Tale of the day :
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/30881324(I left my GPS running after arrival in Aberdeen but think i was around 9 hrs 45 mins overall).
Dark and damp leaving Dunblane after the 0529 from Edinburgh Park (mandatory provincial revellers heading home made me keep an eye on my bike). Up the main street the wrong way to doff my cap at Andy Murrays gold post box and out of the street lights and into the dark. I was using this ride to test out the hub light on my winter bike ahead of Yorkshire Grit next weekend and i made a few tweaks on the fly.
Braco, Gleneagles, Auchetrarder and Dunning still dark but nice sunrise on the bump over to Perth. Usual shit driving thro Perth so was happy to take the quiet but lumpier Murrayshall Hotel diversion to avoid the A94. Ditto the right turn at Balbeggie and through Kinrossie and Collace. I got to Meigle bang on 1000 so shunned the joinery cafe and pressed on to brunch in McForfar. Rammed as ever but quick and decent covfefe.
A slam dunk block tailwaind on the Montrose road before a new road for me over to Brechin via Pitkennedy. Police cones told me that a big game was happening at Glebe Park Brechin and the traffic was irritating on the link road to the A90. Havent ridden this way through Edzell and Fettercairn for a while and i seemed to be making hard work of the long straight to Edzell, the cross tail had maybe got a bit cross.
A grand old blast on the road to Auchenblae before the humply road to Stoney at 170k and a petrol station stop. Draggy exit up through Ury (more A90 link road asshole drivers) and the only hard bit heading NW to Milltimber. Id had an easy day otherwise so the legs had enough zip to work hard enough for this task. This bit ran almost parrallel to the new Aberdeen peripherique, what a monstrosity it is, theough the traffic on the B979 was a tad quieter than id expected so its an ill wind.
Lights back on at the top of Milltimber brae and the north deeside road. Its got a “painted line” cycle path, which was made dangerous by passing traffic encroaching into it to avoid oncoming cars. Anyhow its only 10k or so into the City centre and i was soon rolling round the corner to the railway station.
Bike locked, into the bogs to get changed and time for a couple of beers * in Casc before the train home and a picnic from Sainsburys.
* Weihenstephan wheat beer (pint) and a Rodebach Classic (2/3rds).
Harder tests to come but a good run out ahead of more serious fare (fayre?)