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Hustler


Posts: 760
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19th Aug 2019
Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 21.55hrs on Wed 24 Jan 07
Biked in to work this morning over the Sidlaws from near Glamis to Dundee.
Trail conditions: hard frozen ground & icy, with patches of snow higher up near Auchterhouse hill. Singletrack sections all in great shape.
Grin conditions at work this morning: insufferable.

Anyone else got a story to tell..?



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 20.39hrs Thu 25 Jan 07 by Hustler.
telemarker


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12th Apr 2021
Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 19.23hrs on Sat 27 Jan 07
thats some commute - but remebering battling in mud in sidlaws at the SXC race this year, im not that jealous!
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 21.00hrs on Mon 19 Feb 07
Back up the Sidlaws again this morning, riding a section I'd dug out the drainage on during Saturday. Good fun, enjoyed the downhill into Auchterhouse and was still grinning like a loon on the outskirts of Dundee, until a moment of inattention on a wee roundabout...
Torn leggings, bruised and bleeding, XTR rear mech RIP (in two halves) and hobbling into the office.
Still, got the mech replaced (thanks Lewis) and rode home back over the hill just before it got dark. The improved bit of singletrack in lower Denoon glen flows nicely. Grin re-installed.
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 12.26hrs on Tue 1 May 07
What a contrast to the post from January: this morning, headed up the glen soon after 7 in baggies and with my sleeves rolled up. Scorching hot and a dry, dusty trail all the way up to the top of Auchterhouse hill.
There had been some frost on the car first thing and you'll rarely see a clearer morning.
Seeing the thick coastal fog covering Dundee, just made the place look better!
Turned out there was a cloud base at around 300 feet and it topped out around 800, so it was just lapping against the SE side of the Sidlaws.

Tonight, I think I may go home the long way, do some more singletrack along the ridge above Kinpurney/Balkeerie.

Surely I can't be the only WinterHighlander who uses a mountain bike to get to work..?
HTH


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 12.30hrs on Tue 1 May 07
Mrs.HTH would shoot me if I MTB'd to work.....my office is at the end of the lobby!

Benefit of working mostly from home. smiling smiley

However, work still seems to stop me getting away from the desk enough, despite probably having the shortest commute possible.
dhorsley


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 14.26hrs on Tue 1 May 07
Me, I use a road bike as its a lot faster ~ 15 miles from Udny to Foresterhill in around 53 mins and the same home. Would be faster if wasn't for the traffic in aberdeen.
telemarker


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 14.44hrs on Tue 1 May 07
typical no SXC race in sidlaws this season! - as its dry for once!
usually a mudbath on the SXC races
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 21.11hrs on Tue 1 May 07
I used to use a road bike and the slightly longer route round by road was quicker... But that's not really the point! Mind you, the reason that I don't have a road bike anymore is that I trashed it on the farm track getting in and out.
This way, I get to ride several Km of singletrack climbing to the top of the hill and a mad three minute downhill off the south side in the morning. Followed by several miles of tar into town.

Riding home tonight was fun, I took the diversion NW through extra heathery singletrack onto the hills above Newtyle and Balkeerie, covering a few Km of twisty stuff. Great fun and the views out across the Highlands are fantastic.
HTH


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 22.04hrs on Tue 1 May 07
Does that take in the Auchterhouse & Henderson Hill area? - Just looking at the OS map.

I used to road race with Dundee Wheelers (circa 1990) around the Aucterhouse, Newtyle, Kettins areas, and it was smashing countryside. But the chaingang didn't stop to admire it. smiling smiley I hated Tullybaccart in a race, but the chase off the top was fast.

What point to you leave the main roads behind. - It looks worth a ride sometime.
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 11.48hrs on Wed 2 May 07
That's the trouble with roadies, they seem to have this permanent scowl attached to their faces and forget they're meant to be out there enjoying themselves.

