Cold, Wind, Rain And £2 Down.

 

       Today, Saturday, was not my type of cycling day, but cabin fever is a dreadful affliction. So, despite the forecast of 16mph cold wind and max. 10 degrees, I set off on my usual route. As I approached Auchenreoch I could see areas of sky that had white clouds, and the odd blue area, but not my patch, I felt a bit hard done by, above my head was low dark foreboding clouds, and that 16mph wind was cold, then to really upset me there started a smirl of light rain. So I cut it short, called it a day, and headed for Milton of Campsie, birth place of Thomas Muir. There to partake in the hospitality of their local café, though I must add, for the same soup, cake and coffee, it was £2 dearer than the Clachan of Campsie tearoom. Should have cycled the extra six or seven miles and saved a couple of quid, but alas, too late, I had ordered and eaten. 

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9 Degrees, But Still Wonderful.

      Yesterday, 26th. saw my first run out on the bike since returning from Athens, unfortunately I came back from Athens with a lousy cough, so the bike runs were postponed. My first run was the familiar territory of the Campsie area, it was really a bit too cold for my creaking bronchial system, 9 degrees, but I loved it, and had a wonderful run, great to feel the pedals turning again. 

       Wheelcraft is a well known bike shop in Clachan of Campsie, frequented by cyclist from a wide area. Big Al, who runs the place is credited with being the best wheel builder in Scotland, if not the UK. The racing fraternity, and other cyclists, pop in to see him as he always has a pot of coffee standing by for all and sundry, while he usually sits with a wheel spinning in front of him. The pater is always about how long a distance they have covered or how fast they covered it.

      Along the road a bit from Big Al's there is what used to be part of a working farm, the farm is still there, but part of it has become an overpriced bundle of bricks in front of which people park rather expensive cars.

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Ah, That Distant Memory, The Sun, Has Returned.

 

         Well it happened, I thought it never would, but it did, the clouds rolled away, the sun came out, and the temperature shot up. Suddenly that horrible dull very cold and windy weather that seem to have gone on for ever, had gone. It brought cyclists out in their all their gleaming Lycra and fancy bikes. I enthusiastically joined them. The start of my cycling season always starts around familiar territory, the Campsie Hills, so it was up round Clachan of Campsie, beautiful. Sadly the good weather also brings out the motorists, so the roads were very busy, but you grow to expect that now-a-days. Here's hoping this is the start of a glorious long hot summer, but I say that every year and it doesn't always materialise, but you never know. 

      As a young man I spent years hill walking, and I would never have hesitated to drink for any stream as we trudged our way along. Now however, I would never dream of drinking from any stream, too much pollutants, pesticides, fertilisers etc., have seeped into our rivers and streams, we have taken that pleasure away from our kids. What else will we steal from them?

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The Last Of The Snow.

        Though in my book it is still too cold, I have managed out on the bike three times this month. The first two occasions were just short non-stop wee circuits, just to remind the legs what they are supposed to do, no stopping for the camera. The third, yesterday, Thursday, 23rd was meant to be the same, but I couldn't help stopping to capture the last of the snow on the Campsie Hills, before nature got out her paint brush and covered everything in various shades of green, splattered with dashes of vibrant colour. Well I hope it is the last of the snow, until next winter, give me warmth. Each of the three runs have had one feature in common, 15/16 mph extremely cold wind. Never the less thoroughly enjoyable, it always feels great when I dust the bike down, after the winter months and start trundling my way merrily around our lovely countryside.

 

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An Artists Palette.

 The main street in Killearn.

        I can't believe it, since the clock went back I have been out on the bike twice, it has been many, many years since that happened. Sunday's run was great, and yesterday, Wednesday, I decide to steal another day on the bike. It was cold, sunny intervals and a light wind, what more could I ask. However it was too cold for me, as my wee bronchial tubes started to complain, and I didn't have any answers, so I just continued to grind on my merry way. 

The top of the climb from the Aberfoyle/Drymen/Killearn roundabout.

