Wednesday 10 December 2014

Wed 17th December, Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore, 6:30

We'll try again from Aviemore and see if a few more folk turn up than tonight's four Riders of the Storm







Monday 24 November 2014

Craig Farleiter

I was out for a walk at the Uath Lochans yesterday and found a new bit of singletrack on Farleiter hill. As you turn left at the top for the big boulder it goes off to the right through the trees. It's a good deer track all the way and comes out down on the Uath lochans trail.

Sunday 23 November 2014

Wed 26th November, Glenlivet Trail Çentre 6:45

We're planning a 6.45 start from the trail centre car park
http://www.glenlivetestate.co.uk/media/189741/directions_bikeglenlivet.pdf

Thursday 20 November 2014

Abriachan

Seeking drier weather I went up to Abriachan today as the forecast looked ok for that area. I haven't been there for some years now and wondered if it been changed in any way. It hasn't been altered and is becoming very overgrown and in need of maintenance in many areas. There are broken bridges and fallen trees in places. It is not the most challenging or exciting bike centre by a long way but it does take you up to a great viewpoint at the top, particularly if you wander along to the cairn. I swung off the route on the return and followed the Great glen way southwards and then turned north again along one of the walking routes. This was much nicer with some point of interest along the way including some carved stones embedded in the ground. The views towards Inverness and south were superb on this side. I took a few pics as I went and here they are.








Sunday 9 November 2014

Thursday 6 November 2014

Tyres for rent....

Ever felt that everything's happening too fast..... that you need time to take in the view......that you prefer not to be part of the crowd......


Or do you want to push yourself harder and yet still not take the lead.....or you want to flatter your friends and disguise your true fitness....


If this sounds like you then see George or Douglas they have just the right tyres for your bike. Nearly new and always ridden slowly.







Saturday 25 October 2014

Wed 29th October, Carrbridge Village Car Park, 6:30

The following week, 5th November, we are planning going from Grantown followed by pies in the Craig Bar

Friday 10 October 2014

The Fungle

As the forecast for today said the best weather would be in Aberdeenshire I headed over to Aboyne in the morning. I have done most of the routes shown on the Deeside series of trailmaps except for one, the Fungle. I left the car in Aboyne and  crossed the river and up a wee side road. The turned right and past the farm Newmill setting all the dogs barking. Then the climb started, its a long steady climb about 4.5 kms stopping to take a pic early on.





After this you carry on for ages, always in the trees and no views at all, but gaining height steadily. Eventually the gradient lessens and you start getting glimpses of views knowing the end is not fat. Finally you come out of the trees and the junction is shortly after that.





Now the single track starts. This is described as awesome in the leaflet. Well  the first several hundred yards seemed to be badly washed out and was full of loose stones, very narrow and testing. There were long rooty sections as well  some of which creating big drop offs. If it hadn't been for the recent torrential rain there and it was dry it would have been easier. However lower down it improves and further down again after some muddy bits and a burn crossing it gets much better. I took some pics of the best bits.


I then arrived at a cottage called "The Guard" and a little below that is this curious construction which appears to have been made as a viewpoint. A previous estate owner in the 19th century built all sorts of strange edifices all over the estate, many with poems engraved on them. There would have been good views from here but it is surrounded by a lodgepole plantation. Also here was a sign warning of "dangerous" capercaillie.


 At this point I decided to head back down as the place was still very wet, and my GPS ran out of batteries. So it was a fast descent down a forest road with care need as it was full of water bars. I came out near Bridge of Ess and here was another construction, a water trough emblazoned with a poem too. I enjoyed the day out and lan on coming back and finishing the route after a dry spell.


Tuesday 7 October 2014

Inshriach woods

They have started clear felling in Inshriach woods and the singletrack which goes up to the old Scots pine and the two descents on either side are completely trashed. So stay clear for just now as there is a lot more felling to do yet.

Thursday 2 October 2014

Strathfarrar

Having lost the taste for faceplants in the dark I still go out lots in the day time. Today I took a chance on the weather and headed for Strathfarrar. There were strong winds forecast but they never really materialised and I had a great ride up to Loch Monar in warm sunshine with stags roaring in the hills already. It's a tarmac road all the way up, but there's no traffic and the scenery is superb. Here's a couple of pics I took.



Wed 8th October, Carrbridge Village Car park 6:30pm

Peter's video link was pretty impressive, but here's one from much closer to home that you can all try for yourselves http://youtu.be/xQ_IQS3VKjA

There is a half hour documentary on the making of the video on BBC next Friday night 10th October

Saturday 30 August 2014

Rob Roy way

I headed down to Pitlochry today to look for dry weather and explore some routes there. I found out about the Rob Roy way which goes up over the hill opposite Pitlochry and down to Grandtully. You are straight into a long steep climb with several route options branching off. Once at the top there is a pictish stone circle to visit. Shortly after that you come to a signpost and a long single track descent all the way down. Grassy at the top and then narrow an twisty with some technical bits. Great. There were a bunch of folk kayaking on a slalom course right under Grandtully bridge so I watched them for a while. I came back on the road via Logierait bridge and the back road having been unable to find another singletrack section beside the river Tay.


