Unless you’re tied to the idea of suspension forks I’d also look the the Commencal Ramones 24. My boy is just outgrowing his 20″ version and it amazing how capable the bigger tyres make it on rough tracks in the hills. Other brands like Cannondale and Specialized also have models with the big tyres/rigid fork combination and I think it’s ideal at this age.

People can only speak of their own experience. I have both a Gabba and a Shakedry jacket and the Shakedry is far more pleasant and less clammy to wear on a rainy ride.

I think you already have the right device and the simplest thing to do is get a powerbank and a top tube bag with a right-angle micro USB cable to make getting the connection in easier. A 5000mAh should cover it, but might be worth plumping for a 10000 to be extra certain if it stays on 100% backlight as people have noted.

Another Airyhall dweller here and am always surprised by the amount of people with strong negative feelings towards Aberdeen. I’ve lived in much bigger cities and have always found Aberdeen to feel safer and quieter in comparison. I love the fact I can go for a run outside my front door and immediately be on trails through the park and on into the forest without the need to run on pavements and the same goes for mountain bike jaunts. This was an extended commute home last summer:

Hills of Aberdeen

There are a few options for off road riding out of the city and tons of options for road cyclists to get into the countryside on quieter roads within a few minutes of heading out. If you want to load the mountain bike into the car, you have access to tons of locations along Deeside and out to the Cairngorms. We’re glad we stayed inside the city as I think it made things easier when the kids were young, as there were plenty of good parks and things to do for a knackered mother on maternity leave! I would say that it can be a bit limited during the winter for kids indoor activities if the weather is particularly bad, especially when compared to big cities. I’ve been here for 20 years now and would struggle to move to another city that has the same mix of job and outdoor opportunities within easy reach.

Supposed to be a fat bike, but suits me just fine as a 29+! Don’t seem to have any pictures of it without any luggage attached…

Another vote for RaceFace Chester here, for all the same reasons rhayter stated above.

Not really a fan of skinwalls here either – my son quite likes his though:

Yup, was going to say the same – the only disadvantage would be if you wanted to ride a bit of the beach potentially.

1.5″ slicks for me:

The wife’s 28mm slicks didn’t quite cut it here – the only bit she didn’t ride!

Have been doing pretty much what you describe with a small group of friends semi-regularly over the years. I did this map for them a couple of years back so they could remember where they’ve been!

Scottish Coast to Coasts

If there are any you want an idea of scenery or more route details, stops etc. just let me know and I’ll post more detail once the kids are in bed! Also have another coming up this year, but suppose I better let them ride it before I pass it on!

Yup, all on Strava – is it easiest to follow you so you can browse the ride calendar?

Good idea Rich, here’s a selection from my year:

January – Bivy at -9 in a hammock in Durris Forest, followed by a visit to a windfarm. Lots of sheet ice.

February – A snowy bivy above Glen Tanar, with a ride home via Tarland Trails.

March – Last minute road bike ride to a wee wood outside Aberdeen on a braw brich nicht.

April – Got it in early with a comfy bivy at Forsinard RSPB followed by a 200 mile ride home.

May – Kit shakedown on a ride up the flank of Lochnagar, followed by a morning hill run over the tops.

May – Several nights of increasingly knackered sleep during the HT550.

June – Bivy on the sand dunes North of Aberdeen.

July – Work night bivy on the Hill of Fare.

August – Glen Quoich wild camp with mini-me.

September – Took a buddy on his first bikepacking trip above Loch Kinord. He was converted.

October – Short night out in Abernethy Forest during our family holiday.

November – Ticking off a few VVE squares in Midmar Forest and back in time to take the kids swimming.

Just need to polish off December for the set!

I always recommend the Red/Green/Blue Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson – hopefully hasn’t dated too badly!

Enjoyed that, thanks – really need to get mine written up before I forget what happened!

Good summary Rich, I remember you sticking your head in a burn on Ben Alder and were off like a rocket!

Yup, that was me thinking all the hard parts were over. But they never are. Ever! The pain is weirdly addictive though…

I was also out and about under my fake initials of CT and finished last night in 5d15h30. Seemed to cope okay with the heat, less so with the hills and riding fast part. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster, going from feeling way out of your depth one minute, to being wildly optimistic about when you’re going to hit your next refuel spot the next. I’m pleased with the time, as I had no idea what to expect or even if my knees could survive it! One of the best bits was meeting and chatting with people from the forums here and at bearbones and seeing what a good bunch they all are.

It all got a bit much at the end:

Would have been rude not to really, heaed up Glen Dye, over Mount Battock and then on to the Fungle.

Extended my commute and took the mountain bike this morning – headwind was a killer on the way back though!

