Each day's different

Early Saturday morning up the Pentland Hills and we stopped at the side of Harelaw Reservoir for a biscuit and a discussion about the forthcoming Scottish Referendum (some hope, the politician windbags have been going on about it for months till we're fed up hearing about it!!!)

Some sheep contemplate going up a track we pushed the bikes up last week-end......then think better of it! 

Peebles today, Sunday, and parking is at a premium as there's an enduro event on and the towns buzzing.

A view over the recently built bridge for the pathway connecting Peebles to Cardrona to Innerleithen, a great family cycle on a good summers day. Especially good in that there's an excellent ice cream shop in Innerleithen!

There's been a lot going on lately......

It's been about 3 weeks since I last posted anything on the blog but there has been a lot happening lately, what with family visitors, new bikes (to me) getting built up, a visit to the Commonwealth games in Glasgow along with some pretty crap weather so here's a few photos to show some of the goings on
.

Special treat for some of the younger members of the family, a flight in Marks micro light on a perfect summers night, for a change!

Even the sheep are reluctant to venture up this track that we hiked a bike up the other week but the descent back down made it all worthwhile.

A visit to Glentress with Dougie and young Marc

I reckon these horns would make a pretty impressive set of bars....

Way too hot for me.....

Still going strong here as we reached the top of the Black Trail at Glentress

Don't know who stays at this magnificent house miles from anywhere but whoever it is isn't short of a penny or two.

Clive descends the final bit of a tricky downhill section

A hard as nails Geordie we met in Innerleithen who, along with his mate was heading for the Southern Upland Way on a heavily laden touring bike on skinny tyres!

Baz ended up with no rear brakes after some speedy descending and decided on a change of pads....it didn't help much, but at least Clive got a bit of sunbathing in during the stop!

Baz, Clive and me decided on an epic ride from Glentress up over to Caberston then down to Innerleithen, along to Traquir followed by the trek over the hills via the old drove road back to Peebles again. Unfortunately we picked what must have been the hottest day in the Borders of Scotland for a year or two to do it and I for one was wilting badly near the end of the journey! still we got through it and I suppose in a day or two it wont seem as bad as it did at the time! I cant believe I'm complaining about too much heat in Scotland!!!

The storm that never happened

A quick bit of posing for a piccy

And now a wee rest!!

Baz packing up after we'd repaired a front wheel puncture.

The start of a hard climb over the Pentlands, but we weren't going to the kirk.

Don't really know what I'm looking for here, probably looking to see if the camera was working!

A storm was forecast for yesterday but apart from some not too heavy rain and some fog nothing materialised that threatened this mornings ride. In the end we criss crossed the Pentlands about three times, the weather got steadily brighter as the morning wore on and the only dark spot was a grumpy female hill walker who obviously thought we had no right to be on the same path as her! 32.5 miles done this morning and apart from Baz having a front flat nothing else went wrong.......boring!

From tiny frogs to horses playing "blind mans buff".....

From last weeks tiny frogs.....

To this weeks blindfolded ponies, what does next week hold?

OK, I know the blindfold is to protect against flies and not a game the ponies are playing pretending  they're the Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto but the look on this ones face says that he's not entirely happy with it.

Temperatures soaring.....when I say "soaring" remember it's Scotland we're talking about

Mark aka "Madmax" back from holiday to display his collarbone glued down with sticky tape, it seemed to work as there wasn't a noticeable difference in his descending speed!

A South African flag in Bilston Wood, presumably hung there by the "Tree House People" who live there.

Friday and it's a scorcher, this photo was taken at the top of Caerketton Hill, the blurriness caused by sweat dripping from my head onto the lens!

Sunday morning and Baz and me come across hundreds of miniature frogs en route to Black Springs Reservoir, obviously time for their first swim, how many we inadvertently ran over I shudder to think.

Baz's rear gear cable sheared at the derailleur when we were out but we managed to cobble it up to get us home where it was replaced with a new one.

A 28 miler this morning to complete a good weeks riding with temperatures high (for us) with the occasional rainy periods. I managed my goal of 100 off road miles by going out on Saturday night (and getting soaked) so that Sundays ride wouldn't be too difficult to achieve it.

Ben Lora and Barcaldine Forest mountain biking loop

After a mile of serious climbing it was a relief to reach a level bit of road.

We met this little guy who we named Ho Chi Minh in the middle of Barcaldine Forest, how he got there goodness knows, and how he ever got out again goodness knows as he was hopelessly lost!

Taken as high as its possible to cycle on Ben Lora, the views are spectacular.

Baz about to consume about 12 jelly babies all stuck together, don't know how he didn't choke.

Cycling along a fire road where there's a bit of logging going on.

A holiday weekend at Benderloch north of Oban with a bit of mountain biking thrown in around Ben Lora and into Barcaldine Forest, there might not have been much single track but there sure were plenty of fire road climbs and some final steep descents! A great weekend's biking!

The trails just keep getting faster

The track down to the start of the Strava segment called "Run Sheepie Run"

Clive out to try and get a new PR on "Run Sheepie Run"!

We've only done about 100 yards and I've nearly caught up with him!

Clive and I went out again last night to do the same route again with Clive's intention to get a PR on Run Sheepie Run! Ever since he came off about 6 months ago he says he's lost his bottle, well he still hasn't found it as he's still braking too early! In the event he failed by 1 second to equal his best time on the segment, so it looks like, weather permitting, another attempt tonight!