March BAM

That ended up being a good one! This weekend was my only chance for March, for various reasons, and as expected the forecast looked like the nice weather was going to last right up until I knocked off on the Friday, and then it was going to wazz it down, all weekend..... A further complication was a colleagues retirement do which I really wanted to be at on the Friday. Saturday looked to be horrible so a wet bivvy was in the offing.

Then Friday evening started looking better. Pitching up in the dry is always a good thing so plan B was engaged - I would use the auto to get to the leaving do, lay off the ale, get back sharpish and head out. Which I did, departing the house at 8 and pedaling for all of 13k to Devilla forest. I'd done one of my adventurous commutes home over the Lomonds earlier in the week and everything was bone dry so it was nice to bag a few more dry trails, ahead of the inevitable return to bogdom.

I headed to a spot I've used before (as usual...) only to find it a mess of fallen and felled trees! The monster Douglas fir I've kipped (and sat) under a few times before was now alone and surrounded by debris. It was also quite breezy, thanks to the felled trees, so I headed into an adjacent block of younger trees and found a fine spot next to a fallen fir.

Rain was due overnight but it remained dry as I lay back sipping an ale or three listening to lots of cracks and creaks from various partially fallen trees around me. Relaxation was complete and I was please to have got out. The rain came eventually, getting quite heavy at one point but then receding to a steady light rain. I listened to it for a while, always a good thing when you are in a tent, then bunged in the ear plugs and crashed out. 

It had actually stopped by the time I surfaced. I do alike a first day of Spring bivvy as the dawn chorus always seems to be particularly enthusiastic. 

It was damp all around and quite misty but by the time I departed, the sun was starting to break through the mist and murk, plus it was warm! I'd only had my 150 quilt and had bundled up inside it, only to wake feeling too warm. Spring indeed.

The remains of a nice piece of woodland. I appreciate it was planted for timber but it seems a shame to drop a load of very fine Dougie firs. I hope they re-plant with the same and not more bloody sitka!

Anyway, I weaved my way round various trails to Dollar, grabbed a pie, double biscuit and tea form Stevens and sat out in the now warm sunshine. More fine trails followed, still fairly dry despite the rain last night. There was some mist about so no views but by the time I got home I was roasting!

So, another winter bites the dust. It was a bit better than last year in that I did a fair few snowy fat bike rides, but skiing was limited to one evening and one fine day skinny skiing in the Ochills. Great stuff but I've not used my big skis since 2022!

Alternative Winter Event 2025

Once again Shaff aka Redefined Cycles on the Bearbones forum cast out for takers for some Grid Reference bagging as per the 'official' winter event run by BB towers, for those who couldn't make it to Wales. A few were interested and as per last year, Justin, fellow SWB member was to provide my GR's. I was slightly nervous when they arrived as it would be very easy for him to send me on an absolute mission, all within 20 miles of the house. But Justin had provided 8 points which on inspection looked to be fairly straightforward. I did some route plotting and came up with an easy circuit bagging all 8 in about 83 miles. A couple were in places I'd not been to before but both on routes I'd been meaning to ride at some point so all good. The only minor blot was one on a bump I'd try to get up the other week but had failed due to fallen trees.

And speaking of which, Storm Eowyn had done it's work a few weeks ago. What would it's impact be on this route?

My first setback was slashing rain against the window when I surfaced after breakfast. A quick squint at the weather suggested more was to come, entirely at odds with what had been predicted in the run up to the weekend. I got the bike loaded and then procrastinated for an hour. Then the sun started shinning so I got going.

First check, there would be many more. I fought my way round this lot but another, bigger block of windblow followed. This was on a dead end there and back again to GR1 so I abandoned the bike and climbed over them...

Loch Glow in the Cleish Hills. The detritus of the fishery looked a bit forlorn with a large tree having demolished one of the storage sheds and stuff scattered everywhere thanks to the storm. I often go walking round here, and the various bumps in the background. I've seen an Osprey fishing here too!

Back to the bike then a few well known miles through Blair Adam Forest (lots of downed trees but all cleared thank goodness) and over the days first proper climb from Lochore to Loch Leven.

