VC's Impromptu - Bankfoot 09/06/13

The warm weather of the past week deserted Forfar for the day with sensible people in long sleeves and Brian on his new Spa Tourer.

David led us to Newtyle where Charlie turned off and Brian had to make some adjustments to his bike so we got a wee rest.

From Newtyle we heaed onwards to Coupar Angus where Norman turned off followed by Keith leaving 4 to head to Bankfoot and the Stewart Tower Dairy where we enjoyed some lovely soup coffee cakes scones etc.

For the return we headed down into Bankfoot and Dunkeld followed by a brisk run through Meikleour on the Old Military Road.  We were about to turn right for Coupar Angus but decided to take a chance on Kitty Swanson's bridge which crosses the river Ericht, the bridge dates back to the 1800 when it replaced a ferry run by Kitty Swanson

 We rejoined the hard black surface heading towards Meigle with the Tav in Ardler in our minds but Brian was wanting to head home so we turned left just before the iron bridge along the bottom of the golf course which took us out onto the Meigle to Alyth Rd but rather than turn right and down onto the Bogside road we turned left up the hill and right to Jordanstone, the tarmak ran out and we were on bumpy farm roads where we happened across the burial enclosure of Rear Admiral John Knight born 1710d died 1788

Admiral Knight was an agnostic who insisted on being buried in his own garden, related to Queen Charlotte's lady-in waiting Miss Knight.

When we eventually made it back to Tarmac we headed up the hill and on to the Kirrie Blair road and turned to Kirrie through Airlie for another brisk run up to the Auchindorie cross roads dwn the hill towards Roundyhill for a few pints, Brian headed straight home so we had an hour in the pub before heading home. 

A good run of 75 miles going quickly enough to keep warm - the route is hear if you fancy it

Impromptu - Sunday 2nd June

This run was left open as there ware Audax's being run and others were on holiday and touring.

Three left on a gorgeous sunny day from the Leisure centre Brian heading to the Bothy and myself on the tandem with Zoe, complete with balloons for her birthday, for a couple of hours in the sun.

Sunday 9th is also an impromptu due to holidays - 9:00am at the leisure centre.

St Andrews 26/05/2013

At last a warn sunny say, maybe summer is here!  A good day for heading to the seaside so we set off over Carrot Hill for Dundee with Ron suggesting we stop to look for the Mor Brewery in Kellas, we didn't find it but it gave us a wee rest!

In Dundee Keith and Norman headed towards Arbroath and home, the rest of us headed for the bridge where we paused to look at the the old council office being demolished.

We had a stop for coffee and a roll ate the Tay Bridge Cafe then split up as Ron and Gus were heading for home leaving Charlie and I to head for St. Andrews. We took the usual route but turned up the hill towards Strathkinnes and down past the long descent towards the uni sports ground

We found our way to the harbour and had a bland plate of soup  before heading for home for a second shot at Carrot Hill then we went to Whigstreet an into Forfar - a good day out and 70 miles - the route is here

Clatterin' Brig 19/05/13

It's been about three months since we last visited the Clatterin' Brig at the foot of the Cairn O' Mount and as we set of from Forfar it looked like it might rain and there was a northerly wind to impede our progress.

Seven of set out towards Horney Cross Shielhill then Windsor Terrace to Brechin, we have come back that way a few times but had not headed out that way for a while so it made a fine change with only a couple of small climbs.  W joined the usuall rout at the Co-op and climbed up through Trinity, Temple Wood, Ron turned off heading down towards Stracthro, whilst the rest of us enjoyed the long descent down to Gallery through Marykirk, from Marykirk we followed the main road to Laurencekirk.

Laurencekirk was quite busy for a Sunday morning as we weaved along the High Street before turning left down Station Road heading for Auchenblae and climed through Drumtochty Glen past St Palladuis Church, described as a fairy tale church with part of the original structure dating back as far as 1244 and Drumtochty Castle

On the final steep descent Charlie's rear brake cable snapped, we had covered just under 40 miles climbed 1800' and were ready for lunch, you get a grand feed in the restaurant and it was busy with cyclists.  We had a good break and thankfully David had a full set of cables in his bag so Charlie managed to change the cable and we were soon heading for home.

