have to see a man about some windows
Bill Gates?

Nah, I’d rather have a secure house!

bigjim – Aye, I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong it not dusty but aside from the usual boggy patches which obviously need a bit of care it is definitely firm.

Have a good one – I’m quite jealous would like to be out again tonight but I have to see a man about some windows 🙁

Can I ask that you avoid the Nail Trail/Balerno singletrack at the moment?

I think that is fair. We rode it yesterday but walked the section you mention and a couple of the bits closer to Balerno.

Does it actually make a difference if more thna 3 riders ride a trail separately or not? Or is this about smaller groups hopefully doing different routes?

Smaller groups on different trails makes sense to me.

Have a good one guys.

I was out last night and it is actually surprising dry in most parts especially higher up – I guess the wind has been drying it out.

Did Bonaly – Torduff Hill – Scalectrix – Harbour Hill North traverse – over Bells Hill – Den’s Cleugh (a little walking around the wettest bits required) – UP Black Hill (dry!) – Green Cleugh – Hare Hill up to Red Gate – West Kip – East Kip – Scald Law (all very dry) – down to the Howe – Green Cleugh – passed our repairs which are holding up well 🙂 – exponential – Nail Trail (again a couple of boggy bits which needed avoiding, but general reasonable dry) – back to Ed via WoL. 😀

You find an empty whisky bottle in a plant pot next to where you were sitting in the garden the night before

Nah, its not a good night until you’ve built a wall of snow and used the empty bottles as battlements 8)

EDIT: Image fail, here is the link: http://www.iseepeople.co.uk/firemonkey/blog/?p=383

Ooh, and you’re Gazebo is upside down obviously. I’d forgotten about that!

Captain – if we meet up for a ride I’ll buy you a beer!

Despite my plug the best advice is nedrapier’s: Get your to a good bootfitter, see what they recommend for your feet and above all try loads on….

If you let me know where in the country you are I can point you towards someone who knows what they are talking about!

If you buy your Anatom Footwear from Tiso they come with a Superfeet Energizer 🙂

+ 1 for Anatom, but then I would say that…

Designed in the UK. Made in Europe.

http://www.anatomfootwear.co.uk

+1 for A. Solo mtb is more fun than solo road surely…

Similar to Neil did it a few years ago. It is a good cross country route in nice Borders scenery but not technical and not hard. I think the link over eggs it a bit!

I certainly wouldn’t travel a long way for it.

If you search the forum I think there are a couple of threads on it…

HTH.

[/url]
Exploring the Southern Pentlands[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

Garry – never been up East (or West for that matter) Cairn. There is a monster track going up East Cairn, would be interesting to see if a rideable descent could be found going down to join The Thieves Road.

Craigengar is another one I’d like to explore. There is a track up the southside marked on the map but I’m not sure what is on the ground…

Damn, you’ve got me looking at maps again 🙄 😉 . Thinking a Listonshiels – East Cairn – West Cairn – Craigengar – West Linton exploratory ride might be in order when if it dries up again.

Here you go:
[/url]
Exploring the Southern Pentlands[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Convanter’s Grave[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
"Path" from Convanter’s Grave to Crosswood[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Stile on the "path" from Convanter’s Grave to Crosswood[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
A right of way in Scotland … Hmmm …[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

The Thief’s road from Baddinsgill as mentioned above is good. Best avoided if wet though!

You can get to the Convanter’s Grave from Edinburgh in a day, MTFU! However, I wouldn’t bother as there’s virtually no path on the group. Give me a min and I’ll dig out some pics….

Cynic-al to the forum!!

Nice work on the video. Even with the heavy Fish and Chip bias! 😀

Sounds good Fraser … I was supposed to be joining your group for the Lawers bivvy but thankfully our driver (Roland – Simon’s flatmate) wussed out and we ended up in the pub playing Scrabble

😆 I think it might of dawned on Roland yesterday afternoon it wasn’t going to be quite the ride he was expecting – when I spoke to him on Tuesday he was talking about taking a BBQ and wood for a fire!

I’m sure we’ll meet you for a ride soon…

Well, that was extremely damp!

Made the Summit of Beinn Ghlass, decided the rain and wind really wasn’t going to give us a break so descented to the beallach between Ghlass and Lawers then down the Ghlass bypass path. Fantastic Singletrack despite the weather! Made it back to the car at 2am and Edinburgh for 4am 🙂

JPR may have some photos..

Work today will be bought to you by coffee!

Not a best man’s speech, but a colleague of mine stood up at his 3rd wedding and said:

“I see some familiar faces and some new faces … so here we go again!”

