14th June 2019 Friday – Up & Down with Down being very tyreing, geddit?

Hello Everybody!

Route: Aberfeldy to Aviemore

For the non-mathematicians out there:

Distance: 71.0 miles (Total 800.6)	Average speed: 13.2 mph
Calories: 1,133	Cycling time: 5h22m
Average cadence: 68 rpm	Climb: 3,018ft, Descent: 2,621ft
Heart (yes I have one): max 136 aver 105	Aver Temp: 11C, Max temp 19C – check back to earlier days
Temperament: Great route, great everything really apart from the rear tyre “incident”

This could be Night & Day, Night & Day Pt III given the route was one big climb and then one bid drop. Nothing much was flat which was alright with me.

So it went straight up for 35 miles or so and then straight down for 35 miles again.

I'd been cycling a while

Yes I was a very brave little soldier, said Ruth

We all followed the enjoyable company of the A9, weaving in and out all the way to Aviemore. The route (denoted as NCN 7) was a good mix of proper B roads, the old A9 road, tarmac tracks and tracks in name only – see rear tyre “incident”.

Mad bird in field, I think it's a black and white bird. Calling Sarah?

Nice view of River Spey

Met German chap on the road. Bike tyres were massive and it must have weighed a ton.

Whilst the weather was sunny it was not quite warm, nor even balmy, nor even cool. It was a bit cold but we cyclists laugh in the face of the cold as much as we laugh in the face of Ruth, when she is not looking or in the same room in fact.

About 10 miles in I met Andy & Julia. Before I met Andy & Julia I turned a sharp left and discovered a stumpy hill, not long mind you, but very steep, so steep in fact that I could not see the top but that was maybe as I had my hat on the wrong way.

Anyway A&J (rather than type Andy & Julia each time I think I will just use A&J if it’s all the same) were on, yes you guessed it again, electric bikes. I knew this everytime we went up a short, sharp hill as they glided past me. Anyway we got chatting and then kindly donated all the cash Andy had with him. This was £1.25 and I felt like a bank robber usttering the phrase “give me all your money r the puppy dog gets it!”. They were off on a café at school event so we left each other in Pitlochry. As always I THANK YOU. Andy suggested a cycle café there and I had an early coffee and Cake (blueberry muffin as per).

After this the climb started in earnest and there was little in the way of places to stop and replenish, so I didn’t and took to eating my banana (not an euphemism) and energy bars.

Once I got to the top (or an BTW there was a good tailwind today so Alan Swinhoe was smiling, a lot Gra) I started to go down rather than up. The other thing my feeble intellect detected was that the trail was pretty rough in many places. Going up this is OK as you can easily avoid them, Obvs. Sadly going down means you need to keep you wits about you and I always keep them in a safe place, but normally I forget where the safe place is. Ho Hum.

It got so bad that I decided to join the A9 proper. At this point the A9 was single carriageway on both sides with a significant number of trucks, campervans (what sort of people use these things????), cars and other stuff all going at very very mucho speed. The good news is that they did not bother with a cycle land at all so we shared the single road with things going 60mph plus. The A9 is a known nasty road.

After half a mile cruising at 25mph I spotted a touring couple and stopped next to them. They pointed to where the tract was now pristine tarmac and I should join them, which I did. After another mile or so the track has returned to its earlier Hyde reincarnation and Blossom was being hit with lots and lots of bumps, pot-caves, and all. So my good self (i.e. Jekyll) and the women from the couple went back on the A9. Her husband stayed on the track. She did ask me if I knew of a good, local lawyer but I feigned to be a little DEAF!!! I did notice that my back tyre had lost air so I stopped in investigate. The women went off shouting “I’ll see you in bloody court, for desertion leading from a cycle lane”.

I pumped the tyre a bit more and kept a gingerly eye (and I don’t like ginger) on it until I turned into a café in Dalwhinnie. Here I met the soon to be divorced couple again and some other touring cyclists. We had lunch and then I set about changing the innertube which ended up in a bigger job as I lost a rear disc pad and my temper a few times. Arnold & Arnolda and even little Arnie was as supportive as they could be but the other cyclists wondered who I was talking to and suddenly sped away.

As I was finishing four people and a dog sat outside at a nearby table. We got talking as we do. I ended up going into the toilet and putting on my bank robber suit as I ended up getting all of their cash from them which totalled £13.52.

From L to R: John, Hector, Jenny, Meghan

Corry the dog - what's not to like

They were all from Scotland and I was very pleased with their interest in the cause and that they gave £13.52, which is much better than people saying I’ll donate something but never do. As always I THANK YOU.

Tyre innertube changed and note not to press rear brake again I arrived in Aviemore fairly quick with lovely scenery on the way in. For the first night I am staying in the Scandinavian Resort and then onto the local Youth Hostel. Yes I lied about my age to get in.

So rest day now locked and loaded and when I leave Aviemore there will be only 3 more sleeps, and about 200 miles, before I finish in JOG.

Wish me well my dear people and to infinity and beyond. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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