Cycling the Lairig Ghru??
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Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
over the pass.
Given that there must be the best part of 12 completely
unrideable miles in the middle of it, it really didn't look
like it was any fun at all.
Anyone here done it and regretted it? Alternatively, does
anyone here rate it as a fantastic experience that they'd
like to repeat?
As a runner and occasional cyclist, my impression was that
many of the folk working their way up from Aviemore looked
ill-prepared and not really up to the task but they probably
thought the same about me.
Any views?
Tim
"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> writes:
>Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
>somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
>over the pass.
Were you doing the LG run? We stopped in Aviemore on our way
back from Glen Affric to check out some ski bargains and
found ourselves in the middle of some race, but didn't see
any info about it except the one banner mentioning LG.
And to make it cycling related: I did buy a pair on Ronhill
running shorts which I will use for 'bent cycling :-)
Roos
in message <2ka3s6F18qmv6U1@uni-berlin.de>, Tim Downie
('timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk') wrote:
> Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
> somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
> over the pass.
>
> Given that there must be the best part of 12 completely
> unrideable miles in the middle of it, it really didn't
> look like it was any fun at all.
>
> Anyone here done it and regretted it? Alternatively, does
> anyone here rate it as a fantastic experience that they'd
> like to repeat?
I haven't done the Lairig Ghru, but I have taken bikes a
number of highly improbable places several of which involved
miles of bike-on-shoulder. Does it make sense? Probably not.
You start using a bike in hill country either because you
are a compulsive cyclist or because you can get further into
the hill country and tackle hills which are too long a walk
in to do in a day otherwise. But after a while the challenge
becomes 'can I get a bike *there*?'. I have a long term
project dip my front wheel in every loch in Galloway. Some
of the ones I've already 'ticked off' involved more carrying
than riding, and getting a bike through to Loch Enoch or the
Long Loch of the Dungeon is a real challenge.
Let's face it, there's no sensible reason for going up the
Lairig Ghru in the first place. There's no sensible reason
for climbing a Munro. You do it for the challenge and for
the experience of wilderness. Taking a bike is just a
different sort of challenge.
And you'd be amazed what you *can* cycle, if you have a
bike with you.
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; I'll have a proper rant later, when I get the
time.
"Roos Eisma" <roos@xs4all.nl> wrote in message
news:40dfe441$0$34762$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> "Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> writes:
>
> >Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
> >somewhat
surprised
> >at the number of folk lugging bicycles over the pass.
>
> Were you doing the LG run?
Yep.
>We stopped in Aviemore on our way back from Glen Affric to
>check out some ski bargains and found ourselves in the
>middle of some race, but didn't see any info about it
>except the one banner mentioning LG.
Like a lot of hill races, it's kind of low key. So low key
in fact, I couldn't find the finish line! All I knew was
that it finished outside the police station but fortunately
my wife spotted me and hailed me from the finish line. We
were really lucky with the weather and I personally really
enjoyed it.
> And to make it cycling related: I did buy a pair on
> Ronhill running shorts which I will use for 'bent
> cycling :-)
Well I'm definitely going to look at cycling clothing for
the extra pockets if nothing else. Most running gear is very
meanly provided in this respect.
Tim
"Simon Brooke" <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote in message
news:ig65r1-bom.ln1@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk...
> Let's face it, there's no sensible reason for going up the
> Lairig Ghru in the first place. There's no sensible reason
> for climbing a Munro. You do it for the challenge and for
> the experience of wilderness. Taking a bike is just a
> different sort of challenge.
I'd agree absolutely Simon. I think what perhaps disturbed
me slightly was that quite a few of the riders didn't really
look like your dyed-in-the-wool adventurer types but rather
more like folk who had seen an official cycle route marked
on a map and then set off ill prepared for the rigours of
that particular pass. My concern is that if councils put up
"Cycle route" signs, then many folk will assume a cycleable
route and possibly attempt something that they're not
prepared for.
Of course we all should take responsibility for out own
actions and I dare say most of them had researched the
route beforehand but given the change in the weather later
in the day, I'm willing to bet several had a very miserable
time yeterday.
> And you'd be amazed what you *can* cycle, if you have a
> bike with you.
Lets face it, almost anything's got to be better than
carrying the r*ddy thing. ;-)
Tim
Tim Downie wrote:
> Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
> somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
> over the pass.
I once read an amusing report in the CTC Gazette (as it was,
IIRC) from a pair of cyclists who had done this.
On a tandem.
Which had 1 speed.
In about 1930.
(I forget the exact date of the magazine, but it was
definitely a long way pre-war. Probably still have it lying
around somewhere).
