Threetowners cycling thread

[Meg]

Halfords can be a bit hit-or-miss for bike repairs. Sometimes you get a good mechanic, sometimes a numpty. All depends who's on duty.

Never used them, but I hear good things about the Bike Post in Troon (on the road to Loans, next to the co-op).

I’ve used Irvine Cycles and RT Cycles in Glengarnock occasionally, and rate the mechanics in both, although these days I do most bike jobs myself.

Cheers Bruce - we haven’t used the bikes since my pre-arthritis Surgery days (about 5 years), they’ve been kept in a reasonably dry garage but need a good overhaul - they are both Giant bikes so it would be preferable to maintain rather than buy new. I’d do anything rather than walk....

[Bruce]

Yesterday’s trip - was going to be Largs via Portencross, but the wind from the north was vicious. Getting to Seamill was a struggle, although the bit along to Portencross was more sheltered. But turned there and headed back. That bit was great, with the wind behind me - set a new personal best from Seamill to Ardrossan, without trying!

Today was much better - still a wee breeze, but nowhere as strong. Saltcoats High Rd, Dubbs Rd to Kilwinning, then followed the path to Irvine Moor past the recycling centre, which has re-opened. Didn't look too busy, but there were signs on the road outside “half hour queue from here”, “1 hour queue”, “2 hour queue”

Irvine harbour, gailles then troon.

Just before the airport, turned right towards a caravan park, then a path round the golf course that I’d never explored before. Ended up at Prestwick shore - and the wee cafe and ice cream shop was open. Nice coffee.

Headed back home past the airport, then the same route to Gailles. A different route through Irvine, then back to Saltcoats.

55km, and sunny all the way!

[bonzo]

Got out for a wee blast straight after work.
Through Irvine harbour and round the Marress and along the road into kilwinning, right through the town and turned up to Whitehirst Park. Up and over Meadow Park Rd to the top end of Stevenston, down Campbell Avenue, McGregor Avenue onto Glencairn street and along to Ardrossan.
Out as far as north crescent road the back along the beaches and the prom to Stevenston. Around Clark Crescent towards the point, lundholm rd to the Dubbs Rd and back to Irvine where I powtered about to get me over 25 miles then hame. 26 miles today.

[brian f]

bonzo- Love reading these cycle posts. We all will be cycling one day hopefully. Marress never heard that before ?

[Bruce]

Marress I think is the sports club/playing fields across the river from Irvine Moor. Where the rugby & cricket pitches are.

From the Low Green, go over the footbridge, turn right and follow that road along under the dual carriageway.


I was going to go out for a trip earlier today, but had to do a wee job on the brakes first - which turned into a bigger job - which turned into an “I’ll need a new tool” job. And I won’t get the new bit until Wednesday.....

[brian f]

Marress I think is the sports club/playing fields across the river from Irvine Moor. Where the rugby & cricket pitches are.

From the Low Green, go over the footbridge, turn right and follow that road along under the dual carriageway.


I was going to go out for a trip earlier today, but had to do a wee job on the brakes first - which turned into a bigger job - which turned into an “I’ll need a new tool” job. And I won’t get the new bit until Wednesday.....

Reach for the hills - Bruce

[Penny Tray]

Marress was a farm at the location described. I'm struggling to remember if it was still there in the mid-1960s or just referred to in conversation.

[Hughie]

PT, the owner of Marress Farm, Mr Wilson was reported in the Irvine Herald in July 1964 to be about to negotiate with the town council for the sale of the land to the council for recreational purposes.

[Kittywake]

I'm guessing it must have been a fairly prominent Farm as there's a stretch of the A737 in that very area that's named Marress rd. The main roundabout around there also bears the name Marress roundabout. And as has already been mentioned the Sports club/playing fields etc are also associated with the Marress name.

[Penny Tray]

You're obviously a young Kittywake . Marress Road did not exist in the mid-1960s and is presumably so called, not because there was anything prominent about the farm itself, but because it was partly built on what were previously the farm fields. This stretch of the A737 was obviously required to carry traffic from the Kilwinning Road to the Ayr Road, the impending building of The Mall at that time doing away with the Bridgegate as the previous link. Being old has its advantages when your memory is jogged .

Thanks too Hughie, for your information. That fits in with my thinking that the farm, while definitely there in the mid-1960s, was soon thereafter to be demolished, probably the 1970s though, and the land used for road construction and recreational purposes.

[Kittywake]

Stated in my previous post pretty much what you've just said.

The Marress Farm mentioned would have been somewhere in that locality and when that particular stretch of the A737 was subsequently built the name Marress was obviously kept in mind because it had significance to the area. The sports/playing fields too no doubt have a very similar connection.

The number 73 cycle path route also runs very close to Marress rd. in places.

[bonzo]

Another wee run straight from work. These runs start on Alisa rd in Irvine. So Ayr Rd first then over the bypass to Shewalton out past GSK and into Drybridge. Swing right towards Dundonald then right again to Barrasie. Stayed on the roads through Troon then picked up the cycle path at Royal Troon golf course then headed for Prestwick.
Once in Prestwick I went down to the shore along to Bruce's well before turning back through the town. Onto the local cycle route and back to Barrasie then the gailes rd back to Irvine and hame.
That's the first genuinely wet cycle I've been on for ages, rained from start to finish but I enjoyed it although a little apprehensive on some tight bends 27 miles today.