An extra dose of smug

[David Martin]

Up early. It is still dark, stars just fading into the pre dawn sky as I tread through the frost to get the bike out of the garage at just gone 7 this morning.

Fresh morning, not much traffic and the air is great. Studded knobblies drag on teh tarmac as I weave my way up and out of Dundee. Into Angus as the stars are no longer visible in a lightening sky. Past the Old railway line I'll be following this morning.

Left. It's too early for the horses to be out in the fields as I reach the end, for now, of the tarmac.

The old railway was dismantled 50 years ago. It is now a footpath. Frozen puddles, ruts from hooves and frozen grass. The tyres are probably too hard for this surface as I bump and grind my way along.



A narrow trach between two grass verges takes all my concentration - ice cracking as the wheels drop through into the soft earth beneath. The predawn light augmented by the bright headlamps. Staying on the path is a challenge - a foot dab here and there, the studs keeping me upright where snow, hard packed by pedestrians, has turned to rutted ice.

Weaving through the young birch trees, seeded and grown since Beechings axe fell,  I pass under the bridge. 



Onwards. Under the frost the ground is soft, bearing th emarks of travellers in warmer days. I geel the tyres drag: dead, brown stalks of rosebay willowherb brushed aside by my pannier.

The old station appears. No-one waits here any more save ghostly farm workers waiting for a ghostly train. Few now can remember the Blairgowrie Express - an imagined train whistles as I pass, then drop down onto the road to turn under the non-existent bridge. 



Tracks through the frost, a cut through between two fields. It is still frozen, puddles filling the potholes.

On down into the city as the sun rises into burning clouds over the Tay Bridge, dodging the queues of steaming cars with a cut through in the woods and along the burn under the road. Schoolkids like lemmings, a few more pedal turns and I arrive at the lab minus many calories but plus a whole load of smug.

A grand commute, a cup of hot coffee and a bun.

..d

[clarion]

Thanks David.

Actually, that sounds a bit sarcastic, but I mean it.  Thank you David - your evocative description of the ride takes me with you, and I can almost feel the bite of the cold on my breath.

[David Martin]

Thanks David.

Actually, that sounds a bit sarcastic, but I mean it.  Thank you David - your evocative description of the ride takes me with you, and I can almost feel the bite of the cold on my breath.

Well, there ahve been so many miserable stories and mishaps, that I thought the balance needed redressing. Of course, I have to be careful to not have too many nice commutes, as otherwise the balance will need redressing in order to bring harmony back into the universe. [1]


..d

[1] Personally I think this is a misconception. It shouldn't be other cyclists who have the bad commutes, but the sardine queues.

[Wendy]

Although I like the sardine queue description, I wonder how relevant it actually is given how many cars have only one occupant, and how much road space they so selfishly use.  That's not just the car space itself, but when driving at speed the very long space required for safety before and after each car.

[David Martin]

Although I like the sardine queue description, I wonder how relevant it actually is given how many cars have only one occupant, and how much road space they so selfishly use.  That's not just the car space itself, but when driving at speed the very long space required for safety before and after each car.

At speed? where did you get that idea? Imagine looking up to a line of cars on a main road, nose to tail, red stop lights and back lit exhaust smoke as the sun slowly rises ahead. And I just blast on through the tunnel under the road, gaining smug points...

..d

[Wendy]

Yes, but they're not always in a queue, and even when they are, the people [fish] are not packed very tightly!

You still have every right to be smug of course, especially with that series of photos.  I'm just a tad jealous!

[David Martin]

The photos were Saturday afternoon. The sun always shines in Scotland even when it is above the clouds

It was dark when I got to the start of the bridlepath, and just light enough when I got to the end.

Photos in situ can be found at NO3635 :: Browse :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square! for the start, and two squares west for the end (where the old railway crosses the yellow road.)

[Snakehips]

'A grand commute, a cup of hot coffee and a bun'

I think you deserved more than one bun.
Good story , great ride.

[Justin(e)]

nice

[sbothwell]

Nice photos David - a bit out of the way if you were heading to the University though 

Do you know if its possible to get all the way to Newtyle along the railway? It looks like it should be - I might have to go and investigate over the next fortnight, always fancied that bit that you wrote about.

[David Martin]

Nice photos David - a bit out of the way if you were heading to the University though 

Do you know if its possible to get all the way to Newtyle along the railway? It looks like it should be - I might have to go and investigate over the next fortnight, always fancied that bit that you wrote about.

No. Not completely.

The old Auchterhouse station is now a private garden and the part beyond has been filled in and is now a somewhat narrow field used by a riding stable. (check flashearth.com and the microsoft virtual earth images. They are somewhat dated as a new house has been built on the line of the old railway east of the Auchterhouse bridge.) Beyond that it may be traversable (not necessarily rideable though I am keen to take a look at some point) through the country sports place and on to the main road. There used to be a bridge over the main road but this has gone. Getting from the embankment to the road may be hard. Beyond that it is a traversable and probably rideable footpath.