A picture a day....biker banter (Vol 4)
Discussion
tvrolet said:
6 of us doing the annual 'round Scotland' jaunt in a couple of weeks. We pick up the main part of the NC500 route from Strathcarron, but top and tail it with additional miles - so up through Sma' Glen, Loch Tay, Crianlarach, Glencoe etc., and fit in the Grantown, Tomintoul, Braemar, Glenshee route on the way back. I think we're doing around 250-300 miles a day over 4 days from Edinburgh/Fife. This is the 4th year we've done roughly this route - although we make changes every year and alternate clockwise/anticlockwise. So 250 miles a day is, I'd say. a reasonable target and gives time for a decent lunch stop, pee breaks, some photos etc, plus the single-track roads at some points (we take a lot of these!).
Which do you think is better - clockwise or anti-clockwise?spareparts said:
tvrolet said:
6 of us doing the annual 'round Scotland' jaunt in a couple of weeks. We pick up the main part of the NC500 route from Strathcarron, but top and tail it with additional miles - so up through Sma' Glen, Loch Tay, Crianlarach, Glencoe etc., and fit in the Grantown, Tomintoul, Braemar, Glenshee route on the way back. I think we're doing around 250-300 miles a day over 4 days from Edinburgh/Fife. This is the 4th year we've done roughly this route - although we make changes every year and alternate clockwise/anticlockwise. So 250 miles a day is, I'd say. a reasonable target and gives time for a decent lunch stop, pee breaks, some photos etc, plus the single-track roads at some points (we take a lot of these!).
Which do you think is better - clockwise or anti-clockwise?Also, we've never done the full/proper NC500 starting and ending in Inverness. If we're doing clockwise then we typically go up via Glencoe, Spean Bridge, Eilan Donan and hit the 'official' route at Strathcarron, And on the way down from Inverness via Grantown, Tomintoul, Braemar, Glenshee etc., anti-clockwise is the reverse. And for these add-ons I prefer both 'heading north', so the Glencoe route clockwise, and the Glenshee route anti-clockwise! But overall I prefer clockwise, and that's what we're doing this year.
Seem to be hi-jacking a photo thread here, but I'll post up this years' photos one we're done - but also having seen it, done it, and not bought the tee-shirt we never now do the A9 all the way from Inverness to John O'Groats - maybe if you've not done John O'Groats before it's worth the trip but the A9 is the most boring part of the route. So we take the mostly single track road from Helmsdale to Melvich...and despite the clockwise preferences above, I prefer this stretch anti-clockwise.
I agree with tvrolet. The A9 is boring as sin, I've only ever been John o groats once for that reason, up North we cut down the country instead. Similarly I try and avoid the A9 south of Inverness and head south towards Perth via Glenshee.
I was actually at Glenshee yesterday, so there you go I brought it back on topic with a picture.
I was actually at Glenshee yesterday, so there you go I brought it back on topic with a picture.
tvrolet said:
Overall I prefer clockwise, but I do prefer some stretches (such as the north coast itself) anti-clockwise. But the Applecross part of the route only really works clockwise IMHO - if you're doing the route anti-clockwise then I'd go 'past' the 'exit' from Applecross and go down to Tornapress and then do a clockwise loop back through Applecross to Tornacress if that makes sense...
Also, we've never done the full/proper NC500 starting and ending in Inverness. If we're doing clockwise then we typically go up via Glencoe, Spean Bridge, Eilan Donan and hit the 'official' route at Strathcarron, And on the way down from Inverness via Grantown, Tomintoul, Braemar, Glenshee etc., anti-clockwise is the reverse. And for these add-ons I prefer both 'heading north', so the Glencoe route clockwise, and the Glenshee route anti-clockwise! But overall I prefer clockwise, and that's what we're doing this year.
Seem to be hi-jacking a photo thread here, but I'll post up this years' photos one we're done - but also having seen it, done it, and not bought the tee-shirt we never now do the A9 all the way from Inverness to John O'Groats - maybe if you've not done John O'Groats before it's worth the trip but the A9 is the most boring part of the route. So we take the mostly single track road from Helmsdale to Melvich...and despite the clockwise preferences above, I prefer this stretch anti-clockwise.
Great info - thanks! Have been debating the merits of each way, but have not done it each way to be able to compare. Also, we've never done the full/proper NC500 starting and ending in Inverness. If we're doing clockwise then we typically go up via Glencoe, Spean Bridge, Eilan Donan and hit the 'official' route at Strathcarron, And on the way down from Inverness via Grantown, Tomintoul, Braemar, Glenshee etc., anti-clockwise is the reverse. And for these add-ons I prefer both 'heading north', so the Glencoe route clockwise, and the Glenshee route anti-clockwise! But overall I prefer clockwise, and that's what we're doing this year.
Seem to be hi-jacking a photo thread here, but I'll post up this years' photos one we're done - but also having seen it, done it, and not bought the tee-shirt we never now do the A9 all the way from Inverness to John O'Groats - maybe if you've not done John O'Groats before it's worth the trip but the A9 is the most boring part of the route. So we take the mostly single track road from Helmsdale to Melvich...and despite the clockwise preferences above, I prefer this stretch anti-clockwise.
Got to meet Kevin Schwantz earlier this morning, he had plenty of time for everyone and of course loved his 2 strokes.
We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen:
We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen:
podman said:
Got to meet Kevin Schwantz earlier this morning, he had plenty of time for everyone and of course loved his 2 strokes.
We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen:
Im jealous, I'd love to meet Schwantz.We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen:
Birky_41 said:
I was meant to go tonight with couple guys but I ended up being stuck working on my track bike all night
Weather permitting I'll get over next week. Not done it all year
A couple of us go every so often - ping me if you do go next week and it will be good to say hello.Weather permitting I'll get over next week. Not done it all year
Birky_41 said:
spareparts said:
Lovely evening at the Ace tonight
I was meant to go tonight with couple guys but I ended up being stuck working on my track bike all night Weather permitting I'll get over next week. Not done it all year
Gunk said:
Birky_41 said:
spareparts said:
Lovely evening at the Ace tonight
I was meant to go tonight with couple guys but I ended up being stuck working on my track bike all night Weather permitting I'll get over next week. Not done it all year
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rLS3BWnMUPkd4K2Z...
Biker's Nemesis said:
podman said:
Got to meet Kevin Schwantz earlier this morning, he had plenty of time for everyone and of course loved his 2 strokes.
We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen
Im jealous, I'd love to meet Schwantz.We had a brief chat about the good old days when he raced an RZ350 and 500, how he has just bought a (road going ) RG500 to play around on, he made everyone laugh when he sat on my friends X7 and told a visiting japanese engineer from Suzuki that they should start making them again.. :mrgreen
One from today, trip out to Sunny Hunny with the good lady..
Biker's Nemesis said:
Theres not enough photos getting posted so here's the yellow R1 back, Croft 3 years ago
Cracking photo that mate, I'm gonna get some up of me old gixer and maybe a few of my old cages followed by some pics of my budget all year round gloves once I work out what bike to buy for a 0.9 mile commute to work.I think I might need some info from you on your mt 10 as well just encase I cant find any relevant information
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