Five years after my first visit to Mull we're back to experience the quiet roads and spectacular scenery.
Here are a few shots of the Venge which I decided to take on this trip, probably not the best choice for the wet and windy isle but worth battling the elements for the views!
And here's the route taken, following in that discovered 5 years ago and I just hope it's not another 5 years before I return!
Set in the Scottish Borders and based at the Gordon Arms Hotel, runs an early season Mountain Time Trial.
As British Cycling events page describes: "The course starts and finishes at the Gordon Arms and you start with a long climb to the Berry Bush then a fast technical descent to the Ettrick Valley. You then have a fast undulating route down the Ettrick Valley to the start of the Swire. This famous borders climb has to be ridden and can often have snow by the side of the road at this time of year, It is followed by a fast descent to Yarrow kirk and finally the homeward run along the Yarrow Valley to the finish".
It was a total coincidence that I was able to combine my new found love of the TT with a chance few nights stopover near Ettrick, en-route to Mull and naturally I just had to do the ride! Missing the official event by 6 months, there was no snow and the warming September sun was kindly doing its thing. I wasn't staying at the Gordon Arms so I had to enter the course at the base of the Cat 3 Swire Climb (should really be the Cote de Swire). It was here that I realised that the 'Mountain' reference in the TT's title was not the understatement that for some reason I had thought! This is a 3km climb at an average 8% gradient with beautiful switchbacks and views to match. Once at the top as per the route description the drop in to Yarrow Kirk is steep and with the previous evening's rain now running off across the shingle covered tarmac, some caution was required. How the riders cope with this back in March with the risk of snow and ice, I can't imagine.
After a stop at the Gordon Arms for a photo, no time for refreshments, I imagine the hustle and bustle here of the official start. On this September morning, there was a noticeable absence of anyone, let alone any other cyclists. From this official start, the 6km Cat4 4% climb to the Berry Bush is no trouble for this Devon cyclist, albeit I have some work to do with a time of 7mi 32s v the KOM 3mi 40s, although I've never claimed to be a speedy hill climber and my position of 2783 / 7078 does place me in the top half of the table, so I'm happy with that.
It managed 2 rides over this route and would definitely do it again at the drop of a hat, although probably not in March!
Never Say Never Again is the title of the rather poor Sean Connery remake of his earlier James Bond film, Thunderball. I've been a Bond fan for as long as I can remember, my Tour de 007 DB5 collection being just the tip of the iceberg of the memorabilia I have collected over the years. I even have a rose in my garden called 'For Your Eyes Only'!
Following my recent trip north to Cumbria, "never say never .." took on another meaning, one concerning my other love; that of cycling. Contrary to my talk of 'never again' in my Tour de Fitness blog 'Why Bother With Sportives', I somehow found myself signing up for the inaugural Cross Boarder Sportive - The Raid, on the Sunday following the Tour of Britain, ahead of my return home to Devon. The Raid was a 50 mile route starting and finishing at Lanercost Priory, north of Brampton and crossing briefly into Scotland. The longer 80 mile route, called The Invasion, completed an additional 30 mile circuit further into Scotland following the first food stop.
I had tentatively signed up for the 50 miler so that, should I still be up north, I could be back in time for lunch. Also, as I have said many a time, having such a short attention span, I find much more than 60 miles a bit dull!
A short video of the first 30 miles
What made this ride far from dull, was the company I had for the first 30 miles. I was fortunate to join up with two local cyclists who earlier this year had ridden the London to Paris and had planned their arrival to coincide with the conclusion of the Tour de France .. what an experience! One of the guys was having a hard time with the Cumbrian hills, so it was far from a quick ride, but what pleased me most was how we each stuck and pulled together. At the 30 mile point, the first food stop, my road went south and theirs, they doing the 80 miler, headed back into Scotland. I was impressed with how the struggling guy pushing on although feeling I had at least the additional distance left in my legs, lunch back in Brampton beckoned, so I bid farewell and started out alone on the final leg of my ride.
For the next 20 miles, as per my more my usual sportive experience, I saw not one other rider until I was in sight of the finish line! While it was not a fast ride, I did complete in position 20/130 overall and 5/38 in my age category. This was a very informal well organised event. The roads were very quiet and for much of the route it even felt like a closed road event. Would I do it again? "Never say never .."!
At the end of last year I received a Facebook message from my good friends in Scotland, suggesting I may like to participate in a closed road sportive around Loch Ness, called the Etape Loch Ness. Having had such a good year on the bike and knowing that April, the scheduled month for the event, would not clash this time with any family holiday, I blindly jumped at the opportunity. Within 30 minutes we had signed up as a team of 3 - the 3Bs (we met at the BBBs) - and I was elated to think of this being the first event on which to test out my new Specialized Tarmac, which by then, had just been mothballed for the winter. It then dawned on me just how far away Loch Ness is from Devon, 11 hours by car!
On Friday, I was reminded of this event with an email from the organisers. It started "Yes, you read that correctly – time has done its ‘whizzing by’ trick again and here we are with only six weeks until the second Etape Loch Ness! ... With 3300 riders taking part this year, the event is now FULL and official charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, are delighted with the fantastic take-up of their places." This makes it all so real and I know that 6 weeks will just fly by. Time to get down to some serious training!
I've just checked my entry on the web site .. to make sure I've not been dreaming and yes, I'm there, representing the Axe Valley Pedallers. I don't think many will be travelling as far, indeed looking down the list of cycling clubs, not surprisingly, they have a very northern sound to them. The route is an anti clockwise circuit of the Loch, departing and finishing in Inverness, with one steep climb at the half way point.
Luckily, hill climbing experience is something I'm not short of, but I do need to get in some good distance rides on the Tarmac. I've plateaued these past few months at around 30 miles, just half the distance required, and the Tarmac has so far not been properly put through its paces. Here's hoping for a few dry weekends ... who would choose to do a sportive in Scotland during April?!
