Carron Valley on the web

Just in case you may wish to visit their site http://www.carronvalley.org.uk/

Scott to answer you queries as best I can.

Hi Scott. Glad you were able to make contact through this blog. You asked what the weather can be like in early June. Like most parts of the world we are experiencing very faried changes in the weather patterns. June over the last few years has gone from being fairly cool with lots of showers in 2000,2001 and 2002. To being very wet in 2003 but warm. again 2004 we had some fairly cool weather. But 2005 June was a warm and dry month, but so was the summer last year. Our day light hours a very long with light up until late evening 10p.m. ish. In Scotland hikers and walkers will carry light wear gear but will also carry good outer shell rain wear. They also carry some light gloves and head wear just in case the temp falls. But what can I say be prepared for the worst and enjoy the best.

A very wet Monday. The opening of the Carron Valley MB trails

My self, Colin and Prasad, another cyclist from Callander,attended the opening of these trails today. The weather started of where it left of yesterday, wet. We arrived fairly early at the CP and sat in the van waiting for the rain to change into something more pleasant, fat chance. So after changing the rear tire on my trusty stead we set of on the trails. With no previous knowledge of the set up we followed the trial signs, easy to follow clear directions so we had no bother. The trails turned out to be fairly to very challenging over all with some bits giving me in particular a lot more of a challenge. Not a good day for me, had this heavy breathing problem that comes with over eating and the like.
The trails are said to resemble a shamrock shape with all of them ending on an inbound trail which is has lots of humps,double humps banks and sharp corners. With a small tented village including Red Bull hospitality tent at the end. This is where all the dignitaries and officials spent there time. Lots of photographers there doing their stuff so there should be a few wild pict's in the MB and local press. By the way the weather cleared and it turned out a good day. Colin.

Walking in Scotland

Walking in Scotland
Hi Scott, Colin form bike and hike here. Looks like a fine blog you have developed for your trip. The Rob Roy Way is less well known than the West Highland Way Scotland's most well known long distance trail. The RRW way travels through some great country and crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, a geological fault, that marks the transition from the lowlands to the highlands just north of Callander at the Leny Pass. This route has been a traditional route for a long time and is named after the area and the river Leny which passes through it. The majority of the route is now within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first national park.
The route also coincides with a cycling route, Lochs and Glens North, Glasgow to Inverness, which is part of our national cycle network for some of the way. I look forward to meeting you and your son on your trip. All the best Colin. bike and hike services.

Loch Ecke

Sunday 26 March
A trip in the wet. As part of the Glasgow City Council ' On Yer Bike Trips' programme. We set of from Bellahouston Park at 9.30 am. The weather In Glasgow was dull but fine. As we drove north it got worse and even more. By the time we got to Arrochar, discussions about what we be doing began to focus on short trips. By the time we arrived and the Benmore Gardens coffee shop we had decided to get on the bikes no matter what. The coffee and scones set us up well. We all dressed in full wet weather gear set of up the western side of the Loch. It is a dirt track, forestry road all the way from Benmore to Glenbranter some 10 miles plus farther on. There were a few small breaks in the weather so we did manage to see some good views although they were all a very wet and cloudy looking.
More by default, than an active decision we were on the main road heading south and back to Benmore. The main road was not all busy. We did adopt a defensive cycling grouping with myself sitting out from the others, one of whom was a little apprehensive about road cycling, most of the way.
It is obvious by the amount of road kill that this is a fast road for traffic and would not be advisable for cycling in the high season.
After removing our soaked outer shells another visit to the coffee shop with 20 plus very wet miles under our wheels and arriving back at Bellahouston at about 17.00 pm. A wet trip but every one enjoyed it. Colin.

What's on over the next few months

Now that spring has sprung we are now receiving a lot more new enquiries and bookings each day for all our services. The outdoor fever has now arrived and there seems to be a lot of people suffering from it. Here is how it is effecting us up until the middle of April.

Sunday- 26th March- Glasgow-On Yer Bike Trips programme - To Loch Eck area.
Monday- 27th March- Carron Valley Mountain Bike Trails official opening. Will be going along with a few others from Callander. M/bikers requested to attend to give these routes and this area a good start.

