As spotted on the Spotted thread - something to do with this site's fascination with Surlies. (Even I spotted one today.)
http://mull2muckle.blogspot.co.uk
A Tom Morton production.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Mull2Muckle: The Scottish end-to-end
(32 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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...and the bike DOES have mudguards!
Does anyone have any exerience of that Stranraer-Ayr section, either on the A77, which looks terrible for ferry traffic, ofr how long it takes to go via Newton Stewart...
Posted 12 years ago # -
@shetlandic (Tom?) Then the picture on the blog needs updating ;-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
I used to cycle along the A77 going to school and as far south as Maybole regularly but that was in the '80s. It's not that bad and has the advantage of going along the coast with the prevailing southwesterly at your back. I'd be happy to use it but I might not be representative. It has average speed cameras on it but you don't want a Volvo truck to hit you even if it's following the limit.
In north Ayrshire you can go via Irvine, Kilwinning, Beith, Lochwinnoch. There is even a safer signed cycle route there but I haven't used it for years.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@shetlandic, I'm hoping to cycle in those parts later this year, re-enacting Kirkpatrick Macmillan's journey to Govan. I've been advised by a Dumfries cyclist to contact the local branch of CTC: they know the roads around there and can advise on the more cycle-friendly options. Some of them may even come along for a section of your ride to keep you company.
http://www.dandgcycling.org.uk - Jim Cowan, Chair, may be the person to contact initially.
P.S.:- the only time I was on the ferry road was in the back of a car, we were running late for the boat and the driver was taking hellish risks and driving too fast. We had to shout at him to slow down. That's a while ago now but I daresay it still goes on. Maybe time your departure to avoid motorists rushing to catch the ferry?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thanks folks. I may just go for it on the A77.
Blog now updated with a current picture!Posted 12 years ago # -
Wow our first celeb forum member. Welcome Tom great to see you posting.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Wow our first celeb forum member"
Define celeb.
This site has all sorts of people - some a bit tooo shy to reveal themselves...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Lol, good to see it with 'guards ;-) You must be a tall chap with that frame, looks totally different to mine (also 26" wheels).
Don't worry about the quick rider leaving you, just ensure large weights carried and get him on the hills using your lower gearing ;-)Good to see you on here though, hope you enjoy the forum and find it useful. Zazou next Friday??
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Zazou next Friday"
Long way from Shetland.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Long way from Shetland", true, but it is also a long haul trucker ;-). Anyway, for all I know Shetlandic may be, by strange happenchance down here on business, so I thought I'd ask, just in case :-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Anyway, for all I know Shetlandic may be, by strange happenchance down here on business"
True, but more likely at Pacific Quay than Edinburgh Quay!
Posted 12 years ago # -
This site has all sorts of people - some a bit tooo shy to reveal themselves...
Well a celeb who has enough confidence in themselves to openly identify themselves.
Posted 12 years ago # -
From popping up and down the A77 to my parents (beyond Stranraer), the A77 might be hairy in places - there is some shared use pavement stretches between Stranraer and Cairnryan that might be useful (rural, not many junctions, few pedestrians), but some of the twisty sections would be onroad, without much room to pass safely. Oddly enough the straight sections, and the bits that could already be used for overtaking, have been improved and widened, but not the tricky corners...
It might be worthwhile peeling off the A77 at Turnberry and falling the coast up into Ayr, rather than proceeding inland at that point, but the twisty bits are before that, north of Cairnryan, south of Ballantrae and south of Girvan.
Ah, now not sure which direction you're going, so reverse the above if you're heading south!
Robert
Posted 12 years ago # -
Heading north, Roibeard, so good advice. Thinking might go to Newton Stewart after all and then go via GlenLuce to Girvan.
Thanks for all the other thoughts. Alas, won't be at Zazou, but will wobbling about Glasgow for a week from the 8th on a Mezzo D9.
Just saw two fully-loaded Brompton tourists in Shetland today, BTW. In Saharan conditions for these here parts.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Leaving the A77 at Turnberry and hugging the coast lets you take in the Electric Brae at Croy.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
Tom Morton (@thebeatcroft)
4/5/12 9:21 AM
Right, preparing for trip south to @invernesswhisky Glasgow and recce for Mull2Muckle cycling trip. Unfold the Mezzo (bike)!
