AndrewC's Hebridean Holiday 2012

[AndrewC]

I'm just back from 2 weeks of wonderful touring around the Islands & Highlands.

I'll try to do a full report shortly, but in the meantime you can take a look my route and see some phone pictures here http://trackmytour.com/4L0zB#121444

[geocycle]

Stunning, you had great weather.  I like the way you've georeferenced the pics.  Great captions, especially 30 April, very succinct!

[allywatt]

Great route and fab pics. I did a very similar tour last summer. When I'm out and about in the west, the highlights are the uists and Lewis/Harris, closely followed by the magical Glen torridon. Well done!

Ali watt

[Danneaux]

My, Andrew!

What wonderful photos and a terrific ride account; I especially like how you present it all. Looking forward to an even larger write-up.

Well done! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful trip with us; almost like getting to come along with you.

All the best,

Dan.

[Fred A-M]

I like the presentation, look forward to seeing more.  There is nowhere more beautiful than South Harris for cycling in my opinion!

[AndrewC]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewclark/sets/72157629918891750/show/

All 400+ pictures as a Flickr slideshow.  Grab a drink & enjoy them.

[Danneaux]

All 400+ pictures...

...and enjoying greatly! Shame about that tack, Andrew...isn't that just the way? I often think: An entire length of road, two lanes and a couple shoulders...and **I hit the tack/nail/glass/screw/exploded truck-tire steel belt/whatever with my name on it! Sorry this one found you, and on what looks a nearly-new Schwalbe, too!

Really nice shots, and I'm going through again, letting the slideshow play. Love your roomy tent...and the rugged coastline...nice action shots of the cyclists and some good self-portraits, too ("Hi, Andrew!"). Gee, that's gorgeous country...can you fill us in a bit on the Stonehenge-like monoliths?  The bike is looking fine, and you sure ate well (hearty rough bread and a great-looking thick soup)!  Wish I had reference numbers to cite, but my favorites are near the forest, and one Thorn shot just before.

All great stuff and --! Waitaminnit...WHAT happened to that pedal?!? It's just a spindle now, and not a very happy-looking one at that! Y'know..the part in your hand and the one on the crank belong together, not...well, apart. And with rusty-looking grease. The bearings have got to be somewhere. There's a good story in there, and I'm hoping we get to hear it! Hopefully nobody got hurt when it came apart.

Well, it looks like a wonderful time for you, and I am so glad you were able to go. What a fantastic trip, and you've been really generous to share it with us. I feel like I came along; thanks!

All the best

[AndrewC]

The standing stones are  Calanais on Lewis http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/lewis/calanais/

The pedal is a Time ATAC http://www.retrobike.co.uk/wiki/Time_ATAC_rebuild They are approx 12 years old.   The body is held onto the spindle by a circlip.  I stripped & regreased them before I left on the trip.  3/4 of the way though the tour I was just getting a start on a steep road and the pedal came off completely!  Luckily all the bits were still in situ and using a Swiss Army knife & some brute force I was able to reassemble them and get the circlip back in place where it held for the rest of that tour and now appears to be OK ??   

[Danneaux]

Andrew!

Thanks for the link to the Clanais, very interesting stuff, and appreciate the opportunity to learn more.

As for the pedals -- yikes! So glad it worked out for you...what a nasty surprise that must have been! Really nice field repair on your part, and happy they're now fine (if there'd been remaining problems, you'd surely have found them before tour's end).

Very nice job all-'round!

Best,

Dan.