Not really much to do with OP, but at the weekend I saw a couple of blokes riding the black run at Laggan without helmets. I commented to their mates that the black was probably not the place to ride without a helmet.

Their response was….'they'le be ok, they're tough lads'

TJ,

When I bought your frame I was told it was a Raleigh Special Products Division frame.

If you're going to Dyce I could just give you a lift when I go to work 😉

This would be more like C2CCC. Not sure if it is all rideable though.

http://www.northseatrail.org/index.php/en/maps

Corran riding at Forres. Dodgy camerawork as I was filming it on my mobile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocarda1/4126075858/

Descent to Achneshellach.

You can see the path winding its way down in this one.

This one always makes me smile.

JensonUSA.

I've got one on the way.

jonnyvegas

PS druid what front mech is on your Meta 5 please ??
Do they ride ok etc ..

I now own Druid's Meta 5 🙂

I use a Shimano SLX M665 with a 22/36 set up that works perfectly.

The bike is like all others with Commencal's 'contact system' – tons of rear end grip.

I hope mine works well with the Thors that I've ordered.

KCNC

That doesn't look simple to me!

Take away the roots and it would be simple.

A couple of trails built by myself and Betsie (ex of this forum).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocarda1/sets/72157604884147965/

Both trails are very short so are named 'Gone in sixty seconds' and 'One minute wonder'.

This bit took about 20 hours to build and rides for a few seconds 😀

More reading on the subject

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/dry-torque-vs-lubed-torque

I'll be heading from Dyce at about 3.30 on Friday afternoon and will have room for one.

I have no way of checking the forum after 5.00 tomorrow morning though!

The Ship down by Salford Bridge was a den of "what have you" years ago.

I used to work in the tax office round the corner from the ship. Lunch times were often spent in The Ship, The PunchBowl or The Rovers Return and often all three on a flexitime 'long lunch'. The Ship and The Punchbowl were terrible pubs but they were close to work.

For the latter part of the trip I would recommend getting to Golspie early on the Thursday and doing a couple of runs (one to get your eye in) and then head over and ride the black trail at Balblair (techy XC). You could then head over to Torridon and camp/bunkhouse/hotel for the night.
For the Friday do the big Torridon circuit in Kenny Wilson's book (Coulags, Bealach na Lice, Torridon and Coire Lair).
For Saturday there are a few shorter rides in the area that would take a morning, giving you plenty of time to head south.

If you search this forum for Torridon and StuartieC you will find plenty of info and pics of the riding around Torridon.

Laggan again

I was smiling 'cos I was having fun. Really enjoyed the whole ride particularly the descent through the woods. A few twitchy moments with the drop to the right.

Cool. Myself and Jojo will be definates with the same plan as last time (riding alternate days) only with me not feeling like crap.
We will probably stay in the Youth Hostel.

Is there gonna be a ride on the Sunday?

On behalf of Jojo

Now fitted with SID's

Titus Motolite

Bullit in action

Purchased 7 hours ago and currently being driven up from Edinburgh.

It will join a Commencal Supreme VIP in the same colour scheme.

A mate got some of the freerides and they fell to pieces within weeks.

About 38lb

Maggieknocater?

Riding

Posh with Jojoa1

Couldn’t tell you about their performance as mine are still sat in the garage.
The set I received would not fit my shock. I measured both the shock bore and bearing outside diameter and it turned out that there was an interference fit of 0.002″. I couldn’t tell you whether the shock or the bearing were out of tolerence as BETD never replied to my e-mails.

Sloppy mud? …Cue all online shops selling out of brake pads.

[oops, this is jojoA1 posting on hairyscarys’s account]I was brought up in an ‘outdoorsy’ family living at outdoor pursuits centres in Scotland and the Lake District. Bikes and hitchhiking were the main means of transport as there was very limited public transport. We just rode everywhere, on all types of trails other than properly rocky ones. My first ‘proper’ MTB was a Shogun TB 2 in bright pink, probably the same as MikeTually’s. I was more into rockclimbing until 2004 when my boyfriend started taking me out riding more and too much wet weather made climbing a rare occurence. We’re now a fully fledged biking family with my 7yr old daughter just starting to ride off road now. I asked her the other day if she wanted to ride the primary schools’ races at the SXC this season and her reply was “Humm, I’m not sure my skills are up to it yet.”.

Kinda 666. I don’t speak the language of ‘bark/woof’.

I would have a problem if someone kicked or hurt my dog if he hadn’t done anything wrong, and that includes “saying hello”!

I have no idea what a dogs intentions are as I am not Dr Doolittle.

TJ is absolutely right.

This looks OK, shame it’s too small for me.

What I_Ache says.

We’ve been without a guide before, but only after going with Switchbacks the year before, so knew the lie of the land beforehand. Mike at Switchbacks might let you tag along with some of his groups for a small fee if it’s not at peak times for him. Drop him a line, he’s most amenable. Only seems to answer e-mails once a week on a Sunday night though.