2nd half of this thread was around Carnmore, great excursion if you get the chance. Could add-in a bit of techy stuff on north side of Loch Kernsary if your of a mind.

One I looked at, on the map, was a trail from Inverasdale inland, to the NWest – starts at grid NG 811 859. Think it didn’t look too bad on Geograph.

The Sheildaig path Druidh mentions is good fun, weather affected though so keep an eye on the forecasts there over the preceding week (same for anywhere I s’pose). This is the very trail –
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Loch na h-Oidhche too (well-formed stoney track out-of-shot) –
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Had really hoped to get various MTB / Road rides back home (nr Gairloch) this year, happily foiled by bouncing child… Hope you get a good week, decent spring days in Highland = win.

Can finally add something almost-interesting..

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Had a good 2010 on it, dramatically under-used since due to our bundle of miser joy. Size L, think I’m just tall enough for it at 6’; would love to try a’M’.

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A couple of all-dayers in summer 2010, Torridon[/url] + solo lap of Loch Maree –

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And the STW Weekender –
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Just for discussions sake, seeing we’ve strayed off the ‘roadie’ condition.. some previous on the more challenging offering up in’t hills here.
For when it’s dry again, obviously.

Laps of Kirkgate – past Harlaw – Balerno – ‘Exponential’ (Threipmuir) + repeat was about all the training I did for Bealach Beag ’09. Took 10 mins off time for the previous year though.

There’s some reasonable ones around Penicuik; ex-regular loop used to take in Auchendinny – Leadburn – A701 – Macbiehill – Deanfoot Road (unclassified singletrack road, but quiet) – Penicuik (take 1st right junction) – Pomathorn Road (B6372) and back via Auchendinny again. Some nice hills, nothing massive, be easy to modify to lap the steep climbs a few times.

Had a great 2009 – 2010 with a Pitch; no upgrades to speak of, just took it out a lot… Trail centres initially, then more big loops and Highland trails –

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Torridon (Coulags –Annat)
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North of Loch Maree –

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STW Weekender 2010 –
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Sadly, taken a child-related sabbatical in the last 2 years. Hoping my colossal drop in fitness won’t cast a disapproving shadow when I finally take it out again…

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All details unknown, but if I only had the time…

(edit) saying that, doesn’t take that long – Snow Bike[/url]

AiC’s orchestral vocals always did it for me, ‘spesh through headphones. Said it before here somewhere, but ‘Junkhead’ is easily in my top 3, from nearly 20 years ago & still listen to it 2 or 3 times a week (couldn’t be less interested in the subject matter either, but do wonder if Staleys problems affected his tone).

You’re perhaps referring to this, Mr Crush –

Haglofs Descend – Ruin – Pi55 Off Series

Covered a little on BookFace if you look at Pentland Hills Users group. Remember driving home, to Bonaly, & seeing a lot of car-borne bikes passing with race plates on, worried it had gone ahead after the wet Friday / Saturday. Have barely been up this year, but the damage seems unprecedented

Our’s hasn’t formed many coherent sentences yet, but we’ve laughed over this[/url] a lot…

Brilliant, been hankering for another thread since the last one.

Slioch overlooking Loch Maree (almost from the road-side)
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A couple from the same viewpoint (the island is Lewis) –

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Mainly for the inky clouds (east coast of Skye this time)

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All around Gairloch, home of the free (or unemployed)

Cheers BCB – doubt I’ll be going over it from the south for a while, but might consider a loop from Poolewe – Fionn Loch – Strathan Buidhe – Bealach Mheinnidh + back again sometime… Be a bit of hike-a but might make a nice day-trip.

Here’s Slioch last Friday, first snow of the winter…
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Great report, kudos for taking it up at this time of year.

Did a similar-ish loop nearby a couple of years back – interested to know if you took the west path (Strathan Buidhe) above Letterewe, & how it was?

Trip from a couple of years ago, back when I used to ride..

Remember to beware the beasties (ticks as well as the vampires) and keep an eye on the forecasts for the area leading up to your trip, amazing early summer up there but rain has returned recently.

Yeh, good to get out & find desire for more trail > anxiety for having no lights… Valuable lessons learned;
1 – unfamiliar trails ought to be taken gently in the dark (with no lights)
2 – awkward 90° step-ups onto bridges, challenging in daylight, should not be attempted in the dark (with no lights)

😳

Hope to be along if things go smoothly on the return from work (i.e. toddler tantrums + S.O. hysteria set to minimum)

In Glasgow so won’t experience the days rainfall, presume we’ll tailor a route to suit at the time

The Lives of Others.

Rightly won loads of awards in 2006; sat in the pub for ages, just thinking, after watching it at the Cameo (Edinburgh). Nothing like the viewing that Schindler’s had though.
Just don’t read-up on it first, save the surprise (or lack thereof)

Clearly not hard or clumsily enough,eh? 🙂

How goes it mate, eh? Think mines always been wround 140 too… to get thon sag indicator in the right zone, not that I check it much. Might try yer 215 next time for the craic.
Oh, and another thing,

Blame Canada, Blame Canada…It seems that everything’s gone wrong, Since Canada came along

Hope all else is going as smooth as your shock travel. (eh?)

(p.s. I’m reliably informed all Canadians end every sentence with ‘eh?’. Poke my eye out and cut off my arm if I’m wrong)

May turn up if SWMBO hasn’t had too tough a day tending to spotty cherub.

Bring a jacket though, guess what’s due to visit pretty much spot on 7pm…

I’ve been known to tear-up over a certain lyric in ‘A Tout Le Monde’…

In my defence, it was one of those ‘driving south to meet the family for Christmas, 2 days after being inches from death by crushing, wondering how my partner and then-year-old son would have gone on without me’ moments.