GR2, Vane Farm visitor centre on Loch Leven National Nature Reserve. Looking over the loch, the bumps of the mid Ochills in the distance.

A leisurely pedal round the loch took me to GR 3, this fine wee bridge over the 'back burn' into the loch. There is a good path all the way round Loch Leven, largely developed by one person pushing SNH / Nature Scot to fund it. SNH resisted it for years as they didn't want a load of plebs disturbing the various birdies but eventually relented after much lobbying on high. As it was built from nothing and immediately promoted for shared use, you never get any grief off walkers round here. It's just had a major re-surfacing job done to so a good local resource which also provides useful off road links between various back roads and other trails.

I decided to add in an extra loop from this point which would come back to haunt me later. It did cross my mind to use the bird hide I'd bivvied in on AWE23 and bag the perthshire GR's the next day but it was a bit early so I pressed on.

More easy trails and back roads took me to Glen Farg village and a lengthy climb over the hills to Perthsire. As I left Glen Farg it was about twenty to five but I figured I'd still have enough daylight to bag the next point. This was a track I'd eyed up - a Perth and Kinross core path - over the flanks of various hills towards Kinross itself. A good track climb in the gloaming took me to a farm and a very barky dog then it was a bit damper with many cow prints beyond there. The good news was it was easy to follow. Twas a bit soggy though and anything uphill defeated my one gear and weedy tyres. As usual in this circumstance, the 2k to the GR took ages and it was pretty much dark when I arrived - 

I took this on approach in case it was totally dark when I got there - GR4, an old Iron Age fort.

Not quite dark - the old wall lines and ditches still clearly visible (well they would have been half an hour ago!) I got a brief glimpse of the next GR then fought my way back to the track out of there. This took a bit of faffing and my earlier extra loop (and late start) were much in my mind as I fumbled around to regain the track. Then it started raining. Then it started hailing and sleating. On with the gear and off down a somewhat soggy and rather steep track. The stormy took it in it's stride however. Finally it spat me out on a wee road, Kinross not far away. 

That said I didn't fancy the next GR at this point as I'd no idea what the track up it would be like and didn't fancy a death march in the dark. Plus it should have a fine view off the top, so better to tackle it tomorrow. A quick rethink of my route led me west towards Dunning. I'd do the three GR's in the hills the next morning and then ride back to grab this one as a finale. 

The rain eased off and at Dunning I procured a snack and a couple of beers for later. As I sat out eating (first food since I set off!) I noted I'd been on the go for nigh on 6 hours, despite missing out a GR. So much for my earlier thought I'd get here too early... Anyway, suitably fortified I headed off up the steady climb to Glen Devon forest.

Nearly forgot this one, GR5. Actually the cottage (Blaeberry Toll) you can't see behind me but I figured taking a photo might cause concern. This place came up for sale a couple of years ago and I was ever so slightly tempted given it's remote location. It would be hard work in the winter though and not much use when I get into my dotage!

I entered the forest thinking I'd head up to my usual bivvy spot from which it would be straightforward to make an attempt on the next GR the following morning. However more fallen trees blocked the way forward. There was probably a way round but I figured it would be better to go back to the road and try the lower entrance to the woods where logging works were going on, so the track would be clear. Then I spied a level area in the trees just up from where I was, that will do nicely! I'd barely got pitched up when a light appeared on the track - a jogger no less wearing one of those scotchlite covered jackets which illuminated hugely when I pointed my lid light at it. They ignored me, doubtless wondering what idiot would be out on a night like this. That said it was sheltered and whilst a few sprinkles of rain, hail and snow came in over night, nothing to disturb my esteemed repose.

A good spot but in view of its proximity to one of the main tracks in this forest, not one I'd use again. What looked like the same jogger ran by as I was about to depart (they had the same type of jacket on in any case.) 

Bugger. I managed to pick my way round this but encountered more - in fact it was total carnage. There then followed much too-ing and fro-ing as I tried to pick my way round various blocks of fallen trees. The Scottish Enduro club used to use this forest and brashed out loads of trails as a result, so I was able to bypass some bits but eventually ended up in a tangled dead end. Much back tracking and ploughing through the undergrowth later and I finally got into where they are logging, and hopefully a clear route up to my next objective.

