Year Round Commuter, Cyclist and Adventure Seeker.

Glen Fruin is a remote road that crosses from Faslane Naval Base, just north of Helensburgh over towards Loch Lomond. - and provides a sharp short climb. Glen Fruin Summit - 1st March 2016 Glen Fruin  ( Scottish Gaelic :  Gleann Freòin ) is a  glen  in  Scotland , adjacent to  Loch Lomond . It contains the Fruin Water which flows into the loch, and a military  bypass  road, now the  A817 road , known as the Glen Fruin Haul Road, which goes from the  A82  up the glen and over the top of the hills to  HMNB Clyde  at  Garelochhead . It was originally built along with the Garelochhead Bypass Road in order to directly link  RNAD Coulport  and Faslane to the  A82 road  in order to permit easy transportation of  warheads  to the naval base from the  Atomic Weapons Establishment . Me and Andy in January 2016 reather cold !  It was the site of the  Battle of Gl...

The 'Tak Ma Doon' is 1 of my favourite hills to climb, esp from the Kilsyth End - Read this blog for more detail on the Road itself. http://www.owenphilipson.com/blog/2011/03/04/scottish-climb-tak-me-doon-road/ Tak Ma Doon Road A firm favourite, yesterday was my 1st climb this year, icey in patches but a cloudy nippy day in Feb made for some decent views, esp as far as the Forth Road Bridge. Forth Rail Bridge from Summit of the Tak At the Top I bumped into no other than Brian Sutton, amazing who you randomly meet when out and about. Mr Brian Sutton ! Took in a decent of the Crow Road as well another hill know to most around the Glasgow Area - Just outside Lennoxtown. Very cautious decent - Awaiting long Summer nights like this - Another good day, finished with some West End Hills with WCV. Me about to decent the Crow 60.4m / 4,304ft Climbing https://www.strava.com/activities/502213732#kudos Week Total 222.7 miles / 10,669ft

Just around 36 miles north of Glasgow is Loch Katrine. Situated 11 miles north of Aberfoyle, this circular provides a fantastic cycle, where given good weather a 30 mile loop can be taken in starting and finishing in Aberfoyle. Loch Katrine Loop West Coast Velo (WCV) did this route on Tuesday 23rd February 2016, from Glasgow, a 80 mile route starting from the Botanic Gardens. This route is 1 of my favourites as you head north east along the side of the Loch on a private, pretty car free road, and then climb the back of the Dukes Pass, back into Aberfoyle. There is a great place to have lunch called 'The Pier Cafe' at Stronachlachar, right at the end of Loch Katrine, wich was in fact our starting point. Meeting at 10am, 8 of us made our way directly up the A81 to Aberfoyle. This road can be very busy, but with the cold and chance of ice, was advisable to stay to the main road. Quick shop stop, then the 11 Miles to Stronachlachar provides some...

Great going this Week +300 for Feb, not bad. Finished 5/7 days with Tinky James and Sandy for a Wet South Ayrshire Social. Nice coffee stop in Stewarton. - Also found a new strava plug in that gives an indication as where you are YTD compared to 2015. This excites me ! So a bit ahead YTD ! This link for the plug in - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stravistix-for-strava/dhiaggccakkgdfcadnklkbljcgicpckn?hl=en

Today was supposed to be Double Arran - but a fellow cycling buddy texted me to tell me the 7am ferry was cancelled. So I was already in a bad mood. Woke up this morning at 7am. Absolutely pouring down. Weekend off and looked like I was in bother again. I had toyed with idea of a coast to coast as there was quite a westerly wind.  So I got ready. Jumped in car went and parked up in Ayr. Was still torrential.  Sat in car for 15 mins and then there was a brief lull in the rain and thought fuckit I am going to try this.  Headed out of Ayr via Troon over Dundonald Hill and over into Kilmarnock.  I've done the C2C a few times and had an idea of what way to go, but decided just to keep on the A71.  The tail wind was proving quite handy as in no time I was in Stonehouse. Quick break then on the bike again, and the rain kept coming.  Got to Edinburgh at 1pm, having left Ayr just after 8am.  Went down to Leith Docks an...