I M’dTFU shortly afterwards.

Oh, the lyric is “If my heart… were still alive, I know it would surely break.”

Otherwise, there are few better riffs than ‘Set the World Afire’ 🙂

Good luck to Ben H with imminent parenthood…

Apparently, “there’s always time to ride bikes”… (ref. issue 67, pg. 12). Hope you have some great support.

Love it when these threads come up, for the photos that is, not Ton’s sad missing out on his trip! Couple from my canon –

Looking down onto Fionn Loch
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Master 13thfloormonk, of this parish, on the path ‘twixt Diabaig and Red Point (see his epic series for more details)
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and a wee sunset over the Minch
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Good practice ahead of the superbikes at Knockhill next weekend 🙂
Also good to wield a double handed tool in leisure time again, much fun…

Re-acclimatised to the warm & dry watching this for a good portion of the afternoon. Well, between this & the rain hitting the window.

Cor, but fate has been / still is conspiring to keep me from this one; provided the SO (or me) aint down with the sickness gleaned from no.1 son, I’m hoping to be along, with waterproofs, flippers + snorkel.

(originally thought it was the 17th too, was it changed…?)

Superb shots so far.
One of the few stitchings I’ve done that stayed level – wish could commit more time to the practice. Just 2 shots I think, possibly 3, taken the evening before doing Torridon in May a couple of years ago.
Loch Maree with Slioch on the right –

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That turned out pretty decent, just a shame I couldn’t take on the pub-fuel at the end… A couple of images for your interest (except I forgot to switch to ‘sport’ for the action shots, D’oh!)

Gunning for the nights red-spotted jersey –
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Worth all that climbing in the end –
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Pose au naturel
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Hoping conditions can be like that the next time 🙂

Just the kind of ride I needed, that; exertion, friendly failure, exploration, all fun (even if I can barely see the hairs on my legs for midge bites 😈 ). Always good to ride with (i.e. watch) those who dare…

Cheers guys.

Darn, just spotted this. Might manage along, but doubtful. Got out on Sunday, where the only proper wet bits was the mini-glens draining the hill towards JZ / Shearie Knowe, BTW (ditches at the bottom, alongside the Swanston – Allermuir track, totally full too, some blocking by the recent improvements perhaps). Will give it a go but don’t wait around. As if..
Anyone tried climbing Allermuir army road since it was motor-wayed?
(ps i’ve got a 50mm stem doing nowt mate – yours if you want it)

A couple of threads relevant to the area –

1st one
2nd one

I remember coastkid recommending the Applecross – Kenmore track too, somewhere.
Torridon is a strong ‘must-do’ contender. If you’ve no problems driving out a bit, a great out-n-back track leads to Craig youth hostel from Diabaig, on the north side of Loch Torridon, covered in thread 2 there (go no further than the youth hostel though, pretty much all soft hike-a-bike to Red Point)

…and if you’re at a loose end, here’s a flavour of the old days / nights riding from a couple of years back, mostly in the Pentlands –

There’s a good, active community in the area – think stevenmenmuir off-a here’s in Newtongrange & may be able to show you some right local stuff. I love the Pentlands, but stay right at their feet so it is (..was..) easy to get up & find various routes depending on conditions; this thread might give you some idea of peoples view-points.
If you’re on bookface look up ‘east-lothian mountain biking’, ‘pentlands hills users’ and ‘fatbike tours’ too. Other forums are available, apparently… mtbscotland for e.g.
Hope to catch you out there some time.

suitable fore-warning

Should be ok with that mate, even the odd weekend daytime ride might be considered! (with bail-option for the terminally low-stamina wheezy boys at the back – i.e. me 🙂 )

Oh, for the sweet freedom of the child-free and sympathetically partenered, etc. etc. 🙄
Hope to make 1 clan gathering before the darkness returns.

Pitch

jumping

Falla Brae blue return must be the last course of the evenings laugh-feast.

(p.s. when’re you away again 13th? – hope to catch up somehow before it)

It’s all 2 lane (1 north, 1 south), no cycle lanes, pretty fast road for those that know it, slow scenery-gasping for those that don’t, & tourist season is fast approaching. Cycling would be a risky / scary experience.

Top-notch Ian, if you could bottle some of that regained keen-ness & bring it back with ye… Presuming you are coming back (?), give me a bell & you can have a 50mm stem oan-the-free. Happy days

Nothing like some real-world awesome pics, as above, to brighten the day.

Couple from the Pentlands, great when dry…

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Towards the end of a group ride organised here, looks like a summer evening but is, in fact, November. Like the ‘relaxed’ vibe. (L-R; Alec, 13thfloormonk, AlasdairMc, Northwind, V8Shinprint)

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And horsing down ‘goat track’, led by TheBikeChain of this perish (sic). Same background ridge, btw.

As Mr. Bicuits said above, to Annat on the Torridon circuit…

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Hoping to try the descent to Achnashellach sometime soon, heard it’s as good.

A few gates around Bonaly, including 1/2 way up Puke & the ‘Flotterstone underpass’, have been vandalised too, possibly campers / forest bonfire party-goers taking out their frustrations… Watch the usual Easter influx of wild campers taking up residence miles from civilisation, around the scout camp car park, this weekend 🙂

On a semi-serious note, anyone know a number to call to report littering, as in the bags + bags of barbecue cr*p that’s always left lying from now till September – won’t have much time to play litter-champ this year. I guess it’s still 999 for fires.

Aye, great pics all round. Good inspiration in this raw wind…

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From a ride on the north side of Loch Maree, covered here… jeez, nearly 2 years ago – must get back in the saddle!

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