There's one at Lawson Park in the Lakes as well (edge of Grizedale Forest, above Coniston Water). Stocked from their kitchen garden I think so doesn't always have stuff in it.

The Nespresso fairy has been 🙂

Thanks all. It's the convenience that appeals and it makes very, very good coffee (significantly better than the Senseo machine I also tried).

Compared with binning most of a bag of coffee because it went stale before I used it, even 30 – 40p a cup isn't so bad.

Edit: I have a bialetti thing somewhere but never use it as coffee doesn't stay fresh for long enough

Fantastic druidh, thanks for writing that up.

I've been wanting to get an EJOG (Edinburgh – John O'Groats) in for a while, and now I want to go NOW.

There is a simplified reclaim process for people on PAYE/ tax deducted at source only so you don't need to mess around with tax returns etc.

Just phone your tax office or check the HMRC website – http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/overpaid-thro-job.htm#3

I got overpaid tax back a couple of years ago within about a month of having my P46 – decided it was easier to do that than try to reclaim at the time, and it covered summer holiday spending money very nicely indeed.

Shame I'm not due a refund now really!

Ah – so this is where the printed instructions came from, Al!

Did you do CBM today? We did some stuff in Inshriach (including the loop Kit has marked up, and some stuff off Creag Dubh (basically a Kenny Wilson route plus a few fluffers).

(BTW no joy with pics yet – was a new camera with SD-HC card, card reader is only SD compatible. Will need to score a card reader before I can download them.)

There's a good old skool Italian cafe in Moffat by the market place (on the left as you come into town from the south)

Rheghed at the A66/ A592 junction is OK – sort of services/ farm shop/ visitor centre.

Tebay services is quite unlike any other services in the UK – would recommend that though remember it being rippingly expensive.

Can't think of anywhere else I'm afraid.

It's quite a long way. Best of the riding is from Boarhills to Leven.

I've done Leuchars – Lower Largo, stayed overnight there then Lower Largo back to Livingston in a day in winter and that was reasonably hard work, especially the last bit home from the Forth Bridge).

Leven – Buckhaven is a bit manky and there's quite a long road stretch between Dysart and Burntisland (though a nice bit of offroad in the middle if I'm not muddling up the order too much).

The only bit that wasn't pretty much all rideable was from East Sands in St Andrews to Boarhills, that took an inordinate amount of time on our first attempt so we skipped it on the second go.

Definitely worthwhile, and definitely not to be underestimated!

Thanks – ended up leaving work too late to do the full loop I had planned so it wasn't an issue. Looked like you could probably get round the back of Harlaw Resr anyway even if the main track on the NW side was shut off.

Just went up Harlaw Road to the gate at the bottom of Maiden's, down Pistachio and down Poet's Glen instead so still a good spin despite the slightly alarming moment meeting a horse on Blinkbonny steps but no harm done….

WWJD?

(What would Jedi do???)

Seriously, the "inside pedal back" has made a huge difference to my switchback technique, explained why I could do tighter left-handers than right-handers.

Go in high and wide to give you more space to turn, roll out through the apex and off you go.

Of course that's the theory but it tends to leave you at a tipping point with a long way to fall down the hill in my experience. Then you can either go for it, or jump off the bike.

A lot of it is not going in too fast and having a bit of balance on the bike – trying not to put a foot down at traffic lights while commuting has made a huge difference to my tech riding…

13thfloormonk, not sure we're on about the same place. I am thinking of the climb that, if you come up the road at Bonaly you take a left at the gate at the bottom of Puke Hill, cross the burn, push up a couple of steps and then head towards Howden Burn. It's short and steep and not particularly hard but I _always_ slip the back wheel if it's even slightly damp.

Once I climbed Monk's Rigg from Nine Mile Burn. Proper Steep and deeply unenjoyable. I was surprised I rode it and it's not something I plan on repeating.

Red Road a.k.a. Howden Burn Climb – been within half a pedal turn of nailing that. Never have Need to go back on the Rush and pwn* it. Also the only place I have ever had chunks in my mouth while riding.

Can do the White hill climb in the dry (not the one that passes the Tree of Doom), likewise the Bonaly "travelator" (if it's the one that links up with the bottom of Scalextrics).

Black Hill from Green Cleuch is always a challenge, ridden it a few times, usually late summer when I am at my fittest and it's riding best.

Called a ponce by Captain Flashheart? What is STW coming to????? 😉

when I do the whole thing it's 14 miles in and about 50 mins total – 8 out of town and 6 through traffic. Home is 16 miles and about an hour or an hour and 5 – go a different way as it's nicer, hillier and avoids a horrible right turn.

Park and ride to work is 5.5 miles and 18 to 20 mins depending on traffic. Have done it in 15.10 though that was almost no traffic and a clean run on all but 2 sets of lights…

epicsteve – Member

Might not be quite so idyllic in the winter though!

