That's my kind of New Year's party above! Just polishing off this year's series, I went for a short excursion from home to the nearest forest: http://highlanddrifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_7606-1280.jpg http://highlanddrifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_7609-1280-rotated.jpg http:...

Sunrise at one of this year's more pleasant camps on Craiglich

Nae bother, will turn leave it running tomorrow.

I can switch mine on this evening too, if you'd like another feed?

I think I know the ones you mean, but you're right - don't seem to be available anywhere. I think some walking ones would probably do for mountain biking, but would be nice to have an alternative for the road bike once the Giros give up the ghost. Those Spatz look impregnable, but would probably nee...

There's definitely a gap in the market for someone to make some rugged streamlined cycling gaiters to pair with waterproof shoes. there's lots of running ones, but they are all just water resistant. I use these with my Giro Alpineduro boots for road/offroad rides and they are great: https://www.giro...

Was mostly pain free as long as I didn't ride too fast and generate windchill or too slow to generate enough heat - I can take freezing and dry a lot better than cold and wet! It's amazing how 1 degree at Kessock felt like a summer's day in comparison.

A belated post as usual from me for November. I decided to do something a little more exciting last month - rather than my usual rides from the front door, I went for a ride to my front door. So, an early finish on Friday found me at the train station and on my way to Kyle of Lochalsh. I'd had a 200...

It was definitely a bit too hardcore for my right knee - am still struggling on my commute at the moment!

Haven't posted it in the BAM thread yet, but my November bivy was pretty wintery. After a crap couple of weeks in work and an invitation from my lovely wife to get away from it all, I decided to jump a train to the West coast after work on Friday and then ride home to Aberdeen. I set off from Kyle a...

Have finally managed to read the whole lot after rationing it out! Thanks for sharing it Dave - I've been obsessively reading people's accounts of riding the divide for the last 15 years and yours has jumped to the top of the pile as my favourite by far! Really well written, brutally honest and a lo...

Cheers, you two would be fine up there - you've got the same bag as me! Possibly a bit colder and wetter at the moment though...

Thanks - that whole week was pretty good for weather. Nothing beats riding by moonlight!

October was done with time to spare for a change, heading out from our home for the week in Nethybridge on a Wednesday night about 10pm and making a beeline for Bynack More. It was a lovely cold clear night, so much so that I turned off my light once I started climbing up from the bridge, as the moo...

Time for my usual belated catch up on bivy reports! September was squeezed in at the tail end of the month by heading out locally about 10pm and finding myself a nice hammock spot by the river Dee. Leaving late had the advantage of letting the day's constant rain peter out, so I still haven't needed...

Great job Colin and excellent timing for the weather too - enjoyed the write-up.

I had to use p-clips for the rear guard on my Marin commuter due to the sliding dropouts having no mount point. I just got some generic plastic coated ones off the internet which have held perfectly so far.

Really enjoyed those, thanks Rich. Seems like a real coming of age moment for you both and very honestly described.

My gravelly bike spends most of the year with these SKS Bluemels 45mm guards on and some 35mm Marathon Winters or 38mm Vittoria Hypers.



Hard to imagine winter riding without them, to be honest.

Good luck - conditions look good again!

I went for RaceFace Chesters as my plastic pedals. Got me round the Cairngorms Loop, HT550 and many other big rides without issue. I definitely think that SPD cleats are a factor in getting cold feet when I do big winter road rides, though I stick with them on road.

Just throwing in my August bivy to get me up to date. Was a last minute quicky on the 31st, combining some VVE square captures with a comfy hammock kip in a wee forest out West of Aberdeen. http://highlanddrifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IMG_6342-1280.jpg http://highlanddrifter.com/wp-content/...

Great ride Karl, have been watching the two of you over the weekend and you flew round - did you fit in a power nap? I'm willing Jon to the finish, whilst secretly hoping he doesn't do it quicker than me, as I have a feeling I'll never hear the end of it!

Thanks, was one of those overnighters that just came together nicely, apart from nodding off at my desk in the afternoon!

What do you mean "Hopefully"? You've got a top IT pro working on your tracking team!