# Paging CC Ecosse - Mull and Moidart rides, first week of Sept, 2016?



## ColinJ (11 Apr 2016)

I am half-Scottish ... I have never actually lived in Scotland, but I got half my genes from my mum who came from the Oban area, and half from my dad who came from the English Midlands. He met her when he was stationed in Scotland early in WWII. 

Anyway, my sisters and I like to get up to see the Scottish side of the family when we can and will be going up again at the start of September. The last time I went up was in 2014 and I did a couple of rides which I would like to repeat this time.

The first ride was intended to be a circuit of Mull but I got a tummy bug which distracted me to the extent that I managed to head for the Iona ferry instead of going up the west side of the island! In the end I had to cut across the mid-point of the island to get back to Craignure in time for the last ferry to Oban. I intend to do the proper route this time and have pencilled in Saturday, 3rd September for that. [My 2014 ride report]

The second route was a 100 mile ride from Fort William out along the A830 as far as Lochailort, then a magnificent clockwise loop round through Strontian to Drumsallie and then back along the A830 to Fort William. I loved most of the route, but felt that I could do without the traffic on the A830. It struck me that Fort William could be cut out by taking the Corran ferry across Loch Linnhe then doing the original route clockwise back round to Corran again. That would only involve 22 km on the A830 and 105 km of wonderful almost traffic-free roads. There is car parking on the A82 side of the loch and cyclists can travel free on the ferry! I have pencilled in Tuesday, 6th September for that ride. [My 2014 ride report]

I am mentioning this now so you can try to keep those days free if you fancy joining me. Obviously, plans can change, and if the weather were really awful on either or both of those days then I would postpone or cancel the rides. I only have Fri 2nd - Wed 7th available though so there is not a lot of room for manoeuvre.

If you are interested, make a note in your diaries and post below!


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## Col5632 (14 Apr 2016)

@Fubar


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## ColinJ (14 Apr 2016)

I realise that it might mean a long journey from (say) Glasgow or Edinburgh but they are splendid routes so worth the effort if the weather turns out as nice as it was when I did similar rides in 2014. OTOH, my cousin who lives up there says that the local weather so far this year has been pretty grim ... I won't do the rides in bad weather, but hopefully I/we will be lucky.

My cousin is coming down to do the Tour de Yorkshire sportive with me in a couple of weeks time and I will ask him then if he will be free to do the Mull and/or the Corran rides.

Transport is no problem for the Mull ride because I can easily cycle to the ferry terminal in Oban. There is currently a slight question mark over the Corran ride though. I don't fancy doing an extra 100 km up and down the A828/A82 if I can't get a lift with my bike from my cousin, a friend, or a family member.


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## rusty bearing (14 Apr 2016)

Good luck to you Colin, know the area well, some excellent riding up there and indeed further north. So far North in fact that all the signs say 'To the South'
I will be enjoying the sun and very quiet roads of the Massif Centrale in France, I'll think of you and hope it's not too 'driesh'.


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## ColinJ (14 Apr 2016)

rusty bearing said:


> Good luck to you Colin, know the area well, some excellent riding up there and indeed further north. So far North in fact that all the signs say 'To the South'
> I will be enjoying the sun and very quiet roads of the Massif Centrale in France, I'll think of you and hope it's not too 'driesh'.


Thanks. I have never been much north of Fort William, but would like to do a circuit of the far north one day.

'To the South', the opposite of 'Hatfield and the North'!







Have fun in France! (That's another place that I haven't been to, and would love to cycle round one day.)


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## rusty bearing (15 Apr 2016)

Isn't that near 'Brentford & the Nylons'?


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## fimm (19 Apr 2016)

<pedant mode>
Driech, not driesh.
(The "ch" as in loch, so you pronounce it a bit like driesh...)
</pedant mode>

Both of those cycles look lovely, Colin, I hope you have a good time.


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## Fubar (25 May 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I am half-Scottish ... I have never actually lived in Scotland, but I got half my genes from my mum who came from the Oban area, and half from my dad who came from the English Midlands. He met her when he was stationed in Scotland early in WWII.
> 
> Anyway, my sisters and I like to get up to see the Scottish side of the family when we can and will be going up again at the start of September. The last time I went up was in 2014 and I did a couple of rides which I would like to repeat this time.
> 
> ...



Hi Colin, somehow managed to miss this even though @Col5632 tagged me! what's your intended speed for 3 September ride and how tough is it? I am somewhat slow this year and haven't done much over 100k so far! Don't want to either hold you up or totally show myself up, and would probably need to look at accommodation etc.


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## ColinJ (25 May 2016)

Fubar said:


> Hi Colin, somehow managed to miss this even though @Col5632 tagged me! what's your intended speed for 3 September ride and how tough is it? I am somewhat slow this year and haven't done much over 100k so far! Don't want to either hold you up or totally show myself up, and would probably need to look at accommodation etc.


The speed will be slowish and steady, but we would have to be back in Craignure in good time to catch the last ferry back to Oban. I'll get back to you once I have worked out the details.


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## Fubar (26 May 2016)

ColinJ said:


> The speed will be slowish and steady, but we would have to be back in Craignure in good time to catch the last ferry back to Oban. I'll get back to you once I have worked out the details.



Cool, I've put the thread on "watch" so will duck back in for updates.


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## ColinJ (26 May 2016)

I am just upgrading my laptop from Win XP to Win 7 so there will be a short period of upheaval while I reinstall software lost in the transition. That includes Memory Map, which I use for plotting all my rides. I hope to have the system pretty much updated over the next couple of days and will check distances, hilliness, and shortcut options for the Mull ride once the mapping software is available again.


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## Fubar (26 May 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I am just upgrading my laptop from Win XP to Win 7 so there will be a short period of upheaval while I reinstall software lost in the transition. That includes Memory Map, which I use for plotting all my rides. I hope to have the system pretty much updated over the next couple of days and will check distances, hilliness, and shortcut options for the Mull ride once the mapping software is available again.



Nae Rush


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## Fubar (28 May 2016)

Thought I'd be crafty @ColinJ and have a sneaky peek at your 50k challenge rides in an attempt to suss out your speeds - you don't flingin flangin post em, do you?!? Dang.


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## ColinJ (28 May 2016)

Fubar said:


> Thought I'd be crafty @ColinJ and have a sneaky peek at your 50k challenge rides in an attempt to suss out your speeds - you don't flingin flangin post em, do you?!? Dang.


Ha ha - no, I don't. I am fairly slow but to just say "I averaged 16 kph/10 mph" (whatever) would sound worse than it is, because you should really take into account the amount of climbing I do on most rides. 

The first ferry from Oban to Mull on Saturdays gets to Craignure at 08:35 and there is one back at 18:20. It would be good to aim to get back in time for that one. (If we didn't make it then we would have the last ferry back at 19:30 in reserve.) 

The full loop through Tobermory is 137 km/85 miles so if we did that we would have to average slightly more than 15 kph/9 mph overall. I typically average just over that speed on hillier rides than the Mull loop so I think I would be okay aiming for that.

I'm tempted to head down Glen Aros from Dervaig and bypass Tobermory. It would be a slightly shorter route and significantly less hilly. I'd be happy to go either way though.


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## ColinJ (28 May 2016)

Er, in case it isn't obvious - those are the 2 alternative routes between Dervaig and Aros Cott, NOT the entire routes!


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## ColinJ (29 May 2016)

Hmm. I hadn't been thinking in small island terms - I normally plot my routes and then find a cafe just over halfway round but I don't think there is one in a suitable place on Mull! 

There is a post office/shop in Dervaig where we should be able to buy provisions, but I think we would have to ride to Tobermory to find a cafe or suitable pub.

The thing is, looking at the ferry times, and the fairly lumpy terrain, I'm now thinking that it would be sensible to try and keep the hills and total distance down a bit and that would mean taking a couple of shortcuts which would bypass Tobermory. I'm happy to carry what I need and just find somewhere with a nice view to take a break.

