Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

Not all my kilometres - it had 24.000 when I bought it 4 years ago...

 

As Mrs D was working this morning and i had told her I'd take her out for lunch i thought i would go a run in the morning (about 140 mile round trip) and be home for 1.30, i decided to go to Rannoch station, so i took the Moulin Rd to Pitlochry, there was a big lorry with 6 cars stuck behind it so i Stopped off for 5 mins to let them get away, opposite where i parked there was an old ruin that I've noticed before so thought I'll take a walk up and have a look
no road up but i guess this was their front gate! you can just make out the roof and the chimney from the Rd


Needs a bit of work


Road through Moulin Moor to Pitlochry, now traffic free!


Once i got to Pitlochry i took the Queens View Rd to Tummel Bridge, then from there the Road to Kinloch Rannoch, from there it's about 18 miles to the end of the Rd where Rannoch Station is (one of the remotest Train Stations in Scotland)

Couple of Pics of Loch Rannoch




Rannoch Station


Train on it's way to Fort William


Lovely food at the café (closed Thursday and Fridays)


Couldn't resist a banana split


According to this sign it's only 12 miles to Glen Coe (walking) 80 miles by road


i could have spent a lot longer out on the bike as it was a beautiful day, i Just made it back in time to take Mrs D out, so I'm in the good books

 

Another great set of pictures and ride report Dougie....

 

I've done the loop of Loch Rannoch, but I've never been to Rannoch Station before, on a sunny day like today its great and at this time of year the roads were quiet

 

That must have been glorious in that weather- I've obviously been on Rannoch Moor, but have never done the loop. It's a dead end to the station?

 

Yeah that's the end of the road,anybody getting off the train there will need someone to collect them as no buses or taxis there!

 

I seem to remember the old inlaws saying they stayed there once in winter. It's supposed (or was) to be gorgeous.

 

Let's hope the weather is as good in May when we arrive in Scotland (only a few weeks now)

 

Sounds like a great name for a bar !

 

It won't have changed much Wim, apart from the Loch Ranoch Hotel and all its holiday apartments, its huge you can see some of them overlooking the loch in one of the pics of the Loch I put up

 

@Mrs Visor that’s my second visit and yes I agree, it’s a great spot. Not exactly local to me, but some great roads between here and there so will be going again!

 

Rode in a cortege/convoy from Melton Mowbray to Loughborough Crematorium to celebrate the life of Dr.. James D Booth BA(Hons), MSc (distinction), PhD, DM who died recently from MND.
There were around 30 motorbikes, some from the Fosse Riders and the rest recruited by social media several of us attended the service in the crematorium which will be webcast on https://watch.obitus.com username: cayi7062 password 573547

 

As usual, outstanding photos and informative ride report, @Dougie D. I especially loved the photos of Loch Ranch, the train (how did you get that great shot from above?), and--last but certainly not least--the banana split. So....you had your dessert before lunch with Mrs. D then.

 

Your ride log sound manageable and useful--and motivating! I think you'll be surprised by how fast the miles add up, @Mrs Visor. Especially for someone such as yourself who clearly loves to ride at every opportunity. Day by day--mile by mile.

 

There's a bridge you have to walk over to get to the platform that's where i took the photo of the train from
yeah i skipped the dessert at lunchtime, I'm trying to watch what i eat!
Photo from Google

 

Does that work, Dougie?

 

Jumped on the Triple and nipped over to Rachel’s (girlfriend) to sit in the garden and enjoy some late Yorkshire sun. Which is like the normal sun but colder.

 

Thanks for the photos and update, @Dawsy! Looks like you and your new bike are getting acquainted and so far getting along quite well. Out of curiosity, what is the weight difference between your new bike and the old one?

 

First proper ride of 2022 and what a lovely day its been, the ride was a bit of a curates egg (good in parts). I often ride with two to four local friends, usually sitting in the middle while Paul leads on his Bobber. Today I volunteered to lead, so I could test out my new Beeline, hmmmm.

The idea was to meet at the Four Ways café this morning (Bacon and Egg Roll and a Hot Chocolate to wake me up and energise me) and then ride to Ruthin and from there follow the Denbigh Loop route from the 2nd edition of the Bikers Britain book. (Programming the route last night was challenging (2hrs) and I discovered the Beeline is designed for A to B rides rather than loops).

Half way to Ruthin the Beeline starts trying to take me home, but I eventually got us to Llandudno for fish and chips on the sea front, lovely and we didn't get mugged by seagulls and there was even dedicated Motorcycle parking with space for all five of us!

Giving up on the original plan, I decided to programme the return leg to take us back to Llangollen via the A5 where we could grab a cuppa and then continue East to Whitchurch and take the A49 North back towards the Sandiway Shell garage (We all live within a few miles of there). But the Beeline took us back to Ruthin, with several weird changes of road which seemed to be caused by it not coping fast enough with compound junctions or just not recognising that we were going round a roundabout! (Is it the Beeline or is it my old iPhone SE?)

So at Ruthin we head off on the A525 & A542 to Llangollen thinking we'll stop at the Ponderosa Cafe on the Horseshoe Pass only to find the speed limit has been dropped to 40mph (boring) on the Horseshoe Pass and having parked up at the Ponderosa in front of that lovely view (see photo to prove it happened) we walk in only to be told they're closing. Oh Well.



So reprogramme the Beeline again for a quick return home via Old Stores (maybe they'll still be open (they weren't)) and the Chester ring road (A55) to the A51 back towards Sandiway. 145miles in total.

What have I learned?
1) The low speed handling course I took last September (organised by Bennet's at Oulton Park) combined with the Bikesafe course I took last July have done wonders for my confidence, thinking and skills. Considering this was the first ride in 4 months there were no dramas. I'm tired but the tucked up riding position of my Street Cup was only becoming an issue as I arrived at Sandiway.

2) Leading a group is challenging, watching behind to make sure you can still see 4 bikes, whilst checking the Beeline to make sure you're on course and know what you're doing next, and actually staying observant and safe on twisting Welsh roads exercises the grey matter.

Fortunately we string out when we ride, so I've no worries about idiotic undertakes or overtakes but it also makes stopping at and leaving junctions a drawn-out affair checking that everyone is still with you.

3) I love my Street Cup, just the right tool for the A and B roads we were on today: It's probably a little slower steering than a Street Triple but it confidently goes and stays where you want it (except for a couple of occasions when the Pirellis suggested otherwise). It has just the right amount of torque at just the right time and wants to swing round bends.

All in all a positive ride in lovely weather and great scenery; if you squinted at the Sea at Llandudno it was blue enough to make you think you were by the Med.

My next turn to lead is in a month's time (then it'll be the Peak District around Matlock Bath) , hopefully I'll understand the Beeline better. But I'm sure weather permitting it'll be another fun ride.

I'm so glad my wife let me return to biking.

Stay safe and enjoy the ride.

 

What a lovely remote area that is, I camped one night near the station when out on my 765

What a lovely remote area that is, I once camped near the station when having a wander on my 765