Scotland and Beyond

A 10-day adventure by our TCR Cyclists

May 2022, can we do this?

Huddled over a map of northern Scotland in September 2022, Cam Hercus promised cycling bliss while trying to entice a few of us into an adventure ride based around the North Coast 500 touring route.  To his surprise more than 20 enthusiastic riders, many from TCR’s Tuesday 6.30PM Computrainer class, quickly put their hands in the air and said “heck yeah!”. 

May 2024, Scotland bound

Fast forward to May 2024 and after hundreds of emails and phone calls, Cam had pulled off what seemed impossible - 1,050 km riding, 13,500m of climbing, 12 days of accommodation, meals, and full time vehicle support for the 16 riders and 1 full time driver that made the final commitment.  The ride started and finished in Inverness and roughly circumnavigate the north coast of Scotland with a bonus ferry trip to Orkney Island.  It included riding to iconic places like Loch Ness, Bealach Na Bah pass, prehistoric Skara Brae village on Orkney and the Culloden Battlefields.

We were fully self-guided which meant that we had to come together as a group, figured out route planning, daily logistics, and road support.  There were times we were a well-oiled machine and there were times we were a total mess, but a team is more than the sum of its parts and by the end we had all contributed to the success of the trip.

Narrow roads, steep climbs and wind...

The riding was mostly on quiet, secluded B- and C-Roads, which roughly translates into chip-sealed single-lane golf cart tracks with pull outs every 500m to accommodate 2-way vehicle travel.  Traffic included everything from us cyclists to full-sized lorries and buses.  Between the road surfaces, weather and traffic, we quickly learned riding in Scotland was quite ‘sporty’ and over the span of 12 days nearly all of us fell or were squeezed off the road.  Most were minor but a few were more significant, though thankfully none resulted in medical support or mechanical issues.

As for the tailwinds and blue skies?  Yes, we had those, but we also had sheet rain, thrashing headwinds, dense fog, intense sea sickness on the ferry to Orkney, stunning vistas, explored a deep sense of history, endless laughs, amazing meals, strengthened the bonds of friendship, and drank enough whisky (there’s no ‘e’, who knew?!) to make a Scot blush. 

Thanks to the TCR crew for the training, logistical and moral support.

A footnote on equipment:

Most of us really didn’t know what to expect, so we went with a ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’, approach.  This meant bigger tires (700 x 30-32 were the sweet spot), full fenders (thanks John Churchill), front and rear lights, full foul weather gear, a bunch of spares (thanks Dan Peters).  Over the span of the 12 days we rode in everything from shorts and jerseys to full-cover rain gear.  It was never really ‘cold’ but we certainly planned daily for damp weather conditions.