This year I have set myself a challenge - That's to cover 10,000 + Miles on the Road on my bike, including as many ton's as possible along side the YCC - A strava challenge based on the number of ton rides on it 1 year. My progress has been steady since I took up the bike in 2012. In 2013 we cycled length of Scotland, 2014, I did LEJOG (if you go to May in the archive of that year you will see my blog on it), 2015 it was an end to end of Ireland, and in 2016 - Well here is what we are doing. West Coast Velo, takes up allot of my time, and over the last year, since the meet up group was founded, from the demise of the old GRCM site, the pedals have been frequent, and I appear to be taking people along a journey with me. In April 7 of us are doing a tour of Mull and Skye, which for me will easily be a 500 mile week, the Fred Whitton again, x11 of us on it from WCV (staggering !) - and then the biggy - the North Coast 500. 5days 500 miles for x10 of us, and then not only con...

Got some inspiration from some 1 else today, and think I reignite this 6 year old blog ! Got some exciting events and challenges coming up, and these need documented ! ;) More follows

Yesterday I took car down to Auchincruive and decided to christen the new 29er. Took cycle path down into Ayr then nipped out via Alloway and our past Craig Tara, before climbing right up to the masts.  Great wee cycle up then took couple photos then decided to head down other side and loop Darymple then back to Ayr and start.  Ironically it was 29m on the 29er !! -  https://www.strava.com/activities/244496674

So introducing some plans for 2015 - 2013 - It was Scotland 2014- It was LEJOG - Lands End to John o Groats Now for 2015- EtoE of Ireland - ;) from July 19th !

Jan started so well with the cycling, but Ive been off this week and quite frankly have had an utter waste of a week. After working Mon, Tues to Fri we had storms and gail force winds and got out twice. - Drivel. Then on Friday around 1/2 foot of snow came and quite frankly brought the local area to a standstill. - Why cant this country cope with a wee bit of snow. ! Tues - Was supposed to go to Oban via Arran, and that was obv cancelled. Then Thurs was cancelled. Then ARCM meet on Saturday was cancelled. This weeks been hellish. A couple of stuff sorted anyway. - Route for Ireland. This will be over 4 days from July 18th, so looking forward to that. More detail on that in a separate blog. Back to work Monday and pick new MTB 29er up after a successful sale of old 1 ;)

Test 

Wow forgot that I had this blog.... Goes back a few years and never did finish the End to End blog lol... go to day 10. So here is an update after this TEST

This was by far the toughest day of the lot as I woke with no energy what so ever. It was a beautiful morning in Fort Augustus and the sun was shinning. I woke early again after a better than average sleep. Well before 6am.  A couple of coffees and again the porridge, half of which got binned was consumed. Left at 615am into blazing sunshine and onto the A82.  Reason I left so early was that I knew this was going to be a long day and that I would need to pull off around a ton to keep my return travel plans on track.  Loch Ness was cloudy and there was an eery mist hovering over it as I mowed down the first 30 or so miles on the run up to Inverness.  First village was Drummnadokit, where I stopped for a quick piddle lol... and chatted to the girl in the service station. The only advantage of the A82 at this time is it is very quiet. Most of my devices hardly had any power like my mood, as I forgot to charge the spare battery pack.  Very quickly I found myself in ...

This was going to be my favourite day of the trip as it takes it some of the best location and scenery Scotland has to have.  Woke before 7am, went to the kitchen for a couple of coffees and the now boring random porridge.  Got my stuff together and left Tyndrum bound for Glencoe around 830am. There was a big difference in the weather compared to 12hrs earlier. The sun appeared, and though a tad windy was already quite warm.  Climbed out of Tyndrum and passed the Oban junction where I should have been on my road bike 24hrs earlier. But hey ho. - got a good nice pace going and then the scenery hit me, amazing. Next thing I was at the now familiar Highlands sign (I've done this route a few times now), and coasted along at a nice pace until I was into Glencoe. - this is my favourite place. Beautiful scenery.  Eventually in the village I stopped for a cake n coffee and it wasn't even noon yet. As I left Glencoe I was zapped by a police officer with...