My current plan is to ride clockwise from Craignure on the A849 round to the end of Loch Beg, then head north on the B8035 up the west coast of the Isle as far as Achleck. From there, take a shortcut over to Dervaig and call in at the shop. Then head down Glen Aros to join the A848 at Aros Cott on the east coast of the Isle. After that there is an easy ride down the A849 back to Craignure. When I rode on Mull a couple of years ago, we got back to Craignure and found an establishment open which sold us ice creams and coffee.

The 2 shortcuts would reduce the total distance to 118 km/73 miles. There would be about 1,200 metres/4,000 ft of climbing. Here is the elevation profile of that loop ...







It has a bit of everything, except for heavy traffic! Mainly quiet roads, spectacular coastal views, a few decent climbs, some great descents, lochs,and rivers. A nice quick, and virtually flat finish.

I think that would make a good day out without us having to rush too much. What do you reckon?


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## Fubar (29 May 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm. I hadn't been thinking in small island terms - I normally plot my routes and then find a cafe just over halfway round but I don't think there is one in a suitable place on Mull!
> 
> There is a post office/shop in Dervaig where we should be able to buy provisions, but I think we would have to ride to Tobermory to find a cafe or suitable pub.
> 
> ...



Sounds good, not too taxing and feel a bit better about the speed as well! I'll need to investigate accommodation as its a bit fat to drive there and back in a day, thinking of trying to persuade Mrs Fu to a weekend on Mull (which would also negate any ferry issues, for me) so will get back to you on that, but route, elevation and speed all sound doable!


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## ColinJ (30 May 2016)

Here's a map showing the shorter Mull loop:





And here's a map of my Corran-Moidart loop:





And its elevation profile:


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## Pale Rider (30 May 2016)

Include me in the Isle of Mull ride, please.

It's an opportunity to ride on a Scottish island I've never visited taking a well-researched route in excellent company - I would be daft not to join in.

I've already made some online preparations in the shape of a hotel booking in Oban and the purchase of a cheap map of the island - doubt that will be needed given the company, but I would regard it as bordering on the irresponsible to set off on such an adventure without a map.

Speaking of which, a quick look at the route on the OS map online indicates it is a lot flatter than I expected.

Yes, lots of ups and downs, but there are only three of those nasty little black arrows, and none are together, although going clockwise we will be going up each one.

The steepest climbs are all in the south west section of the ride, and there's an obvious bail out/short cut shortly afterwards on the B8035 between Gruline and Salen.

That's also an option for anyone wanting to do the ride, but fearing the full route might be a bit too sore for them.

Looks like self-sufficiency in food and drink would be wise, which is a pity because I like to spend a few pounds locally wherever I visit.

Although there may still be an opportunity for that, we do pass a hotel or two.

So just to confirm, the ride date is Saturday, September 3.

The ferry leaves Oban at 7.45am, so those of us using it we will need to be at the terminal by 7.30am.

I'm going to finish by pinging @Pat "5mph" in the hope of persuading her to join us.

Come on Pat, it will be fun, me and thee can tootle along at the back and let those roadie fellas wear each other out up the road.

And there's always the short cut, which would give us an extended coffee/sitting around talking rubbish opportunity in Salen.


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## Fubar (31 May 2016)

Mrs Fu is up for a weekend on Mull so I just need to find and book some accommodation (plus ferries) and I'm there!


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## Pat "5mph" (31 May 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> Come on Pat, it will be fun, me and thee can tootle along at the back and let those roadie fellas wear each other out up the road.
> 
> And there's always the short cut, which would give us an extended coffee/sitting around talking rubbish opportunity in Salen.


I'll think about it, September is a busy month at work for me.
I'll think about it if you come with a non electric bike and do the whole distance of 73 miles 
If I'll decide to come I'll have lost a stone and will be on my road bike


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## Pale Rider (31 May 2016)

Pat "5mph" said:


> I'll think about it, September is a busy month at work for me.
> I'll think about it if you come with a non electric bike and do the whole distance of 73 miles
> If I'll decide to come I'll have lost a stone and will be on my road bike



If I tried the ride on my push bike September would be a busy month for me as well - I'd spend most it trying to get round.

Losing a stone is a good plan, for me if not for you.

See you in Oban on the third - you know you want to.


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## Fubar (1 Jun 2016)

Accommodation and ferries booked! We are staying the weekend in Tobermory (we've both always wanted to go there), so if they ride is going clockwise I will need to ride down to meet you off the ferry Saturday am.

S'pose I'd better ask my boss for the time off now...


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## ColinJ (1 Jun 2016)

Fubar said:


> Accommodation and ferries booked! We are staying the weekend in Tobermory (we've both always wanted to go there), so if they ride is going clockwise I will need to ride down to meet you off the ferry Saturday am.
> 
> S'pose I'd better ask my boss for the time off now...


Excellent!

I was feeling slightly guilty for skipping Tobermory but having to be back for the last ferry was playing on my mind so I wanted to do the shorter distance to allow a more relaxed pace. Now you will get to see the town/village anyway!

If you wanted to, you could head north back up to Tobermory on the A848 from Aros Cott when we turn south back to Craignure.


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## Fubar (1 Jun 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Excellent!
> 
> I was feeling slightly guilty for skipping Tobermory but having to be back for the last ferry was playing on my mind so I wanted to do the shorter distance to allow a more relaxed pace. Now you will get to see the town/village anyway!
> 
> If you wanted to, you could head north back up to Tobermory on the A848 from Aros Cott when we turn south back to Craignure.



Yeah with the extra mileage early doors I'll probably peel off at that point - also keeps the brownie points intact!


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## DaggersJeff (7 Jun 2016)

Hi Guys,
There a few hotels on the island route where you can stop of for a sarnie. The best cafe is at Fishnish ferry (a couple of miles off the main road)
Excellent bacon rolls, cake and ice cream.
You will be will accompanied on the ride, by Mull's wildlife, sheep and red deer on the roads, and the Golden and White tail eagles above you, otters, porpoises and basking sharks off the edge. Theres some cracking climbs on the island, and some good downhills, I once rolled in neutral for 5 miles across Glen More!!!

Would have been up for this but we are going up for New Year this time.


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## Fubar (7 Jun 2016)

DaggersJeff said:


> Hi Guys,
> There a few hotels on the island route where you can stop of for a sarnie. The best cafe is at Fishnish ferry (a couple of miles off the main road)
> Excellent bacon rolls, cake and ice cream.
> You will be will accompanied on the ride, by Mull's wildlife, sheep and red deer on the roads, and the Golden and White tail eagles above you, otters, porpoises and basking sharks off the edge. Theres some cracking climbs on the island, and some good downhills, I once rolled in neutral for 5 miles across Glen More!!!
> ...



Sounds great, thanks for the tip off! If we see a Golden Eagle I will HAVE to stop and take a picture, ala @Pat "5mph" (sorry @ColinJ...)


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## ColinJ (7 Jun 2016)

Fubar said:


> Sounds great, thanks for the tip off! If we see a Golden Eagle I will HAVE to stop and take a picture, ala @Pat "5mph" (sorry @ColinJ...)


If we see a Golden Eagle then I will be taking pictures too! 

I must get a new bar bag for my camera. At the moment I am using my phone camera for ride photos and that is carried in a Camelbak bag on my back, which isn't exactly handy for impromptu snaps!


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## DaggersJeff (8 Jun 2016)

Oh, and watch for the buzzards on the telegraph poles!! They look massive close up!!


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## DaggersJeff (8 Jun 2016)

Fubar said:


> Accommodation and ferries booked! We are staying the weekend in Tobermory (we've both always wanted to go there), so if they ride is going clockwise I will need to ride down to meet you off the ferry Saturday am.
> 
> S'pose I'd better ask my boss for the time off now...


