Planning - never my strong pointI've usually just stuffed everything I think I might need in the car and set off, only later finding with minutes to go before the ferry leaves that I can't physically pick up the rucksack. To cycle the Hebrides I realised that some thought and preparation might go a long way.
Following Ken's kit lists and using my backpacking experience, I picked out all my lightweight gear, my most windproof tent and made a list of requirements for sustaining life. I also bought some maps, books, cycle magazines and thought about joining a gym. It'd been 25 years since I'd owned a bike (a yellow Puch road bike with 27" wheels and 5 gears). I read Patrick Fox's excellent online account of his 'Outer Hebrides Cycling Tour' from Stornoway to Lochboisdale in 1997. It was Patrick's advice that it would be better to cycle from south to north due to the prevailing winds that persuaded me to start in Oban. 'A few Day's in the Outer Hebrides' is a very interesting online description of Ehud Reiter's windy cycling journey from Stornoway returning via Skye, hence the windproof tent choice. I then found ' "Chain Gang" - cycling the Outer Hebrides' where Simon Willis cycled from Tarbert to Lochboisdale and returned to Lochmaddy by bus, thereby starting and finishing on Skye. I'd never thought of using the bus and owe thanks to Simon for highlighting this option. My brother John kindly offered to transport me and the bike to Oban in his Renault Scenic, the plan being to return home from Ullapool by train. The ability to travel back south using the bus service on the Islands however, meant that I could drive myself there and leave the car in Oban. I was fortunate to have a tow bar on the car as this made fitting a bike rack relatively simple. Driving 300 miles with a bike strapped to the back of the car was in itself a daunting prospect.
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2007 kit list: |
2008 changes:Best item: |
Then the waiting was finally over and the adventures began.
Made on a Mac |