whisky chaser

[peaty001]

On the promise of half decent weather and a much needed chance to get out for some exercise I took a wee whisky bike ride today. Starting at Doune and Deanston distillery where the distillery manager very kindly agreed to let me park my car, I headed through Dunblane over Sheriffmuir to Blackford and Tullibardine distillery and then onto Crieff and for Glenturret for something to eat before scrambling over from Muthill to Braco and Kinbuck and back to Deanston.

Have lost the edge of my fitness in the last month from lack of riding which made for some extra effort and it managed to rain a couple of times but it is hard to beat those autumn days and colours and a chance to take in three very contrasting distilleries in a few hours.

[ky1]

Good stuff, nice bike too, though not sure about the mudguards even though they are the mk2's? How many miles? Good pace? The fitness soon goes doesn't it? Summer seems so long ago.

[peaty001]

Yup, cheese and whisky take the edge pretty quickly.
Not quite sure of miles since my speedo wasn't playing today. Somewhere between 45 and 50 miles in maybe 3h30m on the bike. Yes MK2s they are. Seem to go well after a bit of creative work fitting. Not too much rub either which I've heard others complain of. Not cool, just necessary. Have ruined too many headsets in the past.
You ride yourself? What and where?

[ky1]

Yes I do, can't get enough. A mate of mine and I try to get out regularly in the local area around Rugby which is nice and flat. Trouble is, we both love climbing so we have to drive out to more challenging terrain. Over the summer we did quite a bit of the Peaks, Lakes, Yorkshire Dales, North Wales and Exmoor including some sportives beautiful riding there. One day I will take the bike to Scotland for a distillery tour and for fun take the road to Applecross over Bealach na Ba.

I ride a Ribble racer. How did the headsets get ruined? Do you just ride around the Glasgow area? Member of a club at all?

[peaty001]

Nice stuff,
like yourself I prefer more challenging terrain. That's quite easy to come by round here since Glasgow rests in a bowl with hills all round. Was in part testing the water yeaterday for Etape Caledonia set for next May to the north of Crieff up to Pitlochry. There may still be places available thoigh it is relatively expensive because it is run on closed roads. It is not too difficult with one major climb in the 80+ miles. Registration is required the day before so we plan to make a weekend of it and ride up to register the day before over similar distances.
I've ridden in the Lakes and Mid and South Wales and liked it a lot. The Peaks are on my list. Never really been interested in racing much. I find riding my bike a dreamy meditative affair. The ride yesterday went over one of teh onger climbs, Sheriff Muir, though on one of the shorter ascents. Nice loop up from Glasgow over Campsies (east) to Stirling,Bridge of Allan for a sometimes steep 7 miles over Sheriff Muir turn at Tullibardine then back over west side of Campsies. 100+ miles and plenty climbing and best left to the summer when you are in top fitness.
Bealach na Ba is a monster. Great views over to Skye at the top on a good day. Been over the top twice and on the sportive it is the pre amble to some nippy strength sapping ups and downs lasting about 40 miles. Love it. Need any more info just ask...Oh and you get to bag distilleries too. We pass Glangoyne or Auchentoshan most days so don't really count them.

Try a search for VC Ardbeg or washingmachinepost. A cycling club on Islay. What more could you ask for?

Have you ventured to Europe?

Peter

[ky1]

We had our eye on the Etape Caledonia this year but it was a little to early in the year. Instead we did the Polkadot Challenge, David Lloyd and the tour of Exmoor. The David Lloyd turned out to be a disaster for me, we went from intending on doing the 120miles to the 100 and then the 50 as it got closer to the event we realised we just weren't fit enough to do it. I ended up only doing 25 on the day because my back was giving in, painful as anything.

I think you may find the Peaks a bit easy judging by what you've done already, nice countryside but I bet its not as good as Scotland's. Its mostly short and steep roads with a max gradient of 20% and most are only about a mile. There are some longer climbs like snakes pass 3 miles at 7% or Cat and Fiddle but nothing to loose sleep over.

Looks like quite a good loop there, the Bridge of Allen climb up over Sheriff Muir past Airthrey Castle looks pretty intense. Whats worse the B822 out of Lennoxtown or the minor road out of Kilsyth? Tried the road out of Dunning over Sim's Hill?

Cycling club on Islay. I imagine they must get pretty bored, just glancing at a map there's no hills and few roads.

No I'm not a racer either, the reason I got into cycling originally was for short jollies in the countryside. That soon changed when work mates got involved and everything became competitive. I see more tarmac now than countryside.

We originally planned to go to Europe this year for Alpe D'huez and perhaps Venteux but when we struggled up 10% gradients longer than a mile we soon laid to rest that Idea. And yourself? Must be fantastic.

What's your set up? Are you riding with a compact? That's cheating you know!

[Pete Smoke]

You guys should check out the North Yorkshire Moors. Plenty of great roads through Europe's largest expanses of heather moors. Rosedale has the Chimney Bank, and Blakey Ridge - great roads.

[ky1]

Cheers Pete, funnily enough I was there recently and I had to see Rosedale Chimney just to see how bad it is fortunately I was in a car. The moors are for cycling fools only, its easy to stumble across a 30+%er when driving around.

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Last time I was there, the little econobox I was driving almost didn't make it up the Chimney.

Baleach Na Ba is currently closed for roadworks. I have a feeling that wouldn't stop you guys, though....

[peaty001]

I've encountered the Rosevale Chimney just the once and managed up I am very proud to say. Not without a few head swirling I think I'm going to fall off, why does my bike not fall off the hill backwards moments. Blakey Hill, now you've got me thinking.

Islay is hillier than you might think. The roads at the back of Ballygrant and Bowmore are good fun and the loop round the Rhinns Port Charlotte, to Portnahaven and north again via Kilchiaran makes for a good challenge. Wind is the trickiest element since the shape of the island defiines that when you go out you will turn round into the wind pretty quickly.

Polkadot Challenge has been on my list for a wee while but never quite got there. May be timings aren't quite right.

Beginning to feel my mouth watering at more ideas and that's before a whisky.

[C57]

Yup, cheese and whisky take the edge pretty quickly.

I reckon that tacky grouse (I assume it is supposed to be) is pretty cheesy. How marketing people can think that presents an up-market image is beyond me

[peaty001]

Yup, cheese and whisky take the edge pretty quickly.

I reckon that tacky grouse (I assume it is supposed to be) is pretty cheesy. How marketing people can think that presents an up-market image is beyond me

It was an incongruous sight such a huge bird in what is a small and maybe even quite quaint distillery. I visited a good number of years ago, before that bird arrived and my recollections were very different to what I saw yesterday. It is all of course driven by marketing of the Famous Grouse. I didn't really associate Glenturret with the brand, much more Glenrothes but that's another story I guess.