Well, we decided this long weekend was a good one for a trip to Skye, especially as the sun was cracking the flags. And fun it certainly was, thought we took on this route as the main fun of the weekend:
http://www.mountainbikescotland.com/sliggy.html
All I can say is it’s LONG and requires a lot of hike-a-bike, even on the bits described as rideable it was tough going. All the downs were perfectly do-able, but the valley-bottom stuff was a case of ride 200 yards, walk 50 yards across shoe-stealing bogs trying not to damage the trail, walk 50 yards across 1ft diameter rocks, ride 200 yards, repeat. All the photos you see of it – lies, they took them at the nice smooth sections of trail – the rest looks like someone scattered rocks liberally hoping to stop cyclists. The views are spectacular, but don’t start it at 2pm having spent ages trying to find spare tubes as you’ll finish it at 10pm a bit demoralised. We chose to set off from the end of the initial road section instead, leaving the road bit to do when knackered (easier!) but due to the late start it left us walking along the grass verge for sections avoiding the (nearly non-existant) traffic.
I’d forgotten how much harder real trails are in comparison with trail centres when it comes to XC routes. I’d forgotten how exposed you can feel in the middle of a long valley where the scales are so huge you ride for 30 minutes and don’t seem any closer to the next hill.
Great fun!
Photos to follow.