Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Outer Hebrides, Day 3:
Well, I didn't get up in time for my morning ride on Harris today, so had to wait until we had driven all around Harris/Lewis and Great Bernara (making it 10 new islands for us on this trip) and got back to Tarbert for the evening. By the time I hit the road, it was evening time (about 6:15), and I guessed I only had a couple of hours of daylight left. Stupidly, I had left both of my rear lights switched on all day after my very early ride on North Uist yesterday morning, so my fading batteries meant that I had to make the decision to turn back the moment my watch said 7;15.
I set off Eastwards in fading light along a very scenic coast road that the French would call a "corniche". The Harris part of the island of Harris/Lewis reminds me very much of Snowdonia - mountainous and rock-strewn, but with fantastic sandy beaches all along the West coast and lots of rocky coves along the East coast. This contrasts with the Lewis part, which is one huge peat bog -more like Dartmoor but without the ponies. This particular part of Harris that I was riding through is extremely rocky, with very undulating and winding narrow roads. I ended up doing 16.1 miles tonight (about 8 there and straight back the same way). I reckon that 8 of it was quite steep uphill, and 8 was downhill, with virtually no flat at all. I also reckon there was no stretch of more than a couple of hundred yards of straight road anywhere between Tarbert and my turning point near to the far tip of the island of Scalpay. This all made it a very technical ride, requiring concentration and clever gear selection - which I didn't always get right. My speed fluctuated from 3.5 mph to 35mph depending on the gradients (which in places were steep enough to make my front wheel jump up a few times, leaving me unicycling), but at least I kept up my record of never stopping on an up slope.
.
Once I crossed the bridge onto Scalpay, the hills became strangely regularly spaced, and I actually found that, if you got your little bursts of power right, it was possible to freewheel your way over 2 or 3 little hills in one go without a single turn of the cranks. On the Scalpay Bridge I saw an eagle fighting over a dead rabbit with a couple of crows - so that's several red deer, a seal and an eagle spotted so far on my rides on these islands. I must say I feel my luck is really up on this holiday so far. Even came close to a shag yesterday........ Sorry, my mistake. it may have been a cormorant.
On Scalpay, I got held up by road-blocking sheep a couple of times,
and back on the mainland (Harris) I nearly had a nasty crash when a woman out walking her sheepdog on an enormously long lead let it leap out across the road in front of me during a fast descent. Got back unscathed, and with all my lights fading badly, at 8:05, just after sunset. Won't be able to ride before breakfast tomorrow, as I haven't any spare batteries. But this has been a brilliant stay, and I have got in over 56 miles of unforgettable rides in all so far. on 5 different islands. 16.1 gruelling but fantastic miles tonight in brilliant, wild country..
Now for a week in Inverinate on Loch Duich, and a bit of mountainous cycling. can't wait. Cheers, Donger.
.
Well, I didn't get up in time for my morning ride on Harris today, so had to wait until we had driven all around Harris/Lewis and Great Bernara (making it 10 new islands for us on this trip) and got back to Tarbert for the evening. By the time I hit the road, it was evening time (about 6:15), and I guessed I only had a couple of hours of daylight left. Stupidly, I had left both of my rear lights switched on all day after my very early ride on North Uist yesterday morning, so my fading batteries meant that I had to make the decision to turn back the moment my watch said 7;15.
I set off Eastwards in fading light along a very scenic coast road that the French would call a "corniche". The Harris part of the island of Harris/Lewis reminds me very much of Snowdonia - mountainous and rock-strewn, but with fantastic sandy beaches all along the West coast and lots of rocky coves along the East coast. This contrasts with the Lewis part, which is one huge peat bog -more like Dartmoor but without the ponies. This particular part of Harris that I was riding through is extremely rocky, with very undulating and winding narrow roads. I ended up doing 16.1 miles tonight (about 8 there and straight back the same way). I reckon that 8 of it was quite steep uphill, and 8 was downhill, with virtually no flat at all. I also reckon there was no stretch of more than a couple of hundred yards of straight road anywhere between Tarbert and my turning point near to the far tip of the island of Scalpay. This all made it a very technical ride, requiring concentration and clever gear selection - which I didn't always get right. My speed fluctuated from 3.5 mph to 35mph depending on the gradients (which in places were steep enough to make my front wheel jump up a few times, leaving me unicycling), but at least I kept up my record of never stopping on an up slope.
.
Once I crossed the bridge onto Scalpay, the hills became strangely regularly spaced, and I actually found that, if you got your little bursts of power right, it was possible to freewheel your way over 2 or 3 little hills in one go without a single turn of the cranks. On the Scalpay Bridge I saw an eagle fighting over a dead rabbit with a couple of crows - so that's several red deer, a seal and an eagle spotted so far on my rides on these islands. I must say I feel my luck is really up on this holiday so far. Even came close to a shag yesterday........ Sorry, my mistake. it may have been a cormorant.
On Scalpay, I got held up by road-blocking sheep a couple of times,
and back on the mainland (Harris) I nearly had a nasty crash when a woman out walking her sheepdog on an enormously long lead let it leap out across the road in front of me during a fast descent. Got back unscathed, and with all my lights fading badly, at 8:05, just after sunset. Won't be able to ride before breakfast tomorrow, as I haven't any spare batteries. But this has been a brilliant stay, and I have got in over 56 miles of unforgettable rides in all so far. on 5 different islands. 16.1 gruelling but fantastic miles tonight in brilliant, wild country..
Now for a week in Inverinate on Loch Duich, and a bit of mountainous cycling. can't wait. Cheers, Donger.
.
.
;nice bottle of Beaujolais villages tonight to celebrate
A tasty energy boost and they sit better on the stomach when riding - I shall definitely do that again.