A couple of other hints for bikehike:

– Make sure to go to Options and change the Follow Road mode from Driving to Walking.
– If you want to click anywhere to make a track you don’t have to untick the Follow Road box, just click your waypoints in the smaller right hand OS screen and it will go in a straight line rather than following the Google routing. Good when you’re frequently switching modes!

Nice coating in Aberdeen with more to come – means the ice tyres finally go quiet!

Colin’s Howff

Hehe, I know that spot well – one time we came across it we used it for a Blairwitch recreation.

I was thinking that with your ride, going by road round to Tomintoul is by no means the easy option!

Thanks for that chaps, it felt like half the route was different to normal due to the ground conditions. One thing I could have benefited from would have been plus tyres to let me keep more momentum with a bit of float over sodden patches – my 26 x 2.25s just weren’t cutting it at times!

When I say it was a quiet ford, it’s more as a comparison to the Eidart crossing where Pete managed to sleep somehow!

I was looking out for your light ahead of me too, but never spotted it – I figured you must have been motoring to be completely out of sight! I went on for another few km after the Eidart as there was a nice spot by a small quiet ford I’d always fancied camping at. Makes sense for you to go down Glen Tilt at that point – I wouldn’t have fancied the speedy descent after Fealar with only a back brake!

I don’t think I’d risk such an expensive and easily damaged item for mtb

It’s all just riding bikes though? I’ll wear whatever I have that suits the conditions for the ride in question and I’d have been a lot more uncomfortable without them over the weekend!

I’d definitely rate the Castelli Nanoflex Pro bibs – they feel just like normal roubaix bibs but do a great job of shedding water. I wore them for the Cairngorms Loop this weekend and they kept my legs comfortable and freakishly dry after doing a waist deep crossing of the Fords of Avon!

These ones[/url]

It’s worth going for the pro version as the x2 pad is much better than the KiSS one. Think I got mine for 90 odd pound in a sale.

I’m realising I have a bridge addiction:

I’m running Di2 with Ultegra shifters and an XTR rear mech – works spot on. Wouldn’t be any problem to change to the hydraulic R785 shifters. Used a triple chainset with a RaceFace thick/thin chainring.

That was a brilliant write-up, really enjoyed it. Can’t wait till my wee fella’s big enough for this scale of adventure.

We went with Avis in Vancouver a few years back, as we wanted to drop off at Calgary airport and they were most reasonable price wise. Had only booked one up from the cheapest they offered and got handed the keys to a brand new Dodge Challenger on the day! Certainly made the driving more interesting…

I went with a Chariot/Thule Cougar four years back and it is a great bit of kit. The attachment is simple as it’s just an extra plate that goes between the quick release and the frame with an extra long skewer to compensate. Not sure how it works for other axle types but I imagine they have most standards covered.

One of the first things I did was to buy some fat BMX tyres for the wheels so I could run them at really low pressure and let them soak up the smaller bumps the suspension might not. The running wheel setup is decent but probably a bit unwieldy compared to dedicated running prams. It does work brilliantly as a pram for pushing round rough walks where you want a bit more weather protection than a rucksack gives and you can get away with using it as a pram around town with the small front wheels attached.

The only negative is the cost, especially since Thule took over – I managed to get mine in a sale from an american bike shop for $300 and took the hit on import duty, as it was still a bargain. Otherwise, I’d have definitely gone the 2nd hand route!

No, just the design of those Kinesis forks – only real road disc fork I could get back in 2010 when I built it up!

Feels bling to me now I’ve added fancy gear electrickery…

Enjoyed that, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing that, looks like a great couple of days out with a good weather mix!

Was out at Nethy Bridge myself all last week, but was limited to early morning rides before the kids got up, so the furthest I managed was a 60k ride with Burma Road in it.

Was devastated to read this early this morning before my ride. Have followed Mike’s dots ever since the World Cycle Race and he is a genuine hero of mine. He came across as driven, focused, down to earth, and modest despite all his achievements. My thoughts go out to his family and friends, can’t imagine how they must feel.

Aberdeen to Glasgow
Quiet tailwind roads
Regular bumcream reapplication
😉

I think the switch to pedals takes a bit of patience, as you end up walking with them to get them up and running rather than just jumping on your own bike and going out with them shooting along on the balance bike like you’re used to. The hardest part is probably not pushing them too hard to go out and try it! A few more rides home from nursery and we’ll be back to our all weather bike ride/picnics routine again…

Congratulations, our large 3 year old did the same last weekend – was surprised how chuffed I was! can you get miniature bikepacking gear?

It will probably be doable depending on how committed you are – probably a long day though. The cold weather might help you through Glen Geldie as it will firm up the mud, but the Lairig an Laoigh path ends up as a river of ice with little rock and stone islands, from memory of my winter crossings. The thread below will give an idea of the tracks involved on that exact loop:

A Cairngorm Loop