Glen Tilt

We put the bikes in the back of the car and drove to Old Bridge of Tilt, our objective being to cycle up Glen Tilt to Forest Lodge a round trip of about 14.5 miles on a roughish car track.

Now although Mrs L was born in the same city and supports the same football team as Chris Hoy, that's where any likeness ends. The last time she was on a bike was this time last year and she had had maybe half a dozen outings in the six months prior to that and before that it was at least twenty years ago. The longest she's ever cycled was just over nine miles, so it could be said that I was being a wee bit ambitious with the plan.

The start wasn't very auspicious, a fairly steep ascent with a few loose stones that I just managed, while Mrs L sensibly took her bike for a walk up this bit and this was repeated a few more times in the first couple of miles on uphill stretches and also loose downhill stretches. As we continued her confidence grew, but as a by product of spending longer in the saddle there was also a requirement to spend more time out of the saddle giving her sore bits a rest.

During those resting times I was once again risking life and limb to come up with a good blip photo, scrambling down to river level to capture various bridges from unusual angles and also playing with the 1/4000 setting on the 550D to get some interesting water effects.

Once we arrived at Forest Lodge I was off photographing more water effects while Mrs L took stock of the fact that she was only half way, my logic that as we were turning round and following the Tilt downstream, and therefore the cycling would be easier didn't seem to be having the desired effect, possibly the fact that a cold wind had got up and a shower was passing through wasn't helping.

Anyway the cycling was easier on the way back the wind was behind and we covered the ground in good time, although again all this time in the saddle was not beneficial for her sore bits, but a view of a red squirrel just before the car park was a good distraction from the aches and pains.

So today's photo couldn't be another bridge from an interesting angle, or some interesting water effect, however good these photos may have been, today's photo chose itself. Well done Mrs L xx