After yesterdays dismal weather today was pretty frosty early on but was sunny for the most part. There was a stiff breeze picking up and it was coming from the east, which is not the norm up here. Brian arrived at lunch and as had been arranged beforehand, he didn't bring a bike as he wanted to test ride the Big Dummy. The last couple of years when I have been talking of my desire to own one Brian has always been in agreement about the positives of the cargo bike and how it would allow him to carry his large tent when camping, as he has been growing more and more against his small 'coffin tent' as he has come to call it.
Anyway, as Brian only had a couple of hours we worked out a loop out to John O'Groats for coffee and cake and then back to mine. Brian would take the Dummy and I would take the LHT. Sticking to the back singletrack road as much as was possible. I've ridden with Brian long enough to know that he would really like it once he tried it, and I think it was most likely a surprise how 'undifferent' to a normal bike, just a bit longer but with infinite capability for customising to suite whatever purpose or cargo.
With the wind coming from the east it was steady headwind on the way out. We had a few stops and a very pleasant ride just chatting and pushing into the wind. Stopped at Groats for a coffee and some cake and to see what Brian thought. I was laughing as he was hooked and could see the possibilities for it, especially with standard wheels as well as the fat ones. I don't think Sheena will let us swap bikes anymore
Brian wanted a picture of the bikes under the famous John O'Groats sign, I said OK, but be quick as someone local might see me
Anyway we took a picture and then this nice lady comes along and says ' oh, here you go, I will get one of the both of you together' She was very nice so we got our picture taken and neither of us had the heart to say I was local. Though we did joke that in a 30klm stretch we had cycled National Cycle Route #1, The North Sea Cycle Route and if we went from Groats across the hills about 5 miles or so we could do a coast to coast We left Groats with the clouds steadily filling the sky and darkening very quickly as well. We were about halfway back when we looked towards my place and to the east and the sky was very black, rolling clouds and all I could think was 'winters back' , at just this point Brian asked if I thought we might get wet and how many miles to my place
We had a couple of drops on the handlebar bag and that was all. So pretty lucky as 10 minutes after we got back the rain started and hasn't really stopped since. A good ride with a different purpose and I think Brian is now sold on the idea of a cargo bike.
Hope everyone else had some decent weather this weekend and managed to get out and Dyna, I hope you got the brakes sorted and got out on the new beast.
Jamie
No comments:
Post a Comment