milometer clicked over to 7,000 miles! What an amazing coincidence!

The actual magic moment was captured by the “old gal” on video – so click here to view or on the image below.

There was a burst of mutual celebrations, especially as the “old git” had worked out that a 7000 mile radius of non stop cycling from our home base would take Team Matilda as far as Tokyo in Japan; Jakarta in Indonesia; or Buenos Aires in Argentina! Quite an amazing distance really!

And there it is… 7000th mile clocked up by Team Matilda!

There was a small celebration toast – complete with a superb congratulations video call with our great tandeming friends Jane Termini Taylor and John Taylor – who are fellow founding members of the self-proclaimed Nutty Tandemers Club! Sadly they were unable to be with Team Matilda on Millport, but have shared several previous thousand mile landmarks in person on some of our amazing tours.

The 7000 miles landmark is obviously worthy of a small celebration toast!

Fellow Nutty Tandemers Jane and John joined us by video link to celebrate!

Mission accomplished, my dynamic crew pedalled back into Millport and had a most tasty alfresco fish and chips by the harbour. Why does it always taste so much better outside at the seaside?

Superb end to the epic day on Millport with alfresco – and very yummy – fish and chips!

It was a perfect way to finish an epic action packed day on Millport, before a frantic dash back to the ferry slipway and the ferry back to the mainland.

On the ferry back to Largs the “old git” checked Strava which officially recorded the ride as being a brilliant 30 gongs – made up the “seventh fastest in the world” plus 16 personal bests, 10 2nd bests and three 3rd bests. No wonder it was an energy sapping day!

The detailed Strava figures showed my dynamic crew tandemed a distance of 46.9 miles with a moving time of 3 hours 08 minutes. The average speed was a very healthy 14.9 mph. Elevation was just 418 feet, given the island is virtually flat. The maximum speed was 22.6 mph and Team Matilda managed to burn up 1,852 calories and produce an average power output of 147 W.

As always the route is brought to life in our Relive 3D mapping video – so click here to view or on on the image below.

One final piece of news in this blog is that my dynamic crew were asked by Sustrans Scotland – the charity that makes it easier for people to cycle – to join in on publicising The Scottish Governments Net Zero #LetsDoNetZero campaign on Twitter, to help reduce the country’s carbon footprint and be “net zero” by 2045, by making a journey by bike.

So the “old git” calculated that by pedalling our 7000 miles, Team Matilda had saved the planet a staggering 3.5 tonnes of co2 emissions – compared to driving the same distance. And of course there’s an argument for saying you could double that as there are two cyclists on board!

Here’s the series of tweets:

My dynamic crew joined @ScotGovNetZero's campaign as clocked up 7000th mile in #tandem @Whatsonmillport on Sunday
That's staggering 3.5 tonnes CO2 emmissions saved v same distance by car!😱
And can double that as 2 cyclists!🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️
Tagging @Briarcottages to join in!#LetsDoNetZero pic.twitter.com/F0wTapw7Hb

— Matildas Musings (@matildasmusings) August 4, 2021

So epic adventures – and helping to save the planet – its all part of Team Matilda’s ethos having fun on a bicycle built for two!

Breakout of Lockdown2 ride on National Cycle Network Rt7 and The Coig Rt1 from Irvine to Ayr

Basking in the sun at the start of our ride at Irvine with Ailsa Craig showing just above my front saddle!

This blog is the story of how my dynamic crew had a superb Breakout of #Lockdown2 sunny tandem ride on The National Cycle Network Route 7 and The Coig Route 1 from Irvine to Ayr and back – with a small measure of gin thrown in too!

There has been just over a month of enforced inactivity for Team Matilda as the “old gal” was finally able to return to her hairdressing salon as Scotland slowly emerged from Covid #Lockdown2 and not surprisingly faced overwhelming demand from customers who have gone without haircuts since the end of last year. This meant working crazy hours of effectively 8am till 8pm six days a week, so there was no time – or energy! – for pedalling. And obviously that has meant no blogs for me to write either!

Selfie time for my dynamic crew delighted to be returning to action on a bicycle made for two!

But after five weeks, things calmed down a bit and my dynamic crew were keen to get back on my saddles for some much needed exercise on a Breakout from #lockdown adventure. With restrictions on travel across Scotland lifted, the “old git” decided the schedule would be to head to one of the “old gal’s” favourite #tandem rides – along the Ayrshire Coast Cycleway. The start point would be the Coastwatch Scotland car park in Irvine, with a picnic lunch at the turnaround point of Ayr beach.

