Cairngorm Tour '25

Last year I'd allowed myself to be persuaded to attend a motorcycle rally / festival - the 'Adventure Bike Festival,' that is, a large gathering of middle aged blokes on their large 'off road' motorcycles. Friends who'd persuaded me also convinced me to join them on a tour of Wales afterwards. So I'd booked a fortnight off work, which left the first weekend free to do some bike riding. Lo and behold, a heatwave was also been touted for this weekend so plans were made. Of course the weather chopped and changed with thunderstorms being mooted at one point. In the end, it looked like a few showers would be around Friday and Saturday, with Sunday looking rather damp. So I figured on a Cairngorms tour with an extra bit to get up to my pals place in Speyside for a BBQ on the Saturday night.

I've done this route with variations more times than I can recall, however in terms of smiles per mile, it scores very highly, particularly if you get the weather right. I got to Blair Atholl just as a very heavy shower came on, but it lasted all of one minute before the sun re-appeared. After a fish tea and a final ruminate on which way I should go round (i.e. the normal way up the Gaik, or in reverse up Glen Tilt) I headed up Glen Tilt, solely due to it looking sunnier east rather than north. That said, it's been a few years since I'd done it this way and I felt I needed to add at least some variation into the proceedings.

The trundle up the glen was a joy - in warm sunshine and a gentle breeze to push me along and keep the midges at bay when I stopped to appreciate the view. I paused at the Tarf water bridge for a beer ahead of the singletrack climb. Most people advise going east to west so it's a downhill but it's actually fun either way. I got up most of it, despite being SS and emerged at the watershed at half 8. 

I'd been a bit wary of the midge situation, despite a level one being forecast but my pauses had been midge free so far. Bivvy-wise I thought of making my way up one of the hills near to the Tilt watershed to minimise the chances of an encounter, but in the end I went with Bynack lodge as there was no one else to be seen. Maybe they were all in the Red Bothy! 

This is an ace camping spot. Sure enough the midges were about but I managed to set up and get in the bag midge free. I tried out my 'flextail' bug killer but as far as  I could tell, it didn't work. In view of the forecast I went tarp free and after a dram or four slept soundly until first light.

Somewhat murky, and a bit damp thanks to a heavy dew. I slept for another hour but decided to get going just after 6 as I had a fair ways to go and would hopefully get up the first climbs of the day before the heat.

Breakfast was procured at Greens (Nee the Co-op) in Braemar, courtesy of a Fisher and Donaldsons steak and haggis pie, followed by a fudge custard donut. I nearly went with the coffee tower but I always end up with most of it in my beard!

So onwards and upwards into clearing skies and hot sun. I faffed to find the new 'shared use' path that was finished last year but, although it does miss the A93 out to Invercauld, starts in the middle of a load of steep and rooty singletrack. 

The Cullardoch climb followed and I paused at the top to dry out quilt and bivvy bag. They were only a bit damp but the hot sun and breeze made for ideal drying conditions, utilising some odd wire mesh baskets covering patches of heather. Not entirely sure what this is meant to be doing. The view was fab and I noted the only snow visible anywhere - two bits on the south end of Ben Avon. Quite how these had survived is a mystery!

Then it was the usual route south to Tomintoul. I saw many other bikepackers, one with a dog and trailer, others on the usual mix of machines. Best of all, I spied an Eagle floating above the hillside opposite. More food at the Firestation cafe in TT followed and texts with the friends I was staying with that night indicated they were heading up to do a lap of the Glenlivet trails. I figured on joining them but had an hour to kill so ground up the Speyside Way climb up Carn Daimh and hit the trails off this, looping back round to the start and the cafe. I found one 'off piste' bit which was nice and noodly but the made stuff was the usual, i.e. it would be fun on the gravel bike but easy on the Jones, bags and all.

After a cold coke (it was now roasting) Rob, Iona and Alex appeared and we rode the trails back round to my high point of an hour ago. It was fun riding with the others and I guess this is where such places score as there is no challenge required, you can just have a blast and a laugh. 

We got back up to Cairn Daimh again and I left them to finish the loop, descending off the SSW back to the road for a leisurely trundle to their place. A mighty fine BBQ followed and much chit chat, beer and good cheer.

The next day was still breezy with rain a coming. I blagged a lift to Nethybridge (steadfastly not taking up an offer of a lift back to Blair Atholl) and headed south via the standard Cairngorms tour / loop route. Again, no challenge but lots of good riding on bone dry trails.

I spied this sign on Ryvoan pass. Just as I finished reading it, I heard a heavy tread and the crack of branches and there, right behind me, was the Capercaillie!! Or was it the Jaberwockie...