On that route home from Dundee, I use back-roads to get from Birkhill across to Dronley, then up to Auchterhouse. Up The Brae to just by the old Sanitorium, then out onto the hill, turning left just before the top of A hill to go NW past Scotston then Henderston hills, through sweet heathery singletrack to the ridge just E of Kinpurney. Turn NE and more singletrack to just above Balkeerie, drop down into Wester Nevay farm via a steep, dodgy, rabbit infested hillside. To loop back towards Dundee, the best route would then be to continue along the road E past the Balkeerie primary school, then left up the Murley brae on tar, into Denoon Glen. Follow the well used (by me) drovers road up the bottom of that glen from Wester Denoon farm back up to Auchterhouse hill and choose one of many descents back off again.
Woods worth a wee hurl about in: Backmuir of Liff (riddled with fun singletrack); Dronley woods which has both easy and some tight, rooty stuff too; Templeton & Camperdown.
From town, even the most basic loop would be 3 hours, 50+km and 700m ascent. From across the river, it's starting to look epic.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 11.51hrs Wed 2 May 07 by Hustler.
dhorsley


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 12.03hrs on Wed 2 May 07
I used to use my mountain bike and cycle via the old banf and Buchan rail line via Dyce, but its not particularly interesting as a ride, has stupid gate things at every road junction that mean you have to stop/slow down. Easier and quicker to use the road bike on the mainroad and consider it a training ride to keep fit for the (roller) ski racing.
HTH


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 13.02hrs on Wed 2 May 07
Hustler, I'll take a look at that on the OS. - It sounds good.

You're probably right about the "Grim Roader" expression. But I also share your dislike of using MTB on tar, so to save my legs & nerves, I'd probably chuck the bike in the car and pick up that route on the edge of Dundee.

To be honest, I've got Tentsmuir on my doorstep, and should explore more often. - Worth it just to see the seals on the beach, or red squirrels & woodpeckers in woods.
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 15.41hrs on Wed 2 May 07
Parking in Camperdown Park near the big house is a good option, but only when its daylight hours. Don't ride alone in the park after dark, you may leave without your bike.
A couple of years back, 4 Neds thought they'd relieve two of us of our bikes. Just at the moment it was about to get interesting, two more biking buddies turned up and the Neds thought better of it and jumped back into their cars.
I have heard of a solo MTBer losing a bike there.

There's a trail that climbs up to near the Birkhill Inn, running parallel to the main road and just inside the wall. From there, road past the petrol station and turn R into Dronley Road and just head for the hills..
Reckon you'll get a whole lot more climbing this way than you ever will in Tentsmuir! Today's commute will cover that 700m or more for the day.
HTH


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 15.51hrs on Wed 2 May 07
Yes, not much scope for downhill at Tentsmuir, especially the beach. smiling smiley
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 19.31hrs on Tue 29 May 07
Just finished building up a new On-One 29er singlespeed.

Tomorrow's commute is going to be interesting...
Or painful..!
telemarker


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 21.20hrs on Wed 30 May 07
29" wheels?

was reading about the kona kula, 29er's they have for hire at Glentress the other day
sound interesting
Hustler


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Re: Interesting commutes
Date Posted: 21.12hrs on Thu 31 May 07
Yup, 29er.
The thing climbs the Sidlaws like a scalded cat. Unfortunately, once I hit the tarmac before heading into town, it's tough going.
The supplied Kenda Nevegal 2.2s are very slow on blacktop but grip brilliantly on wet downhills. Great fun on singletrack, even with its rigid carbon fork.
Got my wheels off the ground a couple of times.
Biggest problem so far is the warped front disc that it arrived with. Avid discs are made of butter, like Shimano middle rings.
It's beyond straightening, so I've e-mailed On-One to ask for a replacement.
Good fun, but definitely not a replacement for my faithful Cove.

Was at Tress on Monday with the Hustler but didn't see any 29ers there. Don't think I'd like to take this rigid one out on the black. It'd be a whole heap of fun on the red though...
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