Decent - has a few short but techy tracks - dangermouse is epic as is Decade. Its not the tallest so quite quick to shuttle but you can put a couple hours in and barely hit the same trail twice
And today I did......
- Thread starter kaiser
- Start date
30 years since we started our race team as juniors, so I organised a reunion ride up the Sidlaws. Amazingly I hadn't put on the most weight or lost the most hair!!!! Did take the ebike though, much to the disgust of some, but good to get my own back by clearing off into the distance on the climbs like they used to do to me BITD! Not seen some of the guys in over a decade, so really good to catch up.
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Jamie is such a kind lad. He realises I'm missing my dog, so he's decided to reunite us.
The other day we arranged to meet halfway between his place and mine, he was to ride down from Thurso and I'd ride north from Dingwall.
Thinking I was going well, I texted him from the top of the Struie to say where I was, only to get a reply that he was already at Bettyhill. Jamie is a fit bugger, but that was some motoring along. Especially as I regard the 30 miles from Jamie's place to Bettyhill as a bit tough with lots of climbs.
With him going at that speed it looked like we'd meet much further south than arranged.
Not wanting to expose my decrepitude by just cruising along until that happened I thought I'd better get my finger out so I could meet him at Altnaharra as originally proposed. I flogged my ageing body but didn't quite make Altnaharra. We met up about 5 miles north of Lairg. I'd only managed just under 50 miles so far against Jamie's 75.
Jamie took a look at my pitiful state and realised my rapidly fading body would be an encumbrance if I joined my dog in woof heaven right then. (He's got big panniers, but not that big.) We stopped for a big feed at Lairg and suitably fuelled headed back south back to my place.
Part of the problem was my own fault. I'd slapped together a bike the night before. I thought trying gears would be a good idea so put a Rohloff wheel on the bike. I don't know how gearies do it, the mental energy of trying to nut out the right time to change gear was beyond me. By the time we got to the Struie I had discovered that it was far more pleasant to walk than ride at walking speed, so what's the point of all those low gears? I did enjoy the opportunity to use the higher gears though.
We made it up the 800 feet of the Struie ok, I didn't have to walk more than a hundred yards or so, but I'll have to get fitter, I used to ride up that on my track bike.
I also relearned a lesson I'd learned years ago. Don't go for a long ride on a bike you've just tacked together. My saddle kept slipping down so I would end up pedalling like a clown and the handlebar position had to be adjusted several times to alleviate pain in my wrists.
Jamie, kind fellow that he is, was very tolerant of my pace.
It was only when I got home I realised he had actually been motoring along. He had got a lift to Bettyhill!
The real bummer was realising I hadn't quite managed a century at 98 miles all up.
So maybe it's not time to hang up the bike...
To celebrate I took my track bike for the next day's ride up the Lenaig (abt 500'). It' was no problem and a much nicer feeling than grinding uphill with a Rohloff.
Edit: it turns out my seat was nearly 50mm too low by the time I got home. I've ditched the nice shiny anodised seat clamp that blended so well with the bike's aesthetic, and replaced it with a sturdy but ugly Giant one.
The other day we arranged to meet halfway between his place and mine, he was to ride down from Thurso and I'd ride north from Dingwall.
Thinking I was going well, I texted him from the top of the Struie to say where I was, only to get a reply that he was already at Bettyhill. Jamie is a fit bugger, but that was some motoring along. Especially as I regard the 30 miles from Jamie's place to Bettyhill as a bit tough with lots of climbs.
With him going at that speed it looked like we'd meet much further south than arranged.
Not wanting to expose my decrepitude by just cruising along until that happened I thought I'd better get my finger out so I could meet him at Altnaharra as originally proposed. I flogged my ageing body but didn't quite make Altnaharra. We met up about 5 miles north of Lairg. I'd only managed just under 50 miles so far against Jamie's 75.
Jamie took a look at my pitiful state and realised my rapidly fading body would be an encumbrance if I joined my dog in woof heaven right then. (He's got big panniers, but not that big.) We stopped for a big feed at Lairg and suitably fuelled headed back south back to my place.
Part of the problem was my own fault. I'd slapped together a bike the night before. I thought trying gears would be a good idea so put a Rohloff wheel on the bike. I don't know how gearies do it, the mental energy of trying to nut out the right time to change gear was beyond me. By the time we got to the Struie I had discovered that it was far more pleasant to walk than ride at walking speed, so what's the point of all those low gears? I did enjoy the opportunity to use the higher gears though.
