Once again a bit of a long wait between updates. Thankfully the King of Mercia has been in pretty regular use but unfortunately nothing of any real excitement other than the odd commute or weekend rides into town. The Jack Taylors have seen far more of the longer rides out of the county this year. This neglect on my behalf was redeemed this last week when The King of Mercia came on holidays down to Aviemore with the family.
Caleb had his week volunteering again for the Spey railway so Heather, Myself, Caleb and Maloo the dug headed down on Sunday to spend the next 6 days in a cottage near Kingussie.
A great week it's been too, Caleb working away 8.30 to 5 each day left us to drop him off and then walk the dog for a few hours before finding a cafe for early lunch. I had a few rides during the week with one being along the cycle path on the other side of the A9 and also a run south of Aviemore to Dalwinnie on National cycle route 7 for lunch, this was the same route I took to Drumochter last month, a mixture of cycle path and very quiet country road.
Tuesday though I had a bit longer so after a late breakfast I headed from Aviemore up the cycle path to Glenmore for a coffee and cake before heading back to Rothiemurchus, this is only about 15 mile round trip on some really nice surfaced gravel path which gets a bit wetter and rougher the closer you get to Glenmore/Loch Morlich. Having ridden it many times on different bikes I know where to exercise caution, especially this time round with it having been raining most of the night and also with the Mercian being back on it's 30mm tyres. It was a great couple of hours meandering along this rolling path through the woods in some welcome sunshine, still cool but not uncomfortable, and the autumn colours looking lovely in the sunshine. The Mercian was its usual well behave super comfortable self, taking the rough tracks and odd mud patches and wet track in it's stride.
The last little section into Rothiemurchus it was raining, only lightly at first then somewhat heavier but by that stage I was sitting under a large umbrella eating a roll and enjoying a cuppa. Waiting it out, was the plan. The plan soon came through as the rain stopped and the sun came back out. I decided to head back to the cottage along the cycle route 7 out by Feshiebridge and the Kingussie then turn back on the Aviemore road for around 3 miles to the cottage. The sign said Kingussie was 14 miles this way whereas I could go the more direct route of Aviemore - Kingussie which was only about 7 miles, but that seemed a waste in this sunshine. So down CR#7 I went.
Lovely road this as it is very quiet, single lane in most places, very winding and rolling up and down as it follows the east side of the river. I must have only got about 5 miles when the rain started again, lightly at first and with a really strong wind from the south in the open sections I thought it might just blow over. It did eventually but it got worse before it did, I ended up sitting the worst of it out under a huge Scots pine along with a cycle tourist who was a few minutes behind me. By the time I neared Kingussie I took a slight shortcut which bought me out closer to the cottage and saved my going through Kingussie. By the time I got in the sun was back out. I jumped in the shower and right when I got out Heather was saying I better bring the bike in as it is pouring down. Just one of those sort of days, but a really nice afternoons riding with the Mercian riding superbly in all conditions and on all surfaces. Such a comfortable, stable and relaxing ride it is.
Jamie