The dimple in the distance is my next again GR! Picking up on an earlier comment from my January BAM report, Justin had, somewhat meanly, selected the hill - Black Creich - that I'd try to get to the top of that day, but failed due to fallen trees. Given what had taken place a fortnight a go, I had little hope of getting up this day, but I'd scoped out an alternative way up which might be clear. This was via another of the enduro trails which went over the flank of the hill, however I abandoned the bike for the final assault. I did get a fair way up, and within about 50m of the summit but....

GR6 is in their somewhere...

Amusingly I couldn't find the bike on descending; stopping at one point to look all around, only for it to be 6 feet away, right behind me! Ahem. Anyway off back down to the road I went with some relief. 

Castlehill reservoir dam. Not often you see an arch concrete dam in the UK, most being earth or mass concrete. Stormy looking a bit bedraggled after all of that! It did cross my mind to pedal the 8 easy miles home but that wouldn't be in the spirit of the undertaking. Onward we go...

The next GR was my highest at 516m on Ben Shee. I'd been up here the other week on skis but by the looks, there was only a dusting of snow today. It's a fair old climb which I mainly pushed but finally, I got there, only for the cloud to come down. GR7 claimed though!

I took the scenic route down a rough, grassy, tussocky descent with a nice off cambered bit to boot - 45mm tyres seem to cope remarkably well

Not necessarily the best bike for such terrain but the route as a whole was mainly on roads, cycleways or good tracks so the Stormchaser was definitely the right choice. 

Near the bottom of this descent I had to cross a fairly brisk but narrow burn and nearly came a cropper. I always make a bit of a meal of it as it flows in a rocky channel which you have to step across with bike on shoulder. The rocks were wet and slippy and the burn looked very cold. However I got across with barely a stumble and rejoined the road once more. Which I stuck too down Glen Eagles with a view to bashing out the next section to the final GR as quick as I could. I was starving again so a diversion to Auchterarder (by a fab bit of dust path, another new trail) was needed for yet another Co-op meal deal.

Then I got my head down and pedaled, vaguely aware that my planned easy route round all 8 GR's would end up being a convoluted double loop. My own fault for yesterdays tardiness! It was all on back roads for the most though.

Finally I got to the bottom of the hill on which my last GR sat and pushed on up a track that was easy enough, making me think I should have done it last night after all. And the generally damp / hazy weather meant the view was nothing to write home about in any case!

GR8. The Iron Age fort is actually just above the trig point.

So home we go, but via another huge climb and various other undulations. I noted that it was starting to get dark as I finished the last miles so I was somewhat shocked when I realised it was after 5! I was even more shocked when my total mileage came out at 118 instead of my planned 83.

So a good old adventure by any measure. Of course I could have bailed home at any point easily enough but not doing so was part of the challenge. When you've done the BB300, you can't let such trivialities as weather, darkness, boggy ground or the odd tussock put you off. I'll definitely be back to check out the hill fort in daylight at some point!

2025 BAM campaign

This will be my 5th consecutive year Bamming and 6th overall. After last years somewhat routine campaign, I'm hoping to make it a bit more interesting this year with a few things planned, including the eponymous Highland Trail.

That said, BAM 1 was distinctly low key, back in one of my usual spots in the woods off the Dunning road. Sadly, I missed the chance of a proper sub zero bivvy here last weekend. The previous week I'd managed to crash the fatty somewhat ignominiously on a bit of ice at the end of the West Fife cycleway on the way to work and what should have been a fab frozen and snowy ride home. This plan was canned when I got to the station to find that the bloody train was cancelled! Riding home revealed a distinctly sore rib, and after much prodding it was clear it was at least cracked, if not snapped! My second in under 4 months! So R&R was the order of the day although I did get out in the snow on the Sunday, given it looks very possible that this could be it, snow wise, for quite a while, much like last year....

