Throttled

Catch up time starts tomorrow - Day 1 - Inveraray Jail, McCaigs Tower, Commando Memorial. Day 2 - Applecross, Skye Bridge. Day 3 - The Green Welly. Day 4 - Knockhill, Tay Bridge, Forth Bridge, Bikers Cove Day 5 - the Falkirk Wheel. Taking it easy as leaving Monday and coming home Friday.

I adjusted my chain and made it too tight and there was a crack/clicking noise untill I losened it slightly. The noise went away.

I use silk gloves I bought off eBay, search 'silk thermal glove'. They were about £7 and are so thin you hardly notice you are wearing them and they made enough of a difference to make them worthwhile. On my last long trip my hands got cold, but not freezing. They were also worked well keeping them on when I took my biker gloves off to do other stuff, so your hands stay a bit warmer then as well.

Nice work Where did you get the screen, it looks a cool shape.

On the way to Rannoch Station on the Shiehallion road http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6668420825_4ff6f7fde3_b.jpg Note the stone under the side stand, the first attempt to take that photo and the bike just sank into the ground and fell over http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6668421621_ca39f3fe7e_b.jpg

Thanks Gayle, but damn, I am working that weekend. Request for time off on the Sunday coming up.

Thanks and if you plan on doing the trip on your scooter, PM me and I'll meet you at the station and lunch is on me

I don't see the point, a bike does not need to warm up like a car does and in any case, hot engine but cold tyres

That looks too much like hard work for me! If I was you I would want one of these http://www.rookerybarns.com/userimages/courtyardcottage_large.jpg

Bought for £5 in a sale, June 2011, they are anything from £5 to £15. Various makes, mine was a Motrax one http://thumbs.webs.com/Members/viewThumb.jsp?siteId=45623028&fileID=200175145&size=full PROS It works! With a bit of help, I put a ring of glue around the edge of the perspex cover where it joins the metal part. It has stayed bone dry no matter how many times I have washed the bike, iincluding use of a pressure washers and ridden in the driving rain. CONS You do need to do the adaption to get it waterproof and it can still be stolen by removing the whole thing from the bike. Recommended.

I have a big one as well, 52l and love it. It is a bog standard Chinese one like this http://www.bikermart.co.uk/prodimages/ol200l.jpg that loads of companies then put thier logo one. I did not see the added value in the more expensive Givi boxes.

First one today, Rannoch Station on what was a beautiful day for a ride. I was in the snow going past Shiehallion, but with the sun visor down as it was so sunny. If you are going to do Rannoch Station, the Loch Tummel part of the road is closed until the end of February. So either go via the Schiehallion Rd or from the A9 on the B847. Also, if you have a bike with a small tank the nearest petrol stations are at Lix Toll, which is a round trip of 132 miles, Aberfeldy and a round trip of 102 miles or Pitlochry and a round trip of 114miles. The petrol station at Kinloch Rannoch has closed. I would recommend you try both roads north and south of Loch Rannoch going to and from the station. The views are stunning

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6668423021_1155c81ed7_b.jpg

How about adapting the registration thread to do a tally of everyone's score, like a league table?

Primark are doing cheap thermals at the moment.

Should that not be Falkirk 0........ I'll get my coat

Though technically speaking thats three viaducts and only two bridges........... I'll get my coat..........

Sorry guys, I did not post about this to make a fuss. I just pointed out something new that I had learned, which is Scotland does not commemorate the lopping off of a C17th king's bonce by the naming a drinking establishment after it. Thanks for the directions DocB, the closest I could find was down in the Lake District. I can add Berwick onto a Borders trip.

Re-new the cable. Mine snapped recently and inside the cable had corroded and got lots of gunk in it. A new cable cost £10 and as I watched the mechanic swap it for me I realised it is a very simple job to do. There are various guides on You Tube.

The Kings Head is a stupid name for a pub anyway. Here we treat our monarchs with far more respect. The worst we ever did was stand against one and sent him homeward tae think again

Maybe I missed something but I thought the point was to get out on your bike and have fun I didn't think the pubs were to get easy points, I just assumed it was to add a little twist to the game and maybe to get people in the pub! I don't have any pubs close by with any of the names listed, short of going into Edinburgh city centre (which would really defeat the point of the game as it would be no fun!) I won't be getting any til I pass them while out having fun on my bike! There are no pubs apart from a Station bar anywhere near me. Edinburgh and the Borders have the most and like you I don't fancy dodging traffic in Edinburgh. I accept that, I just thought it worth pointing out that one of the pub names is missing here and made a suggestion of an alternative. If that does not happen, so be it. I did Ireland last year as my big trip and this year I want to do the north and north west of Scotland as my big trips, so I'll just miss out the Kings Head.

A great looking bike, wish I had found one when I was doing my training http://www.greenfactory.pt/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/nac-122.jpg

This is going to sound crazy, but can you not cross the border and get the tag in England? You don't need a passport or anything (I checked!) Just pointing it out. The point was to have common pub names people could get points relatively easily with. Only 2 days into the game and it would not be very disruptive at all to change Kings Head to Black Bull for Scotland.

I have searched and searched and there are no Kings Head pubs/hotels in Scotland. Could we get an alternative please? I have checked and there is a good spread of Black Bulls around with about 20 or so. Only the north west of Scotland has not got any, but it the best I can do.