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Weather: Raining all day; cold with headwind
Stats: 51 miles; ave speed moving: 10.8 mph
Counties: Moray, Highland
GPS track map: Link here
Today, it seemed that our luck with the weather finally ran out. It rained to give our wettest day since Tiverton -Wells, accentuated by the distinct cold: one realises it's already autumn up here.
Peter briefed us that there was one hill on our route, the A939, between Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey. He wasn't kidding. It came after Bridge of Brown, another Scottish lung-buster. After my failure yesterday on the Lecht, I was pleased to get up it by pedal power, no walking. It was a nice long descent to GoS, but we were all already pretty cold and wet when we reached the van for coffee.
After Grantown, the road was reasonably level, and crossed some wonderful heather clad moorland, but the rain now set in with a vengance, and there was a strong headwind. We stopped for a rain sodden picnic lunch at Dulsie Bridge, after which most decided to press on to the B&B as quickly as possible, though I and a few others did stop off briefly at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, mainly for some warmth and a cup of tea. Everyone was pretty soaked, and praying for relief from the rain tomorrow.
I took my bike down to the Velocity Bike Café, just down the road from the B&B, where the very helpful mechanic fixed my front gear, which has been a bit 'sticky'. The bike has also developed various noisy 'clunks' coming from the vicinity of the rear wheel, but he could find nothing wrong, so I shall just ignore them - only three days riding left now.
Next day
Weather: Raining all day; cold with headwind
Stats: 51 miles; ave speed moving: 10.8 mph
Counties: Moray, Highland
GPS track map: Link here
Today, it seemed that our luck with the weather finally ran out. It rained to give our wettest day since Tiverton -Wells, accentuated by the distinct cold: one realises it's already autumn up here.
Peter briefed us that there was one hill on our route, the A939, between Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey. He wasn't kidding. It came after Bridge of Brown, another Scottish lung-buster. After my failure yesterday on the Lecht, I was pleased to get up it by pedal power, no walking. It was a nice long descent to GoS, but we were all already pretty cold and wet when we reached the van for coffee.
After Grantown, the road was reasonably level, and crossed some wonderful heather clad moorland, but the rain now set in with a vengance, and there was a strong headwind. We stopped for a rain sodden picnic lunch at Dulsie Bridge, after which most decided to press on to the B&B as quickly as possible, though I and a few others did stop off briefly at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, mainly for some warmth and a cup of tea. Everyone was pretty soaked, and praying for relief from the rain tomorrow.
I took my bike down to the Velocity Bike Café, just down the road from the B&B, where the very helpful mechanic fixed my front gear, which has been a bit 'sticky'. The bike has also developed various noisy 'clunks' coming from the vicinity of the rear wheel, but he could find nothing wrong, so I shall just ignore them - only three days riding left now.
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| On the climb out of Bridge of Brown |
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| Crossing the misty moors |
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| Our picnic lunch |
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| Dulsie Bridge through a rain smeared lens |
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| Inverness by night |
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