http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdecairngorms

A bunch of old skool mates go tea drinking and cake eating around the Cairngorms.

Great old pics, I had a “Z” top and was chuffed when I saw the shops in France…I also have a Teka top just like in the photo, only it’s now used as a rag in the workshop garage;)
Enjoy the trip, sounds ace!
C

Where are you staying in Aviemore?

Nice intro.

How is the finger?

Makes lings website look modern

Where are you staying in Aviemore?

The youth hostel, It’s Al’s birthday on Monday night. we could give you a shout.

How is the finger?

Still swollen at the dislocated joint and I can’t fully bend it. I’ve done a few longish road rides on it recently and its okayish.

Grand.
Bookmarked to read later.
I really enjoy these .ta.

Hang on – you’ve dislocated something and you’ve found a way to fix it that doesn’t involve posting on STW? Whaaaaaaatt?!?!?? 🙂

Hang on – you’ve dislocated something and you’ve found a way to fix it that doesn’t involve posting on STW? Whaaaaaaatt?!?!??

You missed this first time around? You know the roolz. 😀

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/joins-stoner-in-the-digit-dept-of-ae

Ah! 🙂

Pre tour faffage and snackage on an Olympic scale

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdecairngorms

Love the suitcase pic!

(What’s the Kona? It looks lush)

Al has man flu and has called off

quelle surprise

Fakes!

(What’s the Kona? It looks lush)

Old school Jake the Snake

The forecasted rain arrived on schedule as we approached the Glenshee climb. 12% towards the watershed in torrential rain. I’ve never been more thankful to find an open cafe at the top

That was more than moist at times today. Fair play.

I stopped for (2nd) breakfast at the Lecht cafe on the JOGLE, full Scottish was the best!

I’m far from a bike expert and so it’s rare I look at a bike and know immediately what it is without reading the decals. So imagine my delight when I saw that photo of a Raleigh Boxer XL!

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdecairngorms

Sadly no pics till I get back. No memory card reader

Cougar, Steve says it’s a Raleigh Blue Ridge circa 1990

Just read your intro, I used to work in Robin’s shop years ago (1981/1982!), not long after he started the Stockbridge one and Phil was still running the mornigside shop.
It’s a small world. Still miss Phil and think about him, a lot of good memories from those days.
Iain.

I’ve added some pics to our journal, I’ll add Leffeboy’s when he gets back to Belgium.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tourdecairngorms

iain65 – Member

Just read your intro, I used to work in Robin’s shop years ago (1981/1982!), not long after he started the Stockbridge one and Phil was still running the mornigside shop.
It’s a small world. Still miss Phil and think about him, a lot of good memories from those days.
Iain.

Thanks for this. Phil was a total inspiration, he was the flypaper in the shop. He pioneered a link we still enjoy with some guys in San Francisco and in Marin. He went over to work for a year at Noe Valley Cyclery, a couple of other guys from Edinburgh did the same. I’m certain CynicAl did too. Folks like Phil opened doors. I seldom go on a ride and not think about what he would bring to it if he were still here. His spirit is still with us.

Hi mcmoonter, I guess we may have a few mutual friends from that era, it’s nice to hear about what Phil achieved on the bike, I stopped riding in about 1988 for 20 years (long time off the bike!) so did not keep up with his exploits on two wheels so much, It was good to occasionally call into his hardware shop to catch up on his family life when I was up in Edinburgh, It kind of reminded me of when I used to stop by on the ride home from school for a cup of tea and a blether when he ran the bike shop in Commiston Road – I can still picture the manky kettle in the backshop!

You might know if anyone arranged anything in the form of a remembrance ride? Robin mentioned it at Phil’s funeral that he might try and organise something but never heard if it happened or not?

Thanks for the update and hope your ride in Cairngorm went well. I’ll try and dig out some photo’s of us lot in our teens in the eighties – a lot of very retro bikes, no MTB’s then..

Great story, I really enjoyed that. Friends are so important.

Good write-up. Friends matter.

You might know if anyone arranged anything in the form of a remembrance ride? Robin mentioned it at Phil’s funeral that he might try and organise something but never heard if it happened or not? You might know if anyone arranged anything in the form of a remembrance ride? Robin mentioned it at Phil’s funeral that he might try and organise something but never heard if it happened or not?

Iain65 We do have an annual Phil Ride in September, its always a mellow affair doing much the same stuff we all did together always with tea and cake afterwards.

There is a Williamson’s Facebook closed page for folks that worked there, it doesn’t see that many posts but it would be a treat for us all to see your pictures. Everyone I ever worked with there is still cycling. Some more industriously than others – looking at Steve Shand. It was an inspirational place to find a sport that would consume so many lifetimes.

Great story, I really enjoyed that. Friends are so important.

Seven thousand and some hits on our blog. It makes writing it when I’m fit to drop all the more worthwhile, thanks

that was lovely, the friendship bit really resonated – banter (nice banter), mates, laughs, memories. I’ve come to the conclusion that’s what it’s all about 🙂 Many thanks McM, maybe see you some time!

Hi mcmoonter – great pic, awesome to see Bill, Rona (both missed as well), Denise (great wedding earlier this year!), Jessie, Joy (I see occasionally still), even John Murdoch (my dad rode with his dad…) right through to Dave Harris on the right hand side. The delinquent lad sitting at the front (Bruce) is still a close friend.
Can you remember the year? It must have been about 1979 or 80 I think? When I worked there it was Robin and Angela, Phil, Ian McKinley and Andrew Davis – I catch up with Ian and Andrew whenever possible, still close friends 35 years on.

I’ll try and find the Facebook page and sort some pictures, Bruce probably has the biggest collection of ageing photos know to man as every party and ride was captured by him!

Thanks for the memory, I haven’t seen some of those faces for years.

the friendship bit really resonated – banter (nice banter), mates, laughs, memories

It has to be said that it seemed like we spent the whole 3 days laughing, even going up Glenshee in the rain. Great times