"
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hi folks - now going via Edinburgh, and there will be a live gig aspect...The Fairly Good Show on 12 June:
Posted 11 years ago # -
just missing the bike breakfast in city chambers courtyard on 16.06.12 - which means rain of course. Jimmy McGregor used to do a lot of hill walking by helicopter. Now I am not suggesting Tom Morton would be doing this just that the route is a bit of a meander if it takes in bothe Edinburgh and Glasgow?. Not as bad as Bill Drummond's legendary Tour that he forced Echo and The Bunnymen to go on circa 1985 which led to them playing gigs only in towns or villages on ley lines. They played Stornoway to 18 people and a cat.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hey Genbo...no helicopters! Feel bad enough getting the boat from Aberdeen rather than via Orkney.
Anyway, new bike stuff up on the Mull2Muckle blog.
Only non-linear-time aspect, completed Lerwick-Toft section in advance due to radio commmitments during midsummer week, and will try to cover Yell this weekend.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm looking fwd to seeing you in Edinburgh.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Not as bad as Bill Drummond's legendary Tour"
Might be working for Cycling Scotland...
Bill Drummond standing in the Penkiln Burn, Minnigaff, Dumfries and Galloway, 2009. Photograph: Tracey Moberly
Posted 11 years ago # -
Read the article, he wants to interview barbers.i recommend sweary Jim of Dalry, just down from the mighty Ashton McCobb's Appellation Wines - the finest off licence ever to grace gorgie-Dalry. Jim is nine pounds for a good haircut which will include eyebrows if the mood takes him and one pound for the story.
Not sure why shetlandic's surly has 26 in wheels on an extra large frame but it is a free country, looking forward to checking out more of the blog when the tour kicks off
Bill Drummond once wrote a song Julian Cope Is Dead (I shot him in the head). Bill Drummond once tried to persuade JuliAn Cope to kill himself as it would help record sales (only one of these may be true, will get googling)
Posted 11 years ago # -
BD has a certain taste for threatening the extreme -
Posted 11 years ago # -
I heard it was more like £13000 that Drummond and Cauty burnt on Jura?
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Not sure why shetlandic's surly has 26 in wheels on an extra large frame"
Perhaps he purchased it with thoughts of a future trip to a more remote overseas location where 700c tyres and tubes are harder to come by...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Some places till have 27 inch tyres and tubes and then there are 650 mm ones.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Safely back home in Shetland, with only 15 miles to go to Muckle Flugga...
...apologies to anyone who turned up at the One World shop to say hallo at 4.00pm on 12 June. I was an hour and a half late. Million thanks to the determined few who waited.One or two things: I spent much of this trip fuming about the often ludicrous detours imposed by NCN routes, which I was trying to follow. The NCR1 through Dunfermline and Fife generally is just crazily long, high and obscure. Same in avoiding the A90 at Stonehaven further north.
And the cycle route on the Union canal from Falkirk seemed to me unsuitable for anything but a decent mountain bike, particularly under some of the bridges. Crumbling cobbles, deep mud and much less well maintained than the Forth and Clyde equivalent.
One thing to note: there IS an informal cycle path from Stonehaven to Portlethen beside the (east) side of the A90. But it starts at the furthest north end of Stonehaven, not at the A92 junction, and the first part if tricky. Walking for 45 minutes on a drainage ditch filled with chuckies, pushing a fully laden tourer in the face of speeding juggernauts was No Fun. But still saved at least an hour and a half over the NCR.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Well done!
Thanks for that info - lots for British Waterways, Sustrans, Fife Council and Keith Brown to think about-
If only...
Other info at https://twitter.com/thebeatcroft (and no doubt more on Radio Scotland between 2:30 and 4:00 this week.)
Posted 11 years ago # -
The forth and Clyde canal towpath is great from centre of Glasgow until Kirkintilloch. After that it is muddy (well it was last summer in wet conditions). the route actually improved from falkirkmto Edinburgh? I have cycled Falkirk to Edinburgh, many times on the union canal towpath so maybe I know what to look for? Again the surface becomes nice from Heriot watt to Lochrin basin, though as we have said on here quite busy after the aqueduct. Shetlandic did you spot the piping centre at Twechar? I came off the path for a while there as it was more like a river, the road was OK. I have found Sustrans routes to go round the houses for sure. They do sometimes avoid fairly quiet more direct routes, they often have no signs just when there should be more signs. Still good. Maybe one day the towpaths will join and be tarmacadam all the way. The Broughton Spurtle announced the Rodney St tunnel at cannon mills as the final part of the route 75 linking glaswegians to sunshine and civilisation (their words, not mine, I am from Renfrewshire). Anyway well done on your trip. I nearly took daveC up on his ticket but had scouts. If he had mentioned the wine tasting the scouts could have looked after themselves.
Posted 11 years ago #
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