ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 2:22 pm Nice photos and a reminder that I'd best get an October bivvy in very soon before the Circuit Breaker is announced.

I'm sure something's coming and I could live with a five-mile limit for a couple of weeks, but I really hope we don't go back to the no staying out overnight thing.

Cheeky Monkey wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:10 pm They're some lovely sunset shots

You must have been gutted when you realised you'd forgotten the cheese to go with the cake and booze / tea

Mmmm cheese and fruit cake!

This trip was supposed to be a much bigger weekend loop with a couple of friends, but new Covid regulations in Scotland, a terrible forecast and last minute calendar clashes put paid to that. I still had an overnight pass though, so I decided to head out on my own after dinner on Friday evening and ...

Great write-up Sean, it's strange but quite satisfying to read someone else's account of a route you put together. Glad that it seemed to hang together as a coherent route. Still impressed at your motivation to take this on after completing the CL so quickly in sub-optimal conditions!

Great write-up, enjoyed that!

Brilliant effort Sean, especially in the conditions. Are you following it up with the Lomond Trossachs Loop or have you had enough? :smile: Apart from my chafed and grazed groin, brused toes, blistered ankles, maybe a slight achilles tweak, the start of trench foot (pale and stating to shrivel) and...

I finished at 16:37 missed out on my 30 hour target. Mind you, when I was looking across at the good track from the Fealar climb little did I know the headwind would be so vicious that I'd look back on the climb as the easy bit :lol: Brilliant effort Sean, especially in the conditions. Are you foll...

Now you're going to collate times I'm going to have to resist the urge to race it... I'll might take the gopro and make a film of it as an excuse for the time it takes me :wink: I can always create a Cairngorms Loop/LT Loop back-to-back category :grin: Whether you race it or not, it'll be really in...

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Thanks for all the comments! Hopefully everyone who asked for a GPX file has received one. There seemed enough interest to set up a simple website: https://lomondtrossachsloop.tumblr.com/. You can download the GPX from there as well

Dyffers wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 1:40 pm I too took a punt on the Abbsynia bothy trail and found it to be excellent, although the descent down to the A82 was a bit lively for my 42mm tyres.

I bet

Thanks @thenorthwind!

@stevewaters @dyffers - email incoming.

Sounds great and a nice write up. Where can I find the gpx for the route? Lastly there are still places for the Borders 350/220 stating Sat 29 Aug if you want something else to do. The big bikehike section has now been taken out. Hi Ray, PM me with an email address and I'll send it to you. Would lo...

In Reverse wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:25 am Nice. A very pleasing read.

Have you put the route online anywhere?

Thanks :)

The ride's on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/3848845741

Just let me know if you want a GPX file and I can email it to you.

Shewie wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:02 am Epic

Great report, enjoyed that very much

Thanks Shewie!

jameso wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 9:58 am Not easily .. committed lightweight sleeping gear anxiety melts in a "bingo!" shelter-found moment - or, grows into 'what TF am I doing' at 1am in the rain, still in open countryside

Yep! I was maybe one locked barn door away from that

Prelude This year was supposed to be all about the Highland Trail for me. I’d managed to get a place on the group start in May and had been training hard through a miserable winter to prepare for it. But, like everything else, it was cancelled. For a while I was too worried about the looming horror...

For me, shorter rides of higher intensity - combined with the odd longer one - seem to be the best training strategy. Last year I did lots of long rides to prepare for a Cairngorms Loop ITT attempt. I got round the loop but felt thoroughly beaten up afterwards and it took me a long time to recover. ...

If you're open to other options, I use one of these kegs and it's brilliant (and cheap)... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZR1QKV1/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item It goes in a bottle cage or gets chucked in a frame bag. The small one contains everything I need apart from a multitool and pump. 100% w...

I got some of these for when I'm in delicate company. Uhm, an additional 30% off too. https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLOOSBP/on-one-seamless-base-pant Tempted to ask for photographic proof as they look very "fetching" but we've seen some of your pics Stu and, well, y'know :wink: what has h...

I do tend to have at least a gilet with me or a hooded synthetic jacket for cooler trips. I like a down bag but prefer synthetic for jackets as it means you can wear it when riding when it's cold and wet. Doing that has saved me a couple of times so I don't mind the bigger packs size. I've had an Ar...

One point to note - keeping all of your bivy gear in the same bag isn't necessarily a good idea - what happens when your tarp and bivy are wet? You can get round this by using a dual compartment dry bag but most on here will use one dry bag for stuff that has to stay dry and one for the potentially...

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:05 pm I assume there'll be a budget and once that's gone, that'll be it?

Also seems to only apply to England from what I’ve read.

My Cumulus 250 quilt easily fits in a 4L Sea to Summit drybag. I've been tempted by a 150 as I'm a warm sleeper but Highland Scotland rules out all but a handful of suitable nights each year. As all of my bikepacking is in Scotland, the 250 is looking like a good choice, if I could find it in stock...

Cumulus 150 would be the choice du forum but if you are a cold sleeper then the 250 might be better. ^ Take note of this. I'm obviously a cold sleeper as I find my 150 only just about warm enough even in mid-summer and most of the time I end up wearing a lightweight synthetic jacket as well. The 15...