The sun was out and we had the wind behind us and were making good progress, but it wasn't Charlie's day as he hit a pothole we had a brief stop to get things back together before heading through Fettercarin and Edzell and turning for Memus and the Drovers.  It clouded over a wee bit on the way but when we arrived Gus, David and Charlie headed straight home  and Norman and I stopped for a couple of liquid refreshments.

On the way home we met up with Grahame Steel and his family out for a couple of hours in the sun.  We arrived back in Forfar  we had covered 68 miles the route is here if you want to try it

Glencarse 12/05/13

It was a breezy sunny day as eight headed out from the leisure centre heading for Glencarse.  The route, to start, was the reverse of Scone The Flat Way a popular 100K Audax event run from Forfar.

We left the route in Scone turning right towards Perth before the climb over Kinoull Hill where there were fantastic views of the Tay estuary before we enjoyed the long descent into Glencarse where we enjoyed a good bowl of soup, sandwiches, chips and beer!

We headed back along the cycle route towards Dundee enjoying the wind behind us then past Castle Huntly and up from Longforgan through Fowlis a left on the Coupar Angus Road and a right to Pitloyal Loch

 down to Newtyle and home.

Just under 77 Miles the route is Here

Audax Weekend 4th & 5th May 2013

This weekend saw the club host 4 Audax events ranging from a short 50K to a gruelling 200K round the Deeside Loop.

For more information on Audax events:  click here

Prosen & Clova

Sunshine and a strong westerly wind welcomed us today as seven headed out for a short but hard route from the leisure centre.  We headed out the Glamis Rd, down the hill to Drumgley then out the Bogside Rd turning right up to Maryton, Kirriemuir and out towards Pearsie.

The climbs are all hard and as we approached the first ust after 9 miles of gradual climbing 400' the rain came on, thankfully we turned to have the wind behind us and we got a wee blow up 200' in about 3/4 of a mile, we then had a wee breather with a gently undulating mile and half into the wind followed by three short 100' or so steep climbs to the Pearsie junction where Keith turned for home.

The junction is the "point of no return" on this hilly loop, at this point we had climbed over a 1000' in just 12 miles and are a good 500' higher than we started, the next three miles sees a series of short sharp climbs totaling about 500' before the hardest climb  of the day at Easter Lednathie 275' in 0.6 of a mile then a lovely long descent into Glen Prosen

Taking a breather before descending into Glen Prosen

The descent is into the wind and we hit a few showers before tuning over the bridge and back up the other side, a series of 2 long gradual climbs which were a breeze with the wind behind us where we came upon the new memorial to Captain Scott and Dr Wilson which sits at the top of Mile Hill looking over Prosen Water, the pair had planned their ill fated 1910 -1912 expedition to the North Pole from Wilson's close by Burnside Cottage

At this point we had pedaled 22 miles and climbed  just over 2100' - time for a breather before the mile descent into Dykehead where Ron headed for home with the rest of us turning left into the wind into Glen Clova for 11 miles of lumps to the Glen Clova Hotel for soup and a beer.

When we ventured out the sky was an ominous grey with a strong wind, we set of with the wind behind us, Gus taking the pace anxous to "out bike the rain" which we pretty much succeeded in doing.  We split at Tulloch Wyne with Charlie heading for home and the rest of us through Cortachy for the last two short sharp climbs 

of the day and a long descent into the Drovers and a well earned beer or two!  They were out of real ale, disaster, but they also have West Beer on tap, a traditional German beer brewed in Glasgow - take a look here

The sun was out when we left and it was still pretty wind as we did the last 6 miles down into Forfar ad home - 52 miles and over 3000' of climbing - a tough but enjoyable day out!  The route is here if you fancy it?