Needless to say it was actually nowhere to be seen, but this is the first time I've seen this tactic to keep people away from them. The ride south was fab as usual, with very few people about and lots more dry trails.

I did think of an extra loop to bag Ben Alder and another night out but the weather to the west looked decidedly ropy. So far I'd caught one heavy shower whilst passing by Loch Morlich requiring jacket on, plus a few sprinkles came and went. But straight south looked a better bet. I diverted to Kingussie for one last weather check and a Co-op meal deal, and decided that the Gaik it was. It was still pretty breezy but I made it all the way up the Glen only needing to don jacket once.

I do like this trail. Scores for this pass is 17 times, 20 up and down Glen Tilt! I think I need to ride somewhere else for a change.

Oh bloody hell. This pipe bridge has been here for many, many years. In 2012 the river ploughed through the ground I'm stood on and the bridge was bypassed, remaining redundant until 2020. This led to a lot of troublesome river crossings here, particularly in 2014 post storm Bertha. In 2020 the estate restored the river to it's original line under the pipe bridge and did a lot of work with very large rocks and gabions. This has all been to no avail. Worse, the pipe bridge a k downstream was also wrecked (but just passable) and it had survived all the 2012 storms, Storm Bertha and Frank. The thing is, when I was here a year ago, all was well and I couldn't recall any storms over the incredibly dry winter. On reviewing my own weather data and asking a few friends, it does look like there was a big rain storm in January, during one of the many temperature spikes and on dry ground so I guess this must have done it. Oh well, we'll wait and see what the estate does this time...

Anyway, I rolled down the glen and back along the cycleway, reflecting on a fab day and weekends bike ride. So motorcycling next and then it's July. Once again, the year is racing by!

Gravel Biking

I've had a gravel bike since 2017, my much loved, used and abused Surly Straggler. Last summer I upped the game with a bargain priced Salsa Stormchaser frameset, giving more tyre clearance and less weight. To date my rides on both these bikes have been a mix of road and generally easy trail, a few tours and some long days, exclusively on my own. A mate persists in referring to them as hybrids and (often rightly) points out I'd be better of fitting a set of fast rolling tyres to the Jones....

This went through my mind as I set off on a gravel sportive round the Trossachs, destination for numerous road and trail rides from the house, in the company of nigh on three hundred others. I'd signed up as part of a vague new years resolution to try to do stuff that was a bit more social. Being fairly local and organised by a small group who'd done a lot of work to develop waymarked trails round QE forest, it seemed a good shout. Based on feedback from someone who'd done the shorter version last year, it looked to be fairly low key without the high numbers (and over-crowding) of things like the dirty riever. 175k and 3300m were the advertised numbers but the final route included a bonus climb and a few other tweaks bumping the climbing to 3700m.

Training involved doing the Highland Trail. Or not as it turned out, but I was fairly confident I had plenty of leg to get round. Motivation nose dived on being told the start time was 6.30 am. I'd typically do such a thing starting at 10 and riding into the evening.... Then I nearly threw it at 3.30am on the morning of the ride having failed to sleep for more than a few minutes. So I wasn't in the most positive frame of mind on arrival at Aberfoyle at a bleary-eyed 5.30am, not helped by a truly horrific level of midges. The torrential rain of the previous day had gone off and the forecast wasn't too bad but everything around me was sodden, hence the death midges!

I pedaled up to the start and much walking around in circles waiting for the off followed, in order to avoid the midges. I'd bumped into a fellow BB forum member, Paul (I'd my full team colours on which he clocked) who was running Jones bars on his SC machine. We'll come back to this. My biggest concern was either to go off too quick and blow up at the halfway point or end up in a sleep deprived energy-less grind as per day two of the HT. We ruminated on the route but both being veterans of the BB200, figured that with no tussocks or death marches would be fine.

Finally at 6.40 we were off. The front runners who were actually racing (and a load of the 'challenge riders' who'd tagged along behind) had left at 6.30 so alarmingly I was at the front. 

One of the nice things about doing a paid and organised event is that people take your picture. Thanks to Ben Fitzhugh, official event photographer, for this and the other images. Just off the start and stood up already!

I strove to keep the pace well down to the first climb which is very familiar to me - up NCN7 from Aberfolye to the forest drive, usually done at mile 70 or so on one of my Trossachs bashes from the house. I utilised my steady single speed rhythm, and overtook a lot of people, feeling massively self conscious as everyone around me was on gears. The forest drive was car free so I had a good blast down to the venechar cycleway, passing a few folk on the way for a clear run. The sun was now shining and the heat was building on a loop above Callander. 

Clattering down to the A81 near Callander.

A few pedestrians were encountered on the cycleway north but soon enough the route picked up a track I'd done a couple of years back and the second big climb, more overtaking...

