Sweaty Socks + Ride report

[Spud]

Hello you guys north of the border, hoping to do a little raid as of saturday. Would appreciate a heads up on local weather on the west coast and what I can expect this time of year. There's a beer in it for you cheers Spud

[Chris Canning]

Weather for the UK next weekend never mind Jockland is COLD.

[Spud]

Cold is ok  :shock:  it's snow ice or floods I dont want, they seem to be getting lots of rain of late :(  . Never mind, time off booked, kit packed, bike fueled so it's off north I go   :D

cheers Spud  

[Chris Canning]

Rain!! are you a man or a mouse  :D

[Spud]

Rain's fine, it's never bothered me riding in the rain after all "it's not training till it's raining  :D " as they used to say in my former life. Rain sorts the men from the boys cheers Spud

[Bixxer Bob]

That's just as well.  Weather for this w'end is deteriorating all the time. I'm off to the lakes on the 'Bird with 'er indoors and a couple of mates with their wives.  Plan is to push hard up the A1 late Friday, overnight at Bedale, then off onto the A684 through Hawes, and Kendal, skirt Windemere and on to the Bluebird museum at Conniston before overnighting in a pub near Ullswater.  Sunday up to Hartside for a fry-up, down to the Tan Hill (highest pub in England) for lunch before a leisurely potter home.  Apparently Sunday is going to be a washout though.....

[Spud]

Stopping in the Lakes friday for tea, over night at Gretna then on up west coast. Have a great weekend Bob cheers Spud

[Chris Canning]

Strangely enough i've a job just a few miles from the Ponderosa tommorow so it's tea and toast there,although i'll be in my Sprinter!!

[KuzzinKenny]

Hey Spud !! it's 8pm and the weather at the mo is dry, 11c and a light breeze !! but it is Scotland and that could all change in an hour  :shock:

if ya get a chance looky here before ya leave...........

http://www.stayatlochlomond.com/stay-at ... nd-webcam/

it's a live wedcam on the shores of Loch Lomond !!

they are expecting snow on saturday  :shock:  at the summit of Ben Nevis  :lol:

whatever the weather have a grrrreat weekend !!

ride safe !!

KK

[Spud]

back from Scotland
total mileage 1761
fuel 36.8 gallons and if my maths are any good thats just about 48 to the gallon :D

If you have not done the west coast "get your finger out, get your arse in gear" and get there before someone finds out how good it is and bans it or taxes it    photos and story to follow

cheers Spud

[Spud]

http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz13 ... /scotland/

http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz130/Redmurty/

[Colonel Nikolai]

Stopping in the Lakes friday for tea, over night at Gretna then on up west coast. Have a great weekend Bob cheers Spud

You guys crack me up. I can hear your accent in the text loud and clear. Completely awesome.

Someday I have to get back over there and see the place where the language I speak most often was born. This time see it properly from a limey motorbike 'n all that.

Cheers,

Nick

[Spud]

Friday 17th
M5 M6 Kirkstone pass M74
I am finally on my way with a heavy cold, but this time last year it was swine flu so nothing was stopping me this year  :D
Joined the M5 at junctin 3 and hit stationary traffic and it was like this all afternoon, got off in the lakes had some tea in Windermere and did the kirkstone pass before getting to the hotel on the 74. I remembered why I F..KING Hate motorways especially on a bike :twisted: .

Saturday 18th
M74 A82 A83 Gretna to Whitehouse
saturday morning started fine and clear all bodes well, up to and through Glasgow and onto the A82 Loch Lomond on the right but I had an urge toget to Loch Fyne to sample the sea food at a resturant on the loch side, great food, great road down there even though it was pissing down, but the mist and rain just makes the mountains look moody    through Lochgilphead and Tarbert

Sunday 19th
A83 A816 A85 A819 A83
Whitehouse to Oban to Whitehouse
Weather varied between drizzle and rain, running water over and on the road, literally streams of water on the bends wet weather riding really starting to improve (every cloud as a silver lining :D  ) the A816 was a stunning roller coaster of a road with superb scenery  :D

more to follow if your not asleep already  

cheers Spud

[Spud]

