The worst pains for me are not the most painful ones. Pain that is sharp but also unpredictable does it for me.

Kidney stones were very painful bit were over in about 20 minutes.
Ruptured appendix was very painful for a few hours until surgery.

Shingles on my face and trigeminal nerve was very painful, but I didn’t know how long it would last and the paint was unpredictable, so I struggled to cope with it. Lasted about 4 days from memory.

So, I’m kinda with the OP on this and can understand how toothache can be so bad.

Very cold at Ballater today. I only managed to stay out for a few hours before my hands started to hurt again, to the point that I couldn’t brake properly. I don’t think they have recovered properly from yesterday’s ride at Aboyne.

Rode at Aboyne this morning and my word it was cold, I saw -7 degrees in the car on the drive over. The first couple of miles out of Aboyne were very painful on my hands and it wasn’t until we got into the trees and started to climb that the pain eased. Thin summer gloves don’t work well in subzero temperatures, who’d have thunk it 😳. Once my hands warmed it was really quite pleasant.

Big girls blouse here.

I won’t watch horror movies at all. Salem’s Lot as a child was more than enough for me.

That night riding footage is ace.

Ballo woods for me today for multiple winch and plummet laps. It was as greasy in the morning and got grippier as the day went on, as it always does.

Felt like crap at Durris on Friday and Pitfichie on Sunday. Pretty sure it was down to too much coffee before each ride and a lack of motivation due to the change of season. Wet and muddy trails 🙁

I’ve also had enough of the creaky headset, so liberally applied this stuff to every contact surface straight after the Durris ride. No creaks at Pitfichie, so hopefully I’ve cured it. Fingers crossed it stays creak free.

Charcoal is grey?

Sorry about the random bits of tape on the top tube.

I bet the drivers arse was twitching as he rolled into those barriers 😀

Even experienced drivers get it wrong.

I’m the same.
Every item of clothing gets washed after every ride.
I rarely go on group rides because all the faff and stopping leads to me getting very cold. I tend to ride with people who like to ride rather than stop and chat.
Hydratio. As above, bin the backpack and you will feel cooler and feel less inclined to drink. I also make sure that I am well hydrated before a ride. I tend to need a wee before I start the ride and another few in the first hour. As above I can manage on maybe 600ml for a few hours and will drink from streams after that, obviously depending on the location
I don’t wear glasses, gave up on them a long time ago and just accept that I will get mud in my eyes occasionally, although a decent mudguard will stop most of the spray and slop hitting your face.

Lapped a twisty trail at Aboyne yesterday to try and improve my cornering technique. Seemed to work as I got Pb’s each run 👍

Went to watch the start of the Tour of Britain in Stonehaven this morning and will probably sit on the turbo for a few hours later.

Although it wouldn’t stop the fisting

😱😱

Time to abandon

A big day on Deeside with temperatures in the low to mid 20’s. It felt way hotter heading up the steep south facing fireroads.
I rode Final Destination, ET, Mastermind and Heartbreak Ridge. 30 miles and 5000ft of up and I feel thoroughly beat up.

The repaired bridge at Cambus O’ May

Looking to Mount Keen from Culbean Hill

I personally think the classic Torridon loop via Loch Clair is better. Less push/carry on the climbs and Coire Lair descent looks a bit steep/loose/bouldery to be fun.
It makes it a big scenic ride with two of the best descents in the country.

This. Lollipop is too much pushing for not enough reward. I’m glad that others agree, I felt like a broken record repeating this opinion on various Torridon threads.

I’m going to throw the Sgurr Ban slabs in. It’s a mile of continuous bedrock on what looks like marble smooth quartzite that fortunately turns out to have plenty of grip. Starts from 800m and descends to 250m, getting steeper and steeper, following exposed diagonal lines on rock at nearly staircase angle. There’s a huge overlap to drop off (2.5m?) for the really hardcore,apart from that all ridable.
Sgurr Ban is in very remote Fisherfield, you start 5 miles west of Braemore junction following Loch Bhraoin then a bit of pushing. The main rock tongue above Loch Nid is hiked up then ridden down. Route continues down the glen then up past An Teallach to the road. The huge quartzite escarpment to the north of the Coire Halle track here needs some serious scoping out by someone.

I’ve added this thread to my favourites so I can do this ride. I remember someone (probably yourself) describing these slabs years ago and promised myself I’d ride them……and haven’t 😳.
Cheers for the reminder 👍

I really enjoy the upper section as well. What’s not to like about it?

It has turned into a washed out rubbly mess recently.

For me it’s the lower section of the descent to Achnashellach from Coire Laire. (The top section is gash)

As others have said, it’s a real mix of super grippy, loose, fast and flows really well. It’s just the right gradient that I’m able to get off the brakes most of the way down but is steep enough that I hardly have to pedal.

I’ll caveat this that I’ve not done any of the big Lakes descents.

A couple of years ago a guy at work was attacked by a Buzzard in Kirkhill Forest whilst out on his bike. It drew blood in a few places on his back and shoulders.

Wow that’s a good one. Glad I’m not the Whyte marketing team, there’s no doubt what frame that is.

