Tegwen Northam Mountain Bike Rides: 2010

Saturday October 17th 2010

Local Ride starting at Peterculter

Distance: 35km

Neeps Fitness: medium

Neeps technical Grading : Easy

Route Direction: We did it Anticlockwise, but direction not that important.

Eight of us (3 lassies and five laddies) started the route at Peterculter Heritage Centre at 9.45am. We used forest trails and farm roads to reach Blacktop. Once through the forest we used tarmac roads to reach the bottom of Brimmond Hill. The steep track up Brimmond hill was a challenge but the views at the top were worth it. We cycled north off Brimmond Hill down to Tyrebagger and got our packed lunches out next to the sculptures. Taking a different route back we arrived at Peterculter heritage centre for tea and cakes at 2.00pm. Even though we were fairly dirty, we had no problem getting into the hall. Tea and home made cakes were cheap and service was with a smile !

Climbing to the top of Brimmond Hill. Some great views overlooking the hills to the west and the sea to the east.

Through the forest getting out of Peterculter.

Does anyone know what this is? We thought it was a bus stop for children.

Autumn leaves in Blacktop.

Jayne cycling downhill in Tyrebagger.

Neeps End of Summer 2010 Barbecue

Ok - not really a Saturday ride, more of a Sunday Deeside barbecue. ....

September 2010

Burma Rd - Aviemore

Distance: 48km

Neeps Fitness: Hard

Neeps technical Grading : Easy Red

Campsite : Rothiemurchus Estate

Route Direction: Anticlockwise.

The route came from kenny Wilsons book on mountain biking in Scotland. We started and ended at the campsite in Rothiemurchus, so there was no faffing with cars in the morning. From Rothiemurchus campsie to Boat of Garten we followed the superb, well signposted and newly built sustrans no 7 cycling route which meant we used quiet mainly car free roads.

The idea for the camp site came from the Cool Camping Scotland book. We arrived at reception to a sign that said that told us the camp site was fully booked for tents, luckily we have booked ours a week earlier. The camp site is within the Rothiemurchus forest and tents are kept some distance apart. In fact they could have fitted twice as many tents onto the site but I got the impression this was a well managed site and we were not kept up all night by groups. I would highly recommend staying here.

The route involved a fair bit of navigating and was lengthy, feeling pretty remote in some sections.

Jayne crossing over a steep bridge wierdly placed in the middle of a flat field.

We stopped at this bridge to fill up with water. It was a hot and sunny day.

In the distance about 3/4 of the way around the route we caught our first glimpse of the steep Burma Rd.

There was a strong head wind and Jayne looked at me and said "Whose flipping idea was this?". At which point I said nothing but quietly thought to myself that perhaps, this time, I had bitten off more than I could chew.

In first gear in the headwind on the flat gradient wondering how I was going to get up this thing. Various 'head' tactics were used during the ascent including telling myself the headwind would lessen as I got nearer the hill as it would be obstructed by the hill.

Finally at the top looking of the Burma Rd, looking down on a long descent. Some guide books suggest cycling this route in a clockwise direction. This long descent becomes very steep and loose and as I cycled down it I doubted whether I personally could ride back up this road (i.e. In the clockwise direction). Jayne, however disagreed and predicted that all three of us would make it back up the road we were descending. This however will be another trip to the burma rd and the fitness grading would need to be "extra hard"!

August 2010

DURRIS FOREST

Length: 43km

Neeps Fitness Grading: Medium

Neeps Technical Grading: Easy except for coming off the summit of Cairn-Mon-Earn which was hard red.

Forum:

The route - starting from Peterculter heritage hall where we returned to at the end of the ride for tea, cakes and medals.

Only one mechanical - a broken chain which was fixed by Terry in the time it took me to eat two oat cakes. Dan in the background keeping himself amused while the mechanical was being dealt with.

Looking for the single track off Cairn-Mon-Earn. It started 180 degrees in the opposite way we were looking, but we eventually found it. Reading the instructions on how to find the start of it helped.....

Jayne on the singletrack jungle coming off Cairn-Mon-Earn.

Dunkeld July 2010

Neeps Fitness : medium

Distance: 34km

Accomodation: Scone camping and caravan club - just north of Perth

Route: 'The queens rd from Dunkeld' pg 55 - bike scotland trails guide (pocket guide book)

This remote route was easier than the description in the book. We have recently done 2 routes out of this book and come to the conclusion the descriptions are a bit OTT. However the terrain was very rideable with climbing on wide tracks during the first half and descending with quite a bit of single track on the second half. It is important that this ride is cycled in a clockwise direction i.e. as described in the guide book.