Needless to say, it gave the impression of a good walk
ruined, but I am tempted to have a go on a properly designed
MTB tandem some time. it would certainly help on the tedious
track out at the end.
James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is by treading on the
toes of giants. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/
"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2ka3s6F18qmv6U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
> somewhat
surprised
> at the number of folk lugging bicycles over the pass.
>
> Any views?
>
A friend and I used bikes to get to the Chalamain Gap from
Glen Feshie via Rothiemurchus Forest a few years ago. I
enjoyed the Rothiemurchus cycle with its water splashes -
recommended. The Lairig, I think, makes a better walk. We
had to push the bikes up and coming down had to be careful
not to slide on the tree roots.
Still, having the bikes meant that we would have been better
able to escape the Big Gray Man if he had shown up.
Tom.
Tim Downie wrote:
> Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
> somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
> over the pass.
>
> Given that there must be the best part of 12 completely
> unrideable miles in the middle of it, it really didn't
> look like it was any fun at all.
>
> Anyone here done it and regretted it? Alternatively, does
> anyone here rate it as a fantastic experience that they'd
> like to repeat?
Well I did it in the late summer of 1946 aged 11. My father
came home from the war in early 45 and couldnt settle. He
got me the smallest pair of womens army boots he could find
and we went by bus from Blackpool to the Lakes every weekend
and spent the days hillwalking or catching/collecting food
and we slept in a bivi tent. Next year we got bikes, exarmy
clunkers with big tyres and rod brakes, mine being the
smallest made. We rode in Lakeland and also Bowland and the
Dales, so by autumn he said I was ready for the big one.
I remember a wierd train journey finally ending at Aviemore.
We spent 3 days there pinching spuds and veges, catching
rabbits and fish and with the food cooked and wrapped in
newsprint we were well stocked for the next stage of the
journey, over to Braemar. Riding in the forest was easy, I
knew there was a big hill but we'd done carry up and carry
down plenty of times, so I thought. We'd started the walking
part at first light to keep cool but it wasnt long before my
legs gave way and we had to do a series of links. I
struggled uphill and dad came with me carrying food and
gear, then he went down for his bike and then back again for
my bike. We lunched on the pass and then we struggled to
ride and push, onwards and downwards. That night we slept
indoors, it must have been in a bothy, with some other wierd
characters. Then came Braemar and the ride on side roads
east to the coast, to somewhere, when we caught trains to
Edinburgh then Glasgow and home.
I dont recall too much of the journey, I was kanackered, but
I liked it so much that when my dad finally settled to the
quiet civilian family life I took to riding his bike through
the wild country with older guys who called themselves rough
riders. Pity they never lived to see the advent of the
mountainbike. I cant do it now but carrying one of those
over the high passes is a doddle compared to the bad old
days. But by then we had light meths stoves, freeze dried
food, modern clothing and too many regulations about
catching and eating ones food. Mike
taywood wrote:
> Tim Downie wrote:
>> Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
>> somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
>> over the pass.
>>
>> Given that there must be the best part of 12 completely
>> unrideable miles in the middle of it, it really didn't
>> look like it was any fun at all.
>>
>> Anyone here done it and regretted it? Alternatively, does
>> anyone here rate it as a fantastic experience that they'd
>> like to repeat?
>
> Well I did it in the late summer of 1946 aged 11. My
> father came home from the war in early 45 and couldnt
> settle. He got me the smallest pair of womens army boots
> he could find and we went by bus from Blackpool to the
> Lakes every weekend and spent the days hillwalking or
> catching/collecting food and we slept in a bivi tent. Next
> year we got bikes, exarmy clunkers with big tyres and rod
> brakes, mine being the smallest made. We rode in Lakeland
> and also Bowland and the Dales, so by autumn he said I was
> ready for the big one.
>
> I remember a wierd train journey finally ending at
> Aviemore. We spent 3 days there pinching spuds and veges,
> catching rabbits and fish and with the food cooked and
> wrapped in newsprint we were well stocked for the next
> stage of the journey, over to Braemar. Riding in the
> forest was easy, I knew there was a big hill but we'd done
> carry up and carry down plenty of times, so I thought.
> We'd started the walking part at first light to keep cool
> but it wasnt long before my legs gave way and we had to do
> a series of links. I struggled uphill and dad came with me
> carrying food and gear, then he went down for his bike and
> then back again for my bike. We lunched on the pass and
> then we struggled to ride and push, onwards and downwards.
