Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

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Ray Young
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Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Hi, I'm after a very easy route for a complete beginner (both to bikes and bothies) with an overnight bothy stay within two hours drive of Edinburgh. Any suggestions?
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fatbikephil
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by fatbikephil »

Kettleton byre from moffat?
Up the back road west of the town into the forest of Ae, about 15k of forest roads to the back road that goes to the north of Ae forest, leave this at the Garoch water then over the Garroch to Kettleton Byre. Its about 23 miles of generally easy going (the garroch pass is a track but a bit rough). Got a GPX file if you want.

Or else something involving Bunnies bothy in the Lammermuirs. Could use the capital trail route either from the north or south??
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Hi Phil, yes a gpx would be nice thanks, youngray50ATgmailDOTcom. I have considered bunnies and not ruled it out yet.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by AlasdairMc »

Melgarve from anywhere? Leave the car at Laggan and then it's an easy road up to Melgarve, or if you were feeling adventurous you could pop over the Corrieyairack to Blackburn.

Rowchoish from Rowardennan? It's an easy track, with the access possibly being better from the far side of the bothy. It's pretty spartan though.
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into them. Looks like a late September or early October ride now.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Blair512 »

Brattleburn is a fairly easy ride in from Moffat Ray, by far my favourite bothy so far. Have you gone soft looking for a beginner route or are you taking company?
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by AlasdairMc »

One more, although it's possibly slightly pushing the two hour drive time:

Gorton from Bridge of Orchy. Ride the road to the Inveroran, and then around Loch Tulla back to the main road. There's a double track on the 1:25k not on the 1:50k which joins you on to the main route out to the bothy. I believe there's also parking off the main road if you just wanted to head in from there.
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Blair512 wrote: Have you gone soft looking for a beginner route or are you taking company?
Taking company, my ukulele tutor. The only ride he's done since he was a kid was last week when I took him on an easy 8 mile ride in the Pentlands. He lives in Balerno so the Pentlands are right on his door. He enjoyed it but said his bum hurt by the end. He wants to get fitter/lose weight and is getting bored with the gym.
Talking of going soft, remember the last ride we did and I couldn't lift my arm up fully. Well it's to do with the premature wear of the vertebrae that is also affecting my lower back. The position you are in when riding is causing nerves to be trapped in my neck resulting mostly in neck pain but occasionally partial paralysis of my arm as you witnessed. If physio doesn't sort it then my long distance riding days are over I'm afraid. To say I'm not happy is an understatement.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by pushbikemike »

Ah Christ Ray, that sounds grim. Have you got a physio lined up? Do you know any good local ones? I've used the sports physio in Peebles and they seem good. Lots of them are bikers too. Also have venues in Edinburgh.

Mike
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fatbikephil
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by fatbikephil »

Ray
Don't give up hope yet! Been suffering from lower back issues for 18 months and only now finally persuaded the NHS to do a scan and find out what the hell is going on..... If you haven't had a scan already just be a pain in the ass with your GP until they refer you to the ortho dept.

Changing my riding position helped massively - bars now 2" higher than seat and top tube 1.25" shorter. I did it via a Jones plus but Mondraker stoic 10mm reach stem can get the bars up and back. Also find a local pilates class and get on it. I've been doing a class since january and it's helped massively - great flexibility and lots of core strength supports your back and makes holding a riding position easier with less strain on your back. Good core strength helps with bike handling (and pushing!) to boot.

Sorry if you know all this already!

Phil
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Blair512 »

Hope some physio sorts you out Ray, have you done much since we were last out together, I remember you really struggled with your arm then
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Alan63
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Alan63 »

Hello HTRider. Can you send me the Kettleton GPS also? ardotanderson950@gmaildotcom. Thanks
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fatbikephil
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by fatbikephil »

No need for secret emails! - its on the (newly updated) MBA site:

https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/both ... eton-byre/
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Alan63 »

htrider wrote:No need for secret emails! - its on the (newly updated) MBA site:

https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/both ... eton-byre/
Thanks for your reply. I was actually interested in your route to the bothy. I have passed it a few times.
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Thanks for all the encouragement. The lower back I can cope with, it's the new neck problem that's the bugger. Going on holiday next week so after I get back am going to the gp and get some private advice too.
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Brattleburn it is, not been there before and Blair says it's the best bothy he's been to so that's a good recommendation. Only 8 miles each way but my mate is worried about going further despite my assurances that he could do more, don't want to scare him off though so I'm happy with that.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Blair512 »

Did you make it to Brattleburn yet Ray?
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

No, Monday 16 is the plan.
Is wood easily available Blair?
Blair512
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Blair512 »

Ray Young wrote:No, Monday 16 is the plan.
Is wood easily available Blair?
Aye there was plenty wood about when we were there a few months ago and loads of woods around. There had been some felling going on so plenty wood lying around to be collected. The stove in the right hand room's a cracker, it belts the heat out!

Here's a link to my write up of our trip should it be of interest: http://www.blaircaldwell.co.uk/single-p ... Bothy-Trip
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Thanks Blair.
Blair512
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Blair512 »

How went it Ray? Just seen you'd made it on the bothy bagger thread. Cracking bothy init!
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Hi Blair, yes, great bothy. After reading about your boggy march along the SUW we took a forest road route to the north which then cut back south then east to the bothy. It was Duncan's first ever bothy and bikepack trip and we both had a great time. Won't say more as Duncan has said he would do a write up.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Lawmanmx »

Ray, it sounds like you got cyclists palsy mate, i developed it during a ride and thought i'd been shot in my upper back/shoulder, i lost use of my arm for over 2 weeks but my physio and changing my bars and stem cured the problem, i raised the front of my bikes with 40mm rise 800 wide Stooge moto bars and a 60mm Ritchey 30 degree rise stem, Massive difference! i also suffer badly with back issues so i feel your pain pal.
if your bars are Lower than your seat then That could be your problem, if not, then check that your not stretched out too far, HTH :-bd
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Ray Young
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Ray Young »

Thanks lawnmax, I've put a high rise stem on and that's helped. Not thought of stooge Moto bars but I think it would be worth a punt, thanks again.
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Re: Recommend me a beginner route with bothy near Edinburgh.

Post by Lawmanmx »

and dont forget the physio Roy ;)

my spellin is nearly as bad as Yours
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