        I ended up in Killearn, and enjoyed a lovely plate of thick mushroom soup. Killearn is a small village, where if you look hard enough, you will find a house under half  £1 million. It is at the top of a hill, so no matter how you approach it you have a fair climb. From Glasgow as you pass Glengoyne, the first right takes you up a long drag, or go further on to the Aberfoyle/Drymen/Killearn roundabout, my preferred route, you face an equally long drag up to the village. Come at it from the Stirling/Erskine Bridge road and you climb up through Balfron. There is always the route through Lennoxtown, climb the beast that is the Crow Road over the Campsies, through Fintry and join the tail end of the Balfron-Killearn climb. In spite of this, no matter how you approach it, it is a beautiful run, especially at this time of year. The unbelievable array of colours straight from an artists palette, all those rusts, golds, browns, reds, inter-spaced with the evergreens, is something to behold.

Decision time, right to Fintry, Left to Balfron?

        However, no matter how beautiful, I think I will have to admit defeat and lay the bike aside until the turn of the year. 

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Scotland's Coat Of Many Colours.

 

       Well the clock went back an hour last night, that is usually my sad event of putting the bike away until the turn of the year again. However, today was such a beautiful day, virtually no wind and plenty of sunshine, so I decided to to grasp the moment and head out. It was my usual haunt, taking in Lenzie, Kirkitilloch, Milton of Campsie, with stops for wee photos. A short run, I'm no longer a morning person, and I wanted to be off the road before dusk, felt great. Now the bike will get a lick of grease and oil and lie there until the new year, when it will be given a wee service, ready to start delivering its usual pleasures.

 Lenzie High street.

Kirkintilloch High Street, being pedestrianised, YEEHA.

Milton of Campsie High Street.

       I should add, that High Street in Scots, has nothing to do with height, it merely means Main Street.

      Scotland drops its mantle of lush green and dons its coat of many colours.

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Martyrs' Stone.

       Managed out four times this week on the bike, though getting a bit cold. I hope I didn't give the impression that the last run I done up the Loch, was from Arrochar to Tarbet, 4+ miles? I come from the other direction, from beyond Balloch to Tarbet and then round to Arrochar, before turning back to Tarbet for that plate of sustenance.

      Last Wednesday it was a wee dash round my home territory, a non stop 30 mile circuit circling round Lenzie, Kirkintilloch, Milton of Campsie, Torrance zigzagging this way and that until I got my 30 miles. No stops, so no photos. Thursday it was the same territory, but cut it short to 25 miles, again no stops, no photos. 

       Monday I decided to go up the Aberfoyle road, on  reaching the Aberfoyle/Killearn/Drymen round-about, I was met with cones across the road stating road closed, and a notice saying diversion via Drymen. No intentions of going to Drymen, I decided that I would go through the cones, and if it was road works, I could just cycle/walk through and then carry on to Aberfoyle. 

     What a wonderful experience, mile after mile with no traffic. I started to imagine that this is what it will be like when the real "oil crisis" hits us, no noise of roaring cars, no thundering lorries, roads for bikes. I began to wonder what the cones were there for, when about 400 yards from Ballott Toll, it became obvious. There is an aqueduct that crosses the road at that point, carrying the lovely clear waters of Loch Katrine to the people of Glasgow and surrounding districts to flow into their homes for drinking, among other purposes. It was propped up with about twelve steel columns across the road, tall steel fencing across the road with heavy chains and a notice, DANGER, no entry. It looks as if the vital water supply to Glasgow is about to fall down, disaster for Glasgow should that ever happen. I admitted defeat, turned the bike and headed back along the wonderful stretch of traffic-less road.

        Today, Wednesday, it was a repeat of last Thursday's run, though I did stop at one point for a couple of photos. It was the Martyrs' Stone on the Kirkintilloch/Kilsyth road, a monument to mark two Covenanters who were put to death for their faith. I just feel that I would have respected them more if their passion had been for humanity, rather than for their faith. I have photographed this stone before, but I thought it was worth another shot. It must be the least visited monument in this part of Scotland, as it is situated at the side of a rather narrow road with no footpath or parking and a steady stream of fast traffic.

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The Loch Again.

At Tarbet, with wee balaclava.

         What a day Sunday was, a beautiful run up the Loch, (Loch Lomond) and back down. It was my perfect cycling day, bright sun, virtually no wind, 4/5 mph. and not too cold or too warm around 14/15 degrees. Though there was a bit of a chill factor, hence the wee black balaclava, though maybe it is just my age. Surprising, considering the day, I didn't, encounter many cyclists on the road, but loads of fast cars and extremely fast motorbikes. The little tearoom at Tarbet was the refuelling station, they always do a good thick soup shared this time with my partner, Stasia. She cycled a short run from Inverbeg to Tarbet and back. Nice to have a bit of company, I usually do it all on my own. 

