RSF - The Off Road Cycling Club

The Adventure Starts Here

1959

"The bicycle will accomplish more for women’s sensible dress than all the reform movements that have ever been waged." - Unknown Author, from Demerarest’s Family Magazine, 1895

 

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Approaching Loch an Eoin a large herd of deer got wind of me, and made off up the slopes of Meall Dearg, a really lovely sight. Looking down the long valley towards Kishorn, I could only imagine the beauty of the scene on a fine sunny day. Generalisations are always risky, but to my mind, the wedge of country between Strathcarron and Loch Broom is the finest and wildest part of the Highlands. I regained ray bike and almost immediately was able to ride quite long stretches.
My thanks also to Wilf Cooper who has patiently typed all address labels for magazine envelopes this season - some 2300 of them ! - to Dr. W.H.Spoor MA who has labouriously checked all manuscripts for navigational and/or place name errors; and to Mr. H.H.Willis who has on occasion acted as stencil-reader. My acknowledgements and thanks for features received for future presentation in-our pages go to Chas. Chadwick, R. Gwillam and Gerry Swift.
I was now above the snow-line, and the snow became deeper as I went up, gradually obliterating the paint marks. I soon had to carry the bike all the way. As I am on the heavy side, and my bike with luggage weighed 30 lbs, I often sank knee-deep into the snow, and apart from the damp and unpleasant cold in my boots, this was rather exhausting. Next day I was to see worse and cease caring !
A glorious day came to an end when I cycled up the pleasant, but hard, mountain road from Uttendorf to Enzingerboden. I had crossed the Felber Tauern from south to north and now hoped to cross the Kaiser Tauern to regain my car, which I had left at Hubon in the Isaltale These two passes lie between the Gross Venediger and Gross Glockner ranges in the Austrian Tyrol.
We reloaded with rations at Invercannich, for we knew the next store would be a day and a half away. In the small store were a fearsome looking couple also buying food. The male of the species garbed in grubby shorts, sandals without socks, and a mighty mass of untidy whiskers which entirely covered his face. This, coupled with an unruly thatch gave him the appearance of an old English sheep-dog.
My wife and I recently rode up Glen Lyon intending to cross by the track NW of Loch Lyon, emerging at Auch some 4 miles N of Tyndrum on A82. Unfortunately hydro electric work prevented this, for about 2-g- miles below Loch Lyon, at the spot marked ’Ford’ near Lubreoch, a dam has been thrown across the valley and the road is now under water. The only way through appears to be by scrambling along the steep slopes of the hillside that remains above water.

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