We made it up the 800 feet of the Struie ok, I didn't have to walk more than a hundred yards or so, but I'll have to get fitter, I used to ride up that on my track bike.
I also relearned a lesson I'd learned years ago. Don't go for a long ride on a bike you've just tacked together. My saddle kept slipping down so I would end up pedalling like a clown and the handlebar position had to be adjusted several times to alleviate pain in my wrists.
Jamie, kind fellow that he is, was very tolerant of my pace.
It was only when I got home I realised he had actually been motoring along. He had got a lift to Bettyhill!
The real bummer was realising I hadn't quite managed a century at 98 miles all up.
So maybe it's not time to hang up the bike...
To celebrate I took my track bike for the next day's ride up the Lenaig (abt 500'). It' was no problem and a much nicer feeling than grinding uphill with a Rohloff.
Edit: it turns out my seat was nearly 50mm too low by the time I got home. I've ditched the nice shiny anodised seat clamp that blended so well with the bike's aesthetic, and replaced it with a sturdy but ugly Giant one.
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Is that a guided ride Clubby?
I'm on target to do the lowest mileage of any year so far! Busted ribs and then wrist have limited riding the last few months, but bizarrely I find I generally do less miles in the summer, but more in the depths of winter!
I'm on target to do the lowest mileage of any year so far! Busted ribs and then wrist have limited riding the last few months, but bizarrely I find I generally do less miles in the summer, but more in the depths of winter!
Yeah, don’t really know the trails round Feshie forest and I saw it and though why not. Nice to do something different after the past year of local riding.
Also entered the Bosch ebike challenge at Tweedlove. Enduro style event with up and downhill timed stages throughout a 30km loop.
Clubby, There are so many companies/people doing guided rides/coaching around here at the moment, I follow a few on Facebook/Instagram (Macdui bike adventures, Ride In Peace etc)seems like a good way to explore somewhere new without the headache of planning things, and a good way to find the bits of trail you’d probably never know about if you were on your own.
I’m thinking of booking a few skills sessions focussing on jumps & drops, and to help build confidence , I’m ok with taking off... It’s the landing that causes issues
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didn’t you go to Whistler a few years ago? How did you find it over there?
I’m thinking of booking a few skills sessions focussing on jumps & drops, and to help build confidence , I’m ok with taking off... It’s the landing that causes issues
.didn’t you go to Whistler a few years ago? How did you find it over there?
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You mean apart from the broken collarbone?
Progression is much easier over there. The trails are properly built, and more importantly, maintained. Here they build the trail and never do much else to it. Look at spooky wood at Glentress, no lips left on any of the just and rough as hell now.
Crank it up is Whistlers blue intro trail, nearly 2 miles long, with 25 features. Lift access means you lap it all day long and go further on the jumps each time.
Deliberate practice is the only way to get better, hitting the same stuff again and again. Unfortunately, we just seem to ride the bits as we find them on the trail and don’t go back up again to try and improve. It’s difficult to do if you’re riding in a group. I’m better at doing it if I’m on the ebike as the extra climbing is so much easier. At Comrie I’ll do 3-4 laps of the same bit over and over hopefully doing a bit better each time.
Been looking at coaching myself. The company I’m going with on Saturday (Ride Out) also do this and seem to get good reviews. Quite interested in their trails days, where you get a mornings coaching then a tour of the off piste trails in the afternoon. Tempted by the one at Golspie in October, but will see how this weekend goes first.
sounds good clubby. I had some initial thoughts about getting a guided ride iaround Feshie also as its huge and we've only done some bits of it. stunnig views as well. Will get round to it one year. Let us know how you get on with them.
just back from 2 weeks in Nethy Bridge, we love it up there, thinking of retiring to the neck of the woods lol.
you'll have seen from my strave I finally got round to doing the Burma road loop. Absolutely burst after it, very hard relentless climb and the downhill section was very washed out but still enjoyable. Hardest ride I've done. Be good for a macretor ride that one.
just back from 2 weeks in Nethy Bridge, we love it up there, thinking of retiring to the neck of the woods lol.
you'll have seen from my strave I finally got round to doing the Burma road loop. Absolutely burst after it, very hard relentless climb and the downhill section was very washed out but still enjoyable. Hardest ride I've done. Be good for a macretor ride that one.
