pjgraham86
Über Member
- Location
- Glasgow
Well that's my first "proper" cycle tour under my belt. Four of us set off from Barra just after 8am on Saturday 13 June (one of the boys has a house near the pier) having got the ferry with the bikes from Oban on Friday - great sail incidentally, accounting for much of the colour on our faces.
We headed north to Eriskay by ferry from the north of Barra then on to South and North Usit, finishing with a night in the Lochmaddy Hotel. Total distance was 82 miles door to door but that included a loop on N Usit which we missed out on the way back and a slight detour at Benbecula to find a spot recommended for lunch (The Stepping Stone).
The scenery was dramatic with rolling hills and lots of small inland lochs. There were almost no steep climbs which suited us given that our fitness levels were varied. We averaged just under 15mph on day one and a bit less on the way back (there were headwinds to contend with, although never for too long).
The best part for me was the road surfaces - very good quality presumably due to relatively low volumes of traffic but even the resurfaced parts had been done properly without the patching seen here in Glasgow. I also have to say the motorists were, almost without exception, extremely patient and courteous, often waiting for us to pass at passing places on the single track parts of the roads. As a result, none of us (two on road bikes and two on hybrids) suffered a single puncture over 140 miles, which amazed me.
All in all, a great trip which we hope to repeat at the same time next year. Obviously the weather was kind to us (only one heavy shower late on Saturday) and had it been worse in terms of wind and rain it would not have been pleasant - but then we always take that chance don't we ?
In short - highly recommended for a long weekend trip.
Cheers
peter
We headed north to Eriskay by ferry from the north of Barra then on to South and North Usit, finishing with a night in the Lochmaddy Hotel. Total distance was 82 miles door to door but that included a loop on N Usit which we missed out on the way back and a slight detour at Benbecula to find a spot recommended for lunch (The Stepping Stone).
The scenery was dramatic with rolling hills and lots of small inland lochs. There were almost no steep climbs which suited us given that our fitness levels were varied. We averaged just under 15mph on day one and a bit less on the way back (there were headwinds to contend with, although never for too long).
The best part for me was the road surfaces - very good quality presumably due to relatively low volumes of traffic but even the resurfaced parts had been done properly without the patching seen here in Glasgow. I also have to say the motorists were, almost without exception, extremely patient and courteous, often waiting for us to pass at passing places on the single track parts of the roads. As a result, none of us (two on road bikes and two on hybrids) suffered a single puncture over 140 miles, which amazed me.
All in all, a great trip which we hope to repeat at the same time next year. Obviously the weather was kind to us (only one heavy shower late on Saturday) and had it been worse in terms of wind and rain it would not have been pleasant - but then we always take that chance don't we ?
In short - highly recommended for a long weekend trip.
Cheers
peter
