Monday 20 July 2015

Broughton Weekend....




Friday affy and looked like some wild weather coming as clouds towered high on the road home from work....



But the weather could do what it want`s as now on 2 weeks holidays!,
Bike ready for the weekend and as always on the Friday evening of a holiday time for a cider!!!
A Westons 8.2% hit the spot nicely...


Bag packed i cycled up to Francis`s who was also packed and had the horse trailer hitched up,  and we were soon away for a weekend in the Scottish Borders...


And a fun weekend at Broughton for the Horse Endurance event.  Francis was vetting both days, so after pitching the tent between the crazy rain showers we stayed dry that night, then on Saturday when F vetted i went and rode the Sunday route, it was a superb 30km loop with fantastic scenery!. After a great meal washed down with lots of red wine Sunday i De marked the Saturday 30km ride. despite the couple of heavy showers and pushing on the steep stuff it was again a great off road cycle,
A top weekend!...



The rain and wind was a bit wild on the Friday evening as the tent rocked about but stayed upright!,  Saturday i went for a cycle on the Sunday 30km route after first cycling ahead of the first horses on today's Saturday loop to untie some gates on the old railway line to Bigger...


I was caught by the first rider Gill before the last gate so turned round and headed back to the village and followed the markers to check the Sunday 30km loop with a marker spray tin in my back pack in case anything was needed re marked after the previous nights rain...





Onto the Sunday 30km route and descending through fields i followed the old railway line along the Bigger water then the river Tweed....


Fishing bothy...


Great views, and must have been great to come along these routes in the old steam trains...


Joining the road above  it was through a lovely Oak tree lined old road into Fogo Castle estate...





And a couple of loops around here on the rough roads-ideal and easy going on the Surly KramPug 29+ wheels...





Another view of that old ruin cottage...


Leaving the estate grounds was a superb downhill gravel road with big hairpins that were fun on the bike!....


But had to stop for a pic of the superb views...


A climb through a pine wood seen a short but very steep climb i pushed up to join the John Buchan Way, a 13km route from Peebles to Broughton,
More info here on who he was; Wiki page

Then it was onto superb trails with ace views...






Looking back to a superb descent!...


Then it was a easy looking but tough long climb into a fierce headwind that seen me blown off in a gust as we crossed the saddle between Clover Law and Hammer  Head hill!...


Was a superb descent down here even if into a gale!...





Reaching the road i took a pic of this sign at the public car park, as this is properly worded, unlike may signs for dogs access in the countryside...



Saturday evening we had a great meal in the village hall and plenty red wine  which was slept off...
then Sunday i went and de marked Saturdays 30km ride...


It included some loops so i had to ride the full 4 miles of old railway line to Bigger, then via a footpath on my map i joined a country road that i back tracked to then drop down and back up again on two joining trails to the old railway...



Looking across to Bigger...


With this done i dumped all the marker poles and post signs and then had a big hike-a-bike up and around Gooseland Hill...


And another big shower passed over as i gathered more canes...


The cane markers are a pain to carry on the bike bit at least i could leave them all once down to the roadside...


And were were soon off on the loop around White hill a bit lighter again!...



Views up here were again lovely...



With loads more canes we soon descended to the road and i picked up the first load i left, leaving only one set for a car to pick up and cruised back on the roads...


That's a load of canes! lol

A great weekend and fun trails too!

Weekend bonus!;
Then dropped off at home with bike, and some stuff was left by good friend Gary B who must have popped by, Gary had said he had some spokes from previous Surly builds he has done that he would drop off, which he did, along with some bikes parts that would be vey usefull was also a wheel truing stand!!
How nice is that of Gary!, all this will get put to good use on my Surly builds/rebuilds!...








More soon...

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