Anyway, after a very mild week, the temps were set to drop somewhat and the weather looked fine all weekend. Damp dreich on Friday afternoon looked to spoil the party but lo and behold, by the time I'd knocked off work and got my gear together, the sky had cleared and it had dried up.

Just the usual route up on damp but not soggy trails. I thought of heading for the top of the hill bivvy spot I used a couple of years ago but there is forestry works going on up there and I have a feeling the bit of wood I'd slept in might be what is getting felled. So Linn hill it was, a particularly nice spot.

I'd brought the soto with me as since I replaced all the seals it's been much less fireball like on start up. Boil in the bag chickpea curry followed, the last of a load of army rat packs a mate had provided FOC as they were going out of date. This was surprisingly good and set me up for a very relaxing evening sipping a couple of beers and a dram, to a background of owl hoots and screeches, how relaxing. After my over-indulgence at the SWB I've a vague aim to go easy for a bit!

Sleep was instant when I eventually turned in but on waking at what turned out to be 1.30am, I became aware of a distant humming / whining noise which increased in volume until it became clear - a drone! What in all hells name was this doing here, and more importantly who was controlling it? It seemed to be some distance away, the sound exaggerated by the completely still night, but too close for comfort. It faded away after a bit and I lay awake pondering why / how etc. Looking for poachers maybe? Seems a bit unlikely although I guess these things could have IR. If so the operator may well have spotted me but no-one turned up so who knows. 

Anyway, the owls returned soon after and their screeches and hoots calmed me back to a long sleep until 9.30 am. Breakfast was a leisurely affair before I got up and off.

A nice one this and not my usual tipple but I've yet to find a bad Williams beer.

Mandatory bivvy shot but the same as my previous 8 visits. It's a great spot but the drone incident has left me a bit concerned about a return if some weirdo is spying on me or anyone else looking for a peaceful night here.

Anyway, home was via a fun ride on various nice trails in this and Glendevon forest. I battled my way up to Black Creich Hill seeking more bivvy spots. It turned into a mission as the suspected firebreak showing on aerial photos wasn't. I did find a good spot on the way up however and I've now a few in this forest. They are felling here too (F&LS seem to be doing a lot this year) but this and my other spots are all in amongst fairly young trees so they should last my time around here in any case.

Winter event next, who knows what that will bring!

2024 review, not an easy one.

I'll struggle to do my usual yearly review of bivvies as they have all been pretty mundane, all in all. Not to say it's not been enjoyable, it has. Plus I've done some nice bike riding, but...

No sub zero bivvies

No snowy bivvies

No hot bivvies

No high bivvies (highest 330m)

No really bad weather (November was the worst but not that bad really)

Which isn't to say it's been a bad year, just not quite the bonanza of the last few years. I've been out 16 times, no hotels, no official bothies, no B&B's, no paying nights. September stands out in the ace spot near NCN 7 in the woods south of Killin after a fab days ride in the sun. Also my night out on the Cairngorms tour back in April.

My Dad's health has been the defining influence of 2024 and it's been hard seeing my once active Father reduced to a pale shadow of his former self. It's also been hard watching Mum burn herself out trying to ensure the best for him. I've spent the year helping Mum as much as possible and trying to give Dad at least some interest in his life. It's not been easy...

Bike riding has, once again in hard times, kept me on the straight and narrow. Mileage has been good in that I've managed 6288 miles, in spite of the above. But it's mainly been on gravel and road. My hours are down significantly from last year, indicative of how much hard riding that year involved (HT, NYM, BB) but overall I'm happy with what I've done, under the circumstances.

Best trail on a bivvy:

Got to be the Cairngorms Tour, back in April. The weather was stunning, the trails were dry and I hammered the lot. This was in the middle of a particularly full on period in my working life (up against some stiff competition) as well as stressing over how Dad was, or wasn't, recovering from a knee replacement. I know the route so well, there is no adventure, it was just a case of grab the best riding I could get too easily. In the event it was one of a few full bore thrashes round some ace bike riding that I saw this year.

Best bothy:

No official ones, but grabbed a couple of shed nights on my ride north and on my Moray tour.

