Welcome to the spring edition of The Cairngorms Cyclist, a free seasonal E Newsletter

which highlights just a few of the many world class cycling opportunities that the Cairngorms

has to offer. Keep up to date with the latest local cycling developments, and remember, if you

have a cycling story to tell, we’ll help you tell it!

The Cairngorms Cyclist

Issue No 2: Spring 2015

Pedals turn, revolutions begin!

Kingussie is perhaps best known locally for being near the geographical

centre of Scotland. But now, thanks to a new community led initiative, it

will soon be at the centre of a new cycling revolution!

Members of the Kingussie community have been working hard behind the scenes and in November,

Kingussie Community Development Company successfully secured funding from Cycling Scotland,

and ‘Cycle Friendly Kingussie’ was born.

Local resident and cycling enthusiast, Bob Kinnaird, explains more.

‘Our project aim is a simple one. We want to significantly increase

the number of people choosing to travel by bicycle around our

community, whether it’s for their daily commute, for fitness, or

purely for fun’.

Bob doesn’t underestimate the task that lies ahead; ‘We know that

there are many reasons why people find cycling a challenge, and we

need to provide them with solutions. That may take the form of

providing some training and information, or perhaps just the right bit

of encouragement; for example organizing a leisurely group ride or

highlighting a suitable safe route’.

Over recent weeks, the steering group have been recruiting local volunteer ‘cycling champions’. ‘The next phase of the project is to train up our volunteers as Cycle Ride Leaders. We will equip them

with all the necessary skills such as first aid and Velotech bicycle maintenance, and they will then help

run our activity programme’. Although still being finalised, the programme is being tailored so that

there is something for everyone, irrespective of age or ability level. It is envisaged that activities will

include regular themed led rides, confidence building sessions and bicycle maintenance workshops.

There will also be events to mark Bike Week and Cycle to School Week.

Bob is also optimistic about the economic impact of the project; ‘Cycle tourism is becoming

increasingly popular within the National Park, and our activities and events will help draw more

cycling visitors into Kingussie and the surrounding area, which will be good news for local businesses’.

Cycle Friendly Kingussie will be launching its Activity Programme at Kingussie High School on 21st

April, 7pm (everyone welcome!), and will be celebrating all things cycling at their annual festival

Bikefest Scotland, which takes place in Kingussie on 13th June.

For more information on the project or for a copy of their spring activity programme,

contact: info@bikefestscotland.co.uk, visit the website, or find them on Facebook.

Extending the Speyside Way David Clyne, Recreation and Access Manager, CNPA

It’s early March and snow is falling heavily in Aviemore. Surely no one

would want to cycle in this weather? Or consider building a cycle path?

Not so in the Cairngorms! You just have to spend a day or two in

Glenmore or Aviemore and see how many brave souls head out on

their mountain bikes, or even cooler, their ‘fat bikes’. Cycling in cold

weather is an amazing experience, offering the rider stunning views and

icy challenges, particularly at night.

Building cycle paths in the

winter is an altogether trickier

challenge. The Cairngorms

National Park Authority

(CNPA) is in the final stage of

extending the Speyside Way

path from Aviemore to

Kincraig – due to be

completed by the end of April

2015, weather permitting.

It’s a path for a wide range of non-vehicular access takers, linking people

to the wider path network in the Cairngorms. The route has been

financially supported by two amazing public bodies: SUSTRANS

(Community Links) and Sport Scotland (Legacy 2014). The project is

managed by Cairngorm Outdoor Access Trust and constructed by

Aviemore based contractor, McGowan Ltd Environmental Engineering.

Overall, an excellent example of partnership working. Watch this space

for news of the official launch - with a very special guest - in June 2015.

The CNPA plan to extend the route from Kincraig to Newtonmore and

upgrade other existing sections within the next 3 years. When the

Speyside Way extension is complete, we look forward to welcoming

even more cyclists to the Park – whatever the weather!

Download your free guide to the Speyside Way HERE.

Active Cairngorms

The development of assets such as The Speyside Way brings huge

rewards, not only to our tourism economy but also for our physical and

mental well-being. Designing, managing and promoting active places is a

key goal for CNPA over the next few years.

The Park’s aspirations are set out in the new outdoor access strategy,

Active Cairngorms, which recently went out for consultation (now

closed). This new strategy aims to get residents and visitors to use the

Park for physical activity at least once a day. Initial indications are good.

Recent path usage counts on the path linking Aviemore to Glenmore

shows a big rise. Over the year from 2014-15 users on the ‘’Old

Logging Way’’ have jumped by over 8,000 to a total of over 70,000, with

more than 20 extra cyclists using the route every day.

Local Knowledge!

Are you new to the area?

