OT; This weekend I have had little sleep...

A few mates from work decided on doing this

http://www.stewartry-wheelers.org/wheelers/news/category_14.html

Basicly riding from the west of Scotlabd , over 7 MTB sites to the east.

Mad Mad mad people.

I looked at the route and voluntered motorbike support.

Up at 0730 on Sat (Dunfries), a 50 mile ride on the 712 to the start for
1100. Back down the A712/713, some B road fun, the A710, more A710, some
white roads, over to Locherbie (all petrol stations shut at 2100, so off
up M74 to services and back). Up to Langholm (A7068), too dark to do
white road on XJR, so off down the A7 and then some other road to
Newcastlton. 2 Hrs kip (0100->0300) a blat to Glentress (Peebles) for the
final stage and it was all over by 0530, so back home via Tebay for
breakfast.

Back for 0930, locked out :-(

Oh well , wine now

 

a blat to Glentress (Peebles) for the final stage

Is the Hydro Hotel still there? I was last there 15 years ago and wonder
whether such a big place still gets the visitors to make it viable?

Mark

 

Yep, big place with golf course. Its in the Boarders so I don't see why it
should not be successful.

 

Well, Glentress Forest gets, on average, 6000 mountain bikers per week
riding there. And plenty of them travel from all over the country.

 

I can't see many MTB riders staying at the Hydro. And judging from the
accents when I am riding there, most are local.

 

Must admit, I don't know the hotel.

<googles>

Believe it or not, they do. I remember reading an article in one of
the bike mags about that place. The author found it very odd to be
allowed to bring muddy bikes through a really posh reception and leave
them standing against a huge old staircase in the middle of the lobby.

I wound up camping last time I was up there:
http://www.rosettacaravanpark.co.uk/

 

I usually stay here
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=474

But then I am not paying

 

Nice, but wouldn't easily able to ride to Glentress/Innerleithen from
there.

 

Piece of piss, I did it last Wednesday, rode up Glentress and then back
again.

Oh, hang on, I rode there and back on the XJ900 and borrowed a MTB.

But, as it is only 23 miles (each way), easily doable on a push bike.

 

Given the convoluted route we took to drive to Edinburgh from Peebles
last year I though it was further than that.

Never trust someone who has a GPS but no mapping or nav software.

 

Never trust a man who has scissors, but will not use them to snip.

 

Must have been, turn right at the A701 and cut past Rosylin

Never trust GPS

 

What about locums?

 

Suprisingly, I trust them more