MTB @ Aberfoyle

Notice something strange about the picture for an 8 o'clock depart? Yip, only one bike. I left the house at 6.20am to make sure I was ready to ride at 8.00am from Aberfoyle, but Mr Ogg was running late. Fingers crossed he is just relaxing a bit as he gets older and there will be 30 secs or so either way at the summer rides.


Ok there were actually two bikes really there as KG had turned up on time for once in her life, but that might have had more to do with the fact that I gave her a lift! The point being her bike is ugly it has gears and suspension (front and rear) and I couldn't ruin the photo.

When he eventually did turn up it was evident why he was late. He had spent all night laminating his map for the ride! Double sided and colour. Pity he hadn't studied it as well as we got lost within the first 15 mins, but in his defence the forest ranger who tried to put us on the right track was no better and may even have been worse!

So we were off for our 36mile cruise through the forest of flowing single track and beautiful views. Well one part was right, the views, the other couldn't have been more wrong. It could have been beautiful single track, but it turned out to be the muddiest ride I have been on for sometime and involved a lot of walking. A brief stop for a photo and an inspection of Mr Ogg's Ti 29er, half a mars bar and we were off again.

Sporting a pair of 3/4's (see earlier posting) may have not been such a good idea as when I passed David on a descent taking in a small jump I landed in some mud and got thrown off, only to later discover two nasty grazes/gashes on my legs, all good war wounds.

The G3R tree was the highlight of the day, oh that and some choice language by KG expressing her disquiet at the impending descent and my suggestion that she ride it as it wasn't that steep. The absence of vegetation I suggested was as a result of the slate base and not the fact that gravity wasn't allowing a foothold for anything to grow. She then chose to utter 3 letters to me, a phrase where I thought she was questioning the existence of aliens "UFO"! Hmmm, I thought and then seeing the somewhat confused look on my face she clarified it for me in no uncertain terms "You F*** Off". Ahhh the penny finally dropped! I took my chance and descended before the physical assault began.


The route home was mainly fire track with a brief interlude in the play park, David being the king and then me trying to ride some stairs before we meandered our way back to the car park. Circa 17 miles doesn't sound a lot, but when you are pushing/carrying your bike it certainly feels a lot! We will get the other 19 miles another day when we have more time.