The Ayrshire Coast Cycleway forms part of Sustrans Scotland NCN Rt7 and is also a key part of Route 1 of The Coig – which is Gaelic for five and is a new tourism initiative comprising five cycle friendly routes around Ayrshire and the Clyde islands.

You can check out the details of our route by clicking on the Strava map below.

But before we get to the pedalling, I want to tell the story of how I have been passing the period of enforced inactivity by helping the “old git” making my own blend of tandemers gin! Yes you heard that correctly! A Scottish gin called “Matilda’s Merry Mix!”

You see, my dynamic crew are partial to the occasional artisan gin and the “old gal” bought the “old git” a gin making kit. He bought a bottle of unflavoured vodka and added the juniper berries and then a few days later added the mix of botanicals.

Matilda’s Merry Mix – the very exclusive self brewed blend of tandemers gin!

After infusing for around a week, and a filtration, the result was an amazingly tasty lightly spiced gin. The “old git”, being the creative type, came up with the name ‘Matilda’s Merry Mix’ and created a suitable label for the bottle!

The gin is highly exclusive of course – a bit like me! – as the recipe created just a single bottle! It it is unlikely to last long as a collector’s item … but it sparked a bit of fun!

So to our ride … My dynamic crew were up at very early o’clock to drive to the west coast but were rewarded with a beautiful sunny morning on arrival in Irvine – allowing for some great sun-kissed photos before rolling out on our adventure.

The “old git” getting ready to roll in the stunning morning sunshine at Irvine Beach.

The “old gal” surveying the amazing vista and stunning sky before the off.

My dynamic crew were pleasantly surprised to find they were not rusted up and remembered how to pedal and set off with great gusto! A mild tail wind and pedalling along some almost motorway-smooth tarmac on long sections of the cycle path saw us quickly pass thru Troon and onto Prestwick Promenade in what seemed like no time – buoyed by the (almost warm but not quite!) sunshine. A loo stop was called by the “old gal” where she discovered that South Ayrshire Council has recently implemented a 30p charge on all public loos! Or as the “old git” quipped: “30p to have a pee!”

Time for photos with the “old gal” sitting on a bench with a fabulous view – looking towards the island of Arran, known as Scotland in miniature, in one of those colourful sea meets sky pictures – with almost unnatural shades of blue! It is worth clicking on the images to see it in a larger size!

Bench with a view! What a fab vista looking across to Arran from from Prestwick Promenade.

Ahoy there! The “old gal” looking out across the Firth of Clyde to the island of Arran.

The Ayrshire Coast Cycleway is well signposted and easy to follow – ideal for newbies to the NCN and The Coig – with dedicated painted cycle lanes on stretches along the promenades at Troon, Prestwick and Ayr. Pedalling onwards, the route took my dynamic crew into Ayr – which was hugely busy with people desperate to escape the recent lockdown and get some sea air. But it was good to see that nearly everyone was keeping to social distance rules.

With the sky turning a bit cloudier, my dynamic crew found a sheltered bench in gardens just off the promenade to enjoy their picnic lunch – and signature prosecco toast, naturally! – while enjoying the stunning views out to Arran and Ailsa Craig – aka Paddy’s Milestone. Great brain food to go along with the sustenance food!

Prosecco picnic time at a secluded garden spot at Ayr beach giving protection form the chilly wind.

Is it OK to leave bicycle tyre tracks too? says Matilda, asking for a friend!!

With the sun having disappeared temporarily behind heavy cloud, the “old gal” decided a coffee was required to heat up a bit – and fortunately the easing of Covid restrictions now allowed my dynamic crew to sit inside to restore body temperature.

Suitably revived, the sun started to re-appear and there was an opportunity for a couple of photos of my dynamic crew’s new dayglo orange sunglasses – which just so happen to perfectly colour coordinate with their bright shiny cycling helmets!

New dayglo orange sunglasses for my dynamic crew made their first appearance!

Smile! The future is orange! Very orange! At least my dynamic crew won’t get lost!

A quick pedal of the full length of the promenade saw the “old git” spot one of several NCN Millennium signposts dotted along the route pinpointing distances and directions.

Millennium signpost on NCN Rt7 at the far end of Ayr beach, with Arran in background.

The wind had picked up a bit so the return journey was a bit of a battle – but still highly enjoyable. The “old gal” in particular liked the stretch between Prestwick Airport and Troon where the broom was in full yellow bloom – which traditionally signals a warm summer is on the way!

