Weekender? What a great idea! Fort William,

no bother, put my name down, I'll be there was the answer.

Great pass the word round, meet at Camperdown House for 9.00am start saturday.

As it happened it coincided with a photo shoot for the new inspiring club colours of the Wheelers. Nuff said about that!

Brian Petrie had arranged for the transport so we could do away with panniers. Racing bikes of course but not for racing this weekend!

Accommodation was arranged in advance at Brian's Aunt so it was just a matter of getting there.

Saturday morning comes, sun shining bright, plenty of wheelers there in nice new kit strutting about like cockerels in a run full of broody hens.

Where were all the boys for the Fort William run? Exactly me, Brian Sproul, Brian Petrie, Steve King, Ian Anderson and Sheila was all that was going. All the other might be's weren't, or didn't turn up. Oh well six is a nice round number so lets go we've only 125 miles to get there.

We headed off about 9.45 towards Blair, to Bridge of Cally and then over the moors to Pitlochry. It was a fantastic day the weather could not have been better. Just outside Bridge of Cally Ian punctured but this was swiftly dealt with so not much time lost there. The pace was steady, not fast not slow, about 18's so everyone found it a comfortable speed.

We reached Pitlochry and decided to stop for coffee at a rather nice looking hotel with seats and umbrellas outside. As it was hot, we decided to try and get drinks brought outside but as there seemed to be no waiters we ventured inside. This little hotel manager man ushered us outside and made us feel as welcome as a Head wind going up Tully'. So we thought stuff him and got on our bikes and headed off into town. Over behind the dam we found a rather nice cafe which needless to say Brian S. had been to before. Is there any cafe he hasn't been too! The grub was good, toast by the plate full and plenty of coffee. having filled up the bottles from the bar at no extra cost we headed for the dreaded A9 to get to Dalwhinnie.

It was a slow steady climb strung out from Bruar but at the top we stopped for one of the many P' stops and all had a breather. The air was fresh and the views were fantastic, you could smell the sun tan lotion from those who had put it on.

(Brian P alas would soon regret not being one of those)

The descent to Dalwhinnie was amazing with the wind behind us we were flying along about 30mph down to the stretch before we turned off. The cafe at Dalwhinnie was a welcome sight.

No back up car arrived as they decided to go the opposite way to Glencoe as it was such a nice day, yes work that one out for yourself if you can! The climb out of Dalwhinnie was vertical or at least it felt like it, but once over it was almost downhill or flat all the way to Fort William via Spean Bridge.

We all finally arrived about 7pm to find the B&B at the top of another steep hill. As always Brian S. was first up just to show us the way.

Having rested, bathed and changed we all set out in high spirits to go into the centre for some grub and for others more of a liquid refreshment. Fort William was heaving being the May weekend and Glasgow's holiday weekend so it was a bit like the wild west. We finally managed to get a table in the back room of a restaurant and had a great scoff and a good laugh.

Bed early for most of us so we set off back to the B&B and cosy beds. Steve managed to befriend a duck which quacked all night but that's a different story!

Sunday Morning was dull and misty, and to the breakfast spread was gut bursting and that was before getting started on the cooked things which lay awaiting in the kitchen.

having eaten as much as physically possible we packed up and set off for Glen Coe.

The roads were busy, the motorists impatient as usual, and it was raining. Whose idea was it to go on this weekender!

Glen Coe loomed ahead of us and shrouded in heavy mist we slowly started the long climb up, and up, and up. Once this Tully of Tullies was conquered and the Rannoch Moor Summit behind us we descended like demons until Steve's front fork took a wobly and I mean a wobly. It's all pretty technical so ask Steve next time you see him. Luckily nothing was broken so we carried on in the hissing rain until we caught Sheila and Brian who had gone on ahead. Tyndrum seemed like a time away, but at last round the corner it appeared hoaching with tourists. As these six bedraggled cyclists come skating in on cleats on the slippery floor everyone moved aside to let us in. Even the back up car was there so we all changed into something dry and warm and then sat down to eat and drink. Most welcome I can tell you.

By this time the weather seemed to improve and the clouds parted. by the time we had reached Lochearnhead it was quite sunny with a bit of a tail wind - GREAT! To get away from the madness of seemingly endless angry motorists we went the south road down loch Earn and stopped at the Farmfood Bar at Comrie. Only about sixty miles to go.

With the tail wind we enjoyed what seemed like effortless cycling to wing our way through Creiff, then Perth and back along the detours to Dundee.

That night my legs were cycling in bed and my butt felt as if some one had put silicone implants in my cheeks. The next morning it was as if someone had stolen my legs!! 250 mile round trip was an experience not to be missed.

I still wonder what Steve did with his duck when he got back home!?