Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone yesterday (so to speak) and get out on the bike one more time, but also see the puffins near Stonehaven (as I finish up here tomorrow).
Route 1 follows the coast, and I decided to pick it up at the pretty little fishing village of Johnshaven after finishing work in Brechin. The route is signed with two options. On road is back up the hill out of the village to ride along the A92. At the back end of rush hour it's not an appealing prospect - there are no cycle lanes anywhere, and no off-road paths beside the road at all at that point (there are some south of Arbroath that I know of).
Instead, and partly because it was also right beside the shore, I took the 'off-road' path. Let's just say I was glad I was on the cross bike - the surface is abysmal (it's the route of an old train line that kaputnik can probably relate the history of). Initially it seems fine, going past a caravan park, but then for two miles to Gourdon it is bumpy, rocky, grassy (thankfully dry yesterday). From Gourdon to Inverbervie it's a bit better, and despite the nice night wasn't too busy with walkers.
Bervie Chipper bypassed as I was coming back the same way so noted to stop for sustenance at that point. Route 1 then sticks to the A92 for a couple of miles for a relentless hill out of Bervie, then branches off into lovely narrow roads to go past Kinneff and Catterline (the bits down on the coast worthy of diversion, in the knowledge you have to climb back out again). It's 'undulating', but never that steep, and takes in some lovely landscapes (I must also get to Todhead Lighthouse, it looks really nice).
I didn't branch back to the A92 after Catterline, instead staying straight on to head down to Crawton and the puffins (I'm not sure why route 1 goes back to the main road where it does, when it could take advantage of another couple of miles of quiet road...). 11.8 miles, with just those couple of miles out of Bervie on the main road, so all good.
Heading back the Chipper was inexplicably closed, seems they just get the early dinner crowd then shut up shop. Bah.
The surface also did for the bike a mile and a half before I was back at the car in Johnshaven. I was big ringing it, Paris-Roubaix styleeee, when the chain skipped off one of the jockey wheels (I did wonder about installing the narrower mud-shedding wheels, that's bit me back), jamming in between the wheel and the cage, pulling the mech forward, and snapping my dropout (fortunately replaceable, and I have a spare at home).
Walking on the rough surface actually just emphasised how ridiculously 'off' road it was!
Really nice route though.
All Photos-179 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
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