DIY - Highland Perthshire 200 and a 50Km on the MTB - 11 July 2018

Having left the BR(M) late in June I wasn't leaving July up to the 400 I had entered later in the month so I took a day off work and cranked out an easy 200km loop from the house to Auchterarder, Aberfeldy, Pitlochry and then home from Kirkmichael.

DIY 200 - Highland Perthshire - 11 July 2018

I wanted to get a banker 200 in for the 5th month in a row, so with a flexi day booked I worked out a decent route that wasn't a return to the Laich (need some variety); no murder investigation to worry about this time, I cracked on through to Auchterarder by the Dunning road which forms a major component of many of my longer rides and then up by Kinky Bridge and New Fowlis to join the Sma' Glen road up to Amulree.

Did I say cracked on? Closer to home I was unaware of road works to fix a section of collapsed road on the Tay Coast road and only discovered it at the bottom of the Normans Law road; not fancying the climb over to Luthrie and then the bash along the A92 and A912 to Newburgh during commuting hours I chanced it on the basis that I knew the bit of road that was likely closed and that there would be a route through either the fields or through the woods; as it turned out it was through the nettles in the woods and I got round the blockage and carried on, stinging but otherwise on target.

The day was claggy but not rainy with the rain somehow just that one step ahead of me; at Aberfeldy I went to the Co-Op, not that I needed a reciept but I needed food before retracing my path to Wade's bridge and the North shore of the Tay until it joins the Ballinluig road for the blast to Logierait, somehow I was still hungry so I stopped at Escape Route for cake and to read the old magazines on their toilet walls.

Over the Moulin again and into Kirkmichael shop where I had arrived in time for the 3pm official reopening of the shop's disabled toilet; I didn't hang about after topping up on water and sugar.

Alyth, Meigle and Newtyle and the almost indistinct climb up to Muirhead, unfortuantely I'd been too quick for my liking and now I'm at the top of Dundee during commuting time; half an hour later and I'd have had the run of the town, dropping down the Lochee Road and through the Hilltown tunnel before picking up the bridge lift for the easy run home; sod that in Dundee traffic, it's not that it's too busy it's just of diabolical standard.

So instead I picked my way round the green circular having dropped to Myrekirk on the Gourdie Brae through the tech park and a blast along the recently reopened waterfront taking pictures of the penguins as I went.

A 200 in the bag for July

East Lothian Rough Stuff - 50km - 15th July

An off road Populaire on paths and tracks in East Lothian; I took my MTB but could have got away with the Focus on 28mm slicks or 30mm "gravel" tyres; but I was out on this one for nothing other than "why not!" It was an enjoyable wee jaunt out on the MTB for once!