Ride day 10: to Strathyre

I don’t know exactly what technical riding means, but my intuition tells me this is near it.

I know someone in Toronto, he may have sold me my cargo bike, who says his favorite kind of riding is technical climbing. I want to say (1) good on ya, bud, and (2) get yourself some help. How anyone can exert that much energy into forward momentum and still maintain control of a bicycle is beyond me. Never mind enjoying it at the same time.

I had one of the best bike rides ever today. I was on every kind of surface from brand new pavement on dedicated cycletrack to hard pack rail trail to that nastiness above and I loved it all.

Started with some steep single track through a dense forest straight out of last nights campsite. Then on to a giant climb on puddly, loose rock tracks a lot like my day from hell 2 or 3 days ago, but this time it was shorter and I had fun. Stopped at a lovely little tea room cafe for second breakfast. Filled roll and a jam and cream scone, plus I bought myself a t-shirt.

Then I rode the length of Glen Lyon. It was one of the highlights of this trip. Beautiful, quiet, exquisite riding despite the hills.

I came to a town called Killin with the only grocery store in the area. I stocked up and bought way too much. Of course, this was right before the giant off-road hill in the first photos. My stomach and my legs will never agree on anything.

After that, I was back on the NR7, and it was so much fun. Excellent tracks though beautiful forests. It was amazing.

And now I’m camped in a pretty dingy campground. In a country where wild camping is legal, I pay to pitch my tent for power and a shower. This one doesn’t have the former and that pisses me off. Oh well. I have a nice view of a mountain and am river side so I really shouldn’t complain.

I am an easy (distance wise) ride from Glasgow now and could make it in a day. However, I am going to stretch this out as long as possible and break it into 2 rides. Tomorrow I’ll do ~60 km to Drymen, which is where Karen and I stayed after our first walking day. Then on Wednesday I have ~40 km (likely exactly what we walked) to the bike shop that’s reserving a box for me and the hotel I booked for one night which is 200 meters away.

So close.