Most sociable bivvy:

The SWB, obviously, but a bit too social in that I drank far too much (without really realising it, damned whisky)

Thanks to the weird weather I could have used my Cumulus 150 quilt for every bivvy, if I'd timed things right. In the event, it's been the overall warmest year since I started with the heavy quilt only used 4 times, 2 of which I could have avoided! 

Other than the bivvies, it's been a year of gravel biking with a lot of my miles on the Stragg and then the Stormy. All good stuff, including my second double century, but next year it's going to be one for the mountainbikes.

Gravel-tastic on my West of Scotland burn up.

This led to what I think is my best bivvy of the year. It was one of those situations where everything came together to perfection - 120 miles of ace roads and tracks, stunningly hot weather, plenty grub to eat and a fab finale cruising down Glen Lochay to a chippy, a Co-op and then an great spot in the woods next to NCN7.

That said, I've definitely re-engaged with the Kramp this year, mainly when the trails have been somewhat soggy. In contrast, my Lowside, which I rode a lot last year, has only been out three times. Likewise the Steamroller has been somewhat neglected this year - a major downside of having dry weather only bikes... 

The stormy was the bike I wasn't going to buy this year but it ended up being one of three additions to my stable, the other two having engines. I've enjoyed it though and look forward to more crazy rides next year. This one was fairly tame in comparison doing a usual circuit from my parents place - The Tanhill Inn emerging from the fog.

The winter this year was terrible, after a promising start with snow on new years day and much cold temps for the first two weeks of the year. Then two weeks of plus temps wrecked it. Thereafter was a fair bit of snow fall but the wildly variable / warm temps between dumps meant there was none of the usual build up so skiing was none existent. So this was one of only two snowy rides, on my birthday. Looking to the coming winter there was some promise earlier this month with good dumps of snow and very low temps but over Christmas it was back to double figures and it all disappeared. Of course variable snow has always been a feature of Scotland's winters but 2024 was well out of normal parameters...

So, another year beckons. I'm in for the HT again, I intend to do the NYM and also the BB. I've given up on the other routes in the UK as they are too much hassle. All being well I'll do a trad Cairngorms loop ride plus maybe another shot of the LLTL300 but we'll see. And of course, every month I'll make sure I'm sleeping out at least once. No plans, goals or aims, just take it as it comes....

Scottish Winter Bivvy 2024

A large amount of procrastination on my part preceded this ride. Various options were considered including an actual bivvy as well as various bothies. But bothies are becoming more popular so the chances of getting one to ourselves, or even space in one, were slim and the typically variable December made a real bivvy less favoured. Jimmy came to the rescue doing a fine job of Tin Pot Dictator and named Auldhame Castle as the venue, on the East Lothian Coast. Bothies? Pah!

After the epic tales from the South Wales crew, braving storms and pub outdoor seating areas, the weekend looked set fine, at least for the Saturday into Sunday morning. So I had a fine ride from home to North Berwick. The fog of the previous week had finally gone and it was a cool, breezy and sunny day.

Once again I battled through Edinburgh (third time this year) and noted a shiny new cycle route linking the end of the Roseburn Cycleway to almost Fountainbridge. I believe they intend to punch it right through to the Meadows one way or another. My route was as per a trip out to meet up with my folks back in September 2022 who had a holiday cottage near East Linton. It was strange to think a mere 2 years ago, Dad was capable of walking, driving and generally living life as much as his age allowed. Now is a very different story.

So as then, I followed NCN's 1 and 76 eastwards. Mussleburgh provided a Baynes Bakers (South of the river, I ask you!) for a late lunch then it was more fine cycleways including the Pencaitland railway path which is still nice and gravelly. Dark O'clock occurred on the back roads just before Haddington and I carried onto East Linton as I was in plenty of time for our notional 5pm meet up at the Ship in North Berwick. Sure enough, Justin was in residence, Dave incoming and Jimmy preparing our accommodation.