Entering Tarbet from Arrachar.

And of course the Ben, sticking its head up.

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A Beast Of A Wind.

         Managed out three times on the bike in the last week, Wednesday it was the Campsie area, not a bad day, Thursday it was the Aberfoyle direction, a bit on the windy side, but good to be out. Yesterday, Tuesday, it was  a zigzag through the Auchenreoch, Milton of Campsie, Low Moss area, always depressing passing the prison. As you may have noted, Tuesday was a beast of a wind, 18/20 mph and gusting higher in places, it made we work hard, but loved every minute. The photos are from Thursday's run, one from Glengoyne, known for its single malt whisky, looking north towards the might Ben Lomond. The other is from a spot near where Killearn Hospital used to stand, looking at Dumgoyne. A favourite for hill walkers, not very high, but a steep ascent all the way. The Killearn Hospital, long since gone, was built well into the countryside far away from the city pollution, as they specialised in brain surgery.

From Glengoyne looking towards Ben Lomond

From the Killearn area looking at Dumgoyne. 

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Cook And Drive.

 Duck Bay, Loch Lomond, looking towards Ben Lomond.

        As I no longer do the mileage on the bike that I used to, I find that it limits the places I can visit. Gone are the days when I would step out the gate at my front door, throw my leg over the bike and head for Tyndrum, Loch Kathrine, Dunoon, Arrachar, Callander, Inversnaid, Kinloch Ard, Strathyre, Lake of Menteith, Loch Venachar, etc. and a variety of routes in between. Now I find that I pedal around the Campsie Hills area, the Aberfoyle Road and of course the Loch. Not that there is anything wrong with any of these places, all a beauty in their own right.

The pier at Luss on Loch Lomond.

      So Saturday saw me once more, along the Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. On the way back down the Loch, I stopped at the picturesque village of Luss, on the shore of the Loch. Many years ago it was an isolated little village that few people new about, now it is difficult to cycle down the main street as the cars are parked tight along its full length, with cars trying to negotiate the remaining space. It has a large car/bus park which is usually full.

Looking along the shore at Luss.

       When my kids were still at school I would take them there armed with an inflatable dinghy, and they could paddle up and down the burn that flows into the loch at Luss, or I would row them out to one of the islands, a fair distance from Luss. On one occasion I decided that we would have a full cooked meal on the shore, but no barbecue. So I wrapped some steak with onions and potatoes in tinfoil. Making sure it was properly sealed, I then tied it to the exhaust manifold of my car engine with two pieces of wire. We set off and occasionally there would be the wiff of cooking food. On arriving at the shore in Luss, the other visitors sitting around looked somewhat surprised when I lift the bonnet of the car undone the tinfoil package and filled the air with the smell of hot steaming steak and unions, all beautifully cooked. The secret is to gauge the distance you will drive to the amount you want to cook.   

 Row of cottages covered in shrubs and roses, Luss main street.

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Two Days, Two Climates.

        My cycling season is coming to an end as the days get shorter and colder. My wee bronchial tubes complain too much under such conditions. So I grab a day when ever I can, this time it was Wednesday and Thursday. Scotland is probably unique in that two days following each other can be so different. Wednesday was my most familiar run, the Campsie area, it was overcast, with an easterly wind around 17mph, with quite a chill factor. Thursday it was very hot and the wind was around 3-4mp, which made it a very pleasant outing. So much so, that I didn't stop to take any photos, just a jaunt round the same area and back home. 

    So just the one photo from Wednesday, the Campsie Hills with the mist creeping ever lower, one of its myriad of faces.

 

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A Bike, Sunny Weather, And Short Sleeves.

         Well the weather is being kind to us, another lovely day. Again familiar territory, the Campsie Hills area. I honestly believe that because of the number of times, over many years, that I have cycled round the Campsie area, that my bike could probably do it without me. Never the less, I like to tag along for the pleasure. Today was warm and sunny, with a 15/16 mph wind. Purring along wearing short sleeves, at the end of August, while drinking in an ever changing vista, is a pleasure to behold.

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