Cycle Touring

I want to ride my bicycle

It had always been on my mind to go cycle touring. I just really needed to go and do it, but firstly I had to buy a bike. I already had the idea for a cycle tour, to cycle the length of the Outer Hebrides.

After two years of working in Angola on a 4 week on four week off rotation I was ready for a change of job, but found it hard looking for work when I was at home on leave and was too busy to look when I was in Angola.

I was afraid to quit my job and sit at home doing nothing whilst I looked for work. In the winter time I could go snowboarding but what would I do with my time in the summer? Two days later I'd decided I should resign from my job and become a cycle tourist. With a 10 week notice period that would give me plenty of time to prepare, I'd didn't even have a touring bike nor any of the gear that would be required.

I settled on a bike from Paul Hewitt Cycles in Leyland. A traditional touring bike made from Reynolds steel tubing, with drop handle bars. I even got to choose the colour and was fitted up for the bike in the shop. It was a standard frame size but the components would be suited to me. Delivery was 4 to 5 weeks which would take up my last trip in Angola.

If this was a midlife crisis, it was a slightly less conventional one, I could have bought a sports car or motorbike. I'd recently sold my motorbike after years of it sitting unused. My travels had shown me that I'd been happiest on the road with my possessions in a backpack. Adding a bicycle into the equation could only add to the experience. I would be travelling in my own country over roads I'd already travelled so maybe less adventurous than my previous travels, but I'd never experienced them travelling at 10 miles an hour.

I read lots on cycle touring, peoples experiences of travels and the gear they used. Having faith in your gear is important so top quality Tubus racks and Ortlieb waterproof panniers were ordered. Definitely not the cheap option!

The excitement was building when I returned from Angola. When would the bike be ready...? Eventually the call came, the bike was ready. I would collect it from the shop, spending that amount of money to have it delivered didn't seem right. Roy at the bike shop was happier that I would collect it even though it involved a 650 mile round trip in the car.

It was pouring with rain when I collected the bike but I still took it for a ride along the street. It felt good, I felt like a kid on Christmas day. The quality of the bike was amazing with a deep shine to the metallic blue paint work, I knew it would never look this good again!!

I'd not owned a road bike since I was a teenager, mountain biking has been my thing since then which kept me reasonably fit . I needed to do some serious miles in preparation for the big cycle as there was only 3 weeks to go until the 1st July, the start of the Outer Hebrides cycle tour.

After a couple of longer cycles along Deeside I needed to try out the panniers and tent. Aberdeen to Braemar would be a suitable route, around 52 miles from my home. The longest unloaded cycle I had previously done was only 45 miles.

It took 6 1/2 hours to cycle to Braemar. I could drive the same distance in about an hour, but the combination of back roads, tracks and the disused Deeside railway line made it a great trip. One day National Cycle Route 195 will be complete from Aberdeen to Ballater, but for now using sections of the South Deeside Road keeps you away from the traffic. The sun shone on both days with many fantastic views especially Lochnagar towering above Deeside when passing by Ballater. On the return route towards the end I cycled over Corsedardar hill to Feughside to add a climb into the route and also for a piece of delicious carrot cake at Fizean Tearoom with a view across to Clachnaben. Yes indeed times have changed...where's the chilled bottle of beer? I'd have to wait until later for that.

I was encouraged by the success of the Braemar cycle, over 100 miles in two days and the bike had excelled.  I've travelled up and down Deeside many times but now I had a new perspective of the countryside having passed through at an average speed of just 10 mph.  With only five days to go until the Tour de Outer Hebrides, I was more confident of my abilities and looking forward to the trip. Now I just needed to pack my panniers....