Monday afternoon update

Lots of solo action since the last blog post - mostly from Messrs Reilly and Meaden, but there have been a few Freewheelers rides as well. Les, Dick and Ken P went out last Tuesday on a Torphins/Platform 22 ride and this was repeated on Thursday when as many as 8 turned up:

By recent standards, this was a relatively modest ride of 29 kms with 298 m of climbing. Obviously not satisfied with this, three masochists went further, as reported by Mike:

"Following the coffee at Platform 22,  John and I decided to accompany Jeff over to Strachan. We chose to go by Potarch and branched right up the hill then turned left down to Balogie. We had a gentle ascent up Corsdarder (Monument Hill) where we stopped for a photo. We blasted down into Finzean and on to Strachan where Jeff left us. John and I carried on over the bridge and whilst he headed back to Tilquhillie I decided to grab a few more metres over the Garrol - a most enjoyable day :)"

Mike ended up doing 62 kms with 738 m of climbing! Here's his photos and route map:

This morning (Monday), I was on missionary duties. Dave Williamson retired last month and moved back to Deeside for good on Friday. He had just acquired a new bike and was looking for a gentle warm-up so I agreed to go out with him. Dave showed up, not only with a new bike, but a complete new cycling outfit too:

We had persuaded Colin Kilgour to join us - he hasn't been on many rides recently and couldn't go in the afternoon, so that's why we set off in the morning, cycling east along the Way to start with. We hadn't got any further than the Paddock adjacent to King George V playing fields when we spotted a familiar figure heading our way. It was none other than Dan Corbett, who had decided to join this B team outing. It was only the second time he'd ever been out with any of the group.

The plan was simply to do the Myrebird/Drumshalloch loop, but we took a slight diversion at Crathes and headed past the football pitches and over the stile down to the riverside, stopping at the fisherman's lodge for a team photo:

Off we cycled, but we hadn't got more than three or four hundred yards when the ghillie came after us in his Range Rover. What had we done wrong? Nothing as it transpired, but both Dave and Dan had left their rucksacks behind at the fishing lodge and he was bringing them back to us! Doh!

Our coffee stop on the way back was at Buchanan's, but, as we got near the Woodend Barn area, who should we bump into, but Mike Reilly, coming the other way on his road bike. He was out on a warm-up ride prior to joining the A team in the afternoon. Obviously he didn't feel that the afternoon ride would be enough exercise for him.

There was another Senior Moment when Colin left his helmet behind in Buchanan's. All of a sudden, I felt under pressure as the only one not to have left something behind.

The afternoon guys got it a bit wetter. Mike reports again:

"The group met as usual at the guide hut but were few in numbers partly due to the rain I suspect. John Morton and Drew Leslie were newcomers to the group and a little fall of rain wasn't going to put them off!

The sky looked brightest in the Finzean direction so John M, Ian S, Jeff and I headed off in that direction with the newbies. We had a brief shelter from the rain but were fairly lucky and seemed to miss all the heavy showers. We passed the AA Box and headed to Finzean Tea Shop for coffee and scones.

Four of us decided to return via the Monument hill , Balogie and Craiglash but Ian and Jeff took the train home lol - see pic. Both John and Drew enjoyed the cycle and hope to return for more frolics in the future."