Show us what you did today, thread

[Jamiedyer]

Went south yesterday for what has become a regular randonneur type day ride with Brian.
I was on my faithful Long Haul Trucker and Brian on his Ti 29'er set up for audax with a hub gear. So both steel and retro in style and feel. This was one of Brians road rides, so this time I came prepared, I had lights, a long mudflap and a new bell, though I was a bit worried as Brian had fitted mudguards to the 29'er :shock:
It was clearly the first day of spring proper as the temps were up around 14 and the sun was out, no wind, it was pretty bloody amazing for up here and even the drive down was glorious.
The ride, like most of ours had a vague route through the Ross shire hills to the west of Dingwall, Brian's home village, to find an old historic tower, supposedly cursed by a seer back in the days when Macbeth had his castle in Dingwall.
Our ride started in Dingwall and we round around the shore before turning inland. We crossed a few pretty big hills sticking mainly to singletrack and dirt backroads and at one point to get to the tower from the western side we had to use Brians GPS and Ordinance Survey maps on his phone to take to the dirt singletrack over the top of a pretty big hill and swampy top section to emerge out of a field about 100 metres from the tower, we could have come up from the other side on the dirt road, but that would have been too easy The route really went in a circuitous route around 2/4 of Ben Wyvis, it was always there in the background. We didn't really get away until after lunch and so didn't get back until it had just gone dark but thankfully for Brian the last few kilometres are on the cycle route through Dingwall.
Just such a lovely afternoon ride and while we ride these roads and tracks quite often the views always look different. The estate tracks/roads to the west of Dingwall were really lovely, no one for miles and miles, the road snaking along and up beside the river. Found a great campsite and would be really nice to hold a sort of 2 day ride with a campout there.
Anyway here's a few photos, and hope everyone else is enjoying the weather as well.
Todays looking great as well, so a ride on the Mercian might bring the retro back on line

Jamie

My drive south, heading for some hills
DSCN3505 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Brian near the site of Macbeths castle
DSCN3518 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Still some snow left
DSCN3528 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3537 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3547 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3551 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3556 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Camera on timer
DSCN3558 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3561 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Road ride he said ?
DSCN3562 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3570 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

We had done a bit of climbing as this view of Wyvis shows
DSCN3571 (2) by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

The Tower
DSCN3576 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Suns going down...
DSCN3581 (2) by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Back onto dual lane and race the sun
DSCN3585 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[clubby]

Re:

Another fab lot of photos Jamie.
Unfortunately missing out this weekend, as I'm down in Glasgow on family duty. Hoping the weather holds out as I've a few days off coming up and need to get out.

 

[Jamiedyer]

I think it's meant to last for a few days Clubby. It's meant to cloud over up here during today but down south is meant to stay clear for a couple of days.
It was 17.5 degrees as I got to Brians and when I drove home last night, about a mile from home it was -2.5 Nice here just now though.

Jamie

 

[kaiser]

I think it's meant to last for a few days Clubby. It's meant to cloud over up here during today but down south is meant to stay clear for a couple of days.

 

[Jamiedyer]

Unless you're Orkney, Faroes, or Shetland then everything else is down south from here

Jamie

 

[Jamiedyer]

Another lovely day up this way once again
Had a lot to get done today off the bike around the house and with it being Mothers Day, it was good to have good weather and spend the time outside with the family.
Managed later this afternoon to get out for a few hours meandering around the local coast with Caleb on the Big Dummy. Great weather to go play around the shore and explore. Not about the riding at all, just a fun way for us to get about and Caleb loves the Dummy.
Hope everyone else managed to have some down time and relax.
Lovely sunset tonight as well.

Jamie

DSCN3593 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3594 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3606 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3623 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSCN3629 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_1675 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

DSC_1677 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[jackosbournesnr]

If it wasn't for the two blobs on the lens you could sell copies of that last picture.

Beautiful

 

[Jamiedyer]

Thanks mate as usual there was no touching up of the pics they were just how they came, it was just pretty lovely as it goes. The blobs are most likely there because we were looking out whilst having dinner and Heather said about the sunset so I used her Nikon DSLR rather than my little instamatic thing and I never checked the lens. Heather would check it as she is the photography person in our family, I like my point and shoot, one setting for scenery and one for auto focus....simples


Jamie

 

[highlandsflyer]

One of the first loops I rode as a child, round the loch!

 

[Hawmaw]

Re:

Looks like the sensor needs cleaned rather than the lens. I get simlar with both Canon dSLR bodies . Very annoying . Doesn't tend to happen with compact or bridge as you're not changing lenses.