Photos from the Outer Hebrides (and why hybrids are awesome)

pinkteapot
pinkteapot Posts: 367
edited June 2013 in The cake stop
Arrived yesterday, first spin out this morning. A slow 15 miler as I was too busy gawping at scenery to go fast. As I mentioned on the Skye thread, I'm a solo cyclist, but on my ride out this morning I found such an awesome beach that I had to phone the hubby to come see it. Few photos for those who requested some of the great outdoors:

http://picasaweb.google.com/10745044672 ... Benbecula#

I've never cycled on a beach before - it's so cool!! Was tempted to cycle in the surfline till I figured salt water and rims/spokes probably don't mix. See guys, moments like this is why you have a hybrid. :P

Love it here!! Though exposed, flat, small islands are a tad windy.... :shock:

Comments

  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    wow a totally empty beach- excellent :lol:

    That causeway looks lovely to ride on as well. bet you're dreading coming home :D
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Stop it!

    The main reason it is so nice is that no one goes there. That's how we would like to keep it. :mrgreen::lol:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • blobbo
    blobbo Posts: 16
    Once the "Hebrides- Islands on the Edge" is shown in the rest of the UK, then I fear the Beaches won't be so quiet.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    I rode across Harris and Lewis last Sept. There are long road sections in Harris that are like blackboards, and the climbs are stunning - and tough.

    The wildlife is also amazing - huge winged beast all over the place!
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    The view on the way up this climb was stunning

    http://app.strava.com/segments/1546422
  • marylogic
    marylogic Posts: 355
    Great pics, glad the weather has been reasonably kind.

    My only outer hebridean cycle was in North Harris and involved cycling for 2 hours into a brutal headwind and getting about 10 miles up the road, then turning round and getting back in about 25 minutes!
  • -spider-
    -spider- Posts: 2,548
    I did warn you about the beaches! One on Barra is still used as the runway for Barra Airport - great experience to land there. But there are so many brilliant beaches on the Western Isles it is hard to say which one is best. My own particular favourite is Luskentyre.

    http://www.virtualheb.co.uk/luskentyre- ... isles.html
    -Spider-
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    Oh gosh I do love Uist. Jealous you're there in sunshine!
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    More photos!!

    https://picasaweb.google.com/1074504467 ... oBalnarald

    20 miler one way from the small island of Berneray to Balranald on North Uist (typo in album name above but can't find the option to change it).

    Posting these photos just for daviesee - note the terrible weather, busy traffic and views that are nothing to write home about. No point any of the rest of you coming here.

    Despite an average speed of 14mph while moving, this took two hours because I kept stopping to gawp at the view. :D

    http://app.strava.com/activities/60916622
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    pinkteapot wrote:
    Posting these photos just for daviesee - note the terrible weather, busy traffic and views that are nothing to write home about. No point any of the rest of you coming here.
    :lol:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • wishitwasallflat
    wishitwasallflat Posts: 2,927
    -spider- wrote:
    I did warn you about the beaches! One on Barra is still used as the runway for Barra Airport - great experience to land there. But there are so many brilliant beaches on the Western Isles it is hard to say which one is best. My own particular favourite is Luskentyre.

    http://www.virtualheb.co.uk/luskentyre- ... isles.html


    STOP STOP STOP - you are breaking my heart all my relatives are buried in the cemetery at Luskentyre, the Western Isles are the most beautiful place in the world - I had a week in Mellon Udrigle earlier this year but its just not the same.

    Yours sincerely a broken hearted economic refugee trapped in the fake North missing the real North.

    PS - Please post about midges and rain or I may die.
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    At least you get to live in the fake north. I live in the south and it's awful. :(
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    edited June 2013
    wishitwasallflat wrote:
    PS - Please post about midges and rain or I may die.
    Your memory is fading.
    No midges on the Western Isles.

    Plenty of rain though. :wink:

    Edit:- And wind. Plenty wind. Which is why there is no midges.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • wishitwasallflat
    wishitwasallflat Posts: 2,927
    I must have been thinking of Mull.