I've been meaning to pack my Jetboil and head off early one morning and make my breakfast up on top of Hare Hill or Bells Hill before continuing my commute to the office.

I try to do that a couple of times over the summer. Haven't managed yet this year but usual plan is to ride from home up into Pentlands, bacon rolls on Black Hill/ Harbour Hill then Scalextics/ Poet's/ Water of Leith into work. Means a 6am start but I think it's worth it 🙂

Exceptional. Let's hope we can do the job when it matters in NZ…

Too old to be a hire car, so can't think of an explanation why they are up there.

Saw a bloke in an Astra a couple of years ago at the top of Pistachio Way (just at the end of the woods before the top gate) – no idea what he was doing there or how he got out. He was looking at a road atlas as I passed him. 🙂

What a fanny! Reckon I could have stopped that and I am shit at football.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWmUvAICoYk

Info on 3 routes from about 5 years ago when I rode them. There is loads of stuff on Raasay built (or rediscovered) by Steve White and used in the Raasay Rumble back in 2007 – try asking at the outdoor centre which I believe is temporarily relocated in Borodale House hotel.

1) Glen Sligachan ride (OS sheet 32)- start at Sligachan hotel and head S down the main Glen path to Camasunary. This starts off rocky and technical for the first bit, with a lot of drainage ditches for the first 2 or 3 km. Frist time in the dry I thought it was awesome, second time in the wet it was pretty grim and slidy. The track gets better around loch an Athain and we followed the lower of the two marked on the map from beside Loch na Creitheach (GR 514212). This takes you down to Camasunary bay and can get a bit wet in places near the end but the bay is a lovely spot to have a rest. That stretch is about 12km of pure singletrack heaven if you're ok with rocks and the ground isn't sodden! Scenery is second to none, awesome views of the Cuillin.

From there it's a hard push out to the west, up to Am Mam. This is really rubbly and steep and most people would struggle to ride it all. After the hairpin (523189) it becomes a bit more rideable and the descent is a scorcher. From there it's road to the head of Loch Slapin (566224) then a bit of offroad through Strath Mor. The track on the ground seems to go E of Lochain Stratha Mhoir; we followed a stream bed to pick up the rough remains of the track at about 565257. This section is really grim and muddy (and was even last year when most of the route was dry) and you'll be glad to see Luib.

We've always done it as a 2-car job, the alternative is to go round the coast by Moll, the main road has a big climb and carries a lot of traffic (relatively!) so not sure I'd fancy biking it. This one is one of the best bike rides I've ever done, takes most of a day but the Glen Sligachan section is awesome – jawdropping scenery and riding!

2) Boreraig Route nr Broadford. We started at Cil Croisid (617207) and headed south on the obvious track towards Boreraig. This is a good track to start with (was a quarry access road I think) then becomes a raised causeway above the bog as you descend into Boreraig -superb riding, cracking views out to sea. From Boreraig (an abandonned clearance village), you head W along the coast on a raised beach platform (mostly rideable) – stay low and follow the shoreline until an obvious track forces you up the cliff. We went up too early at a big sticky-out bit of cliff just after the village and had to descend again, and round to Suisnish(another cleared village), things a bit vague once you're on top of the cliffs but keep the sea to your left and when you get to the village, aim for the house with the red roof as that's the start of your landy track back to
the road near Torrin. Then head E along the singletrack road back to the start. It's a quality short ride and the descent to Boreraig is the best bit. 9.5/10 for rideability, only one short bit up the cliff defeated our strongest rider.

3) Raasay Just headed up the road to the north – the last few km "Callum's Road" are the best tarmac I've ridden on, steep ups and downs. Built by a postman singlehandedly in 10 years cos the council wouldn't extend the road to his settlement… Also took bikes up to below Dun Caan – obvious track to summit from W side and returned the same way – the track on the map running S was apparently barely in existance on the ground. Well worth doing for the views and the descent. On the way back we cut down to to Ostaig on the wee track marked, was a nice bit of offroad for us. No pics from that day I'm afraid!

[DailyMash} 2.5% of Scots lead long, miserable, preachy lives [/DailyMash]

Certainly 2 of the 5 here (BMI>25 and I drink more than a thimble of beer a month). Probably 3 as "poor diet" will mean a bit of red meat, butter, cheese and semi skimmed milk instead of mung beans, skimmed milk and bran flakes.

But I can ride 100 miles in under 6 hours and have a resting heart rate in the 40s so ****'em, I say.

It's all bikes, innit, so it's all good. I sometimes use the MTB between Lothian Road and Riccarton and have a wee scoot up the Almond or on Costorphine Hill, nowt wrong with that (though don't get full faced to the max or anything).