Just visiting? What better

way to get ‘up to speed’ on

local routes and trails than

to join a local ride-out:

Mike’s Bikes Aviemore

Tuesday evenings, check

their Facebook page for

details.

Bothy Bikes Aviemore

Wednesday evenings,

check their Facebook page

for details.

Additional useful sources

of information:

Visit Cairngorms

Cairngorms National Park

Authority

Mountain Weather Infor-

mation Service

Upcoming Events:

May

King of the Mountains

Sportive 16th May

The Cairn O Mount Chal-

lenge 30th May

3 Pistes Cyclosportive

Aviemore, 31st May

June

Bikefest Scotland

Kingussie, 13th June

Scottish Bikeathon

Kingussie, 14th June

Rock & Road Festival/

POC Enduro

Glenlivet, 13/14th June

A Local Inspiration

Who are you, what do you do, and what’s your connection

with the Cairngorms? My name is David Smith, and I’m a

Great Britain Athlete. I grew up in Newtonmore and now live in

Aviemore. I won a gold medal at London 2012 with the GB

Paralympic Rowing Team. After London I decided I wanted to

challenge myself to make it to another games, but this time swapping

boat for bike. For me, the Cairngorms offer lots of varied terrain for

training, and make an ideal base for me.

‘Fat tyres’ or ‘skinny tyres’? I’m a road biker, so lots of Lycra and

power meters for me! I use my Garmin to record all my training

sessions and these are sent to British Cycling every day so they can

keep track of my training. So there’s no hiding…not even up here in

the Cairngorms!

‘Coffee and cake’ or ‘tea and scones’? There’s nothing better after a hard weeks training, than

setting out on a café ride, we’re spoilt for choice up here, and there are lots of great little cafés along

the roads in the Cairngorms. One of my favourite rides is out through to Lagan, and I’ll usually stop at

Newtonmore for a brew on the way back home!

Your cycling highlight of the year? The best day I’ve had on my bike in the Cairngorms was a

route which took in the full National Park; we did 160miles, setting out from Aviemore at 6:30am. It

was a fantastic day of riding with several café stops along the way. Setting off that morning was beautiful. As the sun rose over the mountains you could see your breath and only hear your heart beat

as you watched the day unfold on the road ahead. With some brutal climbs thrown in to add to the

fun, it was the perfect way to spend a day on the bike.

Your next ‘dream ride’ in the Cairngorms will be…

Well for me this is massive, as I’ve recently come through

more spinal surgery to remove another tumour, which left me

learning to walk again. I’m back in full-time training now, and

steadily building myself back up. So for me, every ride is a

‘dream ride’. I just love being back on my bike, and every time

I’m out I treasure the beauty of the Cairngorms!

Family cycling on the Deeside Way

If you are looking for family friendly cycling routes, you’re spoilt for

choice in the Cairngorms! One such route is The Deeside Way, a long

distance path running from the center of Aberdeen, all the way to

Ballater in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, famous for its

Victorian Heritage and links to Balmoral Castle. The path is Route 195

of the National Cycle Network.

The route follows the line of the Old Royal Deeside Railway from Aberdeen to Banchory, through

woodland and farmland to Kincardine O’Neil and then rejoins the old line from Aboyne to Ballater.

The total distance is 41 miles.

Along the way there are many opportunities to see remains of the old railway infrastructure as well as stunning views of the River Dee with the Cairngorm Mountains as a backdrop. Most of the route is off

road with gradual gradients making for easy going…a perfect route for a family cycling trip! Visit

www.deesideway.org for excellent downloadable maps and route descriptions, and a guide of things to

see and do along the way. New website launched http://www.deesideway.org/

Gold for David Smith, London 2012

David presenting medals at Bikefest Scot-

Mountain bikes and porridge…food for thought?

Al Gilmour, head of mountain biking at Glenmore Lodge, talks about one of the many

challenges of winter riding.

“I don’t want to say winter is behind us just yet, but there have already been a few fine days with a feeling

of spring about them; certainly enough to see an increase in the number of mountain bikes on the local

trails. But this can be a challenging time of year for mountain biking around the Cairngorms, because snow

melt and the repeated freeze/thaw cycle of frosty nights and sunny days can result in a trail surface the

consistency of porridge! Even some of the most consolidated trails can be churned by just a few bikes.

Dry trails tend to last much longer, that’s for sure. So will I only be

riding my bike on dry days? Absolutely not! As we ride around we

always need to be aware of our impact on the trails and the

surroundings, and that’s particularly important at this time of year.

It’s not just about where we ride, it’s also about how we ride. Not

skidding is an obvious one. Not riding in big groups another. Let’s

add to this by thinking about what impact we may have if we keep

riding the same sections of single-track over and over? Will our

favourite bit of trail sustain this enthusiasm? How do we feel when

we arrive at a trail that is showing the tell-tale signs of potential

overuse? How will someone else feel? I’m certainly not suggesting

we put our bikes away till the spring, I won’t be! But maybe we

should take a minute to think a wee bit more about where we head

when the conditions change for the worse. Food for thought……”

So…is your knowledge of how to ride the trails as good as you think it is? Check out the ‘Do the Ride

Thing’ on-line computer game and see how much you really know!

Grass routes…

Edward Fletcher is a 17 year old from Grantown, who competes for his local cycling club Cairngorm CC,

in a number of different disciplines. These include Road Racing, Time Trialling, Track Racing and

Cyclocross. He’s even been known to enter the occasional MTB race! But last season Edward had his

sights set on a different cycling discipline – Grass Track racing.

Edward explains more; ‘This last season I’ve focused on grass track racing

on the highland games circuit. Many people won’t be familiar with this

form of cycle racing, but I’m told that back in the day it was often many

peoples first experience of proper bike racing, and over recent years it’s

seen a revival. I had a really successful year in 2014, achieving several wins

including the Scottish 1000m Championship in August. In previous years

as a youth I’ve been Scottish Highland Games overall champion twice and

north of Scotland Criterium champion. At my home games in Grantown,

I was delighted to win 3 races including the 1 lap TT in front of family and

friends – after my rear tyre blew off and I skidded into the crowd in that

race!’

Edward also enjoys Mountain biking on the trails around Grantown and above Aviemore at High Burnside

with friends; ‘I mostly Mountain bike just for fun – with these great trails who wouldn’t? The variety of

good roads and off-road trails are ideal for all kinds of cycle training, and I’m lucky to have my older

brother Charles as a training partner and coach…not to mention biggest rival!

Grass track racing in Scotland is controlled by the Scottish Highland Games Association Check out their website for events and information on how to enter.

Think cycling is beyond you? Perhaps it’s time to think again…

You can find almost anything in Bill Wilson’s shop in Glenmore: food, drink, toboggans, directions,

postcards, gossip, ski-hire and electric bike rental.

Four electric bikes lean into their kickstands outside the Pine

Marten Bar at the Glenmore Shop. They often get a second look

from customers who notice the expanded hub in the rear wheels

that house the ‘umpf-giving’ drive system.

“I get a steady stream of rentals” Bill says of the people exploring

the vast network of trails around Glenmore in summer, “nearly

all of them on impulse.”

Bill is part of the Cairngorms Electric Bicycle Network, a collection of local businesses offering electric

bike rental and free battery charging around the National Park. “It’s a simple idea” explains Bill, “hire

an E bike, pick up one of the maps which highlight the best routes, and off you go. If your bike battery

is running a bit low, then stop off and recharge it in one of the nominated cafés or visitor attractions,

and have a coffee and a piece of cake while you wait!”

Bill reckons it’s still early days for this type of biking, but that it appeals to the less fit, the elderly, and

those who haven’t been on a bike for a while. He does not fit into any of these categories which makes

him a good man to spread the faith to a wider audience. Bill regularly takes his electric bike to

Germany, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic and the machine is often his daily run-a-bout at home

too. "I'd find a normal bike too tough for a lot of the journeys I make, and I like arriving somewhere

not exhausted," he says.

Iona Malcolm is another local beneficiary of the network. This 40-year

old Multiple Sclerosis sufferer was determined not to be grounded by

her illness; “The MS meant that a normal bike was hard going and even

an adult tricycle was tough” explains Iona. “Then I tried one of the

network’s E bikes, and I was converted…so much so, that I bought one!”

A family outing by bike of seven or eight miles is now possible. She uses

her E Bike to do the shopping and get around her home town of

Kingussie. “There’s no doubt about it” says Iona, “there are lots of

people out there like me, who would be able to get back in the saddle, with the aid of an E bike!”

Scottish Cycling – The perfect coffee break read

Haven’t come across Scottish Cycling

magazine yet? Then you’re missing out! This

quarterly ‘E’ zine is available FREE to digital

subscribers. Register HERE for the spring

edition. Edited by local resident Cameron

McNeish, you would expect Cairngorms routes

to feature heavily. This latest issue doesn’t

disappoint, with an excellent guide to the Boat

of Garten and Tulloch Moor circuit.

In the next issue:

Fat bikes, event reports, off

the beaten track, and more!

Have you got a good

cycling story to tell?

Email the editor.

Subscribe to the next edition of The Cairngorms Cyclist HERE

Cairngorms National Park Authority, 14 The Square, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3HG

Tel: 01479 873535, Fax: 01479 873527

Active Cairngorms: Find out about the many ways to get fit and active in the Cairngorms!