Saturday- 1st April- Glasgow-A day for Families and children- introducing biking/cycling Victoria park.
Sunday- 2nd April- Glasgow-On Yer Bike Trips programme - Women Only Trip to the Aberfoyle/ Callander area.
Monday- 3rd April- Glasgow- Culture and Leisure services Outdoor Team Easter Break Programme- This programme is run for Youth Projects from throughout the city. It consists of a total of 9 day trips in 2 blocks-one of 6 days 3rd to 8th. and another 3 days on the 13th, 14th and 17th.
Sunday 8th April is the Sustrans organisations National Signing Day. Volunteer Rangers from all over the country will be checking on the signs and direction posts on the National Cycle Routes and updating them where necessary.
Sunday the 8th also sees the start of our first booking for baggage transfer services on the Rob Roy Way this year. A father and son from Bishopbriggs. All the best for your expedition.
Thursday 13 and Friday 14th April second part of the Youth Projects programme for Glasgow City.
Tuesday 18th to 20th April, Celtic EducationTrust and Glasgow City Active Steps programme. 3 days of introducing Young People to Mountain Biking using Pollock Parks, mountain biking trails. 6 groups will receive a half days introduction/instruction to off road cycling. This part of a larger programme where the young people are introduced to a number of sports and other topics in an educational group work programme.
Thursday 20th We return to St Mungo's Ac and the bike club for a work shop on trail side bicycle maintenance in preparation for a long spring and summer of cycling.

St Mungo,s to Glasgow Green

Today's diary. An introductory session for 11 young girls from various schools in the east end of Glasgow. We all met at St Mungo's Ac, at 10.00 am got kited up. The session started with some input on the use of observation skills being the most important part of cycling and safety. We then moved on to the sizing of bikes. Then on to the bikes them selves. A few circuits around the upper playground gave us an idea of how the girls were at the basics. We then moved on to the lower play ground and did some work on changing gears and then we were of to Glasgow Green lead by constable Geoff Smith. These in school initiatives are organised by cycle cops from the Strathclyde-Force so we had 3 Police escorts on the short route to the green through the streets, it's a strange experience for a long time serving cyclist to have the traffic stopped to ensure your passage through the busy streets of Glasgow. But it did feel good to have motorists being very cautious when they approached me/us, for a change.
In the green we completed a figure of 8 circuit using the down hills in the park to encourage the good use of brakes. The green has an old cycling proficiency course of mini junctions and a roundabout as well as a BMX course, good stuff to help in developing skills.
The emphases was on observation, control, braking, stopping, starting, signals for turning and slowing down.
The wobbly wheels soon disappeared along with the near misses, with these girls showing a lot of progress in such a short time. A few circuits of the BMX track improved the handling skills still further, we then moved on to doing more down hill control on the rougher ground around the track. Then another unique experience of being escorted by the police on our return on road to the school and into the warmth of the dining hall. All in all a good session with a good degree of all round positive skill improvement and good bit of fun.
This is the sort of work that bike and hike is involved in providing through a number of intiatives organised by the education, culture and leisure outdoor team and land services of Glasgow City Council.

bike and hike scotland

bike and hike scotland
In Glasgow again today attended a display event put on by Strathclyde Police and Glasgow City. Bikes owners were being given the oportunity to have bike passports prepared, a good anti theft programme. There was also a display of stunts using ramps. Good display of how to! Lots of information was also available from Cycling Scotland, they also had a competition which used this years proposed route and you had to find where they have hidden a BMX to win it. Glasgow's Land services where also there with loads of stuff on access and routes. A number of bike shops were also there. All in all a good wee display. Glasgow City Culture and Leisure Outdoor Team services are intending to sell some of their well used mountain bike fleet. You will need to Contact Jane Damer at the Outdoor Team for information.

New to this

This my first visit to blogging. I intend to use the blog to let those who are interested know what has been going on for bike and hike on a regular basis. I hope this informs people who visit what it is that bike and hike does and that through this they will become valued friends and potential customers.
I serviced/maintained 15 mountain bikes used in Glasgow today. These bikes are used by groups who are being introduced to mountain biking. This takes place in Polloch and Bellahouston Parks iin Glasgow. Some of the programmes also go on trips out with the City.
The groups can be made up of young people and adults.