Re:
After sadly deciding to not do the national 400 Audax run this weekend due to just not being prepared, I decided I needed to get out for a gravel run anyway.
The weather up here has been pretty rubbish and this morning, while not raining, didn't look too good as it was black rain clouds in every direction. They were broken up and while threatening, it didn't look like rain was falling anywhere southward. I was up with Caleb and so sounded him out if he wanted to come on the Long Haul Trucker with his Yepp seat and we would head out to the dirt loop from Strathmore round to Altnabreac station, take lunch with us, see how the track has fared with the rain we have had and see where we end up. It was a very enthusiastic yes, so now I had to hope I could get him, myself and all the extra stuff needed for a 4 year, on the road before the rain hit.
We drove out past Halkirk with windscreen wipers going
, parked near Strathmore estate and unloaded the car. Once sorted and after a short stretch of tarmac hit the gravel truck road to the start of the forest.
The first section was very rough as the logging trucks had been working in the first section so had redone the road in large blue metal rocks. Thankfully this stopped at the end of the loch where the forest proper starts and the estate road crosses the end of the loch and heads south. Then on it was loamy sand, touches of deep loose gravel and harder packed dusty type dirt.
It took a short while to get used to having Caleb back onboard with his seat, especially after blasting off road last weekend in Aviemore. Caleb plus the seat ends up being about 17 - 18 kilo on the back. Certainly not insubstantial but thankfully the setup I set out to build originally works fine, just need to take a mile to acclimatise. The Yepp seat is very well balanced and the quality over cheap Halfords type seats is obvious from set up to riding. The seat unit itself is a tube frame with a lightweight soft rubber type material seat with the base/seat/sitting section suspended for comfort. Its also perforated so if it rains the water will run through rather than pool. Its also designed to mount no less than 10mm inside the rear axle so no steering/ weight balance problems. Its always good on the road but blasting along some of the dirt sections today showed its real qualities, I was well pleased. When you move the bike you obviously feel the weight but once riding you dont notice any difference at all either steering or weight wise. The Trucker normally handles/feels better loaded and just takes this in its stride, very stable dirt or tar, loaded or not.
Anyway as is usual with a trip with the little one is to stop explore, play, snack often. I never let him sit there until he asks to get off. It needs to be fun and an adventure for him as I always think if he sits there until he's bored/sore etc then he wont want to get back on any time soon. So its a cruisy adventure.
The weather got better as the day went on and after heading towards the station I remembered the twice daily train should go past the station about half one, as it leaves Thurso around one. We decided to hightail the last couple of miles to see if we could see the train come through (he loves trains :roll: )
Unfortunately on the last straight, mile long bit of road to the station, the train came past on the right about 50 metres or so away, parallel to the road. Caleb was waving and the driver was waving and blowing the horn so he was well pleased.
We stopped at the staion and Caleb seen the old water tower from the steam days. We ate our sandwiches and malt loaf at the station while getting eaten by midges
We tolerated them for a good while longer than we should of before setting off again. After me telling Caleb that there is only a couple of trains a day so the next one wont be until much later, the north bound train starts blowing the horn and the gaurd gesticulating whether we want him to stop and pick us up. Pretty cool of him I thought but it is one of those stations that the trains only stop at if asked. He slowly rolled through waving to Caleb with the horn blasting away. That was his day made.
We decided then to head back the way we came rather than complete the loop as by this stage we weren't even halfway round. So back we went, a few more stops and wandering on foot around the lochs looking for buzzards and other animals. Returned home after five hours, this after telling Heather we would only be a couple of hours. Another good ride.
Just thought I would share as I do normally but also because it was a different off road/dirt road ride for me, having Caleb with me made me very wary of falling off, thats for sure but made it much more than just a ride on a dirt road. Great fun.
I hope everyone else has had a good day whatever you've been up to.
Jamie
Clear to the south
Looking south from the loch
The station, lunch, midges
