Well, well, well, another beautiful day, 17 degrees, a light wind and blue sky, what more could a cyclist ask for. Decided to make today my first run this year up the Loch, (To the uninitiated, that refers to Loch Lomond.) All went very well, purring along at a nice pace until I approached Tarbet when I came to a long snake of stopped cars. I cycled along on the inside and soon discovered why the long queue of vehicles. A motorcyclist had smashed into the back of a car and it looked like a terrible disaster, with several police cars and police all over the place, just as I arrived, two ambulances took off towards Glasgow. The police stopped me from going any further, after a while it was suggested that I could continue on the pavement on the other side of the road. I went off thinking of the young man on the motorbike, his family, and the people who were in the car, a horror visiting so many people.
Looking towards Duck Bay, Loch Lomond.
As far as I am aware, this pavement on the other side of the road, is part of the official cycle track up the Loch, I never use it, I cycle the road. The surface was atrocious, extremely uneven, pot holed and crack. On a slight descent nearer Tarbet, I encounter a number of potholes, but failed to navigate them without mishap. I went down on my side, slowly regained my feet, bleeding knee, bruised calf, and brake lever moved slightly to the side.
The Tarbet Hotel, Tarbet, Loch Lomond.
With no other damage I continued to the tearoom at Tarbet, not the much grander Tarbet Hotel, and had that obligatory plate of lentil soup. The events of the run put a damper on the pleasure of the day. With my knee hurting, I was a bit apprehensive about cycling back from Tarbet, but decided to just have a go. Pleased to say, the rest of the run was uneventful, home with an aching knee.
