Scotland Training
Scotland Training
Scotland was intended to achieve two objectives : To ride over a few hills To enjoy ourselves and relax on holiday In the event we achieved both objectives and were able to ride some climbs that later (when in the car) appeared to be beyond our capability.
The tandem was fitted to the roof rack with no difficulty and we were easily able to lift it onto the car. We had added some foam padding at the attachment points on the frame but noted that one of the pedal cranks would inevitably rub against the rack unless additional padding was fitted. In addition we covered the seats with plastic bags to protect the leather from rain on the route.
The first stop-over was near to Dumfries in the Scottish lowland just after Gretna Green. We found an excellent B&B in the countryside as a good base for a day on the bike.
Our route took in some good climbs in a circular route of 47 miles. The roads were quiet compared to Norfolk and we had a good ride in warm weather. We had carried 3 large water bottles and needed to replenish these at a café stop in Lockerbie on out return journey. Pauline had a good day and worked well on the climbs. The hills are more noticeable than in Norfolk.
Continued car journey to Loch Tay the base for our holiday. It was good to visit old friends again.
A circular route of Loch Tay a distance of 34 miles. The south side of the loch is a ‘Sustrans’ route and very quiet but it is very rolling and either up hill or down hill. Some of the climbs were quite steep and we used the full range of gears available. The rapid changes highlighted the need for some fine adjustment of the front changer. Each time the chain came off it became jammed between the sprocket and the frame and was very difficult to dislodge, we hope that the adjustment to the travel has cured this. The return journey along the north side of the loch had lower graded climbs but to return to the B&B was an 8 mile steady climb. Each journey we did ended along this road.
On route we met two American cyclists on a tandem and stopped to compare notes. They were nearing the end of a 4 month journey from Milan and a source of much good information. The top of my shopping list is now a ‘Flexible spoke’ which can be fitted at the roadside with a minimum of trouble. Their tandem was a steel frame that could be split into two. This meant that they had no difficulty with air transfers of the bike. They also had a single wheel trailer with their camping gear. They found the single wheel to be more stable than a twin and capable of carrying all of the equipment required. We will probably buy one in Canada at the beginning of the trip. After 4 months on the road, their considered most valuable asset was any camp site having good shower facilities. They advised us that the prairies in central Canada were the most boring of rides. Even seasoned cyclist had opted to let a train take the strain just to relieve the boredom. An alternative route is to drop down into America and pick up the ‘Western Express’ route which is more populated and used by many trans-continental riders. Next job on the internet will be to investigate.
A circular route from Loch Tay across to Glen Lyon. Then down the Glen to Loch Tay and back to B&B 32 Miles. The start was essentially 4 miles uphill at 15% gradient. We ended half walking and half riding to get to the reservoir at the top. At this point we were in low cloud and mist. We followed the now gentle valley to the pass for the drop into Glen Lyon. The decent was equally precipitous with hair pin bends and shear drops at the side of the road. The speed of decent had to be less than 10MPH for safety sake. I also found the need to stop regularly to ease my cramped hands from the constant brake pressure. This confirmed our belief that we would need a drag brake fitting. At the head of Glen Lyon we found a good coffee stop and met two mountain bikers doing the reverse route. The route down the Glen was mainly easy but with a couple of steep climbs just to ensure we didn’t relax too much. The 8 mile climb back to B&B was with head wind and driving rain. Just before the finish we met the two mountain bikers again. Next Item on shopping list is the drag brake.
Rest day, sight seeing in Oban in the car. Found a good camping supply shop which had 0.75 Kg sleeping bags and half the size and half the weight of our current ones but still suitable to -5°C.
Weather good with light wind. We rode to the head of the Loch on an out and back route of 32 miles. Without any serious climbs this seemed a far easier day and we were back in good time without being completely exhausted, to the extent of going for a walk.
A repeat of the previous days’ ride and again a comparatively easy day. In the afternoon we took a ride in the car and drove along the south side of the loch. We drove the hills we had climbed on the 2nd September and found it very reassuring to realise the severity of the ride we had completed. The majority of the roads we have driven in Canada across the Rockies are graded far easier than these. The main difference is that the climbs will be far longer (72 miles up hill!).
A circular route down the Loch and on to Aberfeldy, 40 miles. A steady days ride with a low difficulty rating, we were able to relax and enjoy the ride. The weather was warm and sunny and we stopped to get our legs out to top up the tan on the return journey. The warmer temperatures meant that we used all of the water again. We did note that the change in the weather had a significant impact on the amount of water we were consuming. This will have to be a prime consideration in Canada and we will probably need to carry purifying tablets and filters when we are off the beaten track.
Scotland was most enjoyable. We obtained a good feeling of confidence for next year. We were able to identify equipment needs and adjustments to be made to the bike. We did not camp out as often the weather was unkind and we wanted to enjoy the holiday. This meant that we were not travelling fully laden or simulating the situation in Canada. We will need to achieve both of these things during weekend in the autumn/winter and clarify our list of essential and desirable equipment and clothing required for the journey.