Beers were drunk and chips were eaten then off to the spot via the inevitable Co-op. A bit of nosing around then the castle loomed out of the dark. Jimmy had a fire going in the 'fire place' (ahem) and fairy lights up! Well I know what we say about fires but this would do no harm to any flora or fauna and given that the castle would have been built by local slave labour for some posh, rich git, it seemed fitting that four reprobate bikepackers squatted in it for a night, with a fire to warm our ageing bones. So there.

Much conviviality followed, probably why I ended up drinking too much as it's the first social I've had in a long time....

We crashed out at 12 (literally in my case as I tripped over Dave's sleeping bag heading for the loo and measured my length - I blame the whisky) and I slept soundly until just after 8.

Quite a pile in it's day.

I got packed up before the full force of the hangover struck. Dave, Jimmy and Justin were heading to Dunbar - Dave for his wagon and the others for the train but I felt I had to cycle all the way home as penance for abusing my body so. Plus, to be honest, I didn't trust myself on a train in case my breakfast made a re-appearance. 

So a lengthy ride followed, my body on a go slow, my head louping, and a stiff breeze in my face. This built as my hangover receded. I was trying to follow the John Muir Way East but the sections signed for cyclists just seem to be on the (main) road. Occasionally the footways were signed as shared use but it was all a bit haphazard, not helped by my limited mental capacity. The various walkers I encountered must have been horrified by this apparition cycling towards them - eyes like p*ssholes in the snow and a grey complexion... I stopped for a snooze near Prestonpans (it was now 12 or 13 degrees) but after a brief rest, sleep was far away so I kept going.

As I ground along, I made a ferverent hope - "please don't get a puncture" - I'd probably just roll off the bike into a ditch and stay there. Sure enough, pedaling along the innocent railway, there was an almighty hiss and sealant sprayed everywhere. Fortunately the hangover had largely receded by this time so I set to as it was quite a slash, caused by broken glass, no doubt. This lasted to the meadows and the plug actually came out - a first for me, leading to more sealant spray... I used one of those WTB bullets and that seemed to do the trick. 

Leaving Embra it was a full on gale. I stopped at the garage just south of the bridge for a much needed bottle of coke which my stomach accepted with reluctance, but this seem to settle it down. Not sure what the shop assistant and his mates thought of this stumbling wreck though! I nearly ended up in the Forth going over the bridge as huge gusts were battering me all the way across and the handrail suddenly looked somewhat weedy. Relieved to survive that lot, and with my appetite back, Greggs in Inverkeithing was a lifesaver fueling the final miles up the hill back home. Total distance 200k!

Cheers to Jimmy for organising and cheers to the others for putting up with me....

And another BAM complete! Fair to say there were a few close shaves this year with one thing and another. Roll on BAM 25!

November Bivvy

Well I survived my November Bivvy although it was looking a bit marginal at one point. I'd meant to head out on Friday night but the weather looked better for Sat / Sun so I decided to delay, always a bad idea. Plus I got distracted by a motorbike but that's another story...

Still, it was dry as I left the house with stars showing, so I was feeling pleased with my timing decision at this point. But by the time I'd entered Glendevon woods there was a hint of rain in the air and I was a mite concerned that the stiff south westerly might make my planned spot (as per February, March and July) a bit drafty. When I got there it seemed sheltered enough so I got pitched up. Haute cuisine followed, B-in-B pasta and smoked sausage, and a few beers. By this time it was blowing a gale and although the wind wasn't hitting the tarp too much (the Deschutes thank goodness, given what was coming), it was noisy! I figured whisky would help me sleep, which it did.

Until 2.30am when I woke up to the sound of torrential rain and even more wind. I had a quick look around under the tarp and all seemed well, apart from a few drops of rain on the bivvy bag. I actually checked the weather forecast to get an idea of how long this would last - light winds and light rain until 6 according to the beeb... I contemplated abandoning wood, but I wanted to do a decent ride in the area the next day so buried my head under the pillow and tried to sleep, grumbling about the fact that this is the third time I've had a wet and windy night in these woods, and I really should choose my spots with more care. Anyway, the rain eased off after about an hour and although the wind was still fierce sleep followed. I eventually surfaced at 9.30, albeit having woken up a few more times when a particularly big gust hit me, so actually a pretty good kip all in all. A quick check suggested all was dry, bag-wise so I made tea, ate sausage and cheese then departed.

