Day 1 - Dalbeattie.

A good nights sleep and a full English, Scottish breakfast, ample time spent faffing and we were all set to travel the short step down to the trail at Dalbeattie. Today was cold and wet, a harsh introduction to MTB'ing in Scotland. We spent a little time on the skills park adjacent to the car park and then headed off for the Hardrock Trail, a Red graded loop with some black (very black!) features.

I'm still getting used to the Trance and I didn't have the suspension setup correctly (this was only my 2nd proper ride on the bike!) It's quite a technical trail which I found tough going, the constant pedal strikes began to get on my nerves and some of the features were out of my league - Kudos to the other guys who rode them (maybe even enjoyed them!)


'The Slab' at Dalbeattie

After the Qualifier and the Slab, were the Twins, two slabs of granite with a short transition between them. The Twins were far less kind than the Slab, the granites legendary grip let two of the guys down with a bang. I was already in two minds, so after seeing better riders than me loosing out to the damp stone, I decided to take the 'chicken run' which looped round to the right.

By the time we'd got back to the carpark, the drizzle had stopped, it was now just pouring down! We were soaked, cold and some of us bruised. On the way back to the B&B we stopped into a small bike shop, a few minutes drive from the trail head. While some of the guys looked for a new Sram rear mech - (victim of the Twins) I took the opportunity to have a look at a new Kona Kula - I do still like Kona's.

Personally, I didnt enjoy Dalbeattie!

Some tweaks I need to get done on the bike -

the brake leavers need to have their reach wound back slightly.
More air in front forks
More air in read shock
Check the tyre pressures.
and find someone to shorten the seatpost.

Made it to Scotland

We're north of the border - weather not quite as nice as when we left home, but it's dry. Time to 'bag' the best rooms before the rest arrive. The other guys from Swansea set off earlier, so they've managed to fit in a ride at Ae. It's a bit late for us to go for a ride, but even if there was time, we're tired from the journey and pretty hungry. Time for some pub grub!

Brand new van!

The weather is cracking this morning, couldn't have asked for a better day, does seem a shame to spend such a lovely spring day in a van, but it should make the task of driving much more pleasant.

The hire company has given us a brand new Mercedes Sprinter van - there's only 4 miles on the clock! I do hope that they don't mind a little mud. On the plus side, there's plenty of room, all that "..shall I take it, shall I leave it.." wasn't necessary, can fit everything, including the kitchen sink in here! 2 Bikes and gear stowed, time to pick up the 3rd person and set off for the north.