Crispin’s Guide to Stirling Cycling – Weekend Tours
March 2000
A GRAND WEEKEND OUT (Springtime Perthshire Ramblings)
Crispin Bennett
It was late March and the first hostelling trip of the new
Millennium beckoned. My leave note was
stamped for a one-night absence and with my saddlebag packed, Her Ladyship was
shipped to London for shopping and nightclubbing with her gaggle of giggling
girlie friends.
My plan was simple: cycle to Pitlochry and back with a bit of
rough stuff thrown in.
My route on an overcast, shower swept day took me from Stirling,
over Sherrifmuir and across to Methven.
From here, I intended to cross the River Almond at Millhaugh before tackling
the track through Glen Shee towards Strathbaan. The approach to the rough stuff takes in a single-track road,
climbing gently to the farm at Little Glen Shee. Splashing across the ford, I ignored the escape route that
beckoned to the east, offering blacktop out across to Bankfoot, and heading
north on the Right of Way started to mix cycling and walking. Some pushing and bogtrotting was of no
hindrance as much of the track was rideable.
Rain showers came in as the valley opened out, but soon I was descending
past startled bunnies on a farm track and back on the road in Strathbaan. Reaching Aberfeldy for 4pm, I was able to
top up my much depleted blood chocolate-cake levels and partake of tea. I hurtled along the south of the Tay with
the wind on my back, and checked in at Pitlochry Youth Hostel at 6pm, just as
darkness descended. Here I treated
myself to the some of the worst fish and chips ever.
Kenmore – Loch Tay
Sunday was clear and bright – perfect cycling weather. I retraced my route along the Tummel, and
followed the quiet road to the north of the Tay to Kenmore on Loch Tay. Fuelled by the first chocolate bar of the
day, it was then a “simple” climb past Tombuie Cottage and across to Glen
Quaich and Loch Freuchie. For those of
you that have never ridden Glen Quaich – DO IT. Admittedly, the climb from Kenmore is a hefty 1200ft or so, but
what a climb. At 600ft, my bobble hat
was in my back pocket, at 700ft my middle fleece was packed away and at 800ft I
was putting away my outer jacket. But
by 900ft everything was back on as the cutting wind made its presence known. The view of snow-capped hills from the
summit was as stunning as always and I rewarded myself with a second chocolate
bar.
Glen Quaich – to the North
At this point I should point out that the Glen Quaich is not
always so kind. The year before, the
descent on Tessa into Kenmore had overheated her rear rim, causing the flange
to rip apart on the rear hub. This
resulted in the back wheel taking on a shape somewhat resembling that of a taco
shell, and it’s tricky to true a wheel when there is nothing for the spoke
heads to attach to. Many miles from
home, this was a bit of a dilemma.
Forced to abandon Tessa in Aberfeldy tourist office, I resorted to bus and
train to get back to Stirling. The next
weekend, for the first time ever, Tessa was medevac’d back home. Thank you Tayside Cycles for looking after
her :-)
Descending into Glen Quaich
But back to this year: after discovering that the teashop at
Amulree was now closed, Sma’ Glen and a quick detour through Glen Turret
delayed me from lunch at Crieff. The
remaining miles would be familiar, easy ones.
However, after only a mile my backwheel felt a bit soggy. Then my front tyre went hiss. Yup - my fave. A double puncture and nice, young, green thorns too. Hacking away with my penknife, these were
impossible to get out of the tyres. This
was not the end of the saga though. The
back tyre was refusing to stay inflated and after stopping to repump too many
times, I had to patch a tube and refit it.
The pump was starting to wheeze a bit at all the unexpected work, but it
lasted long enough to get just enough air in the tyre one last time (Quick
equipment review: Halfords bicycle pump – pathetic). And then to add insult to injury, the front mudguard fell
off. Beyond ziptieing back together, it
completed the trip strapped to my trusty saddlebag. All this delayed me sufficiently for the rain to start on my
approach to Stirling.
So, all in all, a grand weekend away.
Crispin Bennett
20 October 2001