September week 2

Freewheelers group rides numbers 98 & 99 were held on Monday afternoon and the century was reached on Thursday this week.

The competitive A team - Les, Hugh, Ken P, Chris L and Ian Sh - raced out to Drum at the usual 1:30 pm start time. They may be good at cycling, but they're a bit shoddy when it comes to reporting - all I managed to glean from Strava was that they did 44 kms and 223 m of climbing.

At the same time, a few of the slower B team boys - Colin, myself and (relatively) new boy Dave W - left from Aboyne and travelled out along the Tarland Way. We managed to cycle the whole way to Tarland without touching tarmac. The second half of the Way still hasn't been gravelled over and is mostly grassy, but it was nice and dry and not too difficult to cycle along. On arrival in Tarland, we completed a couple of the trails there:

Colin Kilgour and Ian Stewart at foot of trails

Dave Williamson, Ian Stewart & Colin Kilgour at trailhead

We then set off down the road back to Dinnet and from there back along the Deeside Way, stopping to take a close look at the gliders and have a chat with somebody who had travelled all the way up from Derbyshire to experience what he called the best gliding conditions in the UK:

Tea/coffee and goodies were taken At the Sign of the Black Faced Sheep - very good. Our trip was 31 kms with 229 m of climbing.

Thursday's milestone Freewheelers ride - 15 more than at the same stage last year - was a well attended trip back to Torphins and the delights of Platform 22. Jeff provided the match report and photos:

"Today's ride was inspired by the fog.  Following my reports of sun sightings in Strachan, we set off to the cry of "Go West Young Man!"


We magically arrived at a plan of usual route towards Torphins, but with the Pitmurchie Slog diversion bolted on. Mike didn't fancy the off road over Hill of Beltie, so with a cheery claim of "I'll catch you up", set off round Craiglash.  The rest stuck to plan, and the action shots show us topping out after the slog.  Then it was back into Torphins by popping up onto the railway line at the earliest opportunity, and into a quiet Platform 22.  Mike eventually rolled in, and despite initial vague references to a mechanical, fessed up he'd taken the wrong fork on the Pitmurchie approach, only realising when Kinker hoved into view. He was so knackered, we had to sit him in a rocking chair!!


The sun finally came out and a glorious day blossomed as we returned via Campfield and a straight run-in down the Glassel Road into Banchory (Strava segment pace for some). A good one!"

Scott Hunter, Justin Greenwood (I presume), Iain Wright, John Perry, Dick Taylor, Bob Elder, Jeff Dickens & Mike Reilly (seated)

Their Strava stats show the trip was 33 kms with 365 m of climbing, although Jeff, as usual, had to do another 10 kms to get to and from home, and Mike, as is his wont, also went for an extra meander. Here's John P's route map: