It’s a long way to Killin
92.2 miles – total so far = 776.6
4,180 feet of climbing – total so far = 49,303
Max elevation 958 feet
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It’s a long way to where I’m going.
Quick uncommon reference to The Little River Band, no-one will know who they are and on we go.
Good sleep, radio stuff done, big breakfast including a slice of Haggis (does Haggis have a capital H?), collect bike, check meeting points, go.
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Longest day of riding of the LEJOG today, 92 miles roughly. It was going to have been 100, but somewhere in my route adjusting it got trimmed a bit.
I think it was to do with the fact that the NCP (National Cycle Path or No Cycle Path) that ran out of the Burgh had bad reviews and when I used a street cam type thing to check it out, it did look pretty rubbish.
So, stay on the roads then, even if they may be a bit busier in this part of Scotland.
Never mind.
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Now, The Kelpies, they are something else.
Massive great big horsey things made out of steel. Very impressive. This was the first meet up of the day. Jenni managed a quality slow motion falling over by the horses, and Ruth was so struck by this that she could only stand there helpless with laughter. All the better for it being National Insurance Awareness Day.
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Duly refreshed set off again. Shortly after this food stop, there was a bit of route that I had plotted around A roads, and hadn’t been at all sure of. Was pondering this as a turning on the right was coming up and wandered a bit so promptly got tooted. The cheek of it!
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It turned out to be as flat as a pancake, but a bit of a challenge to work out what roads were roads and what joined up with what. After a couple of minor adventures, I found my way onto the Clackmannanshire Bridge. Cracking little bridge and now north of the water.
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Flat still as by the river. Into Alloa and just as I found the Alloa Tower, it started raining so on go the waterproofs.
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Cambus, Tullibody, and then onto a small road that became a sort of path around the edge of a glen. Odd little track, and wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but then round a corner, and up a bit of proper road and into Dunblane.
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Andy wasn’t there, but we managed to console ourselves during our lunch meet up and scoffed more food. 53 miles done now, about 40 to go, doing quite well so far.
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Up through Braco, and then steady climbing up a nice quiet road. This was more like it, even if it was trading flat for hill.
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And this was a slow up and then a whizzy descent. Odd thing coming into Comrie, where we had meeting number 3 set, loads and loads of Nisan huts. Looked in decent nick, but also seemed to be empty. Not a clue what it was all about.
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This was one of our very few hiccups as I arrived at the meet point and was the only one there. As it was still a touch damp, and a bit chilly, who would have thought it was nearly July, I gave a quick ring.
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The girls had arrived ahead if me and Jenni had thought they had enough time to get a coffee. I proved them wrong. Didn’t take them long to find me, but cooling off fast by the time they arrived and I wasn’t terribly happy. Sat in the car, drank the tea that they had got me and warmed up and then set off for the fourth stage.
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Straight after setting off, some pratt in a four by four nearly took me out. Joined the main road then for Lochearnhead.
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Quite a few of the main roads I had found in Scotland were pretty roughly surfaced, this one was no different. However, quite a decent bit of riding, up and down on the way to the Loch and then, there it was.
Its impressive.
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Bit odd to see a metal figure walking out of the Loch.
On closer inspection, a statue, not a cyberman. Obligatory selfie taken with it and on.
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The final meeting was smooth. More food, drink, and a more relaxed atmosphere now with only 8 or 9 miles to go. Just a bit of a hill in between.
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The girls set off to get some petrol at a garage by turning right while I headed left to start climbing. I was concentrating on the steady 8-10% of the hill as the girls went past shortly afterwards. Apparently, they had in effect held the map upside down and gone right instead of left. They made the mistake of telling me so obligatory micky taking later on.
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Back up the big hill, just under the mountain class, and a good down bit into Killin.
Did have a bit of a fiddle around just to make sure I got to the 92 and a bit miles to make it my longest ride ever.
Not done a ton yet, and didn’t feel like doing 8 more today.
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Nice little town Killin. No, it's not a town, but it's more than a village. I am sure the Scots would have a word to describe it.
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Wash the bike, shower, food, pint, a wee dram and a sleep without the alarm set.
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The bike here finds itself overnighting in a locked outside shed. It has bunked down in a variety of places now, if only it could tell its own story.
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Also, can't help noticing that today's write up is considerably shorter. Maybe I am running out of ways to say, I went up, I went down and so on....
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What is for sure, the bathroom had an amazing mirror!
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Oh frabjous day, callooh callay.
