65.3km: 962m assent: 939m highest point: 7hrs 20 riding time
Punctures 4: Stacks 0
We covered a lot of distance very fast up to the foot of Mount Keen. There was rain forecast for the day, so we felt the team picture should reflect the very clean nature of us and bikes after 6 days of riding...
The clag was definitely down today, a view from our highest point of the trip was not going to happen, but quite literally push on we did - for 2 hours.
The accent of Mount Keen was not easy pushing, boulders made rolling the bike difficult and the gravel made it tough underfoot. The wondering of whether it will be worth it and the hope of the track down being better was passing though our minds. A wee dram or 2 on the way up eased the situation...
The rain and the wind and set in - we layer up and started the decent, to start with there were very short sections which were not worth the risk of riding and a few drainage ditches which were a bit too large. But it was looking better than the track we ascended on.
Then this happened...
All hands to the deck, the change was rapid and we were back on the track again... for all of about 30 seconds, when the same happened. This time we took it slower, making sure we hadn't pinched the tube or under-inflated.
Feeling very chilly by this point we carried on, I slowed down - a little - but not enough. Not even a minute had passed and it went again. Getting a bit narked by this point, we checked the tyre again, the rim and put in the 3rd inner tube. We checked and double checked it wasn't being pinched and I decided I would rather wear out the brake pads than get another flat. So off to go at snail pace.
We managed a couple of mins, stopped, looked back, only to see Matt walking his bike down hill. Expecting the worst, it was just another flat. No bother!
Having left the drainage ditches behind, despite only having 1 spare tube left, it was decided this best bit of downhill on the trip, should be ridden properly. So off came the brakes (as much as possible) and we hooned it down, it even had intermittent single rollers which made jumps a dream. By the end of it the air was filled with the smell of burning brakes.
We were pleased to see the road again, it had been a long time getting to this point. A refuel with both food and a dram and we were off for the final, very long ride to Brechin.
We felt in need of a pub meal, our first venue was not the right scene, bizarrely playing dance music at 5pm. But we found a very accommodating pub which allowed us to put the bikes around the back and lit the fire on for us. A large pot of tea and a 2 course meal later and we were ready to take on the final 3km to our couch surfers hosts' house.
Thinking we were in the wrong place, about to turn away and an awkward moment of them knowing who we were but us not knowing who they were, we were welcomed to their home. The bikes went in the garage and the wet gear into the laundry to dry. We sat in our smelly clothes having wine and whiskey and talking about past and future adventures. Julia and Paul, who have just retired had a very strong ethos of just go and do it (the things on the bucket list) now, before its too late.
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