Archetype


bruichladdich

there's nothing quite like a double espresso, especially after the sunday morning ride. in fact another double espresso before the sunday ride would be just as welcome, but debbie's doesn't open its doors until 11am on a sunday, and velo club d'ardbeg are all out flogging ourselves silly in the prevailing headwind long before then.

hebridean

there are small pockets of naturally occuring trees on islay, along with the plantations of pines for logging. but few of these afford the cyclist any shelter from the atlantic winds. and as is characteristic of scotland's west coast, the wind frequently brings rain, just as frequently in horizontal fashion.

gran fondo

so islay is the ideal test bed for a number of cycling related items, but particularly for winter clothing. wet cycling in the city doesn't have quite the same je ne sais quoi as cycling on the outer edge. that wind has an uncanny knack of eeking out any gaps or weaknesses in the outer garments, and that's not good news for the inner garments and ultimately, the rider. sure, we cycle here because we love it: it's character building, and we'd do it in rags if necessary. but if the apparel is worth its salt, joy is ours.

rudy projects

the lower part of the glen road near avonvoggie is the site of dunlossit's new abbatoir. and in the process of installing the power cables, the excavators pretty much trashed the road. we were annoyed at first, but then realised that we had our very own abattoirenberg forest which stops us getting soft in our old age. suffice to say, the road hasn't got any better.

abattoirenberg forest

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