Last thin sliver of summer....

As we career toward september, the need to squeeze all that is left out of the summer is almost as pressing as thoughts of lighting the woodburner. However, this time of year, along with the fresh, dry days of march are amongst my favourite times of the year, so a free saturday on such a day is not to be taken for granted.

My usual riding buddies were all up to other things, So I turned to the Sauchie massive for some more cracking riding in their back yard. We met at Comrie croft, a relatively new trail centre to the west of Perth, and had about 90 minutes of eye opening steep, rocky action. I had this place down as a pretty tame,almost Drumlanrig type place, short and for beginners. How wrong I was. It is short, but it's a rocky tech fest, and an absolute joy. I'll be back, and soon too.

After some really good coffee and Carrot cake from heaven itself, We headed off along the road for a bit, before turning north and climbing for a fair while to Loch  Turret. Nothing techy up there, but amazing views and good crack with the boys, and girl!. It was bloody cold at the loch itself, so we never hung about for long, but instead opted for a fast blast back to the road, before tackling a nasty headwind and towing everyone back into Comrie. I felt really fresh today, perhaps down to having a bit of a week off, but quite pleased anyway. I'll need to be stronger for the 'Puffer this year, so this is a good base to start training I reckon.

Is there a better post ride reward?

Than the village inns' Haggis Nachos and a pint of Schiehallion?

Dumyat and Mine Woods on a fine evening

Pretty self explanatory really, Des, his mate Dan and myself headed up to Stirling last night to get Dumyat in the dry, due to the awesome weather that this summer has provided. We met our buddies from just along the road, Aron and Charlie who know all the best bits in the area.

Awesome nights biking, Well worth the short drive.

Basking in summer dust....

What a fantastic week to be off work. I had worked my week off a couple of weeks before, and this week was to be payback, and what payback this weather has been!. Enjoyrideress was working the first three days of the week, so little Enjoyriderette and I spent a lovely few days together, with her getting her new bike out every day too. It's amazing to watch her discovering the freedom that cycling gives, and she seems pretty good when a hill comes along too, who knows where she inherited that from.

Then thursday at the beach avec BBQ and sausages set me up for a day in the hills on friday. Des, Stu, Julie and I met at Killin for a day I had been looking at doing for a while - Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas. We had planned to add in another two munro's to the north west too, but to be honest, it was too hot and I realised early on that these two were better left to a cooler day and an earlier start.

The route starts at Ben Lawers Car park, about 5 miles east of Killin, and goes pretty much straight up to the first munro - Beinn Ghlas. A lot of it is actually pedallable, but the temperature played a big part in forcing us off our bikes early on, which has it's own advantages as it allows some idle chat on the way up. Once up onto Ghlas, there is a really nice techy descent for a bit before heading skyward again onto Ben Lawers. Next time I think I'd just head down the bypass path from here, and wouldn't bother with Lawers itself, as it's just borderline too techy in the most part, but it was such a nice day that the views across the country made it well worth it.

The descent down the bypass path starts off a bit stop-start, but soon after becomes an absolute corker, the only thing slowing you down is waterbars, but pretty much every one of these is rideable, all the way down to the gate near the start. I'll definitely do this one again.

I'm now looking forward to getting over to Arran with the family for a week, along with a bike, possibly ;-) although, a wee night ride this coming week around Stirling looks a possibility too.

Oh, nearly forgot - The aforementioned sausages on the beach!

Like riding abroad....

Sometimes, usually during the worst of the winter bog marches that we seem to find ourselves on, the thought 'why?' emerges into your head, and my usual subconscious retort is that we'll get some kind of karma payback in the summer - dusty trails, rocky ribbons of swooping perfection, laughs with riding mates, ice cream, beer.....

Well, last weekend was it for me.

Robin and I took the longish drive down to the Peak district, primarily to meet up with old friends that we had met on a foreign sojourn, Rik and Adele, but also to ride trails that we often read about online and in the magazines. Des was coming too, but had an appointment with the postman, or the paperboy or something....

Arriving on the Lancashire side of the peak, Rik had given us a route to ride as we were going to be there long before our hosts finished work. Setting off from the lovely wee village of Hayfield, we did a 'reet nice figure of 8, with two testy climbs and also two nice descents, one swoopy, the other more peak like - rocky and fast. Nice days riding, and in really great weather too.

After a wee refreshing drop in the local beer garden, we drove over snake pass to Sheffield, and on to meet our buddies, and the lure of the local pub and curry house!. Great stuff.

Next morning, slightly fuzzy headed, Rik sorted us out with a cracking brekkie before we drove off to Hope valley and had another sun drenched corker of a ride. I won't try to describe the route, as being expertly guided, you don't really have to know where you are, all I know is that we took in some cracking peak descents, and we climbed a lot!. If I remember correctly, we did Cavedale, Hollins cross, Potato alley, Hagg farm and then finished on the roman road. My favourite was Hagg farm, although it is pretty short, followed closely by Cavedale, for sheer ballsy rockiness.

Fish and chips and a quiet night followed, with legs wearying, and thoughts of another days riding to come....

Another cracking brekkie, and the best days riding yet!. We parked at Ladybower reservoir, of dambusters fame, and basically rode out the whole length of the famous Cut gate route and back. That doesnt sound much, but it was unbelievably good, I thought the descent out toward Langsett was good, but the descent back just ripped the legs off of it. Even though it was busy, it was an absolute joy of a descent, rocky, rutted, big steppy drop offs.... Tremendous.

And ice cream to finish. What a great weekend, thanks so much to Rik and Adele, for going out their way for a whole weekend, feeding and guiding us, great company as ever folks!. Not quite as big as the thanks deserved by Mrs Enjoyrider, for being so cool with me disappearing away for a weekend of doing what I love. Xxx.

Now, the Yeti has taken a bit of a battering, time for some TLC....

Stolen weekday in the lakes...

 

Ill bell from froswick, with Windermere glistening to the south

We had a wee bit of a plan to go and ride Ben Lomond on Friday, but the usual scots weather put the brakes on that, with heavy rain predicted for the Lomond national park, so instead, Robin and I headed south with a few route options in mind. I was quite keen to ride nan bield again, and as Robin likes riding somewhere new, that's where we went.

Parking at the south end of Dubbs road, we followed almost the exact route I had ridden myself four weeks ago, and I have to say, it was far better riding in company than riding alone. I rode way more than I had whilst on my tod. Fantastic days riding, perfect weather, not a breath of wind to be felt. Then fish and chips to finish.

Robin dropping off of froswick

 

 

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Friday night fever

On Friday night I finally got out with Klaus again, the first time in a long time due to shifts and family stuff. The two of us, along with Colin, Klaus' mate headed from chez Schlesiger along the south and north beaches to seamill, portencross, past the hunterston behemoth and onto fairlie.

Then round the usual trails, in glorious sunshine complete with gorgeous clear views over the firth and beyond. Quick pint of harviestouns finest, then back home for not far short of midnight. It was a tired blogger that was awoken at 6am with the work alarm on Saturday...

Always worth it though, canny beat a summer evening ride.