Wow! What a ride. My longest time in the saddle at 7 hours 38 minutes “moving time”, so not including time spent at junctions and traffic lights, taking photos and stopping at the two feed stations. A total time from start to finish of nine and a half hours.
An exhausting but rewarding day with my first climb up to a ski station at Glenshee followed by three more tough climbs in the last 20 miles of a 112 mile route. We were so lucky with the weather after a rainy start in Edinburgh as the sun came out. We did have a very cold wind either blowing us along or trying to blow us off our bikes when it became a cross wind.
It was also a bit of an emotional day as the route passed the road leading to the Dalmunzie Castle Hotel where my parents spent lots of wonderful holidays when ferrying my sister to St Andrew’s University. I took a moment out of the the ride as I had to sit on a rock to pull myself together!
Early on in the ride I heard the sound of a lament being played by a solo bagpipes player as we passed close to HM Prison Perth which I have to admit I found slightly surreal.
I’ll update the post with photos next week when I am home as the internet connection I have will not let me upload photos. Also I need to get to bed very early – another 0530 start tomorrow for the ride to Kyle of Sutherland, a monster 119 miles up the infamous Lecht climb.
Highlights of the the day – the Cairngorms in their full glory – magnificent!
No blog post expected tomorrow as I have to camp with all the other riders and I doubt if I will have an internet connection in a field!
Riding from Pasties to Haggis 