 
Fubar,

Where you staying in Tobermory?


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## Fubar (8 Jun 2016)

DaggersJeff said:


> Fubar,
> 
> Where you staying in Tobermory?



Some boutique hotel, Strongabh Hotel I think?


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## Maverick Goose (11 Jun 2016)

Fubar said:


> Hi Colin, somehow managed to miss this even though @Col5632 tagged me! what's your intended speed for 3 September ride and how tough is it? I am somewhat slow this year and haven't done much over 100k so far! Don't want to either hold you up or totally show myself up, and would probably need to look at accommodation etc.


Hi Fubar how's it going?


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## Fubar (12 Jun 2016)

Maverick Goose said:


> Hi Fubar how's it going?



Not too bad Mav, how's yersel?


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## Maverick Goose (14 Jun 2016)

Did the Peak Epic Sportive June 5th, getting out on the bike quite a lot, made some nice cookies, waiting for Game Of Thrones Season 5...


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## ColinJ (14 Jun 2016)

Maverick Goose said:


> Did the Peak Epic Sportive June 5th


Which version - the long one looks a tough ride!


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## Maverick Goose (17 Jun 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Which version - the long one looks a tough ride!


The medium-long next year. Even the medium is 63 miles and more than 7,000 feet of ascent !


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## DaggersJeff (8 Jul 2016)

Fubar said:


> Some boutique hotel, Strongabh Hotel I think?



Nice place, not styed there, but well recommended.

Try and visit the Distillery while you're there - some heavenly malts!!


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## Fubar (10 Aug 2016)

@ColinJ @Pale Rider (and @Pat "5mph" if she ever decides to come!) - 3 weeks to go, are we all excited/still in?

thinking we should probably start a conversation to share contact details, times, meeting points, distinguishing features, etc...

...in fact I'll do that now!


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## Edwardoka (10 Aug 2016)

Posting to show interest. Not sure I can afford to spend several days up there but I could certainly make it to one of the rides
(whichever is most subscribed/best weather)


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## Fubar (10 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Posting to show interest. Not sure I can afford to spend several days up there but I could certainly make it to one of the rides
> (whichever is most subscribed/best weather)



Welcome aboard! Have we met? I have a vague memory of you...

There are 3 of us confirmed so far for Mull on Saturday 3 Sept, not sure about the Moidart ride - with @Pat "5mph" "swithering" about her involvement.

Me and Mrs Fu are staying the weekend on Mull whereas @ColinJ and @Pale Rider are catching the 07:45 ferry from Oban - plan is I will ride down to meet them from the ferry then ride clockwise around Mull, see Colin's previous route map. The weather will be delightful, I am sure.

Other than that normal CC rules apply - oh and it is mostly flat, some lumps, no real hills...


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## ColinJ (10 Aug 2016)

The Mull ride is definitely on, assuming no ill health or injuries to scupper plans. Oh, and the ferries being cancelled would also be a showstopper, but that must be highly unlikely?

If the weather is really bad on the Saturday then perhaps we would choose to take the shortcut across the island.

There is an outside chance that my cousin might join us but I suspect it wouldn't be his kind of ride. He doesn't live far from Oban, but he is into racing and rides with a heart rate monitor and power meter, so I think pootling along at a touring speed would frustrate him. I'll remind him about the ride and see what he says.

Actually, I need to get in touch with him because he has his brother's bike in his garage and I am supposed to be borrowing it for the holiday to save having to haul mine up there. I want to double-check that it is my size and in good working order. If not, I may see how much it would cost to send mine up by courier.

I would still like to do the Moidart ride a few days later but might have a problem getting to the Corran ferry. My cousin just said "Och, just ride up there, do the loop, and ride back afterwards"! The actual loop is 127 km but I would end up doing well over 200 km for the day including the rides up and down the A828/A82 which is too much for me in September. I will see if my cousin fancies taking the day off work and driving us there and back. The other possibility is persuading one or more family members to drive there and take the car over on the ferry. They could drive round the loop, stopping off places to walk dogs and explore.


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## Pat "5mph" (10 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> The weather will be delightful, I am sure.


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## ColinJ (10 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> ... ferries being cancelled would also be a showstopper, but that must be highly unlikely?


Hmm, I took a look at the CalMac website today and one of their ferry services WAS cancelled due to rough seas! 

Not much we could do if that happened on the Saturday. 

No, no, no - we will have calm seas and sunny skies! _Probably_ ...


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## Pale Rider (10 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm, I took a look at the CalMac website today and one of their ferry services WAS cancelled due to rough seas!
> 
> Not much we could do if that happened on the Saturday.
> 
> No, no, no - we will have calm seas and sunny skies! _Probably_ ...



Another possible fly in the ointment is the 'limited bike spaces' on the ferry.

Looks like there will be maximum three of us crossing, which should surely be within the limit, but of course we don't know how many other cyclists will be wanting to travel.

There is another ferry an hour later which would still give us enough time on the island to do the ride, given there's always the Gruline-Salen short cut if we get tight for time.


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## ColinJ (10 Aug 2016)

When I caught the ferry with Carrie a couple of years ago we just had to wait for the motor vehicles to board first and then went down to an area between two pillars where there were a few straps to tie bikes up with. There was plenty of space, but maybe there were not many straps? I will probably take a long bungee cord just in case.

I think we were the only cyclists that day.


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## Fubar (11 Aug 2016)

I doubt that would be a problem, as Colin says bikes are just strapped together on the car deck - going to/from Islay with 8 of us on 3 different ferries we never had an issue.


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## fimm (13 Aug 2016)

The road and railway from Fort William to Mallaig have been blocked by a landslide. I'm on my phone so I will leave you to search for more details.


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## ColinJ (13 Aug 2016)

fimm said:


> The road and railway from Fort William to Mallaig have been blocked by a landslide. I'm on my phone so I will leave you to search for more details.


Drat! Thanks for that news - I was on the phone to my sister yesterday and she said that she and several other family members had been planning a day trip on the steam train.

Ah, I just checked ... the line should reopen in a couple of days!

I am hoping that one of them will drop me and my bike off at the ferry on their drive to Fort William and pick me up on their way back.


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## Edwardoka (13 Aug 2016)

Hopefully they'll have a better experience than I, but I didn't enjoy the steam train at all. Amazing scenery, but the carriages are dirty and noisy, can barely see out the windows because they are so dirty. Better to watch the train passing and do the route via Scotrail (or bike )


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## ColinJ (13 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Hopefully they'll have a better experience than I, but I didn't enjoy the steam train at all. Amazing scenery, but the carriages are dirty and noisy, can barely see out the windows because they are so dirty. Better to watch the train passing and do the route via Scotrail (or bike )


Hmm, that doesn't sound great!  I didn't realise that conventional trains run on that line too.


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## Edwardoka (13 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm, that doesn't sound great!  I didn't realise that conventional trains run on that line too.


Tripadvisor reviews for it are largely overwhelmingly positive, and it's well documented that I'm a negative nancy, so YMMV!
Peering at the viaduct for 30 seconds through a murky window didn't really give the full Hogwarts Express vibe. Amazing to watch the train passing through, though - we saw it at Neptune's staircase and it was spectacular, and there were groups of people standing by the side of the road watching and waving.

There were several classes of carriage, we were in standard class (still ~£70!) I imagine if you had your own compartment it would be a lot better!


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## ColinJ (13 Aug 2016)

I was just looking at the Jacobite Express prices. About £34 for standard class return, which I imagine is what my family members would choose since they are not exactly well off! 

The ordinary train costs about £14 off peak day return or £19 any time day return.


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## Fubar (13 Aug 2016)

Woo woo!


