A couple of years back, when I was running in the T7, I realised I needed to get some decent miles in ahead of the booked first service. A fair forecast mid week led me to ride into work and leave sharp for what would be a 250 mile run round various Perthshire B and A roads (and a few singetrackers.) It had never occurred to me to do this previously, typically going out, along with everyone else, at the weekends, or at least during the day on holidays. And it led to a revelation - once rush hour died down, most if not all people would sit down to tea and the TV. So the roads were empty, and I mean empty. Miles round the Loch Rannoch road and yet I encountered not a single car. It got pretty chilly as the sun went down, this being April, but a seed was sown.
I've repeated this may times since, sometimes on runs south to visit Mum and Dad on one of many back road routes, and sometimes post work.
The CRF took a turn last year too. Evenings are also a great time to bag a few green lanes when the usual suspects are all at home.
This week I've been off work and for a change, my leave coincided with a stunning week. My current medical shenanigans precluded the planned long distance bike ride, so I headed south instead. I'd already scored a trip south and a run around Loch Rannoch, both finishing in the dark, so this one would be in the daylight and hopefully warmer. As per I did my favourite road south of the Forth, the ace B709, including the lumpy bumpy section on the approach to Eskdalemuir (fab cafe and Tibetan monastery.) After Langholm, more B road fun follows - the B6318 is also devoid of traffic and is a fine mix of bends, straights and front wheel elevating humps and bumps. I even found time to score a well used trail near Kielder. Home was a variation on the above, including the B7068 - another cracker as well as the B7016, likewise.
Then later in the week, I hopped on the Yam once more for a route saved in my GPX folder as 'Deeside Thrash.' Oh yes.
In summary - head east to Fettercairn, by various means, do the Cairn O' Mounth over to Deeside, score some fab B and C roads north then west, pick up the ever wonderful A97, Then A93 over the bump back into Perthshire, cut west to Pitlochry, do a lap of Loch Rannoch then home via Aberfeldy, Amulree, Sma and a few more C roads.
330 miles and away from the main roads, BA traffic. In fact on leaving the A90 at North Water, I overtook only two cars all the way to Deeside. I departed Braemar at normal persons tea time so the A93 was deserted and The loop round Loch Rannoch saw only three overtakes. The whole of the south road, Schiehallion road and the excellent descent to Coshieville was traffic free.
Thanks to the mega winter, there is still a lot of snow about - the line right of Schiehallion's summit looked like it would be a peach to ski. Not much run out though...
As well as the truly wonderful Loch Rannoch Road, two others stood out: 'The Lords Throat' north of, and parallel to, the A944 and actually alongside the River Don. This is single track and very bendy but a fab wee road providing fun at under 40mph. And also the A97, which between Huntly and Deeside appears to be devoid of traffic at any time of day, any time of year. It's surface is nigh on race track standard, and there is barely a straight on it. Just watch out for the bends south of Kildrummy which come up of a sudden, lack any form of bend warning signs and tighten up...
I rolled into the drive at 9pm, having left at 2, the evening chill just beginning to seep into my torso.
Obviously there are some downsides, the first being (in early Spring), lowering temps as the sun sets. But of more concern is the low sun, which was blinding me on the North Loch Rannoch road, so much caution was needed, and kamikaze deer who abound at this time of year and have zero road sense. A few wildcards are also a worthy of note: locals who don't expect to see anyone else and drive accordingly (i.e. on the wrong side of the road), post winter gravel which is invisible on sun dappled roads under the trees and forestry trucks being driven by maniacs (March and April is logging season in Scotland)
not sure when my next opportunity for an evening razz will be as the weather is about to change (again) and I'm off round the South of Ireland later this month. It will be just a case of grabbing an opportunity when it comes...