    It's all blurred into one tear soaked festival of homesickness now you see - I'm going to sit under a cold shower, in semi darkness, with a large fan blowing and prick my skin with a fine needle a few thousand times then sprinkle lemon juice on - maybe that will help :shock:
  • -spider-
    -spider- Posts: 2,548
    Excellent photos pinkteapot. That pic of Scolpaig Tower has St Kilda in the background - it's not often you can see that! (because of the midgies, rain, mist, high seas, smog, tourists, sandstorms, plague of locusts, etc)

    What a trip you're having - I'm so jealous (and from here I could get to Stornoway for a Lewis tour as an easy day trip!)(I think I just might - you've energised me)
    -Spider-
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Shorter ride today - the wind was pretty brutal unless riding in exactly the right direction. Here you go wishitwasallflat - weather looking a bit more normal (but still not raining):

    http://picasaweb.google.com/10745044672 ... reToSollas

    http://app.strava.com/activities/61178815

    The top end of the road that cuts NE across North Uist is good fun - nice (not too big) hill to meander up and zip down. :D

    Thanks -spider- - I'm looking at the photo with St. Kilda again now! We had been tempted to do a trip out there but it's expensive and the wind is looking pretty brisk the rest of the week.

    Question: What is the speed to cycle across a cattle grid at? 30mph seems about optimal in a car. On a bike, any speed and it feels like I'm operating a jackhammer.
  • marylogic
    marylogic Posts: 355
    I'm loving these pictures!

    My tactic for cattle grids is just to get to a speed where I can coast over without having to pedal, and try to take most of my weight on my feet rather than my saddle or handlebars.

    I have been known to wimp out and get off and walk when they are wet.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    I love that part of the world; we've been to stay at Fort William three times in recent years visiting Mull, Skye, Applecross etc and it's long been a wish of mine to drive the Western Isles from bottom to top; but I'm thinking I'd like to cycle it now!
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    I love that part of the world; we've been to stay at Fort William three times in recent years visiting Mull, Skye, Applecross etc and it's long been a wish of mine to drive the Western Isles from bottom to top; but I'm thinking I'd like to cycle it now!

    I mapped it on ridewithgps before I came - to cycle the Uist chain that's connected by causeways (southern point of Eriskay top of Berneray) is 60 miles. That's going straight up the main spine-road though which isn't as interesting as the side roads. I'd thought about doing that in a day this week but I'm not going to bother - trips exploring the smaller coastal roads are more fun. :)

    Prevailing winds are south-westerlies so you want to do it bottom to top. :wink:
    marylogic wrote:
    My tactic for cattle grids is just to get to a speed where I can coast over without having to pedal, and try to take most of my weight on my feet rather than my saddle or handlebars.

    I stand up but try and keep my weight back slightly so it's not all on my handlebars. Still unpleasant! Some of them up here have gates at the side sign-posted as being for horse-drawn vehicles. I've been tempted.
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Just went out for some flagrant Strava segment cheating.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/61688882

    Strong southerly winds today. ;)
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Here you go wishitwasallflat - yes, there are midges on South Uist:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/10745044672 ... 8575015026

    Both arms and my face look the same. :shock:

    We climbed Bheinn Mhor and it was completely still early on. Were getting absolutely swarmed by midges for the first 350m of ascent - 60-90 minutes. :cry:

    Worth it in the end though - this hill may just have my new favourite ridge walk, and the views are just incredible. :D

    http://picasaweb.google.com/10745044672 ... une212013#

    Leave for home tomorrow afternoon. :(
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    pinkteapot wrote:
    Here you go wishitwasallflat - yes, there are midges on South Uist :(
    :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
    I was going on something I read and the fact that I never saw any but bow down to supplied evidence.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    By the time we came back down the wind had picked up and there were none (or maybe I killed them all)! We weren't expecting them as we haven't seen any all week, so we weren't carrying the deet. This morning was the only time it's been completely still so should have guessed... Ah well, they never bother me after the event (I don't get the itchiness and stinging that some people do).

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