Mon 20th
A83 A819 A85 A82 A87

Rain on rain, the day started with rain which continued near enough all day, from Whitehouse (which is near Campbeltown) to Inveraray on up Glen Aray and on to Tyndrum where I hit the A82 again and across Rannoch Moor where I stood and thought you could scatter my ashes here a stuning place combined with Glen Coe it could almost make you believe in God  :shock: my photos will not do the place justice, just amazing. Onwards and upwards to Fort William and Invergarry where I turned on to the A87 and over the sea to Skye through the Kyle of Lochalsh, I would go back just to do Skye again, great great road and unbelieveable views. I saw a lime green tiger on Skye. Found a nice little B and B for the night.

Tuesday 21st
A87 A890 A832 A835 A837 A838
Skye to Tongue
Day started clear and I thought I had cracked, I went to the top of Skye and the road was just stunning back down and across to the main land again and heading north on the A890 heading for Ullapool for dinner I had heard a rumour that there was a good fish and chip shop there, I was reveling in the dry roads during my expert carving and apexing of the bends I came across what I thought was a "cowin crow" in the road, as I got closer I thought it was a "bloody big buzzard" I set up for another perfect bend when I realised that the bird was an "enormous Eagle" I was elated to see an Eagle so close till it took off right in front of me I was making some seriuos progress at the time, I must admit my arse went into serious  "half a crown and sixpense"  mode as it's wings seemed to fill the road, the bird gave me a look and glided smoothly past my right side, that made the trip worth while alone. Got to Ullapool and had a superb fish dinner on the pier. Met up with the lime green tiger which was ridden by a German guy his mate was on a KTM. The views are out of this world up here I do not have the vocabulary to explain them to you just go and see them yourself. On up to Durness and Tongue cheers Spud

[Spud]

Wed 22nd

A836 A839 A837 A835
Tongue to Lochinver and summer isles
Tongue to Lairg in heavy rain across a really remote and bleak moor along Loch Loyal which looked very nice from what little I could see  :shock:  single track roads to Altnaharra to Lairg where I fueled up and nearly binned the bike by a fuel pump due to some muppet dumping a load of fuel and other crap on the forecourt. I went around Coigach to a sea food restuarant and a smoke house, great smoked salmon. these roads were c roads at best but super to ride stayed in Lochinver at a biker friendly b+b Tigh Lios 01571 844051

Thurs 23rd
A894 A837
Loch Inver to Altass
the weather seemed to be improving, so to Stoer and around to the light house weather was drying but a very cold and strong wind had gotten up, must admit I prefer rain to wind, around to Drumbeg which seemed to take for ever as the road was very twisty you was either going left or right if not that you were up or down and sometimes it felt like all four, it was a snake of a road with stunning vistas fighting the temptation to look at the scenary all the time instead of the bloody road. eventually I worked my way back around to Altass where I stayed for the night.

Fri 24th
A837 A836 A9 A938 A939
Altass to Ballater
very cold today and really windy clear and bright to start but had rain and sleet later on in the day,some quite fast roads today, but it was strange to see all the traffic on the A9. the road across the Cairngorms was out of this world but the wind was really high and this is where the sleet got me. There are some blind up hill hairpins, must admit I was disappointed with these mountains thats only because the west was so good :shock: I met the Germans again they had stayed in Aberdeen for the night and was all agog with the fact the students had been walking around in their bikinis and that was just the guys,  they were on the way to Newcastle to get the ferry home.

Sat 25th
A93 M90 A7 M6
Ballater to home
A 395 miler today but had some out of this world roads to play on first, the day was bright but cold probably the best days weather so far F..KING typical, there was loads of bikes heading north and I was strangely feeling pissed off by the time I hit Edinburgh, just wanted to turn around and go back north. Any how the A7 cheered me up some what another great road. Hit the M6 and fairly rapid ride home.

sunday 26th
3 hours to clean the bloody bike, and thoughts of how could I make a living up north so I could go and live there. Just a fantastic place

Cheers Spud