Month: April 2016

Jo had mentioned that they had done a loop from Drymen to Cove and back on the bikes.   I’d heard of Cove but couldn’t place it.   As it transpires there are at least 3 “Cove’s” in Scotland but the one that Jo was referring to is in Argyll and Bute,  on the South-West of the Rosneath Peninsula.   I’m not sure if I have been there or not – if I have it was probably as a child and I’ve certainly not been by bike.   So a plan was brewing – Jo’s route was about 73 miles – from Stirling it was going to be more like 100+ and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that – but I do like a challenge and it also involved a wee ferry crossing – taking a ferry anywhere always makes it a bit more of an adventure.

The weather last Saturday looked promising so I had clothes looked out and pannier ready for an early start,  which,  as per usual,  didn’t start as early as planned.   I headed to Carron Valley and over to Kilsyth via the Tac Ma Doon Road – it is much more challenging to cycle up the the Tak Ma Doon Road but I’m not ready for that yet – for someone who is a nervous descender I’m not sure I was ready to go down it either but made it safe and well, although I think my brakes may have been protesting.

Berty B survived coming down the Tac Ma Doon Road

From Kilsyth I picked up the Forth and Clyde Canal tow path and headed towards Glasgow – I love the canal tow path and it’s great that you can get to Glasgow and see very few cars – but if you want to cover distance go early in the morning though – Sunday afternoons, especially,  the path can be busy.   Along the way I spotted herons,  swans,  tufted ducks and other bird life.

Near Maryhill the canal splits – one way takes you onto the Glasgow Spur,  the other to Bowling.   I’d not done this section for quite some time and couldn’t remember which way to go – unfortunately the sign has been vandalised so this didn’t help.   A friendly gentleman wasn’t much help either and was somewhat surprised that I wanted to cycle to Bowling when I asked which way I should go – “Bowling’s an awfy long way hen – at least 9 miles hen – you’ll no make that today hen”.

Berty B meets Bankies Bike,  Clydebank

I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right and I did,  and carried on to Old Kilpatrick,  where you can do a nice wee loop up and through “The Glen” and onto the Erskine Bridge – the bridge is busy and noisy but both pedestrians and bicycles are well protected from the cars and lorries zooming past.

The Forth and Clyde Canal and the River Clyde,  Taken from the Erskine Bridge

From the other side of the Erskine Bridge I carried on to Bishopton and Langbank – navigation wasn’t difficult but I was in new territory so I kept stopping to check my map.   At Langbank I met the A8 which would have taken me to towards Gourock where I planned to get the Kilcreggan Ferry – however the A8  was too busy for my liking – now having had a closer look at the map I should have climbed up and out of Bishopton and picked up the Old Greenock Road but I’ll know that for next time.   A combination of the A8 putting me off and I wasn’t making as much distance as I would have liked,  I agreed with myself that I had bitten off a wee bit more than I could chew and decided to head back to and over the Erskine Bridge.

From the bridge I looped back down through The Glen,  back on to the canal tow path and continued to its end at Bowling (“you’ll no make that today hen”).

From Bowling I followed the Sustrans Route No 7 to just outside Drymen – the section from Balloch to almost Drymen is especially nice.   From here  I took the quickest route back to Stirling – there are better and quieter alternatives but my legs opted to go for the most direct one.   Jo saw me as I was approaching Stirling – she was in a car going the opposite way – she tells me “I was looking strong” – Jo obviously saw me when I was moving and not when I’d stopped for my 2nd or 3rd breather and re-fuel on that stretch of the road!

Despite not making it to the Kilcreggan Ferry,  far less Cove or the rest of the loop that I had planned,  a great day out never the less and I will be back!   95 miles all in and incredibly lucky with the weather – just one brief vicious attack of stinging hailstones.

As I write this I have The Proclaimers song “I’m Gonna Be 500 miles” in my head – 500 miles and hopefully quite a lot more.   I’ve also got a lot of Springsteen tunes in my head as well.

Route planning this week has taken me into 4 of America’s 50 States – Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana – and cost me a Bruce Springsteen ticket!!   I wasn’t going to go and see Bruce when he comes to Scotland this year – I was meant to be good and save my money for going to America – but every time I look at a map different place names jump out of me that remind me of Bruce songs –

• Appalachian Trail (Outlaw Pete)
• Badlands National Park (Badlands)
• Nebraska (Nebraska)
• Philadelphia (Streets of Philadelphia)
• USA (Born in the USA)
• Atlantic City (Atlantic City)

I’m sure there are many more but that was enough to prompt me to buy a ticket – yippee – can’t wait till the first of June!

So as well as taking me in into 4 of America’s States this section has taken me from Champoeg State Park in Oregon to Gardiner in Montana with a big dog leg so that I can cycle the “Going to the Sun Road” – according to google maps 1145 miles!   There is a much more direct route and I could knock off approx 280 miles and 3 to 4 days of cycling but I’m going for the long way round.  I’ve come across a trail walk up a hill called “Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain” – with a name like that it’s got to be done and it’s meant to have excellent view of the surrounding higher peaks.

My first ever bike tour was to Canada – I hoped to see bears and moose amongst other wildlife while I was there and I did – but was probably somewhat naive about what to expect – this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – knowing too much can make you worry unnecessarily!   As part of my trip to America I’ve been reading the Yellowstone National Park Trip Planner and have just got to “Bear Encounters” and I’m not sure I should have read it – here’s what it says:

• If you encounter a bear (most common) – Back away slowly.   Do not run.
• If a bear charges at you (rare) – stand your ground and use bear spray.
• If a bear charges and makes contact with you (very rare) – fall onto your stomach and “play dead”.
• If a bear attacks you in your tent (extremely rare) – fight back.

Still hoping I see some bears though.

No bears but saw lambs, primroses,  slow worms and a wee lizard while I was out on the bike this weekend,  and also encountered a sheep road block.

Well another weekend has come and gone far too quickly but never the less a good weekend.

I wanted to up the miles on the bike and get some hillier routes in as well.   So I had a mostly good 54.5 miles on the bike on Saturday – the furthest I’ve cycled this year – mostly good apart from the hills which I need to seriously work on!

The hilly section all happens in the first 10 miles – nothing particularly long or high but all wee bastards – I knew this in advance – I chose the route to see how I would fair – I’ve done them all many times before and knew that they would be hard work but perfectly doable with some practice – practice I need – I huffed and I puffed and didn’t have any energy to blow anyone’s house down far less get to the top of some of the hills – I had to get off the bike 3 times and push it!!   But there is an advantage to going up hill at snails pace pushing a bike – I was able to stop and watch the curlews and lapwings (peewit’s), spotted a hare and also watched either some Clydesdale or Shire horses playing in a field – I’m not very up on my horses but they were big and had very shaggy hairy feet – they were also having lots of fun running round their field.   I also saw lambs,  lots of daffodils,  some siskins and lots of gold finches.   There is also the reward of the downhill section as well – what goes up must come down and once I’d got past the very rutted and potholed section I had a nice long sweeping downhill section.

Sunday saw me on a mission – to do battle with the hills – just 16.5 miles but starting with the same route and hills as yesterday – there will be a few more battles over the coming weeks before I conquer these few hills without having to push the bike up the steeper bits.

Sunday also saw me stitching and patching up my panniers – they are about 12 years old now – I bought them for my very first cycle tour.   The left one is in pretty good nick – it doesn’t get used nearly as much as the right one – the only stitching it needed is where mice chewed a wee hole in it some years ago.   The right one is much more worn and needed some quite extensive stitching on 2 of the seams – I think I’ve made a pretty good job and they should last a good few years yet – other half says I should buy some new ones but I like the ones I’ve got and they have come on all my bike tours so far – maybe they are my lucky panniers??

For this trip to go ahead there is one crucially critical thing that needs to happen – I need to get the time off work!!   So today I have composed a letter to the Boss requesting 3 months leave – 5 weeks annual leave and 7 weeks unpaid. So fingers and toes all crossed – and anything else that comes to mind. Back-up plan is to hand in my notice but really hoping I don’t have to do this.