It's been a while.....

Lots of things has happened since my last post really, Mainly starting a new job has been the biggest change, especially as for the first time in over 16 years, I work 'normal' hours as opposed to shifts. When I worked at GE, I was only about a mile from there, and sometimes it seemed more hassle getting the bike out to get there than it was worth. GSK is 8.5 miles away, a far more worthy commute, and a great way to get extra miles in, particularly in the winter months, as when I get home from work, the fire is lit and forcing yourself outside again for a nightride is hard to do.

I'm also back doing spin classes again, which also supplements the lack of night riding at the moment, and is a far better workout, especially as one class is fast paced and quick changing, whereas the second class is a longer, endurance based affair. It's only 4 months til we go riding in Spain, so all this riding will be worth it!.

I have been doing some MTBing, just the usual haunts, River trails, Fairlie, Dumyat with Aron and Charlie, nothing too far as I can't be bothered with 2 hour drives to the the likes of the tweed valley at this time of short daylight.

Robin and I had a nice spin on the fat bikes yesterday too, parking at Balmaha at the SE end of Loch Lomond, and following the WHW as far as Rowardennan YH before turning back and riding the trails in reverse. Was pretty cold, damp and frosty under tyres too, but a good wee ride in decent enough surroundings. The fat bike is brilliant for rides like this, great for covering distance on a variety of trails, Though the lack of a dropper post hold you a bit on techy, steep sections, but that kind of riding is few and far between on rides like this anyway.

We've got a Winter solstice ride planned next sunday, to ride the shortest day from sunrise to sunset, plan is to ride as far as we dare up the river - River Ayr way is 44 miles long - then turn and come back in time for a nice rewarding tea. Should be good, and good training for Robin in his puffer build up.

Perthshire delights...

The Fab Four of Klaus, Robin, Des and yours truly had a rare day out riding today, opting to head north to the short but very sweet man made stuff at Comrie croft near Crieff.

A hideous morning meant a wee coffee was required in the cafe at the trail head was required to get both the legs and the mojo going. It's a fantastic wee set up, pretty compact, but also pretty techy, with no shortage of rock features, mud, roots and gravity too. The last blue descent is one of the best man made flowy, swoopy trails anywhere in the country, a real hoot to ride, and they also managed to eke every bit of fun out of the hill.

There's also plenty of activity on thd trail building front, which is totally at odds with every other trail centre in Scotland.

Safe to say, we'll be back soon.

Definitely the final scent of summer....

Ullswater

How lucky are we?.

Promises from weather forecasters of an ‘Indian summer’ every year never materialise, but 2014 has been a fantastic exception, this has possibly been the best September I can recall.

Even the grim reality of the immediate future in Tory hands couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for a wee Lake district adventure the day after the Referendum, indeed, it helped take my mind off it. So, off I headed to Ambleside to meet the Sauchie massive – Aron and Charlie, and my mate Graham from the club. The plan had been to ride Grizedale and Walna scar on the Saturday, but Klaus had been down with Des the week before and had said that the descent down into Torver from Walna is still gash due to the resurfacing a couple of years back.

Plans were changed, and I suggested a ride straight from the front door of the YH, a familiar one as I’d did most of it twice already this year, but the guys hadn’t ridden any of it, so were keen. The Kentmere horseshoe and Nan Bield is a smashing high level route, with quite a bit of hike-a-bike in the first half, but some fantastic riding from the top of Nan Bield, and also adding in Staveley head fell and the short, yet grin inducing joys of Jenkins Crag, made for a cracking day.

It was after 5pm by the time we rolled back into Ambleside, showered, and headed for the best Pizza in the lakes, at Dodds.

Next day, we changed our plans somewhat, from the longer route that takes in Great Dodd, Helvellyn and down off Dollywaggon Pike, instead opting for the straight up option of Keppel Cove, well that was the plan!  :-0

What seemed like a nice gesture by some friendly walkers, holding a gate open for us at the start of the off road climb up past the Helvellyn YH, ended up with us taking entirely the wrong route up. We never really realised this until the path levelled just before the scramble up Swirrel edge became visible. Nearly at the summit anyway, and after I’d got the usual ribbing for my guiding failure, we despatched lunch, turned round and descended the way we’d came. It actually turned out to be a really good trail, followed by another wee diversion along a footpath, and a cracking drop down onto the back of Glenridding. Real chips and sunshine to follow, brilliant stuff.

More pics to follow, as they're on my phone.

Mountain goat!

Warmer than it looks.

The way we should have gone up!

The way we did...

Forty dollars? Buy Buy!!

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!