> That night we slept indoors, it must have been in a bothy,
> with some other wierd characters. Then came Braemar and
> the ride on side roads east to the coast, to somewhere,
> when we caught trains to Edinburgh then Glasgow and home.
>
> I dont recall too much of the journey, I was kanackered,
> but I liked it so much that when my dad finally settled to
> the quiet civilian family life I took to riding his bike
> through the wild country with older guys who called
> themselves rough riders. Pity they never lived to see the
> advent of the mountainbike. I cant do it now but carrying
> one of those over the high passes is a doddle compared to
> the bad old days. But by then we had light meths stoves,
> freeze dried food, modern clothing and too many
> regulations about catching and eating ones food. Mike
Great story. Thanks for sharing that.
Cheers.
Tim
--
Remove the obvious to reply by email.
Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <2ka3s6F18qmv6U1@uni-berlin.de>, Tim Downie
> ('timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk') wrote:
>
>
>>Having just got back from crossing the LG on foot, I was
>>somewhat surprised at the number of folk lugging bicycles
>>over the pass.
>>
>>Given that there must be the best part of 12 completely
>>unrideable miles in the middle of it, it really didn't
>>look like it was any fun at all.
>>
>>Anyone here done it and regretted it? Alternatively, does
>>anyone here rate it as a fantastic experience that they'd
>>like to repeat?
>
>
> I haven't done the Lairig Ghru, but I have taken bikes a
> number of highly improbable places several of which
> involved miles of bike-on-shoulder. Does it make sense?
> Probably not.
>
> You start using a bike in hill country either because you
> are a compulsive cyclist or because you can get further
> into the hill country and tackle hills which are too long
> a walk in to do in a day otherwise. But after a while the
> challenge becomes 'can I get a bike *there*?'. I have a
> long term project dip my front wheel in every loch in
> Galloway. Some of the ones I've already 'ticked off'
> involved more carrying than riding, and getting a bike
> through to Loch Enoch or the Long Loch of the Dungeon is a
> real challenge.
Hmm, the call of the absurd. It is good to have a quest, no
matter how strange. Some friends and I once carried an
inflatable boat up to Loch Enoch so that we could camp on
the island in it. Great fun, apart from the midges, but hard
to rationally justify. (I've been waiting for years to boast
of this exploit!)
>
> Let's face it, there's no sensible reason for going up the
> Lairig Ghru in the first place. There's no sensible reason
> for climbing a Munro. You do it for the challenge and for
> the experience of wilderness. Taking a bike is just a
> different sort of challenge.
>
> And you'd be amazed what you *can* cycle, if you have a
> bike with you.
in message <cbv61r$u18$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>, DaveR
('ann@robertson74dotfsnet.co.uk') wrote:
> Simon Brooke wrote:
>> You start using a bike in hill country either because you
>> are a compulsive cyclist or because you can get further
>> into the hill country and tackle hills which are too long
>> a walk in to do in a day otherwise. But after a while the
>> challenge becomes 'can I get a bike *there*?'. I have a
>> long term project dip my front wheel in every loch in
>> Galloway. Some of the ones I've already 'ticked off'
>> involved more carrying than riding, and getting a bike
>> through to Loch Enoch or the Long Loch of the Dungeon is
>> a real challenge.
>
> Hmm, the call of the absurd. It is good to have a quest,
> no matter how strange. Some friends and I once carried an
> inflatable boat up to Loch Enoch so that we could camp on
> the island in it. Great fun, apart from the midges, but
> hard to rationally justify. (I've been waiting for years
> to boast of this exploit!)
Respect! one of the things I've always wanted (again, the
call of the absurd) to do is get a boat onto the loch on the
island in Loch Enoch. Did you do that? If not, it may still
be one of the Unconquered Challenges, to rate with the
Ascent of K2...
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; when in the ****, the wise man plants
courgettes
"Tim Downie" <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:<2kal9kF27p0U2@uni-berlin.de>...
> Lets face it, almost anything's got to be better than
> carrying the r*ddy thing. ;-)
Sounds like a good case for one of them MTB Unicycles,
should be easier to lug around.
Rory wrote:
> Sounds like a good case for one of them MTB Unicycles,
> should be easier to lug around.
<flame> (Don't worry, I'll keep the heat down) The 'B' in
MTB stands for 'bike'. 'Bike' is an abbreviation of
'bicycle', meaning 'two wheels'. Use of the 'B' word is not
considered acceptable by most English speaking unicyclists
(myself included) when referring to a unicycle. </flame>
Anyway, you mean a Muni. And you're right, it's a good case.
One wheel is always *much* more fun than two off-road
anyway, IME.
