First trip; a few days in the Cairngorms(ish)

[Moder-dye]

Hi,

I've just been trial packing for my first bike packing trip (video of kit to come once it's uploaded). I've done lots of wild camping, but not on bike before so I'm being a little cautious. After too many years out of cycling due to illness I'm just getting back up to 'speed' with a 100km road ride last weekend so don't want anything too challenging.

There's not much opportunity for mountain biking up here in Shetland (unless you seriously like hike-a-bike) so I'm off sooth on the overnight ferry to Aberdeen.

The plan is:
Day 1 Deesside Way to Ballater, around 42mile, and camp and eat near there
Day 2 Ballater to Tomintoul via Loch Builg, around 30mile and camp and eat near Tomintoul
Day 3 Speyside Way from Tomintoul to Buckie, around 45mile. Again camp and eat near there
Day 4 Short ride to Keith for the train back to Aberdeen and ferry home.

Any thoughts on the route or kit (when the video is up) would be welcome. My only current dilemma is whether to bother with waterproof trousers!

I'll be putting a video and photos from the trip up on my return.

Thanks for reading :)

[Yorlin]

Looks a lovely set up!

The deeside way to ballater is mostly super flat- you should be fine for that bit. I did have a bit of trouble finding the start but it's mostly parallel to the A93 so you should be fine! Ballater- there's 2 bike shops and http://www.cyclehighlands.com/ (the one nearest to the river and the way) the guys there are super helpful - you could ask them about camping places. Off to tomintoul as I remember has a fair amount of hills, but you'll have noticed all those lines on the map.

Sound like a great trip!

PS if you don't pack waterproof trousers you know it will piss down!

[Moder-dye]

Cheers for that :)

Yeh not taking the waterproof trousers is jinxing it I guess and they take up no space really . Just wouldn't like riding in them and they're not cycle specific .

Only driven through Ballater before so thanks for the info. Looking forward to the lochnagar Indian or chippy there :)

Got some heads up on good wildcamp spots as I plan to avoid campsites unless it really does turn grim. Will probably camp near the old lodge and bothy on the gairn river before loch builg if feeling fit.

The route up the gairn river to Loch builg gets good write ups, just a bit of pushing perhaps along the loch and then down the Avon to Tomintoul . I've made a ' boot' out of a milk carton for my vicious flat pedals for any hike a bike as I've shredded my shins before on them. Will be wearing trail shoes, not the cut off wellies in that photo!

Think I Will be taking the road to avoid the first hilly section from Tomintoul on the Speyside Way. off road its apparently pretty poor for bikes and has a few climbs upto 1800'. The rest should be fine.

Thanks for commenting :)

[Justchris]

Remember insect repellent. Midges are pretty bad at the moment. But ticks are really the ones to watch for. Have a great trip.c

[Moder-dye]

Yeh, got some jungle formula which worked fine for me with mossies, midgies and black fly in Greenland last year, plus a head net. Though I know they're not the Scottish midge or cleg Have a Beaton's midge jacket but doubt I'll take that.Was going to wear cycling tights to hopefully keep the ticks off too.

Video of my kit is up now. Any thing I'm missing, could leave out or should change? I've not done a multi-day bike and camp before so happy for input...

https://youtu.be/LsLWuJ73sxg

Cheers

[Chew]

First thing is just enjoy the freedom. Thats what its all about.

Secondly is try not to plan too much. You can't plan adventure so just go with the flow.


Kit wise, it depends on how far along the tramp scale you are.....

Things i'd reconsider are:
Towel
Amount of meths - If you're planning on hitting the chippy you might not burn through that much
Emergency bivi - You already have a tent to use in an emergency situation


Have a quick assessment of how much your bike weighs. Nothing too fancy, but if you lift it off the ground, do you need to make a hmmm sound?
If so see if theres anything else you can leave out.

Also i'd have a look at the angle of your seat. It seems to be pointing slightly upwards which after 50 miles your undercarrage may not not like it.

[Moder-dye]

Thanks for that input

I've obviously planned to do it and think I've been pretty generous with myself to allow a leisurely ride with photos and relaxing too, but if I have issues with whatever I'm happy to just chill for a weekend away and even just explore a few day rides from Ballater. I just have to make the ferry back home.

In terms of kit I'm happy to be a full on stinky tramp.

I was wondering about the towel, even though its a microfibre one. In nearly 3 weeks away last summer I used it once Pretty much brushed my teeth and washed my hands.
I was also wondering about only 1 squeezy bottle of meths as it's only really for brews and 3 dehydrated high energy porridge breakfasts. I guess I could do a test boil and gauge it from that. Enough to boil say 12x 750ml mugs
And yeh the emergency bivi... I've never used it since I got it! Thought it could act as a bag outer cover if cold, but I sleep warm, it's summer,and I have a mdeim weight merino top, micofleece sweat shirt and light down jacket I can wear. Actually was thinking of not taking the micro fleece sweat shirt.

In terms of bike weight I certainty won't be wanting to lift it over too many stiles or fences. Lifted it over the back garden fence so I know that. Most awkward thing is where to hold it with bags in place. I've also made a plastic 'boot' to slip over the flat pedal if pushing as my shins and calves have got trashed before pushing through rough rocky stuff.

I'll check the seat too, may be it's moved.

Thanks again

[Moder-dye]

Just did a trial run with my popcan style stove. Small one made with a small energy drink can.

650ml of water to the boil in 10.45 with 15ml /0.5fl.Oz of meths indoors but without windshield which insulates too.

Means I should get up to a max of 17 boils from the one vargo outdoors bottle in good conditions . 14 boils gives me 3 hot drinks and a porridge each day so should be fine ...

Worth the test :)

[Moder-dye]

So, I made it around my planned route. Probably about the right level of challenge for my level of fitness and a first trip. Here's my blogpost with a write up, video and GPX of the sections. Sorry for the sound quality on the video it was pretty breezy at times and I can't use an external mike with my little action cam.

http://moder-dye.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07 ... y-and.html

Camp 1 in the lee of the old (locked up) Corndavon bothy...



I was lucky with only half a day of rain when riding (rained each night though) I did take the micro towel in the end , though didn't use it! The reason for taking it was incase I needed to dry or mop up with the forecast being for much worse rain. No issues with my gear and no mechanicals other than a few spoeks on my rear wheel that I needed to tighten towards the end. I reckon I'd go back to do the Speyside Way again some time from Aviemore and see how I could link into it from another rail accessible location.

[Fat tyre kicker]

Great write up

[Moder-dye]

Cheers