Wed 3rd Sept Carrbridge 6.30pm Meet car park middle of village

Friday 29 August 2014

Archie and Sandra en tour

We'll miss the next couple of Wed nights as we will be swanning around the south of France (hopefully!).

Like last year we will try to keep a blog of the trip, mainly as a journal for ourselves, but you can check our progress ( or lack of it) here

Monday 18 August 2014

Wed 20th August, Uath Lochans, Glenfeshie 6:30

The following week, 27th August, we're planning a run from Aviemore followed by a curry.

Friday 8 August 2014

Wed 13th Ralia car park for 6.30 pm Enjoy !!

Progress report

I got the all clear from the consultants yesterday and am allowed to use the bike again. So I was out today on the Loch Morlich circuit, feeling OK and managing fine. I will be getting the miles in on easy trails over the next few weeks and by September should be able to tackle the rough stuff again.

Sunday 15 June 2014

Wed 18th June - Kincraig 6.30

Probably best to park at the village hall rather than block up all of the Suie car park

Sunday 8 June 2014

Next ride wed 11 June Uath an Lochans for a 6:30ish start.

Route plan was a nice ride out followed by a swim across the feshie and a bonus loop of the
 Burma road. I would love to be there but will be mostly eating burgers and watching carrbridge primary take on the south end of the valley at Shinty. See you next week.

Sunday 1 June 2014

Fair haired lad pass










Having done most of the Trail of the seven lochs last year in sections, I still had to do the bit from the pass back north. I did the pass before from Inverfarigaig and the corkscrew. So I went up on Saturday and parked the car at the Scaniport road end and set off up the T7L from Cullaird to the Essich road. Then along the very quiet tarmac roads to the start of the trail. This time I had a camera and got some pics. It is easy to find the start as it's waymarked nd the climb up is not hard. The trail seems very little used though it was used for the Man v horse recently. Evidence of that along the trail. I saw only vague signs of the passage of bikes, not recent at all. But when you get up there you wonder why not, views are amazing. The descent is absolutely superb! This is the best of highland mountain biking. Tricky for the first 200 yards then lovely flowing hard pack through open woodland on grassy dry track. Eventually you come out on to Forest road and contour back through Erchite Farm on to tarmac again. I did about 25 miles and climbed to 1000 feet at the top of the pass.

Friday 23 May 2014

Cateran trail loop

I found out about the Cateran trail whilst hillwalking in the Angus Glens. So as the bad weather was in the North I headed south today to Pitlochry and then over to Strathardle. The plan was to explore a section of the Cateran trail from Enochdu towards Spittal of Glenshee.  I parked at Kindrogan Field centre having negotiated an very potholed access road. I set of in warm sunshine and located the start. It was a long steady climb past Farm land and then into a forest. Eventually you come out in open moorland. I stopped at the upper lunch hut for a bite to eat and then set off on a now grassy track towards the highest point of the loop at around 1900 feet. The views were wonderful at the top. Thereafter it was a lovely grassy descent eventually becoming farm track again. Here are some pics I took along the way. On the way up, carved finger post, the lunch hut, the track up and the lovely grassy descent.






Thursday 15 May 2014

Overcome with guilt at not turning up in Kingussie due to what turned out to be no more than a light shower, I resolved to go for a long ride today. The Forecast was OK so I went west and headed on up to Loch Ossian and Corrour station. There is work going behind the Lodge on a new hydro scheme and there was construction traffic moving everywhere. They are putting power cables in beside the road on the East side of Loch Ossian as well so that's chewed up. I was hoping to get a tea at the cafe at the Station but it was closed and is now a fancy restaurant only open in the evenings. Not much use for the hill walking scene.


Friday 25 April 2014

Wed 30th April, Grantown 6:30

Meet at the car park opposite the petrol station.
Last weeks route can be found at the link below, although I missed out a bit of the single track when guiding the rescue party back to the car park!  I hope your shoulder is  ok Martin, let us know how you got on

Thursday 24 April 2014

Domingo's road

Finally got an answer to my photo and letter in the Strathy a couple of weeks ago. There's a letter today explaining who Domingo was.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Had a great ride up to Faindouran lodge on Saturday, wall to wall sun and bone dry tracks.

Thursday 27 March 2014

2nd April, Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore. 6:30 prompt!!

I don't know where all this 6:30ish nonsense came from, standards are starting to slip!  (I'm bound to be late now)
Hopefully with the arrival of British summer time some of the fair weather bikers (and those who are scared of the dark) will be emerging from hibernation, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, scraping the rust off their chains and getting back on their bikes for next week.

Thursday 6 March 2014

Next ride Aviemore Bridge Inn 12 March 6:30 ish

George, tyres Maxxis High Roller single ply wire bead 60A maxpro 2.35.
Not the High Roller II which is the new more higher price version.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Worth a read

I was a bit pissed off at being stuck in Edinburgh today and missing tonight's biking. Fortunately I had a good book to read on the train home.




Available here

Thursday 13 February 2014