Rewind 9 years ago; Cycling the Applecross Penulsia...

One of the best trails i first cycled was back 9 years ago on a road trip around the coast of Scotland.
Stopping a couple of nights at Applecross in Wester Ross,
Applecross Penulsia is surrounded by sea and only accessable by boat before the Alpine style `Belach Na Ba`  (Pass of the Cattle) drove road was tarmaced in 1962,  then becoming the highest maintained road in the UK.
The coast road around the Penulsia from Shieldaig to Applecross was later tarred in 1974,

Another track across the Penulsia is the old coffin road from Kenmore on the east side across the Penulsia to Applecross on the west side.  9 miles of barren exposed and isolated undulating well drained super buff single track, from its tops the views are stunning west across to the Isle of Skye, and across east to the Torridon Mountain Range.

Here is the film i made of the ride,
Really need to return and ride this again, on 29+ wheels!


biking the Applecross Peninsula from coastkid71 on Vimeo.


More soon...

the year of the pug

thats a year already since i got my pugsley,just before halloween,jake at `the hub in the forest`bike shop at glentress in the scottish borders finished building the monster
i hadnt seen one in the flesh so was expecting it to look mad having already seen the frameset,rims then tyres when they arrived but was bowled over when i walked into the shop and saw it,it was love as 1st sight... lol
a quick spin round the carpark and i knew i was onto something special here,i had thought i would have to trailer it everywhere to ride before the 1st test ride,thinking there would be massive drag with those huge wheels but feeling the acceleration and momentum once rolling around the carpark at glentress i knew this was going to be fun,it took an hour to get the bike on the rear car rack,tied on and out the carpark with all the folk coming over asking what it is,it used to take me about a minute to explain what it was originally made for,now ive got it down to about 8 seconds-"its a low enviroment impact floatation tyre bicycle for riding on snow and other soft terrain where normal bicycles would struggle" or i just say its an ATB(all terain bicycle) i actually prefer ATB to MTB anyway..,
once home with the pug and the word was out and all the usual suspects were round for a bit tyre kicking(plenty to kick)i rode to work next day amazed at its road speed (14mph average)and i had the biggest daftest grin while riding it,i also noticed returning home people in cars passing giving me the double look,i dont even notice now but park it up anywhere and it attracts a crowd,something im not used to being a bit (ahem)camera shy..so it was down to the local beach for its maiden beachride,i wont ever forget that feeling flying onto the beach and instead of doing a big endo and faceplant the bike just kept going!!,next night i made my first film to post on youtube...



so heres a few pics of great fun on the pugsley over the last year,and links to the films made at the time if you want to watch them-riding where maybe no-one else has (successfully),alot more to come too..
december-1st big beachride out to the WW2 midget submarines`s at aberlady bay...




a week of deep snow in febuary was ideal for a good snowride up the local lammermuir hills...



then the next day a frozen icy ride along the local garlton hills ridgeroad,
haha funny watching these 1st films again...




april-a massive 56 mile day over the cheviot hills on the border of scotland and england,soft peaty ground was ideal on the pugsley having slogged for miles up there before on normal bikes,the 2000 year old `dere street` is one of my all time favourite trails...









i stuck a camera on the pugsley fork above the 4" `endomorph` tyre film which has been a cool film with folk with the biggest youtube hits of my films...




june, summer hols included 6 days on the isle of harris in the western isles camping and cruiseing the west coast beaches,amazing...








if you like these pics or at work and want to kill time the full 17min film is here on vimeo...

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biking the western isles,isle of harris (unedited 17 mins) from coastkid71 on Vimeo.

july; applecross is one of my favourite places on the NW coast the coffin road track over the penulsia is a favourite trail...






july-this is my favourite ride on pugsley yet..4.30am sunrise beachride out to holy island, a 6 mile ride on sand with an amazing sunrise and sky,the film dosnt do it justice,wierd to be home from a day out biking at 10am!!!,this is going to be an annual bikeride for me now for sure,do a mid winter one too...













august i made a film down at nearby seacliff,has to be one of the most scenic beaches around with its tiny harbour,whit sand,and views of tantallon castle and the bass rock offshore it makes for the perfect evening/sunset beachride...






and lastly pugsley floats too!,yep..a floating bike which also holds a humans wieght,waters getting abit cold for this now but next year expect more watersports stuff...




1400 odd miles now on the pug.lots of smiles per miles and still as much fun..an amazing bike...

good holiday!

An amazing holiday...clear warm weather though a bit windy,the drive up through glencoe to Isle of Skye was breathtaking as always...









Quite cold at nights when out on the isle of Harris,i only stayed on Harris 6 nights instead of 10 cause my bike was a bit heavy so stuck to the beaches and didn't head up to do some of the old crofters trails in the N.E, corner of harris...
headed over to Applecross after a few days on Skye just to chill and do a bit riding...



Of course my frame bag arrived 2 days later!!,had been stuck in UK customs,i just fitted it this morning after washing the pugsley and have to say I'm very impressed with the quality and fit,all the tools,pump,tube are in the lower compartment now and theres still loads of room so its going to be very useful,thanks eric at epic designs!...