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## Edwardoka (13 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> Woo woo!
> 
> View attachment 139389


Yer a wizard Harry


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## fimm (16 Aug 2016)

Landslide now cleared, and I can post a link this time:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-37085468


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## ColinJ (25 Aug 2016)

It looks okay for me to borrow my cousin's bike. I don't have direct contact with that cousin (we have only met once - we are actually second cousins) - I am going through his brother who says that he will check the bike out for me. I already know that the tyres on the bike are perished so I will donate a couple of new ones by way of thanks.

I am still hoping to do the Moidart ride from Corran and may do it with my cousin if he can get a day off work. He will only want to do that if the forecast is ok. That ride would take place on one of the 3 days Mon 5th Sept-Wed 7th. It will probably be an evening before decision. I'll try to post details on the off chance that somebody wants to join us, but my Internet access may be restricted.

I'll do my best to report on my Scottish rides while I am up there but if the Internet access is too bad then I will wait until I get home.

The Mull ride is approaching rapidly - let's keep our fingers crossed for fine weather!


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## Fubar (26 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> It looks okay for me to borrow my cousin's bike. I don't have direct contact with that cousin (we have only met once - we are actually second cousins) - I am going through his brother who says that he will check the bike out for me. I already know that the tyres on the bike are perished so I will donate a couple of new ones by way of thanks.
> 
> I am still hoping to do the Moidart ride from Corran and may do it with my cousin if he can get a day off work. He will only want to do that if the forecast is ok. That ride would take place on one of the 3 days Mon 5th Sept-Wed 7th. It will probably be an evening before decision. I'll try to post details on the off chance that somebody wants to join us, but my Internet access may be restricted.
> 
> ...



A repeat of today's  would be fantastic!!


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## Pale Rider (26 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> A repeat of today's  would be fantastic!!



The long range weather forecast isn't too clever.

About the best that can be said is there is a 'zero percent' risk of snow.

No doubt you and Ed will know what to expect, but it could come as a bit of a shock to soft northerners like me and Colin.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=uk714day;page=2;ct=20593~Island of Mull;sess=


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## ColinJ (26 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> A repeat of today's  would be fantastic!!


My cousin emailed me and said that he had been out and done a long ride to make the most of it!



Pale Rider said:


> No doubt you and Ed will know what to expect, but it could come as a bit of a shock to soft northerners like me and Colin.
> 
> http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=uk714day;page=2;ct=20593~Island of Mull;sess=


I think that they would probably see us as '_soft southerners_'! 

It always amazes me that there is another 250 km of (mainland) Scotland to the north of Oban. As a child, I used to think of Oban as being 'the far north' ...


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## Edwardoka (26 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I think that they would probably see us as '_soft southerners_'!
> 
> It always amazes me that there is another 250 km of (mainland) Scotland to the north of Oban. As a child, I used to think of Oban as being 'the far north' ...


It'll be the BBC's weather maps to blame for that


----------



## ColinJ (26 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> It'll be the BBC's weather maps to blame for that


I remember when they first introduced the new graphics, how Scotland was depicted as a small blob stuck to the top of a medium blob which was northern England, which was stuck to a huge blob for London and the rest of SE England!

They tweaked the software to make it a bit less blatant, but the same description still applies ...


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I didn't realise that conventional trains run on that line too.


Did you think JK Rowling made it for tourists?


----------



## ColinJ (26 Aug 2016)

Marmion said:


> Did you think JK Rowling made it for tourists?


I forgot that there was a ferry to Skye at the end of it!

There are several small lines round here that only have steam trains on now and are run by enthusiasts for their own pleasure and used mainly by tourists.

Mind you, our most famous one is the Keighley & Worth Valley railway which featured in the 1970s film _The Railway Children_ and they do run diesel trains as well.


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## Pale Rider (27 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I remember when they first introduced the new graphics, how Scotland was depicted as a small blob stuck to the top of a medium blob which was northern England, which was stuck to a huge blob for London and the rest of SE England!
> 
> They tweaked the software to make it a bit less blatant, but the same description still applies ...



Ah, time to mention that rare thing, a distinguished Belgian - Mercator - and his map.

Mercator's Projection inevitably distorts shapes due to it portraying the surface of a sphere on a flat plane.

This distortion gets more pronounced further from the equator.

The *Mercator projection* portrays Greenland as larger than Australia; in actuality, Australia is more than three and a half times larger than Greenland. As on all map *projections*, shapes or sizes are *distortions* of the true layout of the Earth's surface. The *Mercator projection* exaggerates areas far from the equator.
*Mercator projection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*Mercator*_*projection*


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## Edwardoka (27 Aug 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> Ah, time to mention that rare thing, a distinguished Belgian - Mercator - and his map.
> 
> Mercator's Projection inevitably distorts shapes due to it portraying the surface of a sphere on a flat plane.
> 
> ...


Mercator, while causing massive disparities at the latitudinal extremes (as demonstrated by the Mercator puzzle game) has almost entirely negligible effect when you compare it side by side with a spherical projection centred on the UK (Google Maps vs Google Earth, for instance).
I understand that BBC weather maps now use a spherical projection, albeit one which is tilted in such a way that Scotland looks disproportionately small.
Or, to more accurately reflect editorial policy within the BBC, "far away"

What a strange conversation to have on a ride organisation thread


----------



## Pale Rider (27 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Mercator, while causing massive disparities at the latitudinal extremes (as demonstrated by the Mercator puzzle game) has almost entirely negligible effect when you compare it side by side with a spherical projection centred on the UK (Google Maps vs Google Earth, for instance).
> I understand that BBC weather maps now use a spherical projection, albeit one which is tilted in such a way that Scotland looks disproportionately small.
> Or, to more accurately reflect editorial policy within the BBC, "far away"
> 
> What a strange conversation to have on a ride organisation thread



Fascinating things, maps, I can stare at them for ages just for the sake of it.

I wonder if dodgy projection works on gradients as well.

For example, my paper map of Mull indicates we are in for a hilly ride.

That cannot be right, surely?


----------



## Edwardoka (27 Aug 2016)

Pale Rider said:


> For example, my paper map of Mull indicates we are in for a hilly ride.
> 
> That cannot be right, surely?


Have never been so couldn't possibly say, but it has loads of lovely crinkly edges and it seemed hilly enough from the Barra ferry.


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## ColinJ (27 Aug 2016)

Put it this way ... I ended up on my back at the side of the road several times, trying to recover enough to carry on! Motorists were stopping to check that I was ok ... 

Don't worry though - it was because I had a mystery tummy bug which stopped me eating and put me off drinking. I just completely ran out of energy.

It was certainly hillier than I had expected, but not horribly so.


----------



## ColinJ (27 Aug 2016)

As for the weather maps ... surely, given the power of modern compter graphics, the 'politically correct' way to do it would be to be taking a 3D view straight towards the centre of the Earth, spin the globe round until the point of interest was directly underneath, and zoom in or out to suit?

The problem with the BBC view is that it is a slanting view from south to north which exaggerates the size of the south relative to the north.


----------



## Edwardoka (27 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> As for the weather maps ... surely, given the power of modern compter graphics, the 'politically correct' way to do it would be to be taking a 3D view straight towards the centre of the Earth, spin the globe round until the point of interest was directly underneath, and zoom in or out to suit?
> 
> The problem with the BBC view is that it is a slanting view from south to north which exaggerates the size of the south relative to the north.


I use forecast.io and earth.nullschool.net for weather, anyway, some people making something out of nothing (although I wouldn't see if that way if I lived in the far north and was relegated to a handful of pixels...)


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## Fubar (27 Aug 2016)

Jeez you disappear for a couple of days and the conversation turns on its heid - surprised you haven't been modded for going off topic...

Anyhoo I wouldn't trust any forecast more than 24 hours in advance, and I'm sure it's pancake flat... Isn't it??


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## ColinJ (27 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> Jeez you disappear for a couple of days and the conversation turns on its heid - surprised you haven't been modded for going off topic...


