Scotland at 45mph

[Matt 82]

Originally Posted by fraser2312

Good luck with the test Matt, do you plan to change your bike when you pass?

Thanks mate. Yeah I bought a new one at the tail end of last year. Had my eye on a whole load of bikes then this one came up at a price I couldn't say no to.

Honda Deauville: Planet Trekker SE.



Ok it might be lacking in the off-road column but it's more or less ideal for me just now. Fast enough (it'll get me up hills at the speed limit) and comfortable. Longer trips for me are a must and this'll facilitate that.

Originally Posted by KMC1

What a fantastic thread!

I did a trip around Scotland several years back, and was able to see a fair bit of the country. It was fantastic to see your pictures and be reminded how beautiful it is there.

Glad you're enjoying it. Also glad to hear to enjoyed our wee country.

Originally Posted by KHVol

Terrific pics and ride report..many thanks..now I have to go there..

All are welcome! The weather is starting to pick up again. It's sunny today and supposedly tomorrow as well and 3 days ago it was nice for a while too. That's practically a summer here!

Originally Posted by trackrider

Hey fella cracking thread going here ,, have you passed your test yet ?? .. I have passed you many times heading up the road by Lubnaig and up through Glen Ogle ,, i noticed the bike as my friend had one who passed his test down at JAs in sunny Falkirk . Just looking at some previous pics you had posted and i remembered that day at the green welly stop ,, i had pulled in for a coffee when i got talking to the guy with the Duke desmo in your pic ,, i was the guy with the GS that pulled in ,, i was heading on up the road to do the loop


Keep up the great thread pal ,, the spring cant come quick enough ,, my arse is making buttons to get out on some dry tarmac for my anual jaunts around scotland/ north of england and if you fancy getting out for a run or two give me yell ,, all the best jm

Nut, no test. I'm absolutely skint at the moment though so I'm trying to resolve that situation before I go spending £100+ on the test. Hopefully soon. I'm thinking I should probably just sell the Suzuki now since I won't be using it once I pass.

Nice bike! Still looks too shiny though!

Yeah a couple of days of sunshine and talking to folk here has ramped up the excitement of getting back out. Won't be long.

Originally Posted by DustyRags

Great thread, Matt! I hit Scotland as a hitchhiker and train-bound tourist about a decade ago, and have been itching to go back ever since. Glorious country.

Heh, I'd actually quite like to see Scotland by train. Though I think I'd like the idea better than the reality. I like the idea of sitting back as the scenery went past you. Last time I was on a northern train however it was cramped and uncomfortable. That was a seven hour journey as well. Hellish.

Actually screw that, I'll stick with the bike.


Going back to something Trackrider said; If anyone sees me out and about and wants to chat or say hello feel free to come over. Or toot your horn when you go past if you can't be bothered stopping!

[Blader54]

Cheers, Matt! The new bike looks a treat! Honda waited until about 2010 to bring those over to this side of the pond--now we've got a chance to enjoy them. Hope you get the license soon and are able to get back out on those glorious Scottish roads again! In my part of the States there is still snow on the ground and it was 0 farenheit the other morning, so no riding going on here at the moment. When I lived in Colorado it was in the town of Boulder, which is on the eastern edge of the front range of the Rocky Mtns. Nearly every day in the summer thunderstorms would boil out of the mountains and hammer us for an hour or so, but an hour after the rain stopped everything would be bone dry....even me (got caught out a time or two...oops). Got super hot at summer peak but never felt as nasty as the East...maybe b/c the air is so dry. Except for making me feel uncomfortably landlocked, a great place.

[jmcg]

Originally Posted by Matt 82

Honda Deauville: Planet Trekker SE.

Nice bike.

Great wet weather tyres, too..

Cheers,

JM.

[windmills]

Hey Matt,
congrats for the new bike! Its always a good feeling.

Great wet weather tyres, too..

yeah, I was going to say that, I had them on my old SV. Great tyres in the dry too, but outstanding in the wet, so might come in handy huh?

Hope you can get all the ducks lined up and get the test out the way soon mate, and get out and enjoy those lovely roads up there.

[Matt 82]

Just about to get back out on the bike. Quite bright and sunny but absolutely freezing.

