It’ over s 2 years since I last put anything on my blog. I came back from Romania and all was good until the last Sunday in October 2023. I wasn’t cycling nearly as much – really just the commute to and from work but I was increasing the running and was on target for the Liverpool double marathon (one on Hogmany and one on New Years day) at the end of the year and then things went a bit pants for about 18 months – my left knee no longer wanted to run and then issues with right hip and back – no marathon far less a double one – I was feeling decidedly unfit. And when all seemed to be getting better I was involved in an accident while walking past a well known supermarket chain, in London, towards the end of 2024 – an almost 2 meter tall metal cage fell off the tail lift of a delivery van, hit me on the back of my right shoulder, threw me to the ground and I smacked my head off the supermarket’s big glass window – luckily the cage was full of empty carboard boxes and not tins of baked beans – but my last day of site seeing was abruptly cancelled and was swapped to me having a visit to casualty and spending my last day in London feeling sorry for myself.

Roll on to 2025 and things definitely seem to be looking up – not much running – just a few Parkruns – but the cycling has increased – not as much as I would like but definitely increasing ………. AND in less than 3 weeks time I am heading off on another big bike tour – fingers crossed it is big and I don’t have to turn back after a few miles down the road – the aim is to get from Alloa in Scotland to Sicily, Italy but only time will tell if I get there or not – so watch this space and I will try and keep you updated and if you click on “2025 Alloa to Italy Bike Ride” at the top of this page you should be able to see how far I have got (or not as the case may be).

So here’s a wee photo update of what I’ve got up to this year –

Great week in Devon – mix of walking, cycling and catching up with Kath to celebrate her 80th birthday. The cycling was a mix of super easy bike trails to brutally hard up hills and not much in between – with me pushing on some of the rougher steeper sections while Karen gracefully sailed up them on her bike. We also managed a quick visit to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall which has been on my to-do-list since seeing a picture of it about 25 years ago and it was worth the wait.

I took Bertie on the train to Edinburgh and cycled back to Alloa, via Cramond with the intention of walking the tidal causeway to Cramond Island – half way to island I realised I not read the tide times properly and made a hasty retreat and cycled home with very wet and cold feet.

Not walking – but a quick walk up Fryrish with my Dad – a fab wee hill that looks over the Cromarty Firth.

My first overnight bike / camping trip since coming back from Romania – put the new tent to the test and saw this great French film in the wee art Art Deco cinema in Aberfeldy – the film was about a wayward nun who entered her convent into a cycling race – quirky and silly but very good fun. The tent was great but light weight means less durable – grand in a campsite with manicured grass but will the ground sheet survive rougher terrain – to buy or not to buy an extra ground sheet??

No camping this time but cycled Alloa to Crianlarich and stayed in the climbing club cottage – onto Connel (near Oban) the next day to see my Auntie Jill and then returned to the cottage for a 2nd night before cycling back to Alloa the next day. Seeing Scotland at it’s glorious best – sunshine and NO midgies and even the seals came out to play on Loch Etive. Not impressed with some of the drivers – overtaking where there was no space to overtake!

Another weekend combining cycling and culture. Cycled to Pitlochry after work on the Friday – it had poured it down in Pitlochry most of the day but I got a mostly dry run – got there in pretty good time but I was glad I had booked my ticket for the theatre for the Saturday night and not the Friday night. I did the Faskally Parkrun on Saturday – a tough hilly 3 loops in beautiful scenery – think if I’d done this a few months later it would be a hellish midgie fest though – I’ll definitely do this run again but only at the right time of year. I made my way back to the Pitlochry Backpackers Hostel where I was staying, via the Dam – the Dam was interesting but a shame that they have had to close (health and safety) the viewing chamber where you used to be able to watch the salmon on their migration – now the migration is monitored by CCTV. Disappointed not to see salmon but unexpectedly bumped into family which was much much better, and had a lovely meal and catch up with my cousins Steve and Brian and 2nd cousin Murray – thank you Murray for spotting me and going on selfie duty – my arms are too short and you are all too tall and I wouldn’t have got us all in. My first time visiting the Pitlochry Festival Theatre – went to see the play about Nan Shepherd – “author, teacher, hillwalker and lover” – the description doesn’t do her or the performance justice – great performance and I would definitely recommend going to see it.

Yesterday was the usual 7 mile bike ride to work on a cloudy and slightly dreich morning but by the time I finished at lunch time the sun was well and truly out and I came home the long way – approx 58 miles – heading east from Stirling, going past the Grangemouth refinery (whatever your views are on the oil production I still love seeing this industrial architecture), got a glimpse of an old diesel locomotive where the cycle path runs alongside the Boness and Kinneil railway line, past Blackness Castle and through the grounds of Hopetoun House before heading across the Forth Bridge (now only open for busses, taxis, bicycles and pedestrians) and heading west for home, stopping at the Sutlery village shop in Charlestown which has a perfectly placed bench outside and sells really good rocky road – I had to google “sutler” and it means (short abbreviated version) a merchant who sells goods to an army camp – and then stopping again in Culross enjoying the views and the evening sun before the last 8 or so miles home.

Some of you may have noticed that my bike has changed from black and yellow to bright shiny blue – Bertie has been put into semi-retirement- he is going to have a rest while me and Phil head off to Italy – named Phil because he is a Genesis Bike! Me and Phil didn’t get off to a very good start – we were not bosom buddies – in fact I wanted to list him (this only makes sense if you watch Kirstie and Phil’s (not my bike) Love it or List on TV) and get rid of him after the first 20 miles – the first 2 miles for the seat – but with a different seat, different handle bar grips and a wee bit of fine tuning I think we are good to go (fingers and toes crossed).

So 2 and a 1/2 weeks to pack, plan a rough route and get going – I love the photos on the cycling blogs where they have their gear neatly laid out so folks know what they are taking, so I thought I would share my take on this –

Happy Cycling folks! Xx