Yesterday evening after my second 60 hour week I decided I needed a blast on the bike today. I hadn't been on it since some of you guys visited the Scottish Contingent (not easy to carry four crates full of documents back to the office). I therefore decided to go here.



Now those that came up will recognise part of this as it has the Tyndrum to Ballachulish road we went on just before Davie took the wrong exit off the roundabout. Only this time the exit was right as I intended to go through Fort William up through the Great Glen past Ben Nevis and Loch Ness and then cut off for Ullapool and on up to Loch Assynt. Why Loch Assynt? Well I have a picture of it on my bedroom wall and it looks fantastic but I've never been there so I thought why not.

Well I got up this morning to find the heavens were just opening but thought sod it, I've got waterproofs I'm going anyway. And I'm glad I did as although it poured down until Stirling once past there it was a glorious day. Even better the rain in the central belt seemed to have kept most (but not all) of the idiots and tourists at home so for a lot of the time I had the road to myself. Even when I did find traffic and the odd idiot merc/range rover/scoody doo driver determined to make an arris of themselves they were quickly put in their place and disappeared in my mirrors. Nothing was going to stop me having a good day. Well almost, I didn't quite make it to Loch Assynt (should have set off earlier and will be a planned day or two out next year) because I was enjoying the Great Glen so much I forgot to turn off at Drumnadrochit and head for Ullapool so ended up only doing this bit



But it was still worth it. All the stresses of the last two weeks have gone and I'll go to sleep tonight thinking about the views and the sweeping bends that just clicked for once instead of IF... THEN... bloody ELSE!

Don't you just love biking!

Know what you mean Ian, sometimes, just sometimes its the best thing in the world and I will spend the rest of my life chasing days like you describe.

To quote my non-biking bro in law ...............


There's all these sad blokes i see just riding their bikes all over germany, through the black forest and that, not trying to get to any particular place and just riding for a day and ending up back where they started. What a load of muppets.....whats the point of travelling if you're not trying to get to somewhere?


Long may it be OUR secret eh?

Yes there are those that get it and those that don't. Those that do realise that when we are apparently riding aimlessly and ending up where we started we are actually journeying to a higher plain that those that don't will never experience. Phyiscally we may be at the same place but mentally it is a very different one.

you know just reading this thread makes me realise how much things have changed for me recently.
i can remember being on a high for days after a particular ride in the lakes, or winding it up around my favourite twisties.non riding friends used to look at me quizickly when i tried to describe what its like riding a bike when it all goes right, & all the bits click into place to produce the "perfect ride".
these days i cant seem to switch off & i think i try to over analyse every aspect of my/other peeps riding.
the recent trip to bonnie scotland was excellent & dont try to stop me coming back, but i must admit its nice to ride on my own once in a while & take the Instructor hat off(read ride like a twonk)
Dont get me wrong, i get a tremendous sense of achievment when i can help someone improve-i just wish i could switch off on group rides now & then. my m8 (another Nam Observer-rides a 'busa) reckons hes 10% faster when not "observing" another rider-more of his own obs than anything else-mind you, he usually observes me from in front-that busa is bloody quick

Wow now that is some heavy thinking lol

true tho every word.

As most of you know i spent over 3 years without a bike after my lil smash & it was till I had a lil blast round the lanes here on my GT that i realised just what i had been missing

Yep, that sounds like a plan. I've never been up that far North on the bike. It's always been in the car, when I've been going to visit my brother in Alness. A trip on the bike is definitely called for.

it's odd but even with the suzi playing up a bit on the way back i still managed a smile every mile, gotta love riding

Did almost the same trip 3 years ago. Excellent scenery, fantastic weather, lid on the back knew what they were doing.... Was a joy! One for the album.....all to rare now.......Only thing that that slowed us down was a 'Wasp in the can'' or more exactly a wasp in the lid...Never knew how fast U could get off a bike, remove lid, turn to partner an' say " that was Luck...before the bugger got you in the back of the neck....All in all was probably one of the best round trips I've ever taken....

How goo are your waterproofs? Seriously???

Ooops, meant to read " How good are your wet weather toggins", seriously???