--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my
reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/> (http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/) "He who
dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine
On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 19:42:06 +0100, Danny Colyer
<danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote (more or less):
>Rory wrote:
>> Sounds like a good case for one of them MTB Unicycles,
>> should be easier to lug around.
>
><flame> (Don't worry, I'll keep the heat down) The 'B' in
>MTB stands for 'bike'. 'Bike' is an abbreviation of
>'bicycle', meaning 'two wheels'. Use of the 'B' word is not
>considered acceptable by most English speaking unicyclists
>(myself included) when referring to a unicycle. </flame>
Hmmm - I think there is a degree of acceptable conflation
between "pedal cycle" and "bike", caused by the fact that
the overwhelming majority of pedal cycles are bikes.
>Anyway, you mean a Muni. And you're right, it's a good
>case. One wheel is always *much* more fun than two off-road
>anyway, IME.
--
Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr (http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr/)
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122 (http://html.dnsalias.net:1122/) Smalltalk
links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk)
http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk
Danny Colyer <danny@speedy5.freeserve.giggle> wrote in message news:<cc1lvr$p80$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>...
> Rory wrote:
> > Sounds like a good case for one of them MTB Unicycles,
> > should be easier to lug around.
>
> <flame> (Don't worry, I'll keep the heat down) The 'B' in
> MTB stands for 'bike'. 'Bike' is an abbreviation of
> 'bicycle', meaning 'two wheels'. Use of the 'B' word is
> not considered acceptable by most English speaking
> unicyclists (myself included) when referring to a
> unicycle. </flame>
Sorry to have offended you! In my family we usually use the
word "velo"(*) for bike (or VTT for MTB), would this have
caused more or less problems of comprehension?
> Anyway, you mean a Muni. And you're right, it's a good
> case. One wheel is always *much* more fun than two off-
> road anyway, IME.
I gotta give that a go. How hard can it be?
(*) As my 2 year old daughter said this morning from the
comfort of her trailer after I went tarmac surfing: "Velo
bumm! Dada owwaah!"
Rory wrote:
> Sorry to have offended you! In my family we usually use
> the word "velo"(*) for bike (or VTT for MTB), would this
> have caused more or less problems of comprehension?
VTT would have lost me, velo wouldn't.
One currently very popular unicycle saddle is the Kris Holm
Velo (I've got one on my commuting unicycle). A few months
ago someone commented on rec.sport.unicycling that since
"velo" is French for "bike", KH riders are effectively
putting a bike saddle on their yikes. I nearly posted to
point out that "velo" in no way implies 2 wheels, so it
doesn't matter. But I couldn't be arsed in the end.
> I gotta give that a go. How hard can it be?
Go for it. Pashley make a good starting-level Muni: <URL:h-
ttp://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?cata-
logid=101>
I don't know what tyre it comes with these days, but the
tyre that mine was delivered with was crap. Fitting a good
tyre makes a huge difference.
Big tip - get competent at riding on tarmac or in a gym (not
on carpet, the pile drags the wheel where you don't want it
to go) before you progress to grass.
> (*) As my 2 year old daughter said this morning from the
> comfort of her trailer after I went tarmac surfing: "Velo
> bumm! Dada owwaah!"
<G>
--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my
reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/> (http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/) "He who
dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine
Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <cbv61r$u18$1@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>, DaveR
> ('ann@robertson74dotfsnet.co.uk') wrote:
>
>
>>Simon Brooke wrote:
>
>
>>>You start using a bike in hill country either because you
>>>are a compulsive cyclist or because you can get further
>>>into the hill country and tackle hills which are too long
>>>a walk in to do in a day otherwise. But after a while the
>>>challenge becomes 'can I get a bike *there*?'. I have a
>>>long term project dip my front wheel in every loch in
>>>Galloway. Some of the ones I've already 'ticked off'
>>>involved more carrying than riding, and getting a bike
>>>through to Loch Enoch or the Long Loch of the Dungeon is
>>>a real challenge.
>>
>>Hmm, the call of the absurd. It is good to have a quest,
>>no matter how strange. Some friends and I once carried an
>>inflatable boat up to Loch Enoch so that we could camp on
>>the island in it. Great fun, apart from the midges, but
>>hard to rationally justify. (I've been waiting for years
>>to boast of this exploit!)
>
>
> Respect! one of the things I've always wanted (again, the
> call of the absurd) to do is get a boat onto the loch on
> the island in Loch Enoch. Did you do that? If not, it may
> still be one of the Unconquered Challenges, to rate with
> the Ascent of K2...
>
Duhh, we didn't think of that... over to you!
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