A perfect gap for the wind to blow in....

I headed to Auchterarder via various easy trails for a Co-op meal deal (I am now a member, wonder if they will sponsor me?) then it was off onto new ground.

I've pedaled past the start of a track off the Dunning road up the south side of the Ochills a few times over the years. It's a dead end but I was fairly sure I'd find an onward route off the end of it. A lengthy climb followed on a good track, dodging the prodigious cowpats, the perpetrators of which I'd passed at the bottom of the track, safely locked up in a byre. At the track end, I pushed up through a field, aiming for a block of forestry through which I hoped to find a route.

Riding the good stuff. I rode through this lot and contemplated my next moves.

This was where I wanted to get to - i.e. the summit of this hill - but how? The direct route looked to be a lot of descent then a large climb through more delightful tussocks so instead I contoured round to the forest. After climbing over a gate I found an old track down to a nice little pond. Windblow blocked one end but I picked my way round to the other end picking up another forest track and another lengthy climb for a view of lots of low cloud on the summit of Simpleside hill. Next time I'll use this track from the bottom... A bit of nose following led to a new track through a load of carbon credit scam forestry that went in a couple of years ago. I'd walked around here last summer so knew roughly where to go, although subsequent map appraisal suggests I could have avoided a long length of more tussock hopping. However I eventually made it to Corb law then another new track to where I'd been earlier. Odd patches of dreich blew in and it had been hard going at times but good training for the Highland Trail which I'm in for again next year. 

Home was via a usual route, reflecting that I was glad to get that one in, at the last minute. It's about the only crap weather I've had on a bivvy all year so I can't complain. But so much for a sub-zero bivvy, it was 13 degrees today!

Ten years of truckin'

As I was pedaling the Ice Cream Truck across the high summits of the Ochills the other day, it occurred to me that it was ten years old. I gave it a fond pat and reminisced over the trials, trails and tribulations we had shared in that time.

I encountered my first fat bike, courtesy of friends Rob and Iona, in 2011. Iona had scored a Surly Pugsley, then Rob upped the anti with the first Moonlander to hit these shores. I was sold, even before buying one. This happened soon after with a cheap Mk 1 Salsa Mukuk, on which I rode a range of terrain and became a die hard fat bike rider almost overnight. Stuff I'd previously never contemplated riding was tackled with ease. Suddenly a whole new world opened up before me. As Rob said "they can destroy the terrain other bikes can't reach!"

That said, as much as I liked the Muk (I still have it) Rob's Moonie seemed a better bet as more is always more. But the asymmetrical back end didn't appeal and Rob noted he'd bent the rim a couple of times as a result. Then Surly announced the Ice Cream Truck - 5" tyre compatible but with a symmetrical back end (197 hubs!) more trail friendly geo (i.e better for downhills) and it was bright blue.

By this time, fat bikes were in their ascendancy. Everyone was starting to talk about them and the hardcore niche / early adopters were emerging from beach and bog to preach the word. Big tyres = riding where you had previously thought was impossible, a massive 'V' sign to where mountainbiking had got to at that point and crucially, a huge amount of fun. So Ison (Surly dealer) finally got behind Pat (Surly rep) and started importing them as soon as they were available.

Coinciding with Surly announcing the ICT, Fife Council announced a new bike to work scheme which allowed you to use any bike shop. I high-tailed it up to Bothy Bikes and got Dave to pull a fast one which enabled me to buy an ICT frame, 80mm rims, Bud n' Lou and a few other bits and bobs with a hefty 25% discount. Thereafter followed a nail biting wait for it to land. As it happened, I'd told Dave to get me a black one but by mistake, he ordered a blue one - the first into the UK. I was a bit miffed at this as black is a much easier colour to maintain, but when I saw the metallic blue frame, I was very happy with Dave's choice! In the meantime I'd sourced most of the bits I needed so the build was carried out in short order.

Lounge test passed with flying colours. Oh yes.

