Today was a pleasant day by all accounts. Firstly we got up to find this. Now Loch Rannoch is rarely still; usually resembles the seaside and to be honest, the idea of it being calm enough for sheet ice to form had not occurred to me.
So having already arranged to meet up with a CC'er (@Dave Crampton) in Pitlochry we were well aware that time was going to be an issue (in case you have not worked things out, my photography hobby occasionally gets in the way of my cycling hobby
and today was showing all the signs & symptoms of being one of those days...
).
I didn't get far before a choice had to be made, photography or strava segment QOM - well I already had the QOM, just wanted to improve on it, but then was presented with a really nice view of Schiehallion and ....
the photography won the contest (I will however point out that despite spending something like 5 mins with the camera at the side of the road, when we looked at Strava later on, I had still improved on my QOM, so win:win
.
From there we knew we had a really nasty little climb with a set of hairpin bends and more climbing afterwards. We should have been far enough into the ride and fit enough by now to have managed it... we did but it was a close run thing - I did make it up without having to stop (road bikes, its a doddle of a climb on the mtb's) but I was so very grateful for that hairpin bend. Neither of us said a word at the top, I knew I had to start moving again otherwise I was either going to pass out or throw up (I had tried too hard). Not a great start... the only good news was it was down hill from there ....
The journey out to Pitlochry was more eventful than it should have been - we took the road on the south side of Loch Tummel. A very definite single track road and very few passing places and perhaps we were enjoying the downhill a touch too much and not quite paying enough attention around a long fast right hand bend... mind you neither was the oncoming driver... six of one and half a dozen of the other. Nothing came of it, we were passed her before she had even had chance to register our presence, but it was a reminder that 'tourists' have now arrived on the exceptionally quiet roads and we might have to pay just that little more attention...
At the far end of Loch Tummel, at Clunie Dam, there are 2 nasty climbs that bikehike has the gradient at 20% for. We both knew they were going to be very tough and to be honest, I never expected to make it up either of them on my road bike. I surprised both of us and did make it up them, though I understand some of my groans could have been mistaken for an activity other than cycling
...
Then it was a fast descent into Pitlochry - that side of the hill is 25% and something I don't currently have an thoughts on trying in that direction. We met up with the CC'er we had planned to meet up with (thank you every so much, sorry we had already moved on when the option for coffee & cakes came up) and lunch followed soon after having found somewhere quiet - that was actually quite an achievement, we had found people and Pitlochry was teaming - one or two choice words had to be yelled at one person to prevent him pushing his child into my path as I cycled up the road through the middle of Pitlochry - his child had seen me, he had not!
Onwards and north, up the B road all the way to Calvine where we headed into them there hills and met a few other cyclists. Back in them there hills, the light cleared up and we started a climb I had expected to be more difficult than it was in reality. A really nice view at the top of a climb presented itself, so having had no vehicles for well over half an hour pass up, we stopped and pulled slightly off the road. As I walked away, a motorhome met a car right at the point where I had left my OH holding my bike....
I decided to ignore the issues and take the photo and pretend nothing had happened...
The day was only marred by an attempt at killing me - I have no idea what that tourist was doing when he overtook my OH who has 1 cycle length in front of me, we both had rear lights on, flashing at different intervals, but the next thing I knew was a car coming at me from the side in a lunatic swerving manoeuvre that was only going to have one outcome. Luckily I had already made a decision to go to the left of a nasty grid (and off the road) rather than the right which I normally do for that grid, and both of us know it is the only reason I was not hit. I can't repeat the words I yelled at the driver, he did somehow end up back on the other side of the road - I don't know if the passenger had intervened or what but it was damned close.
From there we were at 80km, and knew that our planned route would take us to 93km but it was only 2:30pm and we were both feeling strong (adrenalin?) and decided to extend the ride, down and round the loch... yeh I know, we have been round this loch so many times this holiday, but we still enjoy it. We also had enough water in the flask left for coffee and another break, so on the opposite shore to the holiday home, we stopped for a rest.
Outcome 111.1km (69.3miles), our single longest ride since the canine incident ended our world tour and it felt great to be out and to be honest, I feel like I could have done more but common sense suggested I didn't!
And to top it off. 2 QOM's 2 * 2nd place, 3 * 3rd place for the ride....
http://app.strava.com/activities/46488998 1397m (4,583 feet) of climbing and a 20.3kph (12.6mph) average that I am more than happy with. Utterly shattered, and I have caught the sun!
I hope I sleep tonight!
)
