DIY - To Arran - 200Km - 29th August 2018

Less than a week after the Rothes Reccie and I'm off on another 200Km DIY; not because I need the 200 for my attempt at a RRTY but because well I wanted to.

I'd organized a trip to Arran for the Dundee Mountain Club and with the weekend expanded to 6 days I decided I would ride home on the Monday to get my September 200; that of course meant getting the bike to Arran, which either trying to get it on the train or I could ride it...

Yes ride it, sounds a good idea, it's only 200Km, right need to allow about 12 hours, ferries stop at 8pm at Ardrossan at 7pm at Claonaig; hold on, I could ride to Claonaig through the night, what a great idea the A85 and A82 will be deserted!

Wednesday, "early" start at work, tea at 1500, out the door at 1600, home 1625, bike and clothes sitting ready, 1645 and I'm on the road, bikepacking bag loaded up with stuff for a 1 night stay in Lochranza hostel and a wealth of sweets, gells and a sweet chilli chicken sandwich in my back pockets.

Sun getting low in Strathfillan

I take the regular route out towards Auchterarder then up to Crieff Co-Op, a second tea of duck wrap, cake and fizz and then on the back road to the Audax Mecca that is Comrie; the chippy sadly was shut by the time I got there so no chance of a Mars Bar fritter for second pudding.

This was my first proper ride with my new SON dynamo and EdeluxII light. Darkness fell on the road along Loch Earn and I didn't need to use my MTB light, through St Fillans and into Lochearnhead; the occasional vehicle came up behind, dipped their lights as they worked out what I was and then put full beam on giving me extra visibility as they passed before turning into a red blob in the distance.

On the roll into Crieff

Up Glen Ogle, alone except for a police van who'd pulled someone over at the summit, Glen Dochart, a gentle climb my light showing the way into Crianlarich; quiet, the lights at the Inverardran Ochils MC club hut one of the nicest and cheapest available showing someone's in, wonder who?

2300hrs, the A85 and A82 roads join for the blast along to Tyndrum but only two passers; the VMS advises of a closure of the A82's climb up the Black Mount after Bridge of Orchy, a detour via Connel Ferry; damn there'll be more traffic on my roll down to Dalmally.


I meant to stop and eat the sandwich in Tyndrum but was rolling so well that I carried on to the parking area at the top of the steep descent into Dalmally; a midnight feast!

Dalmally the landmark silver police car in it's usual spot highlighted by my light; the shortest route runs over Monument Hill, I've been there with a load of SAABs, it was the scene of the first Special Stage in rallying, won by SAAB driver Erik Carlsson; a man I met once, With his dry Swedish sense of humour he asked my Dad why he was wearing a skirt then asked me why I wasn't wearing one.

On the Inverary road, I'd plotted a route cutting along Loch Awe to Kilmartin via Ford; I've ridden that road before and it was nice, or at least my selective memory said so; had I set the next control at Lochgilphead rather than Kilmartin I'd probably have taken the road to Inverary and then along Loch Fyne since it was so quiet; one car passes me before the junction.

The Ford road is narrow, passing through hamlets, I pass a pub with a Ceilidh still in full swing it's not even 3am yet. With small aggregate piled in the middle of the road I crap out and use the MTB light to help me pick it out, although the road runs along the shore there are a handful of small lumps to climb one particularly sharp and then I'm at the junction in Ford.

Meerkats!

Kilmartin, 0300 I stop, the toilets are open so I use them, then sit in a bus shelter and dig into my pockets for the spoils of war; a bag of jelly Meerkats snuck out the honesty box shop at work under the nose of Fi were my Kilmartin treat. I enjoy every one of them, take a photo and plot to send her a picture of them when I'm back at work. Juvenile I know.

A small kick onto the descent out of town and I'm past the Audax 200Km mark, I could have set this as the end of the Randonee, but I didn't so this is officially going to be 48km over distance.

Tarbert (Loch Fyne)

From here it's downhill to Lochgilphead, the village dark and silent; along the coast and a few climbs and a few more cars, in the silence the tyre/road noise travels for miles giving plenty of advance warning, I roll into Tarbert (Loch Fyne) and stop for a rest, plenty of time in hand it's 12 hours since I set off now and I have another 5 hours to complete it in.

The climb out of Tarbert that I'm convinced is steep turns out to be a non-event and I'm rolling on, Kennacraig the likely target of any traffic that passes me at this time of day glows on the shore, Finlaggan resting in her berth waiting to transport weekenders to the Whisky isle.

Arran from Claoniag on arrival

I turn off for Claoniag, and the hard climb comes, I can see light in the sky to the East, 100m of climb from sea level at Tarbert just to lose it all in the descent to Claonaig.

I roll into Claonaig less than 13 hours after setting off from home; the toilet is open and I can't find the light switch, my headtorch comes in handy!

The bus shelter proves cold and breezy, my bivvy and extra layers not quite enough but I still manage to sleep until Catriona arrives with the first load of vehicles for the day.

Catriona approaching Claonaig

At Lochranza I park the bike and go for a seat in the heated waiting room as a group of moustachioed cyclists swagger onto the ferry, Fiver Ferriers no doubt but they look like they should be riding Ordinaries, not modern Safeties.

I sleep, I eat at the sandwich shop, I sleep some more, I got to the distillery for lunch then climb the Bouglie, I descend and then return to the warmth of the waiting room, I sleep some more then head to the hostel. I walk to the pub and eat a 3 course meal, then I return and I sleep until some other cyclists arrive in the room, chat to them for a bit and then go back to sleep waking in time for breakfast.

Overnight riding comes with the knowledge that at some point you're going to catch up on the sleep; Thursday may sound like a write off but after a 200 I wasn't going anywhere fast anyway. I had considered doing a lap of the island but I needed to do that on Friday to get to Brodick so a lazy rest day was welcome.