The descent of this is rough and I noted three people fixing punctures, all pulling tyres and fitting tubes. One guy was carrying his bike! In fact I'd already passed a few folk messing with flat tyres so it looks like I'm not the only one to have huge faffs with punctures.

Puncture chaos...

Confident in my food supplies I rode through the first feed station and onto the great trossachs path which I've done a few times and one that should provide much fun. That said, it would also provide an opportunity to over do it and either crash or blow up. I passed more people along here, including one guy I'd yo-yo with for the remainder of the route. But, although I was feeling a little weary, I'd plenty of leg so kept on. The descent was slippy and rocky but I got down in good order catching a group near the bottom as well as noting the beginning of the days first precipitation. It was interesting riding with others. It seemed like many would hammer past me on the flats but then immediately reach for their granny gears on any kind of climb. So of course there was much passing and re-passing, me fearing that I was getting in peoples way with my unique pace. Nobody moaned though...

Fine dreich came and went and views west revealed no hills but much clouds. The 'bonus climb' followed looping off the Loch Katrine road with what promised to be a somewhat precipitous descent. I got up most of it on the pedals, with still no leg or energy issues. The descent was good fun although pretty slippy in places and quite stony. I was still passing people but it was all very good natured. 

Action shot on a nice noodly singletrack. Jaunty cap angle deliberate of course...

Finally I was riding west round Loch Katrine, passing the halfway point at quarter past eleven.

Stronachlachar pier was checkpoint and feed station 2. I stopped here for a while drinking coke and eating some of the offerings. I wasn't really feeling hungry, indicating a higher pace than is my wont but I'd still not blown up so all was well, apart from more clouds of midges and no sign of the forecasted stiff breeze.

More great trossachs path out and back by road before heading into the top end of QE forest. I kept reminding myself I was here for fun so made the most of the swoops and turns, knowing another big climb was coming and ahead of this a longish loop round more fire roads. Thanks to the rain, the surface of these and many others was glue like, adding to the effort. On dry day it would have been easy going....

The climb was duly ground up, pedaling all the way. As soon as I hit the descent I passed two people pulling tyres and fitting tubes. I'd noted a lot of people with very soft tyres, which seems to be established wisdom. I was running 45/50 psi, less than my usual and a bit harsh; but zero punctures was the pay back. Looks like those foam inserts are a waste of space also as I passed a few people carrying them!

The descent was long and the end hailed the final check point. I grabbed a couple of snacks, drank more coke and had another banana before hitting what would be the final climb. Less welcome was a very sloppy trail thanks to forestry works. It wasn't for long fortunately and off the top the track was a good one taking you in a big loop almost to NCN7 south before diving back into the depths of the woods. Annoyingly the on/off fine dreich got a bit incessant up here and I ended up donning jacket. Further annoyance was in the form of various rattles and bangs from the bike. First I noted the GPS dangling off it's leash, then I noticed one of the bottle cages was about to go AWOL, then I noticed a bolt had fallen out of the lower mudguard mount. This was all sorted in jig time but gave an indication of the length of rough riding I was doing.

I was convinced there was another loop and climb to do after this but as usual I didn't bother checking the gps, I just got my head down and pedaled. On finally stabbing the GPS screen to see how far I'd come it indicated 169k i.e 6 to do - so much for the extra climb! The sun reappeared as well and soon enough I was on the last trail (including much roots and rock steps) then people were cheering me across the line. It was coming up to 4pm making my time 9hrs 20. Despite the faffing my stopped time was 40 minutes, my pacing had been pretty much spot on with no major energy dips, although a decent nights sleep beforehand would definitely have helped, but overall a good show.

A small person handed me a medal and a (low alcohol) beer, I chatted with the guy I'd yo-yo'd with and others about the vagaries of single speed. I noted Mike Debernardo, last seen at Tyndrum, chatting to a couple of other Highland Trail finishers so congratulated him on that and had a quick chat about the weather. Then the sleep monsters started to take hold so I pedaled back to the car and headed home for a lot of food and a long, long sleep.

On seeing the results, I discovered I was 29th person to finish of the challenge riders and tenth over 50. So actually a much better showing than I'd first thought. I also found out that someone did it fixed! 

Whether I do this or such a thing again, I'm not sure. I did actually quite like bumping into people along the way so maybe I'm not as anti-social as I think. That said, a staggered start time over an hour or so would better suit my temperament and sleep patterns. I could see myself falling into the 'let's do it faster' trap or at least 'let's do it after a decent nights sleep' but we'll see. Bike-wise I would say that flat or loop bars and a fast rolling 50mm tyre would have been a far better bet, i.e. what Paul had. I was only on the drops for the descents and as usual, the climbs dictated your overall pace. At least I never got a puncture!