First proper ride in my bog-tastic local hills. In spite of the weight - about 16kg, a kg less than the full Surly build thanks to narrower rims, hope hubs, a 1x drive train (my first!) and a few other select bits - it rode incredibly well, that fatbike speciality of giving the impression it would ride anywhere.

First snow. Not a good start as I picked up a thorn on the Dollar cycleway which stitched 4 holes in the tube, all of which I repaired but in four goes! But bloody hell did it rip. I'd already tried a bud up front on the Muk but having two monster tyres led to a total re-appraisal of what was possible to ride. A gamechanger indeed.

So it went with a monster winter setting the stage for some unbelievably hard rides as I pushed (and exceeded) the bikes limits.

This ride over the Minigaig pass to Aviemore was key as I came home with a pair of Schwalbes newly announced Jumbo Jims (4.8 natch) strapped on the bar roll. These heralded a fat bike revolution as they were nigh on 400g's an end lighter than Bud n' Lou and rolled better than many 'normal' MTB tyres. On the first ride on them, the bike fairly flew!

So. I had a bike that would deal with any terrain you threw it at. I'd used it for pretty much all my rides at the end of 2014 and the early part of 2015. Spring approached but the poor old Krampus was ignored. Another challenge was approaching - The Highland Trail. I'd binned it the previous year and this year, nothing would be stopping me. So why not ride a bike that nothing would stop.

I did. Nothing did.

That said, the beast got a rest until the next winter. This led to another fat bike revelation - run your tyres tubeless and drop the pressures to 1 psi, you can then ride snow that would destroy a hill walker.

Snow, snow and more snow. I've spent many hours pushing / dragging this beast through knee deep windblown snow with there been a few times where I thought about abandoning it, the going was so hard! By contrast, and for the sake of it, I've done plenty of summer rides just because I could. The fat bike smile persisted.

A taste of the arctic in Scotland, the first of a few epic Scottish Winter Bivvies.

Fife is blessed with many miles of fine coastline, much of it fair game for big tyres. Me and the ICT have done most of it, once all in one go!

Yes I have just ridden across this lot...

Then in 2018, I made a decision - it's time to race the real Arctic. A lot of cash disappeared from my bank account and we were off to Finland.

Since then, I've tended to use it mainly in winter with only an occasional summer ride when I couldn't be bothered riding singlespeed. The ICT is only bike I own with gears. I keep thinking of trying it SS but you really need a very low granny gear to get it through deep snow, so so far I've resisted. I've even thought of replacing it, but after much objective viewing and consideration, I've come to the conclusion that the best fatbike for me is an Ice Cream Truck. The newer version Surly launched in 2018 is better - threaded BB, slacker seat tube and a bit lighter - but I've been through too much with my one to contemplate swapping it.

The frame is bomb proof so I suspect it will do me another ten years, providing I can get tyres...

Ah yes, the fat bike boom and bust. I hate the bike industry really. It's run by a bunch of money grabbing idiots who are too stupid to realise that there is enough people into bikes to enable them to sell a broad spectrum of machinery that enables us to do what we want to do. Nope, they have to hook everything to a genre and USP. So the bike mags firstly raved about fatties, then panned them as being stupid jokes. If you are serious (yawn) about mountain biking then you must (MUST!) buy a carbon framed bouncer. Fat bikes are a joke for bearded weirdos (I know a few die hard female fat bikers - they don't have beards) so get them out of the frame quickly.

On the social side it's the same - the UK fatbike forum declined and then ground to a halt. In the US, the last remaining website looks like it's also no longer being updated. Despite this, races like the ITI and Arrowhead seem to be as popular as ever. The snow hasn't disappeared (or the beach) so there is no reason why their popularity has waned other than due to marketing...

Hey-ho, I've a stock of tyres to see me through and Surly's recent Moonlander re-vamp seems to have captured peoples imagination again so maybe the bike industry will wake up to the fact that it's OK to sell low volume niche bikes to a niche bunch of people, Just like Surly and Salsa are doing. Some hope.

Anyway enough of all that nonsense, I'm off to ride my fat bike! And it's winter!

Keep on truckin'