Caliban and Hilda's excellent Arran adventure

[Coulomb]

You have me hooked. Care to share details?

The search button is your friend :

Thread 'Lightweight e-bikes, capabilities and transport'

Oct 6, 2024

Split from the thread in the MG4 forum about sleeping in the MG4. Derail (caused by me!) split to its own thread.

The completely different story is that I have just ordered this.



I decided it was the e-bike I wanted after seeing a rewiew of it on the Fully Charged Show, and after trying out a different e-bike at the Everything Electric Show in Harrogate. I wasn't thinking much about taking it in the car, as I thought - and still think - that a folding e-bike might be necessary for that, or else fit a bike rack that needs a towbar, and now we're getting beyond what I...

• Rolfe
• Replies: 243
• Forum: General Chat Forum

• 

 

[Archev]

@Archev, that deer looks as though it had eyes on your bike, riding off into the sunset with a dandelion flower behind its ear!

Oh no - - Vennisgone ?

 

[Rolfe]

The search button is your friend :

Thread 'Lightweight e-bikes, capabilities and transport'

Oct 6, 2024

Split from the thread in the MG4 forum about sleeping in the MG4. Derail (caused by me!) split to its own thread.

The completely different story is that I have just ordered this.



I decided it was the e-bike I wanted after seeing a rewiew of it on the Fully Charged Show, and after trying out a different e-bike at the Everything Electric Show in Harrogate. I wasn't thinking much about taking it in the car, as I thought - and still think - that a folding e-bike might be necessary for that, or else fit a bike rack that needs a towbar, and now we're getting beyond what I...

• Rolfe
• Replies: 243
• Forum: General Chat Forum

• 

Crikey, that's a very long story of mind-changing and mission creep!

Leading , eventually, to vast expense.

 

[Rolfe]

I have risen. I am shining.

I have retreated inside the car with my muesli and grapefruit juice, because it's only 5°C.

Hilda is not the only bike here, but most of the cars and vans have canoes on their roofs. That beach, I suppose.

 

[Archev]

I have risen. I am shining.

View attachment 46243

I have retreated inside the car with my muesli and grapefruit juice, because it's only 5°C.

Hilda is not the only bike here, but most of the cars and vans have canoes on their roofs. That beach, I suppose.

Not another table cloth (slaps forehead). I can see I’ll need to up my game around here

 

[Rolfe]

It's the same tablecloth. Following a wee bit of bleach to fix the damage caused by the crack in my beaker after I dropped it on tarmac, and then some tea leaked out. Amazingly, the crack in the beaker was fixed by a strip of sellotape. Dishwasher proof, too.

Talking of tea, time for.

The tablecloth, and the folding chair, are both ancient. Especially the tablecloth. Both belonged to my mother. Colour match with Caliban is purely coincidental.

 

[MG Clive]

View attachment 46243

If somebody leaned a bike against the front of my car I'd cut their arms off.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm very careful. It has to be that way to get the locking cable round both wheels.

 

[Archev]

I'm very careful. It has to be that way to get the locking cable round both wheels.

Of course in Applecross my security was a bungee cord to the deer fence admittedly my bike was probably a lot cheaper than Hilda

 

[Rolfe]

I've used small trees, but nothing to hand here.

 

[Rolfe]

First rest stop in Glen Sannox. (North Glen Sannox actually.) I've got quite a long way up.

A guy on an ordinary bike laden with luggage just passed me, going great guns.

 

[Archev]

First rest stop in Glen Sannox. (North Glen Sannox actually.) I've got quite a long way up.

View attachment 46253

A guy on an ordinary bike laden with luggage just passed me, going great guns.

It’s a really beautiful glen enhanced wonderfully by that fine coat of silk emulsion you’ve finished the sky with

 

[Rolfe]

I got to the top with only two breathers and no walking.

Currently sitting on the grass leaning on Lochranza castle eating lunch.

Unfortunately it looks as if the circular route is out because the road across middle of the island is closed. A bridge has collapsed, apparently, and my current information is that not even bikes can get past.

Even more unfortunately the road gradient is steeper in the other direction, so there is walking in my future. It was fun coming down it though.

 

[Giller]

I got to the top with only two breathers and no walking.

View attachment 46254

Currently sitting on the grass leaning on Lochranza castle eating lunch.

View attachment 46255

Unfortunately it looks as if the circular route is out because the road across middle of the island is closed. A bridge has collapsed, apparently, and my current information is that not even bikes can get past.

Even more unfortunately the road gradient is steeper in the other direction, so there is walking in my future. It was fun coming down it though.

Enjoying this, you’re getting great weather and some stunning scenery.

 

[Rolfe]

The ferry to Kintyre is in. This is the way to go for the "five ferries" bike tour. That takes a couple of days and it's a bit beyond my ambitions.

Now at Catacol. I was told once that the first floor gable windows in that row of cottages are all different so that the fishermen could tell which ones were lit. Might have been something to do with signalling who was back safe?

A delivery driver told me that the closed road will be open for a little while tomorrow but then closed again, to reopen fully on Friday. Just my luck. If it's so nearly fixed there's probably a good chance a bike could get past, but he also showed me exactly where it is, and it's only about a mile before you get into Brodick. AFTER coming down a very steep hill. If I took a chance and didn't get past I'd be up shit creek without a paddle. Prudence says go on to Pirnmill, six miles on from Lochranza, then go back via Glen Sannox again.

 

[Rolfe]

Pirnmill, looking out west over the Kilbrannan Sound to Kintyre.

Looking more closely at the map, the String Road, the one that's closed, doesn't look like a barrel of laughs either. It actually reaches a higher elevation than the road through North Glen Sannox and some of the contours are distressingly close together. So all in all I'm probably best just turning here and retracing my steps. Or rather tyre tracks.