After yesterday's rather catistrophic malfunction I awoke very early in my bed having pretty much a sleepless night.  I have been overwhelmed with the support on this trip for Cancer Research. After what happened on Arran, people had offered to get bike parts to the ferry. To be brought over and after I was home I was offered about 6 different bikes to finish the job. - Amazing.  Part of me being honest thought that this trip was over, and as I sit typing this at my digs in Fort Augustus, I'm glad to report I got alone of a 2nd bike through some Glasgow  contacts.  On Sunday morning I repacked my stuff and headed up to Glasgow and picked up a Ridgeback Hybrid. Converted back to the pannier, and got myself ready and I was off.  Headed out the familiar cycle path by the union canal, out towards Balloch. - by now it started raining. Heavy. And it took me a little while to get used to the new bike. Mental. Felt so slow as Im used to a road bike.  Took the Loch ...

Well after a days rest at home I was raring to go. Plan was to leave at 7am and rattle 25 miles to the ferry for Arran. And then up to Lochranza and ferry onto the Kintyre Peninsula. - Well so it was supposed to be before a fatal mechanical malfunction sorted that.  Nice run up to Ardrossan and I bought my 2 single ferry tickets and boarded a very packet Caledonian Isles ferry. - the Goat Fell race was on. And going by the resultant weather I did not envy them.  I left the ferry at 1045am bound for Lochranza, along with every other millionth cyclist. The rain had started and didn't look like stopping.  Up through Corrie and Sannox, I've come to love this Island having cycled it many a time. There is a sore climb up to Lochranza but your rewarded with a fantastic 2 mile decent. -.... But I wasn't to be rewarded with that.  On the 2nd slope up I heard and almighty bang and near came off. Rear hanger had snapped - and I came to a sudden stop. ....  An almighty numb...

Up and At them- Today, Day 6 I would cross the border, conquer England by 2 wheeler, and meet up at the sign 13 months ago I said would happen after JOG to Gretna in 2013. Left the digs after quite frankly a disturbing breakfast provided by the farmhouse. a nice saunter up to Gretna, skipping outside of Carlisle and to the England Scotland border. Was overcome with a sense of achievement. Some 526 miles after leaving Lands End on May 10th, 28500ft of climbing and countless hours in the Saddle I had crossed the English border and entered GOD's country. - Took some photos with a big simle on my face, looking back on an adventure where no mechanical faults, punctures etc had occurred..... Then 2 miles outside Gretna,, snap, spoke went... LOL Diverted into Dumfries Halfords for guys to fix, which the did, thanks for that and continued on the very familiar A76 up through Thornhill, Sanquhar, Kirkconnel and onwards to Mauchline, home and to see the Family and...

After an average nights sleep I awoke to blue skies and sun blasting in the window. My digs were in the village of Slaidburn in Lancashire, near the border with North Yorkshire. - To any1 I could have been in the Village of Emmerdale, LOL. Staring out the window I could see the bustling small shop with people coming and going, clearly the local focal point. The pub across the road well closed up, well it was 730am. -! Got dressed and headed over and got some stuff for a breakfast of kings. Well - 2 rolls n bacon, 2 coffees a banana and orange juice. During this time I had a great chat with a guy called Paul, retired, just returned tpo the UK after 30 years in Canada. He was up to go on a Map reading course. - At age of 68. - Good on him. We exchanged stories of how we came to be here and he kindly cleaned up my dishes and helped me with the stuff to my bike and wished me luck on my journey.. As I left the village at 930am, straight into some hills. - And this was to b...