I would be mighty peeved if somebody told me that I was off my own topic! 



Fubar said:


> Anyhoo I wouldn't trust any forecast more than 24 hours in advance, and I'm sure it's pancake flat... Isn't it??


I agree about most forecasts. Occasionally we get a very stable weather system sitting over the UK with weather unchanging for a week or more. I'd trust longer range forecasts then, but when the weather is fast-changing, the forecast only has to be out by a few hours to be useless!

As for '_pancake flat_' ...







If my pancakes looked like that, I'd be complaining to the pancake chef!


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## Brandane (28 Aug 2016)

Is THIS the circuit of Mull you are planning to do @ColinJ ?
I would reckon that to be somewhere at the limits of my capabilities regarding climbing/distance in a day, but I might be up for it as I have some time off this coming week (but plan "A" is to head for Ireland on the motorised bicycle , weather dependent!). Sooooo; is there a definite date/time for the commencement of the Mull ride?


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## Edwardoka (28 Aug 2016)

Brandane said:


> but I might be up for it


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## Brandane (28 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


>


Guaranteed! (Maybe I'd better go to Ireland ).


----------



## Sea of vapours (28 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> As for '_pancake flat_' ...
> 
> View attachment 141535
> 
> ...


Absolutely! A quick comparison of the scales on the X and Y axes shows gradients of 1-2%. Many pancakes would be *far* steeper than that at points across their width


----------



## Fubar (28 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I would be mighty peeved if somebody told me that I was off my own topic!
> 
> 
> I agree about most forecasts. Occasionally we get a very stable weather system sitting over the UK with weather unchanging for a week or more. I'd trust longer range forecasts then, but when the weather is fast-changing, the forecast only has to be out by a few hours to be useless!
> ...



It's a stack of pancakes...


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## ColinJ (28 Aug 2016)

Brandane said:


> Is THIS the circuit of Mull you are planning to do @ColinJ ?
> I would reckon that to be somewhere at the limits of my capabilities regarding climbing/distance in a day, but I might be up for it as I have some time off this coming week (but plan "A" is to head for Ireland on the motorised bicycle , weather dependent!). Sooooo; is there a definite date/time for the commencement of the Mull ride?


No, the route is as shown here ...







(Most of it is the same, but we are taking a couple of shortcuts to avoid Tobermory, cutting the distance and climbing somewhat.)

The date is definitely Saturday, 3rd September, 2016! 

There is a definite time for the start, which is when the first ferry from Oban (07:45) gets to Craignure that day which should be at 08:35.

The ride _MUST_ finish in time to catch the last ferry back at 19:30 to arrive in Oban at 20:20. Ideally we will get back to Craignure in good time to catch the ferry before that at 18:20, arriving in Oban at 19:15.

*NB We have to be ready with our tickets at the ferry ports at least 10 minutes before the sailing times!*

It would be good if you could make it. If you have doubts about doing the full ride, there is a significant shortcut across the island from Gruline to Salen which cuts 45 km (28 miles) from the total, reducing it from 118 km (73 miles) to 73 km (45 miles). Pale Rider has said that he may take that if it looks like completing the full ride would take too long.


Edwardoka said:


>





Brandane said:


> Guaranteed! (Maybe I'd better go to Ireland ).


A country well known for its arid climate! 



Sea of vapours said:


> Absolutely! A quick comparison of the scales on the X and Y axes shows gradients of 1-2%. Many pancakes would be *far* steeper than that at points across their width


Yes, the average gradients are benign but I remember there being some steeper ramps which surprised me, though they didn't last long. The climbs are certainly not monstrously hard!


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## Brandane (28 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> The date is definitely Saturday, 3rd September, 2016!


Excellent! I will keep a weather eye on things; at the moment it looks like it could be, errrm, "showers". As you know, that could mean anything in Scotland - from 5 minutes of light spits, to rain of monsoon proportions broken up by periods of drizzle.


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## Pale Rider (28 Aug 2016)

Brandane said:


> Excellent! I will keep a weather eye on things; at the moment it looks like it could be, errrm, "showers". As you know, that could mean anything in Scotland - from 5 minutes of light spits, to rain of monsoon proportions broken up by periods of drizzle.



@Brandane 

As Colin says, my plan is to do the southern section of the ride and take the Gruline - Salen shortcut.

That's still, I reckon, 40-odd miles of Scottish island cycling action, and the others are happy to do their extra miles and meet me at Salen.

I am quite content to do the shortcut bit on my own, but of course you are welcome to join me.


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## Brandane (29 Aug 2016)

@ColinJ @Pale Rider :

Having had another look at the weather forecast for both Mull and Ireland, I have had a change of plan - I am heading the other way, to France!
The ferry is now booked for Wednesday night to St. Malo and I will be cycling round the Cotentin peninsula and wandering around Normandy for a week.

This of course means a totally dry and wind free tour of Mull for you both on Saturday; you can thank me later. Have a great ride .


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## ColinJ (29 Aug 2016)

Brandane said:


> @ColinJ @Pale Rider :
> 
> Having had another look at the weather forecast for both Mull and Ireland, I have had a change of plan - I am heading the other way, to France!
> The ferry is now booked for Wednesday night to St. Malo and I will be cycling round the Cotentin peninsula and wandering around Normandy for a week.
> ...


Thanks for that.

Enjoy your time in France, despite taking our wind and rain with you!


----------



## Edwardoka (29 Aug 2016)

Brandane said:


> @ColinJ @Pale Rider :
> 
> Having had another look at the weather forecast for both Mull and Ireland, I have had a change of plan - I am heading the other way, to France!
> The ferry is now booked for Wednesday night to St. Malo and I will be cycling round the Cotentin peninsula and wandering around Normandy for a week.
> ...


Bon voyage et bonne journeé!
Remember to tell locals "la pluie arrive maintenant, pour Brandane est ici!"


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## Fubar (30 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Bon voyage et bonne journeé!
> Remember to tell locals "la pluie arrive maintenant, pour Brandane est ici!"



Does that mean "I'm the reason it's pishin doon"?


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## Edwardoka (30 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> Does that mean "I'm the reason it's pishin doon"?


"The rain comes now, for Brandane is here!"


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## ColinJ (30 Aug 2016)

Looking at the forecasts for Mull, I don't think that the clouds have realised that Brandane will not be there!

Serious questions ... how often do ferries get cancelled? How bad does the weather have to be? The route between Oban and Mull isn't right out in the open Atlantic but I am no sailor. I don't know how much difference that makes.

As for the bike ... I will check to see if the bike that I am borrowing has mudguards. If it doesn't then I will take the Crud Roadracers off my Basso and fit those.


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## Edwardoka (30 Aug 2016)

Due to entirely foreseeable circumstances, my participation on Saturday is now looking less than likely :-(


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## ColinJ (30 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Due to entirely foreseeable circumstances, my participation on Saturday is now looking less than likely :-(




I have been having _un_foreseeable worries about this ride! I think it is because Fubar and Pale Rider are travelling long distances for it so I would feel really guilty if the ferries get cancelled or we get nightmarish weather. I sometimes have to postpone local forum events due to awful weather ...

Example







Postponement is not an option for the Mull ride though!

I'm just a worrier - it'll be fine. (Did I sound convincing there? )


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## fimm (30 Aug 2016)

I think it is fairly unlikely that the ferry will be cancelled for the weather. Just keep an eye on the wind forecasts. There was a yellow warning for wind up here the other week - the wind speeds were not exceptional for winter but were a bit unusual for summer. The CalMac website will have information too.


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## Pale Rider (30 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I have been having _un_foreseeable worries about this ride! I think it is because Fubar and Pale Rider are travelling long distances for it so I would feel really guilty if the ferries get cancelled or we get nightmarish weather. I sometimes have to postpone local forum events due to awful weather ...
> 
> Example
> 
> ...



No need to worry.