The choke on the Suzuki is goosed so high end technology was called for in the form of a Aerotherm-propulsor. You non-science folk might call it a hairdryer. Bike is now running nicely and will soon me moving me to somewhere a bit colder than the place I am now. Small report to follow.

Enjoy your day. I'm going to enjoy mine.

[kwakbiker]

Originally Posted by Matt 82

in the form of a Aerotherm-propulsor.
Enjoy your day. I'm going to enjoy mine.

Now that had me

Off to work later so the Versys will be battling birmingham's joyous rush hour

[Matt 82]

So today was the first ride of 2013.

Despite my earlier optimism, it did not stay bright and clear. It did in fact get cloudy and dull. And cold. So cold in fact that I think I may have been on the very edge of human endurance of low temperatures.

It wasn't going to be an epic journey north today so I was happy to pick old favourite, Loch Lubnaig as my destination. It's too early in the year for old folk to be doing day trips or for campervans to be slowing everyone down so the roads were nice and quiet. I didn't see a car at all after leaving Callendar until I stopped to take pictures.

So first thing I notice is that the two car parks that sit beside the Loch are closed. Seems they're getting an upgrade. No work had been done on them that I could see though apart from some new gravel near the entrance and there was nobody about. Since the tourist season starts in about a month I'm guessing the new facilities translates as a new surface. A new surface will be welcome as the surface right now is more or less just some mud.

Fence:




I didn't stop though (I took that picture on the way back) and headed up to the very tip of the Loch before deciding I was going to head from from there. I often find the temptation to just keep going is almost overwhelming and often have to say to myself, out-loud, that's it's time to go back.

There's a lay-by towards the top end that I stopped in for some photos. It was pretty dark and they're pretty dark as a result.

Loch Lubnaig:












It was on the return leg that I decided to stop at the car park (the entrance had more than enough room for the bike) and see what was going on. The fence was pretty extensive and blocked off the paths down to the water.

No fence can stop me though and I walked round the side of it to get to the beach. No tourists...no midges...bliss. It was here that I discovered that a huge chunk of the Loch had frozen over.


Frozen Loch:












I wandered about a bit but my hands were beginning to seize up due to the cold. So off home I went. As with the journey out, I mostly had the road to myself. Though by this time the temperature had dropped considerably and it made for a pretty unpleasant ride once the scenery had stopped giving me something to look at.

So that's that. No guarantees when I'll get back out as the weather is so unpredictable and merciless at this time of year but hopefully it'll be soon.

[jmcg]

Great pics, as usual.

Thanks,

JM.

[Blader54]

First rr of 2013! Looking forward to more!

[kwakbiker]

Good stuff, snow looks like its clearing quick, just started snowing down here now

[trackrider]

Cracking pics again there matt ,, was very cold the other day so good on ya for venturing out

[Matt 82]

Cheers guys. Felt so good to be back out.

Here's a couple more from Thursday.

[Canuman]

I've been following this thread for a bit. Thanks for your great writing and pics; they have been thoroughly enjoyable. If you ever want to visit New England or New Scotland, I think you'd feel comfortable here. I live in Caledonia County, VT, and have a little plot of land in Nova Scotia.

You may feel at home. I'll supply the beer and bikes.





We've got lochs and Celtic redheads also!

[Matt 82]

Originally Posted by Canuman

I've been following this thread for a bit. Thanks for your great writing and pics; they have been thoroughly enjoyable. If you ever want to visit New England or New Scotland, I think you'd feel comfortable here. I live in Caledonia County, VT, and have a little plot of land in Nova Scotia.

You may feel at home. I'll supply the beer and bikes.

Nice! I actually thought that New England was a state until I looked it up. My knowledge on the US is so bad.

If I'm ever across the pond I will absolutely look you up!

[Canuman]

I'm sure your geographical knowledge is no worse than that many Americans have for anything outside of their native states.

At least my native Vermont has decided to brew some beer worth drinking!

Originally Posted by Matt 82

Nice! I actually thought that New England was a state until I looked it up. My knowledge on the US is so bad.

If I'm ever across the pond I will absolutely look you up!