Plenty of yellow on the broom – a traditional sign that summer and warmer weather is on the way!

My dynamic crew then blasted back to the start point at Irvine for a re-fuelling coffee and cake at the Small Talk Coffee and Gift Shop which looks out on to the harbour.

Back at Matildas Transport, the “old git” checked Strava which officially recorded the ride as being worthy of a superbly pleasing total of 24 gongs given my dynamic crew’s rustiness due to a lack of pedalling – made up of 5 personal bests, 9 second bests; and 10 third best times.

The detailed Strava figures showed my dynamic crew tandemed a distance of 36.5 miles with a moving time of 2 hours 52 minutes. The average speed was a healthy 12.7 mph – which given the inevitable coastal winds was perfectly acceptable – while the elevation was 550 feet due to the route mainly running along the edge of the sea. The maximum speed was 21.3 mph and Team Matilda managed to burn up 1,530 calories and produce an average power output of 132 W.

As always the route is brought to life in our Relive 3D mapping video – so click here to view or on the image below.

So with Scotland on a clear route map out of restrictions, my dynamic crew’s NCN Rt7 and The Coig Rt1 pedal clocked up a final 36 miles onto the #Lockdown2 milometer, taking the total to 327 miles from the 14 rides completed. The “old git” and “old gal” feel this is a pretty reasonable mileage given the fairly severe winter weather around Matildas Rest which hit almost as soon as #lockdown was announced.

There were hugely positive feelings from the breakout of #Lockdown2 ride – with obvious signs that things are looking brighter on the pandemic front. My dynamic crew continue to feel lucky, fortunate and blessed that they have been able to be able to keep healthy – mentally and physically – with our madcap #tandem adventures on a bicycle made for two during the enforced restrictions! Lets just say my spokes are firmly crossed that there won’t be a #lockdown3 any time soon.

Meantime this “old lady” tandem is uber excited about my next scheduled ride when I am hopefully going to get to meet my namesake! yes amazingly there is another Matilda tandem out there – tho she is affectionately called ‘Tilly’ for short!

You will remember that Team Matilda was featured in the March issue of BIKE Magazine Europe – over 5 pages in glorious technicolour! Well it was read with interest by Linda and Jon Reed – who are based in Suffolk – who have been riding tandems for 25 years! They loved the article and reached out to say hello given the coincidence of the name! Their granddaughter shortened their Matilda to ‘Tilly!

The other ‘Tilly the Tandem crossing into Scotland with crew Linda and John.

Now ‘Tilly is a Viking Serengeti and is Linda and Jon’s third tandem – and is a bit more experienced than me! Her crew do lots of touring and ‘Tilly has notched up a staggering total of nearly 40,000 kms and been to no less than 48 countries.

Apart from the same name there are other coincidences – as ‘Tilly also has a stoker who doesn’t like hills – just like the “old gal”! And Linda and Jon also have a blog in which they recount their adventures on ‘Tilly the tandem, and “Ten Tonne Taffy” – or “FatTaf” for short – their “beast” of a motorhome.

Team ‘Tilly are currently on a Breakout from Lockdown tour – a “slow pedal north to Scotland” from their Suffolk base. And on Sunday –  as long as weather gods play along – I am getting the opportunity to meet ‘Tilly as the “old git” and “old gal” are meeting up with Linda and John as they pedal thru nearby Bridge of Earn, and ride together into Perth. The tandem crews will catch up over some food and drink while us tandems will have a good natter! How exciting is this all going to be?! I can’t wait!

Covid-19 precautions on sun-kissed seaside ride on Ayrshire Coast Cycleway from Irvine to Ayr

My dynamic crew ready to roll in the stunning morning sunshine at Irvine Beach Park.

“Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!” – especially on a tandem on The National Cycle Network

Sunday morning had not yet dawned when my dynamic  crew were up and preparing to leave Matilda’s Rest for a promised sunshine day at the sea!

Team Matilda’s schedule was to head to one of the “old gal’s” favourite #tandem rides – along the Ayrshire Coast Cycleway. The start point would be Irvine, with a picnic lunch at the turnaround point of Ayr. So fully kitted up – including extra Covid-19 precautions – the “old git” drove Matilda Transport to the Coastwatch Scotland car park in Irvine. You can check out the details of our route by clicking on the Strava map below.

It was a beautiful sunny day as we arrived in Irvine allowing some great sunny pictures with the early morning shadows before the “old git” and “old gal” rolled out along the superb Ayrshire Coast Cycleway, which forms part of Sustrans Scotland The National Cycle Network #NCN Rt 7.

Early morning shadows at Irvine sea front for the start of our pedal!

The “old gal” smiling at the day ahead in bright sunshine on the Ayrshire Coast Cycleway.

My dynamic crew’s route is also part of The Coig – which is Gaelic for ‘five’ and is a new tourist initiative comprising five cycle-friendly touring routes around Ayrshire and the Clyde Islands. of Arran, Bute and Cumbrae. NCN Rt7 is part of Route 1 known as The Shire – short for Ayrshire.

A tail wind and pedalling along some amazingly almost motorway-smooth tarmac on the cycle path saw my dynamic crew at Prestwick Promenade in what seemed like no time – buoyed by the (almost!) warm sunshine blasting into their faces. A loo stop was called by the “old gal” with a great coffee picked up from the neighbouring Mancini’s at the beach café.

Time for a fantastic photo with the “old gal” looking out towards Arran in one of those sea meets sky pictures – with almost unnatural shades of blue! Just perfect! This is actually one of our photos where it is worth clicking on the image to see it in a larger size!

One of those fab where sea meets sky shots with almost unnatural shades of blue!

The whole route is well signposted and easy to follow – ideal for newbies to the NCN – with dedicated painted cycle lanes on stretches along the sea front promenades at Troon, Prestwick and Ayr. Pedalling on the route took my dynamic crew into Ayr – which was hugely busy compared to a normal October day as people were desperate to get out ahead of any further potential lockdowns. But good to see that nearly everyone was wearing masks, so naturally this “old lady” bike followed local regulations in the Ayrshire and Arran area and donned a mask at the sea front for some pictures!

I decided I would match everyone else in taking Covid-19 precautions by wearing a mask!

The “old git” at Ayr Promenade with Arran and Ailsa Craig as a stunning backdrop.

The “old gal” having a laugh at the “old git” trying – and failing – to avoid his shadow in the photo!

My dynamic crew found a sheltered bench in gardens just off the promenade to enjoy their picnic lunch – and signature prosecco toast, naturally! – while enjoying the stunning views out to Arran and Ailsa Craig – aka Paddy’s Milestone. Great brain food to take the mind off these troubled times.

The “old gal” enjoying Team Matilda’s signature prosecco toast near the sea front at Ayr.

Great sign making it clear to take your rubbish with you at Ayr sea front. We did!

On the return leg my crew battled a bracing headwind and made their second stop at Mancini’s to sample the gorgeous array of ice creams on offer. (It had been too early to indulge during the morning coffee stop!) The “old git” tasted the rum and raisin while the “old gal” had the chocolate orange. And the verdict was that it was very yummy – and worthy of the “Best Ice Cream in the UK” award that the café was proudly promoting!

A yummy ice cream stop – the “best ice cream in the UK” from Mancini’s at the beach.

Pedalling back thru Troon there was time for a quick “hello” at Tinto Tapas – Troon– where the “old gal’s” daughter Kirsty is restaurant manager. Sadly the eaterie – like all others in Ayrshire and Arran – is currently only offering takeaway meals to customers due to the latest virus restrictions.

My dynamic crew then blasted back to Irvine for a re-fuelling takeaway coffee and cake at the Small Talk Coffee and Gift Shop which looks out on to the harbour. Amazingly this transaction also saw the “old gal” buy a handbag! Well obviously she had to carry the coffee and cake in something! The morale of the story? – a very expensive coffee stop!

Back at Matilda Transport, while enjoying the last of the sun’s rays, the “old git” checked Strava which officially recorded the ride as being worthy of a total of 27 gongs – made up of 6 personal bests, 9 second bests; and 7 third best times.

The detailed Strava figures showed my dynamic crew tandemed a distance of 33.6 miles with a moving time of 2 hours 45 minutes. The average speed was a healthy 12.2 mph – which given the headwind on the return journey was perfectly acceptable – while the elevation was 580 feet due to the route mainly running along the edge of the sea. The maximum speed was 25.5 mph and Team Matilda managed to burn up 1,652 calories and produce an average power output of 149 W.

As always the route is brought to life in our Relive 3D mapping video – so take a look below.

Another great day of tandeming on a bicycle made for two for my dynamic crew on the west coast of Ayrshire – with the sun showing off Scotland (and the National Cycle Network) at its very best!