I shall be having my weekend in Scotland whatever happens.

It is also my firm intention to cross to Mull, taking the car over is an option if the weather is really rotten - the bike will still be in the back so I can unload it over there if needs be.

The crossing is not very far, but I wonder if chucking it down in Oban automatically means it will be doing the same on the island.

We can't know that for sure until we get there, which is another reason to cross in any event.

Ferry cancellation seems most unlikely, but we'd better make sure we remember to take @Fubar's mobile since he should be on the island already.


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## ColinJ (30 Aug 2016)

Oh, I will definitely go as long as the ferry is running. I would not be keen on swimming over towing the bicyle behind me on flotation bags though ... 

If the weather is too bad, then we always have that shortcut option. 

Islands with big hills can have funny climates so I wouldn't be surprised if the weather on one side of the island is different to that on the other, let alone to Oban's!


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## Fubar (31 Aug 2016)

When we went to Islay a couple of years back the weather was DREADFUL, ferries were still running - they are hardy souls up there and it takes a lot to cancel ferries, but we just need to play it by ear.


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## Fubar (31 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Due to entirely foreseeable circumstances, my participation on Saturday is now looking less than likely :-(



What's happened?


----------



## Fubar (31 Aug 2016)

ColinJ said:


> I have been having _un_foreseeable worries about this ride! I think it is because Fubar and Pale Rider are travelling long distances for it so I would feel really guilty if the ferries get cancelled or we get nightmarish weather. I sometimes have to postpone local forum events due to awful weather ...
> 
> Example
> 
> ...



And thinking about it I am going over with Mrs Fu for a weekend away so (assuming we make it over on the Friday) if for some reason your ferry is cancelled or the weather is totally horrendous it's not the end of the world for me. I will be cycling down to Craignure for 08:30 to meet you so will soon find out if the ferry doesn't arrive even if you can't get word to me - if it comes to that I'll assess my options and may go for a pootle anyway or at worst cycle back up to Tobermory.

I know it's a worry when you organise a ride but most problems will be outwith your control anyway so do not fret!


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## Edwardoka (31 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> What's happened?


Not enough of an overlap between "can afford trip" and "available accommodation"
Especially after I put the Focus in for what I thought was a mininum viable servicing and got hit with an enormous invoice


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## Fubar (31 Aug 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Not enough of an overlap between "can afford trip" and "available accommodation"
> Especially after I put the Focus in for what I thought was a mininum viable servicing and got hit with an enormous invoice



Ach that's a shame - maybe next time.


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## ColinJ (31 Aug 2016)

Fubar said:


> Ach that's a shame - maybe next time.


Agreed!

I try to get together for a holiday with my sisters at this time every year and we seem to be alternating - one year in the Oban area to visit Scottish family, the following year elsewhere for a change. It looks like we will be going to Devon next year so it might be 2 years before I am in Scotland again, unless my finances improve and I can afford extra holidays, in which case it would be sooner.


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## ColinJ (2 Sep 2016)

I am now in Scotland and getting my loan bike set up ready for a test ride when it stops raining!

I am going shopping with my sisters later so I think 20 miles or so will be the limit.


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## Scoosh (2 Sep 2016)

I'm trying to persuade myself to go out for a ride - and it's not even raining here ... so I'm using the washing needing to be hung out as an excuse.  Sad but true ...


----------



## Fubar (2 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> I'm trying to persuade myself to go out for a ride - and it's not even raining here ... so I'm using the washing needing to be hung out as an excuse.  Sad but true ...



A wise man once told me the hardest movement was from "bed to shed"... 

Wonder who that was?


----------



## Fubar (2 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> I'm trying to persuade myself to go out for a ride - and it's not even raining here ... so I'm using the washing needing to be hung out as an excuse.  Sad but true ...


----------



## Edwardoka (2 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> I'm trying to persuade myself to go out for a ride - and it's not even raining here ... so I'm using the washing needing to be hung out as an excuse.  Sad but true ...


I hear ya Scooshie. I've not been out on the bike since the Hebrides (barring that one time I took it to the LBS for a wallet-smashing)
Every day I say "Definitely tomorrow"
Shall we form a pact of mutual encouragement?


----------



## Pat "5mph" (2 Sep 2016)

If you would give up your cars you would have no choice but to use your bikes


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## Scoosh (2 Sep 2016)

Fubar said:


> A wise man once told me the hardest movement was from "bed to shed"...
> 
> Wonder who that was?


Now let me guess … … hmmm … … oh, I know  … must have been @Edwardoka ! 

Managed out and did a few Km, then saw the , so beat a hasty retreat in an attempt to outrun it. Not too successful, as I got a good soaking along the front at Silverknowes but was doing 38kph most of the way, so it had stopped by the time I reached home and a hot shower.  An hour's ride (25 km) at what I consider to be 'pace' was fine.


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## ColinJ (3 Sep 2016)

Horrendous rain overnight which seems to have improved forecast for today's ride. Now poorish rather than awful!

I am not hungry but will force myself to eat because I skipped brekkie last time and bonked riding round Mull!

See you soon, chaps ...


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## Pale Rider (3 Sep 2016)

At least you can get some breakfast, too early for that in this establishment.

Dry overnight.


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## Fubar (3 Sep 2016)

I am awake and summoning courage to go outside: "Bed to Shed"!!


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## Scoosh (3 Sep 2016)

Fubar said:


> I am awake and summoning courage to go outside: "Bed to Shed"!!









or, special for you


Spoiler: special for Mark ... and Colin ... and Pale Rider


----------



## coffeejo (3 Sep 2016)

ColinJ said:


> It looks like we will be going to Devon next year


----------



## Fubar (3 Sep 2016)

Just back from a cracking day out on Mull - scenery was stunning! Thanks @ColinJ for organising and @Pale Rider for the company. Pics to follow shortly...


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## Fubar (3 Sep 2016)

Some pics from today, wet early doors and finished in bright sunshine! Typical Scotland:


----------



## Pat "5mph" (3 Sep 2016)

I see BIG hills!
Just as well I didn't come, I'd still be half way round the island


----------



## flyingfifi (3 Sep 2016)

Pat "5mph" said:


> I see BIG hills!
> Just as well I didn't come, I'd still be half way round the island


yer but you are very good going up hills. But very bad going down hills with them brakes lol


----------



## Pat "5mph" (3 Sep 2016)

flyingfifi said:


> yer but you are very good going up hills


----------



## Pale Rider (3 Sep 2016)

No big hills for me, @Pat "5mph" - I wimped out of the full circuit and did 16 miles t'other way.

Surprisingly flat, no significant climbing in either direction.

I was also able to sit around outside the hotel in Salen for an hour or so, drinking coffee, smoking cigars, and talking cobblers to anyone unfortunate enough to pass by.

It was then a few easy miles just past Gruline to meet the other two coming from the other direction.

As @Fubar says, weather was a bit grim to start with, but we never got the forecasted dousing and the last few hours were sunny.

Plenty of hills all around, as the pics show - the other two will have done a fair bit of climbing to get to the meeting point - although Colin said the worst one was more draggy than steep.

They earned their cake in Salen on the way back, where we said goodbye to @Fubar.

Colin and I cracked on for the last 10 miles to the ferry.

Just over 32 surprisingly flat miles for me and a useful reminder not to take weather forecasts too seriously.


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## Fubar (3 Sep 2016)

The last 10 miles Salen-Tobermory were a bit brutal, probably my biggest climb of the day until the drop into Tobermory.


----------



## coffeejo (3 Sep 2016)

Fubar said:


> The last 10 miles Salen-Tobermory were a bit brutal, probably my biggest climb of the day *until the drop into Tobermory*.


Must have been one hell of a headwind...


----------



## Crackle (3 Sep 2016)

Good stuff chaps. I thought you were in for a soaking. I recognise all of those roads but have only done bits on the bike. I didn't want to tempt fate by saying but I had both ferries cancelled on my Arran trip earlier this summer. We did qualify for free Calmac carbohydrates, so long was our wait.