Anyone seen the bloke who commutes on the big wheel unicycle? Seen him a few times on Slateford Road/ Longstone Road area but not much recently. Now that really does seem impractical to me but each to their own!

Spean Bridge to Rannoch Station is rideable – but you probably know that (happy to give some more info if you want).

No idea about the Gorton track – looks to be a big gap and the big flat area around NN400490 screams bogfest at me.

The rest is heresay but from people who I think are reasonably trustworthy.

The track across Rannoch Moor via White Corries lodge is apparently very hard work from a bit after White Corries Lodge until almost the road end at Rannoch, some friends did it late summer when it was supposed to be mega-dry and it took most of the day.

The third option is to go south and use Auch Gleann comes within about a km of the landrover track around Loch Lyon then the hill track over to Rannoch School from Glen Lyon – that is apparently all rideable (the Loch Lyon/ Rannoch section is used on one of the big "corporate challenge" type events up here). You can see this on Microsoft Bing maps.

Of course the Fourth Way, which we used several years ago, is to just get the train from Bridge of Orchy to Rannoch Station. 🙂

I have an RBS Royalties Gold – worth it for the travel insurance and phone insurance alone. If you speak to them you can buy extra cover for MTB holidays for about £50 a year – so £200 a year for phone insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover isn't bad in my book.

Have used the home emergency thing once (burst pipe) which saved us a lot of money and hassle and I use the £250 interest free overdraft every month while parking my money the Instant Access savings account that they give a higher rate on to RG customers – doesn't make me much money (though used to be worth it) but it still feels good to play The Man at his own game and win..!

At 5'11" I'm sort of between sizes too. I have a large Rush with an inline post and 90mm stem (about as short as you can go with a lefty) that is great apart from on the steeps and tech stuff where I struggle to get weight back, and a medium Prophet MX with a layback post that is a bit short for climbing but rocks on the descents.

I'd think a medium would be a better bet but would really recommend you give both sizes a try…

I find myself agreeing with Hora.

See what you've done now?

🙂

Rode past a few chicken sheds and pig units on tonight's evening ride (West Lothian) – pretty stinky here as well.

Is the OP sure she's not going a bit mental? Aren't there diseases that make you think you can smell stuff that isn't real?

My ex-girlfriend asked me to kiss her where it stinks.
I drove her to Dundee. That wasn't what she meant.

Yes, Stuart as in Stu and Fi. Hope you had a good day if you did it.

I checked back and we did the route in August 2006 – thinking back, I did enjoy the descent for the most part but it was slightly fustrating when the path just couldn't be found for few hundred metres (or you could see where it had been before it had slipped into the burn).

I'm really impressed by DHB Finchdean bibshorts (Wiggle only). They are almost as good as the Assos ones I have that cost twice the money and are better than anything else I've ever tried. They aren't particularly short either. Next pair I buy will be another pair of these

Sizing is on the large side – I'm only a medium in them and normally take a large or even XL in other shorts; the sizing chart on Wiggle's website is spot on for me at least.

Elie Chain Walk, between Elie and Earlsferry in Fife.

http://www.mcofs.org.uk/the-chain-walk.asp

Andrea – did it a few years ago now. It is a good route for a good day.

The descent Kenny suggests (between Creag Pitridh and Geal Charn) is quite tricky, basically a fairly overgrown and somewhat eroded stalkers' path that comes and goes a bit.

There's a descent that goes straight on down the Allt Coire Pitridh that is apparently very good, though I don't know anyone who has done both so can't give you a valid comparison.

I don't know what the snow position is around there – there was still plenty on the Cairngorms a couple of weeks ago; the route goes up to 850m so it might be something to consider even now…

White spirit leaves an oily residue so don't use that.

Meths stinks for ages but works better than nothing.

I get my IPA from the pub 😉

Doing Talla properly:

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MTFU

Meat comes from animals (and bt the sounds of things these were probably pretty happy ones). Animals have hair, nipples, grizzly bits and everything. That's life. Cut the nips off if it bothers you that much, otherwise chow down and get on with it.

Stoopid double post

it causes legions of the brain

I think you probably mean lesions.

Every substance is dangerous to us to some extent and/ or at a certain concentration (look up "oxygen toxicity" for a good example), I guess you have to not do anything in excess and trust the regulators to do their job well almost all of the time.

druidh – Member

Scheleschirche – Member
Sundays trailquest had markers on both of those routes – so AFAIK that means they are not dedicated walkers paths, but open to everybody

As this is Scotland, there is no such thing as a "dedicated MTB trail" either. What do you reckon the chat on here would be if the Ramblers Association decided to walk en masse up Spooky Woods one Sunday afternoon?

I'd think that wouldn't be "responsible access" – pretty much as a MTBer belting round the path round the NE side of Harlaw Resr on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon.

That's it, thanks! I promise it is to be used for peaceful purposes only 😉