Distance: 98.5 miles / 158.5 km
Elevation: 6,955 feet / 2,120 m
Time: 12 hours and 43 minutes (8 hours and 54 minutes cycling)
My hotel room had no air con so I had to have the window open. I was not sleeping that great anyway, but then the foxes started to have intercourse. At 7am I decided I’d heard enough.
This early start gave me the possibility of doing one much longer day and having Monday to rest. I very much had an open mind when I set off. The only realistic option would be a pub, which looked to have plenty of availability. I decided I could sample a pint before making my decision.
The ride to Loch Tay
The route to Loch Tay first followed the River Tay for nearly 15 miles along quiet roads. Again, NCN route 7 was great here and I saw little traffic along the route.
It was another day of slow progress, largely because of the head wind and my tiredness. At one point a group of cyclists said I was a great wind break – I am going to assume they mean because of my panniers and not my width. Compared to them I did feel really slow – I think my body is close to being maxed out right now.
The group of cyclists recommended a place for me to get some food and drink on the shore of Loch Tay. They directed me down a small road, which I was convinced was a dead end. Thankfully they weren’t pulling my leg, and The Paper Boat came in to view at the last second.
I had chosen to cycle the southern perimeter road of Loch Tay. This was mostly because Komoot suggested it was the quieter of the two – and so it proved to be. Rather annoyingly, one of the only cars I saw on the road was an angry man in a Land Rover. He predictably gave me a good bollocking for holding him up for mere seconds.
The Falls of Dachort
At the western edge of Loch Tay I arrived in Killin. Situated here are the Falls of Dachort, which are a long stretch of river rapids. They’d make a great course at Alton Towers.
Falls of Dochart, Killin
Unfortunately after this, there had been a serious car accident and the road I intended to ride on was closed. The diversion was jam packed but I had some good alternative (traffic free) options. The only problem was that I’d have to ride some of the closed road, and I was worried the police would not allow it. Luckily there were a few locals in the same situation, and they did their best at convincing them it was the best option.
Whilst it was a little gravelly, the views over Loch Earn and the last of the Cairngorms more than made up for it.
Soon I was in Strathyre – at the pub I was thinking of staying in this evening. I quickly ordered their very best pint of beer (their words), but sadly it tasted like it had been about since before the first lockdown started. Food was also cancelled tonight – the only options in the whole village were crisps or nuts. My decision to stall was probably a good one.
All options after this point were a bit too close to the end. I had a bit of a dilemma because I was quite tired and my body was aching. Ultimately I decided to carry on because I did not want another bad nights sleep and my ‘fresh’ clothes were a bit foisty after the rain on days 1&2.
Trossachs Trail
As I neared the end of the route I decided to tack on the Trossachs Trail. I sort of wish I didn’t bother with that because all it seemed to add was another climb (Duke’s Pass) I really could have done without. After losing my pannier rack briefly yesterday, my rear derailleur had started to miss-shift and I could only get in to my easiest gear maybe one time in twenty attempts. I had been using it a fair bit today. So when that gear worked I tried to keep in it, switching the front derailleur to give myself two options. This made the last few hills either too easy or too hard most of the time – but I managed to get by.
Tigh Mor Trossachs
By the end of the ride, the aches I had become used to on audax had made a very unwelcome return. It was becoming a real struggle, though as soon as I saw my car I was buzzing with what I’d managed to achieve. It’s been really hard, especially those last 2 days, but it’s a job well done ?
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