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## Edwardoka (3 Sep 2016)

Scoosh said:


> Now let me guess … … hmmm … … oh, I know  … must have been @Edwardoka !


Not I, I would never put my bike in a shed. A bath*, yes, a shed no. Thermal expansion innit

I'm glad our mutual encouragement pact is working, despite sleeping in far later than I wanted to I got out today, headed south through some old stomping grounds in East Ayrshire, but the heavens opened near New Cumnock, and there was no way I was getting over the Mennock Pass (my original goal for the day) and back before my train, so I ended up shivering for an hour in Sanquhar train station 

*


Spoiler



Who would have guessed that washing bikes in the bath would be such a contentious point? I imagine it's at least one of the many reasons I'm single...


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## Pat "5mph" (3 Sep 2016)

Yes to the spoiler


----------



## Pale Rider (4 Sep 2016)

Pat "5mph" said:


> Yes to the spoiler



A partners' meeting for most of us could be held in a phone box.


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## ColinJ (4 Sep 2016)

Thanks for the company, lads!

My family went to watch a big shinty final in Oban (just a few kms away across the water) and said it hammered it down at half time so were lucky to miss that rain.

I was so glad that we didn't have heavy rain for the ride! I had been stressing about it for days in advance. With Fubar and Pale Rider having made such long journeys to be there, it wouldn't have been right to cancel, but it wouldn't have been nice to ride ...

I remembered quite a lot of the route from the time I rode it in 2014 but there was a climb mysteriously missing. I have a distinct memory of struggling up a stiff climb next to a forest, and seeing signs about birds of prey. No sign of it yesterday ... Fubar wondered whether the trees might have been felled since the previous visit, and I am fitter, so maybe I just didn't take much notice of the gradient? I'll search for it on Street view later and see if I can solve the mystery.

We decided not to do the full route, but Fubar and I still got metric centuries in. My total for the day was 111 km (69 miles).

I had ridden from Connel to Oban on the main road to make sure that I arrived in good time for the ferry. The road was not too busy at 06:30. I didn't fancy it on the way home though. There was an awful lot of traffic passing through Oban then. I took 5 minutes to get round a small roundabout in the town centre! I reckon a lot of that traffic would have been thousands of spectators from the big shinty game heading for home. I took a very scenic back road route back to Connel instead. My cousin told me about that road, which I had not noticed on the OS map. It is a steep climb out of the town but then becomes more undulating for the rest of the way. It has splendid Highland views and I think it will be my route of choice for future rides in and out of Oban.

I have some photos on my phone and will try to post some of them later.


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## Fubar (4 Sep 2016)

Had a day trip to Iona today, really serene and peaceful (@ColinJ there are a few McPhail's in the cemetery there). On the way back we took the scenic route to Salen and were flagged down by a very posh lady in a Volvo who had broken down - to cut a very long story short we ended up at her holiday cottage and gave her our jump leads! Good deed done we got some ice cream in return, fair trade.

What a fantastic weekend, thanks @ColinJ again for organising otherwise we prob would never have come, Karen loves it here!


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## Fubar (5 Sep 2016)

coffeejo said:


> Must have been one hell of a headwind...



Ok maybe a slight exaggeration... The last couple of miles were downhill but the rest was hard going on tired legs (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...)


----------



## Fubar (5 Sep 2016)

Sitting in the cafe at Craignure ferry terminal and guess what... It's raining! End of a great weekend.


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## ColinJ (5 Sep 2016)

I am dog-sitting for a few hours while the family have gone off to shop for a clan meal tonight and then visit the local Sea Life centre. It is a bit overcast and drizzly so I don't mind taking a day off the bike. When the family get back, we will don our waterproofs and take the hounds down to the beach for a good walk. 

I have ridden nearly 110 miles since Friday morning and will probably add about another 90 miles before I come back on Thursday. I have 2 rides planned which go to places that I have not been to before



ColinJ said:


> I remembered quite a lot of the route from the time I rode it in 2014 but there was a climb mysteriously missing. I have a distinct memory of struggling up a stiff climb next to a forest, and seeing signs about birds of prey. No sign of it yesterday ... Fubar wondered whether the trees might have been felled since the previous visit, and I am fitter, so maybe I just didn't take much notice of the gradient? I'll search for it on Street view later and see if I can solve the mystery.


I have checked the map and Street view and I think it is from 3 miles after we turned onto the B3085 just before we dropped down to the west of the island, where we took several photos, including the one with the sheep on the road.

Funny ... I have no recollection of that forested climb at all. It must be a combination of getting fitter and being distracted by chatting with Fubar?

I still haven't tried editing/uploading photos from the phone. I will get to that shortly.



Fubar said:


> Had a day trip to Iona today, really serene and peaceful (@ColinJ there are a few McPhail's in the cemetery there). On the way back we took the scenic route to Salen and were flagged down by a very posh lady in a Volvo who had broken down - to cut a very long story short we ended up at her holiday cottage and gave her our jump leads! Good deed done we got some ice cream in return, fair trade.
> 
> What a fantastic weekend, thanks @ColinJ again for organising otherwise we prob would never have come, Karen loves it here!


Excellent! It was great to meet you and I am glad that Karen enjoyed her break too.


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## ColinJ (5 Sep 2016)

For logistical reasons, I am not doing the Moidart loop but my niece and partner like the sound of it so they are going to drive round it with their dog, stopping off for walks, picnics, coffee, sight-seeing, whatever ...

The forecast is ok for tomorrow. Dry, mild and windy but not unbearably so. I have worked out a superb-looking route which I will be tackling. It looks close to 60 miles so I will add a bit on to get my metric century done!

In case you would like to check it out on a map ... A828 to Connel, quiet road above Oban through Ardchonnel down to the A816 at Kilmore. Then southwards down the A816 to Kilmelford. I don't know how bad the traffic is on that road, but that road is the only way to get where I want to go. At Kilmelford I will be turning off onto the kind of quiet, scenic roads that I like to tackle ... Passing through forests beside Loch Avich then Loch Awe, through Inverinan and Annat to Kilchrenan on the on the B845. Up Glen Nant to Taynuilt on the busy A85. I intend to do just 1 mile on that road towards Connel before turning off and passing through Glen Lonan until I rejoin the road that I went out on in the morning, and then follow that back to Connel, then back on the A828.

I will take some photos and will post them when I have time and work out how to do it from my phone!


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## fimm (7 Sep 2016)

@ColinJ I was going to say I'd ridden a lot of that route but looking more carefully I went down the east side of Loch Awe while you will be on the west. I think you will be fine on the A816 - I don't recall any particular issues with it. I think I was using it on a Saturday. I remember the road through Glen Lonan as being very small and bumpy! (I think I have the right road; it has a NCN on it.)

(In fact, I remember the A85 as "OK" given it is a main road. In fact my chief memory was a set of traffic lights at a narrow bridge which simply didn't "see" me on my bike. They obviously defaulted to red unless a car was detected and I was reluctant to simply go through as I didn't know how narrow the road would be and I didn't want to meet oncoming traffic. When two cars did show up I politely let them go first - whereupon the light went red again as I was following! So I went through anyway and found that the bridge, although narrow, would have let a bike and an oncoming car pass without difficulty. Anyway you won't meet that bridge, it is much further east.)