It was crash damage, not a massive crash, but still a crash and they replaced it no bother.
Not a great advert for the frame but their warranty was excellent 👍

I’ve had loads, but this was probably the most catastrophic.

However, there would have been a good justification for saying no travel to the games – but that would be a decision for the English legislature, not the Scottish Government.

Can I ask why the Scottish Government could not have made this decision?

Erm, I had a check-up when I left the RAF in 2007 and my next visit to a dentist was in 2019 😳 (the dentist said no problems with my teeth). Two visits in 2019 and none since. I may pop in next year.

I do it loads. As thegeneralist said, the type of car is the key.
I’ve slept in a Seat Alhambra and an S-Max with a couple of bikes and heaps of kit.
I’ve only been cold once and that was -7 and I had only taken a stupidly summer sleeping bag by accident.
It gives me the freedom to just head off on a Friday after work and winging it.
I usually manage a couple of nights before I need a proper bed and shower. Wet wipes don’t cut the mustard after a couple of days in the hills 😀

I like the idea of the ascent from Braemar, bagging the 3 then down jocks road.

I was thinking of doing that route today, but I won’t have time (picking up a car in Kirkaldy at 1pm. They couldn’t have it ready earlier ☹️).

I believe that the descent to Loch Callater is a good one.

Good stuff hairy, I’ll be nabbing that route!.

Cool. The detour up Jocks Road, Glittering Skerries to Balnagowan was hard work. Probably worth it for the scenery though.

Hi Dave,

I did this route (clockwise) back in October last year after a bit of a dry spell.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4142007367

The only boggy bit I can remember was a tiny bit of the Glittering Skerries.

Muc-off dry lube as well 😂

Cheers @timber. I thought it would be a struggle to get a modern bike in one. Looks like I’m going to have to dig deep for another MPV or van type of thing.

A question to those who are putting bigger ‘enduro’ bikes in the back of the bigger estate cars.
Do you put them in vertically with the front wheel off and strapped to the side?

My Ford s-max is starting to die and it looks like people carriers are very expensive at the moment, so I’m looking at getting an estate. The bikes will need to go vertically as I’ll also be sleeping in the car on weekends away riding.

I had a case of shingles on my face (trigeminal nerve) in my early thirties that I caught early enough to not do any damage to my eye. I took loads of Aciclover and special eye drops. (I was sent to A&E to get drugs ASAP). It was ugly with very painful stabbing pains to the back of my head and face.
Over the next few years I felt it coming on a few times and started on the anti virals asap to halt it in its tracks.
I’ve not had any real flare ups since.

I still get problems with the side of my face when I’m run down (slight tingling and awareness of the area). This goes away if I just take it a bit easier.

The worst cuts I got were G-outs, down off a descent at speed then up a climb straight away, I must’ve used my SPD’s to haul the pedals round before, I kept shooting my feet off the front of the pedals and before you know it the pedal is then buried in the back of your calf. That stings.

I’ve tried flats a few times but always give up for this reason. 30 years of muscle memory will not leave me.

I headed out to Ballater and rode Heartbreak Ridge, Mastermind and a trail at Cambus O’May. Maaan it was hot and climb up to Mastermind on a 37lb bike was really hard 😂.
I managed to tweak something in my knee a few weeks ago (couldn’t load the outside of my left knee without pain and instability) and it looks like a couple of weeks of just XC riding has fixed it.

I so wanted a beer, but unfortunately I had to drive back to Aberdeen.

Looking out to Lochnagar

A different view of Heartbreak Ridge.

A damaged knee from a 50/50 ball playing football for my Squadron, the other guy went in studs first.
I had to wear a split for 6 weeks and it has lead to minor hip problems as well as knee problems.
I only really have any problems when I lose muscle mass in my quads.
I was 30 at the time, so 20 years of niggles.

Sunn Radical from the Vouilloz/Chausson era.

This.

I’m sure like IHN I saw (probably heard on Radio 4) something that said that those with a positive attitude did recover from injury quicker, but it was totally down to the fact that they would do what they were told to by physio’s and doctors. So, not a ‘cure’ for an injury, but probably a faster recovery from injury.
Maybe this was the instructor was trying to say? Badly.

This, because it looks awesome. I would hardly use it, but who cares.
I’m not even sure if you can buy one anymore.

I get every other Friday off so the weekend started today for me.

I rode at Pitfichie in rather grey and wet conditions. It was the second ride with this fitted.

Soooooooo good. I’m sure that the front tyre was glued to the floor.
With a coil shock and fork I reckon the bike is over 36lbs and is sooo hard to get up the steep stuff.

Pitfichie looking towards Bennachie

Paralysis by analysis.

Bones mend, press send.

…..not that I have the balls anymore.

Bleeding a brake and wondering why nothing is happening. That’ll be because the syringes are connected to different brakes.
I’ve done this more than once 🙄

There is another mark that can be seen in the bottom pic and if you look closely the top two.
1/3 of the way up the last pic on the left side where the green is a lighter shade. The crack forms an arrow head at the weld.

I’ve had similar ‘cracks’ to this on a bike that I had warrantied. I subsequently found out that the frame was ridden hard for another few years with no issues.

I’m going with paint cracking…….or pube.