Fair to say that split the audience.

You really sure? No shelter up there and the forecast is continual rain, wind, cloud base at 550m and about 4 deg at the top. If you do it, big respect – I wouldn’t

Aye, still going for it. I shall report on the stupidity of the idea tomorrow!

There is a wee shelter just passed the summit at about 637414

EDIT: Alex just saw your email, will reply. Cheers.

marionheck – thinking Ben Lawers…

Aye rain beats Midge any day!

Have a Munro top bivi planned.

Ride down at 4am, at work for 8ish….

Think it is going to be a moist one 🙄

Bloody hell, based on that second pic I’m not sure I should be allowed a shovel!! 😈

I’m all up for working with the Friend’s of the Pentlands they make cracking cakes 😀

’twas a great day, my back is sore today and I think I nearly blocked the shower drain with mud when I got home!

Thanks again TJ for organising.

If the Friend of the Pentlands are doing something on the top of Phantoms what about us tackling the lower bit below the gate?

Alternative, I’d like to see some drainage added to the Kirk Burn path.

However, as Paul says I’m happy to chip in with whatever.

Cheers Epicyclo.

Might see if I can pick up a Larry second hand to experiment with then. I was thinking on a narrow rim I could squeeze a Larry through my rigid forks which might make a good winter commuter and ‘puffer bike.

40mm rim, Surly Larry tyre

Hmm, I’d assumed the Larry would only work on really fat rims (70mm+), how do you find it on 40mm? Do you think I’d get away with trying to fit it to a 32mm Sun Singletrack?

That’s the same as us then, only in the opposite direction obviously. We didn’t find any wooded singletrack either but as you say it was probably in the forest near Blair Atholl – singletrack descent from Fealar to Glen Tilt was good thought.

I reckon there are plenty more tracks to explore around there!

We did it anti-clockwise, did you go along Glen Loch or via Fealar Lodge?

http://www.jamesrobertsonphotography.co.uk/?page_id=125

Cracking route anyway, not technical but fantastic remote riding 🙂

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/ZXHUSHALF8KIT/shimano-alfine-8-speed-hub-bundle

+ Spokes, Rim and a Wheel Build.

Looking forward to it. Fingers crossed its not pishing it down, might bring a stove for brewing up if it is!

Sorry for the delayed reply. I’ll be there at 10 with a couple of non-STW mates in tow.

Sounds like a job for a nice length of 953

Would that not make it as expensive as Ti though?

Some interesting chat here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=310210

Fergal – I think from the Bothy over to Rothiemurchus took about 5 hours.

The singletrack down the North side of the Lairig Ghru (from about 1.50 in the video) is fantastic

Any excuse to post this :wink::

Yes, you will have to carry … alot. However it is worth it IMO.

EDIT: Here is the route though we ended up doing it in a single day:

[/url]
Lairig Ghru – 2 Day Route[/url] by wintericemonkey[/url], on Flickr

Where is Mount Maw Fraser?

Between Baddinsgill and North Esk, there is no track on the map but a path goes from North Esk Cottage to The Mount, Grain Heads then Mount Maw:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=55.78606119227502~-3.371606656006112&lvl=13&dir=0&sty=s&form=LMLTCC

North Esk upto the Borestane is a lovely climb – not too steep but very varied – think you have to take a few dabs with the gullies higher up.

+1. Good call.

Harperrig to Cauldstane Slap in another good one in the dry. Not to difficult though.

I’ve been wondering about doing this for a while though I was considering starting from White Cleugh. From google earth it looks like there might an interesting track down to Loganlea.

I think that is the start I mentioned.

The “normal” descent goes NE from the summit of Black Hill. Great when dry, avoid when wet.

I can’t remember seing anything come down straight to Logan Lea (might have missed it though), I think what looks like a track on Google Earth may actually be a steep gully. Only one way to find out though!!

Back OT how about: The track starting behind Logan House to the top of Black Hill proper?

Thats pretty easy. The track is very substantial after the trees. I normally ride through the field before the house so not to go through the property. Only worth doing if its very dry as the descent is on peat.

😳 I’ve never cleaned it. Back wheel always spins out on the gravel, though in my defence that is on a SS 32:16

You may have already found it but there is a vague/overgrown path to the start of the track, which also avoids the House, starting in Den’s Cleugh/White Cleugh

BikePawl – well pointed out. Many of the above should only be riden when bone dry and I mean bone dry and even then only with a responsible attitude etc.

In very dry conditions I think there is little difference between responsible cycling and walking.

Good dedate here: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/edinburgh-wednesday-night-ride-3