#29durr

[my--country]

Glentress and back

Updated 28th July 2017 (three years and two days from the original post!) Of all the things I ever wrote for this blog, this is the one thing that consistently brings in a trickle of traffic (seemingly there's value in the search term 'how to ride to Glentress').

In an attempt to appease the SEO gods, I have updated this guide for your collective enjoyment. 

As always, you can keep up with my grown-up cycling exploits on BikeRadar.

In the midst of a particularly furious Google maps session, I was surprised to discover that the beginning of the Black descent at Glentress lay only 17 miles South of my flat as the crow flies.

With the #29durr perfect for such an expedition, I planned a route to the trail that would take me through Gore Glen, past Gladhouse Reservoir, up Bowbeat Windfarm and through Glentress Forest to the top of Dundreich Hill.

I also decided to take the return leg via the Cloich Hills and the Pentlands to maximise the day’s single-track potential. The final route came in at around 120km and I set off the following morning in oppressively damp conditions.

Though there are off-road options available, I took a relatively direct route to Gore Glen via Lasswade and Bonnyrig, turning off the B704 just before it crosses the A7 to join a right of way that took me straight down to the Glen.

Only a few hundred meters down the trail, I had to stop dead in my tracks as I was confronted by an uncontrolled, equine nemesis.

Proceeding cautiously past my four-legged-foe, I made short work of the wonderful, twisty single-track through the Glen that ejected me in Temple a few kilometres later.

The roads between here and Gladhouse reservoir were very pleasant and I soon found myself at the deserted visitor’s carpark. I had the grassy trail which circumnavigates the shores of the reservoir to myself and I thoroughly enjoyed drying out and watchin squally showers pass over the Moorfoots beneath a dense copse of pines.  

The shore trail eventually emerges at Moorfoot Farm and from there a land drover track follows the course of South Esk for several kilometres until it takes a sharp right at the base of Dundreich Hill.

The climb up Dundreich is rideable at first but as you pass a wrecked crow-trap, it becomes increasingly vague and steep.

A short tramp westward took me onto the very boggy ridge that descends south towards Bowbeat windfarm. The highest point of this ridge is marked by a line of little concrete tombstones, which follow the path of a buried cable and reminded me of my very exposed position.

Reaching the windfarm, I was thankful for the return to well-paved surfaces and descended much too fast towards Grizzly Knowe. From here until the top of Dundreich Hill, I made my way through a maze of disorientating and claustrophobic fire roads.

Although I make every excuse to lament the wussification of trail centres in Scotland, the Black run at Glentress has not been subject to any taming. My forearms were ruined after Deliverance, but things became much more fun once I loosened up and harnessed my inner flow-demon.

After a quick spin up to the Buzzards Nest and a blast down the Red, I headed into Peebles, stocked up on some food and continued along the old railway which follows the path of the A703.

This is followed as far as Wormiston, where a short climb east leads you to the old drove road to Shiplaw. From here, I took a left towards the Cloich Hills and followed more desolate fireroads which gradually descend towards the A701.

Small roads led me to Carlops, which marked the rather dramatic entrance into the Pentlands. Lined with seemingly endless sheep shit, the climb out of Carlops was very damp and steep enough to be memorable. My efforts didn’t go unrewarded and as the light began to fail, I made my way across the slow and technical single-track that descended through the misty gloom towards Listonshields.

From here, the trail headed East again towards Theripmuir Reservoir and I was back down the Water of Leith and through the now pitch black Meadows by 10:00pm. 

 This was one of the most memorable days I’ve ever had out on a mountain bike and I cannot wait to do it again without the faff of navigating over fresh terrain.

[my--country]

Veggie Princess Summer

A photo posted by Jack Luke (@jacquelucque) on Jun 17, 2015 at 10:43am PDT

Summer has been terribly good to me so far. I’ve gotten out on my bike far more often than I have been able to in a long time and I’m settling in very well on my critically acclaimed #29durr. Long term goals are also looking more viable and I may even have another attempt at a double. I’m feeling as fit as I did last ‘season’, but the Croix de Fer still doesn’t fit me. Is it time for a new bike? Almost probably definitely as I am now working for ‘the man’ in ‘the industry’ and could probably build a bike that is approaching my ideal for far less than I’ve ever been able to before.

Me and my bike are tres tired

A photo posted by Jack Luke (@jacquelucque) on Jun 15, 2015 at 11:31am PDT

Will I miss this opportunity? Likely.

Somewhat inspired by the Capital Trail, I’m going to attempt a Glentress and back ride next week. As I still haven’t got my life together and am still car-able-less, I’m going to have to get there under my own steam If I want to moan about how boring trail centres are. I will do my utmost on the ride to document it in a #artisanal manner and will #curate it when I get home. This is vital if I am to continue expanding on my body of photography work, which given my degree probably makes sense.

I have just finished reading the very good Charlie Cunningham interview on Pinkbike and was taken by his suggestion that writing should be like telling a story to your best friend. Advice worth following. Have a wicked-sick weekend, friends. 

A photo posted by Jack Luke (@jacquelucque) on Jun 15, 2015 at 11:22am PDT

[my--country]

I present to you what can only be described as three steps forward and at least one backward in my rarely evolving line-up of bikes. Unashamedly following (fan-boying?) in the footsteps of people such as Team Dicky and Dr J0n, I’ve come rip roaring into the mid to late noughties with this mish-mashed rigid 29er.

This bike reflects my on-going and very trendy shift towards longer and more involved rides. Regardless of the distance, I was also  finding myself very over-biked in most of the places I rode my now departed, but not forgotten, ’09 Blur.

The nature of the mountain biking in and around my native Edinburgh also tends to involve a degree of ‘riding in’, so something with a little less squish was undoubtedly going to make heading out a little less of a slog.

Lastly, having ridden full suspension bikes all of my cycling life, I felt the need to change things up a little.

Thus – the #29durr.

So what’s new for me? Disregarding the rest of the bike, the biggest move has been towards 29” wheels (One step forward).

We all know that fad has been and gone, 650bro proving to be the winner for most. But I’m an alt guy and the much-touted ‘trail-smoothing ride’ of a 29er made sense given that I wanted to run the bike rigid (one step backward). First impressions are much the same as everyone else’s; it climbs supremely well, rolls over everything and feels extremely stable.

The one thing I hadn’t anticipated was the rather drastic difference on handling the larger contact patch of the tyres would cause. The bike tracks supremely well when powering straight ahead, but feels a little reluctant to turn quickly in twisty situations. Given this is my first foray into toobless setups (another step forward), the lower pressures I am able to run further exacerbates this effect.

I am admittedly yet to dial in the tyre pressures to my liking and may find I prefer running a slightly higher pressure for this reason alone, but only time will tell. Perhaps some more enthusiastic body language is all that’s needed.

Another fad I’ve caught up with is the now ubiquitous 1*X drivetrain (My last step forward). One of my only gripes with the SLX M670 groupset was the slightly vague feeling front shifting when things got sloppy.

But now having installed one of Superstar’s IO chainring’s upfront, I’d find it very difficult to recommend ~£130 extra for XT. The only real advantage I could see would be the IceTech rotors, which if you’re so inclined can be purchased when the stock ones wear out

I’m excited to see where this bike is going to take me over the next few months. It is such a departure from the Blur that I can only image that the nature of my gnar-shredding will move inline with the overall ‘feel’ of the bike.