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## ColinJ (7 Sep 2016)

fimm said:


> @ColinJ I was going to say I'd ridden a lot of that route but looking more carefully I went down the east side of Loch Awe while you will be on the west. I think you will be fine on the A816 - I don't recall any particular issues with it. I think I was using it on a Saturday. I remember the road through Glen Lonan as being very small and bumpy! (I think I have the right road; it has a NCN on it.)
> 
> (In fact, I remember the A85 as "OK" given it is a main road. In fact my chief memory was a set of traffic lights at a narrow bridge which simply didn't "see" me on my bike. They obviously defaulted to red unless a car was detected and I was reluctant to simply go through as I didn't know how narrow the road would be and I didn't want to meet oncoming traffic. When two cars did show up I politely let them go first - whereupon the light went red again as I was following! So I went through anyway and found that the bridge, although narrow, would have let a bike and an oncoming car pass without difficulty. Anyway you won't meet that bridge, it is much further east.)


Thanks. I did the ride yesterday and enjoyed it a lot.

The road from Connel to Kilmore was very nice. A bit like a rollercoaster, and narrow, with passing places. Most of the minor roads round here are like that.

The A816 appears to have been resurfaced recently; proper tarmac, not that nasty surface dressing that often gets used! It was fun whizzing along on it, unfortunately into a 10 mph cross/headwind. Traffic was fairly light and drivers were polite, patient and careful, except for one who overtook me slightly closer and faster than I like.

The singletrack road from Kilmelford to Kilchrenan was great. It had some 15% ramps on it, and the rest was more rollercoaster stuff. Lots of craggy hills, forestry (unfortunately lots of close-planted conifers rather than natural woodland), distant mist-shrouded mountains and views of the sea and lochs.

The surface on the singletrack roads was not so great, but similar to a lot of rough lanes in Yorkshire so I am used to that kind of thing.

The B845 up Glen Nant was wider and better surfaced so I cracked on a bit up there and down to Taynuilt.

The A85 probably would have been ok, but I was looking forward to Glen Lonan - it did not disappoint! More ups and downs, and twists and turns, forests, cottages, sheep, hills, MORE distant mountains ... And ... AND I finally found the Highland cattle! My family had been discussing our holiday and someone asked where all the Highland cows were. Answer: Glen Lonan! I found about 50 Highland cows and their calves wandering about in an unfenced field next to the road. In the midst of them was a huge Highland bull with a contented look on his face ... 

Back to Connel, then a quick blast back to the holiday park. 103 km (64 miles), 1,800 m (5,900 ft) of climbing, and despite lots of photo, snack and pee stops, I still managed to get round within my 6 hour goal - 5 hours 56 mins. 

I am dog-sitting while my sisters go to visit a young mum in the family, to see her new baby. I hope to get one more short ride in after they get back. I will be taking the loan bike back to my cousin this evening, and giving him a half bottle of Oban whisky as a gesture of thanks.

We have been remarkably lucky with the weather on this holiday. I have got all of my planned rides in and most of the walks. One last stroll on the beach with the dogs in the morning and then we head home. It is supposed to be raining all day here after we go!


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## ColinJ (7 Sep 2016)

Ha - the 'half bottle' turned out to be only 20 cL! I thought that £19 was a bit cheap for a half bottle ... Still, it was a good deal for me - the cheapest hire bike I could find was £35 if we picked it up and dropped it off, or £50 delivered and picked up.

I returned the bike and handed over the whisky.

Bonus: My other cousin has a new turbo trainer so he gave me his old Tacx! I will get rid of my old gym bike and replace it with the TT. I can store one bike on it, saving some floor space.


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## Brandane (8 Sep 2016)

Glad to hear the ride went ahead and that the weather did eventually show some kindness. Now if I had been there - all day!
France was good. St. Malo to Caen, via Avranches, Barneville Carteret, Barfleur, Carentan, and Bayeux. With some additional side trips and navigational errors, I managed 360 miles in 6 days - and only some light drizzle on the Monday morning.


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## fimm (8 Sep 2016)

Ah, oops, I hadn't spotted the day when I was posting.
Glad you had a good ride.


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## Edwardoka (8 Sep 2016)

Brandane said:


> Glad to hear the ride went ahead and that the weather did eventually show some kindness. Now if I had been there - all day!
> France was good. St. Malo to Caen, via Avranches, Barneville Carteret, Barfleur, Carentan, and Bayeux. With some additional side trips and navigational errors, I managed 360 miles in 6 days - and only some light drizzle on the Monday morning.


I was just about to compare our times on Strava between Ouistreham and Caen but then I remembered that I never got a chance to upload any of my ride data


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## ColinJ (8 Sep 2016)

Just back in Todmorden and I discovered that I won £25 on my premium bonds while I was away, so that was the whisky covered and £6 left over! 

I did rides of 19, 69, 19, 64 & 21 miles in Scotland, a total of 192 miles over 6 days, with one wet day off for recovery.

Coming home, we saw an horrific car fire on the M6 northbound near Preston. The car was completely engulfed in flames. For a moment we feared for its occupants but then we spotted a couple a safe distance away making a phone call from the embankment beside the hard shoulder. A fire engine was rushing towards the scene but there was no sign of police. They really needed to get there ASAP to slow the traffic or stop it because thick smoke was billowing across the motorway and drivers were staring at the burning car as they passed it.

Time now to get used to the smaller scale beauty of Yorkshire and Lancashire again after the majestic scenery of the Highlands!


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## Brandane (8 Sep 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> I was just about to compare our times on Strava between Ouistreham and Caen but then I remembered that I never got a chance to upload any of my ride data


I arranged for the theft of your Garmin so that you wouldn't be able to embarass me. He wasn't supposed to take the bike it was attached to! 
(Not funny I know; I would have been gutted if similar had happened on my much lesser trip ).


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## Edwardoka (8 Sep 2016)

Brandane said:


> I arranged for the theft of your Garmin so that you wouldn't be able to embarass me. He wasn't supposed to take the bike it was attached to!
> (Not funny I know; I would have been gutted if similar had happened on my much lesser trip ).


C'est la vie as they say down there. At this stage I think I'm more annoyed about not having the data than I am about the bike 

I really wanted to explore the Normandy coast but I was already several weeks behind schedule when I rolled off the (incredibly uncomfortable) ferry... next year... or maybe the one after that.

Pegasus Bridge was an interesting sight, riding down l'Orne for a fair few kms was pretty special.
Do you have a ride report I can read?


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## Brandane (8 Sep 2016)

Edwardoka said:


> Do you have a ride report I can read?


Haven't done one .... yet. I might throw together a brief one, but I think these things are a bit boring for others unless they are interspersed with lots of photos; and on this trip I didn't bother taking my camera. I had my phone, which has a not-very-good camera and I think I used it twice .


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## ColinJ (9 Sep 2016)

Also seen on the M6 journey home - the most crazy 'left hook' ever ... There was a massive truck in the inside lane ahead of us. We were in the middle lane and a white van overtook us, came back into the middle lane, and the driver then swung over into a small gap in traffic in the inside lane only about a foot in front of the HGV!!! My sister and I both shouted the equivalent of WTF!


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## ColinJ (9 Sep 2016)

My sister just rang - she also won on the premium bonds while we were away - £75 in her case!


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## ColinJ (6 Oct 2016)

And I have just won £25 in the October draw! My sisters are coming up next week. I'll put my prize money towards takeaway curries for us, and a bottle of wine for them. 

They will be bringing the turbo trainer which my Scottish cousin gave me while we were up in Scotland last month. (The sister who brought me back didn't have room for it in her car for it, so it got taken down to the Midlands by sister #2.)


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## ColinJ (11 Mar 2017)

I have just realised that I forgot to post any of my photos! The ones taken on Mull are very similar to the ones posted by @Fubar and @Pale Rider so here are a few from the rest of my holiday ...


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## KneesUp (12 Mar 2017)

Mull seems to be full of abandoned bikes, @ColinJ


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## ColinJ (12 Mar 2017)

KneesUp said:


> Mull seems to be full of abandoned bikes, @ColinJ


Actually, none of those pictures were taken on Mull!  

My Mull pictures were all taken in the same places as the ones in earlier posts and (unsurprisingly!) look very similar so there doesn't seem much point in posting them.


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