Touring Attire

I'll be looking more like the guy on the left. It's all about the socks.

Overall Route for Loch and Glens Bike Trip June 2026

I worked a bit with Gen AI (Gemini) to create a full trip GPX from each of my daily expected routes. The resolution provided is not quite navigable, but I did get an overview that is fairly accurate. Just follow the line in a generally clockwise fashion from Glasgow. 

 Gemini summarized the tour fairly accurately and succinctly with the following description:

Route Landmarks and Geography

• The Southern Start: The route departs Glasgow and follows the Forth and Clyde Canal corridor toward the Campsie Fells.

• The Trossachs: You then head west into the National Park, navigating between Loch Venachar, Loch Katrine, and Aberfoyle via the Duke's Pass.

• Highland Ascent: The track turns north, climbing through the rail-trail corridor of Glen Ogle to reach Killin and the shores of Loch Tay.

• The Northern Loop: After reaching Pitlochry, the route includes your excursions to Tummel Bridge and Old Blair before heading south.

• The Descent to Stirling: The return leg follows the National Cycle Route 77 through Perthshire and Dunblane into Stirling, before the final climb over Tak-Ma-Doon Rd back into the Glasgow basin.

Making the Highlands Climbing easier?

I decided to rent a modern bike with 7 (rear) x 3  (front) = 21 "speeds" rather than bring my 1971 Raleigh Sports fitted with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer internal gear hub. (Actually, I own and can alternatively fit the Raleigh with a wheel that has a 3 speed Shimano Nexus internal gear hub.)

In any case, back in the 1920's, this ad indicated that "3 is all you need":

To me, it's not the number of gear ratio combinations. More importantly, it's the available low / high  range. It is nice to have a finer resolution of gear ratio combinations between the low and high, but to me, that's not critical.

For example, my 2016 Trek Verve 2, also a 7 x 3 geared bicycle, has the following gear inch values across its range of combinations:

Trek Verve 2		Tire Circumference mm (measured)
Tire diameter in inches		Tire Size 37-622 700 x 35 cm
27.50	Front # Teeth	Front # Teeth	Front # Teeth
Rear # Teeth	28	38	48
34	22.65	30.74	38.82
24	32.08	43.54	55.00
22	35.00	47.50	60.00
20	38.50	52.25	66.00
18	42.78	58.06	73.33
16	48.13	65.31	82.50
14	55.00	74.64	94.29

The Raleigh with the Sturmey Archer AW 3 Speed has the following gear inch values:

Raleigh with AW Hub
Tire diameter in inches	Rear # Teeth	Front Chainweel # Teeth
26.00	22	48
Gear 1 reduction	Gear 2 Direct (1:1)	Gear 3 Increase
-25.00%		33.00%
42.55	56.73	75.45

So, the Raleigh with the Sturmey Archer AW hub has a low gear equivalent to a frequency used low gear I apply on the Trek Verve 2, and a high gear equivalent similar to a high gear I use on the Trek. I have more range on the Trek, and finer resolution between gears, but it's not that dissimilar. 

The BBC Scotland Seagull Story

 Listening to this program is tuning my ears to Scottish English ...

Check out this clip from today's broadcast conveying a funny seagull story. 

Seagull on Niles Beach, Gloucester, Massachusetts

Irn-Bru and other on trail delights

 I intend to forgo all American drinks for Irn-Bru when I need a little pick me up on the trail.

As seen in these TV commercials ... this 1988 advert

Irn-Bru Commercial Lyrics

Gosh, you know it, it's one of those ads, Lots of kids with white teeth and giant shoulder pads!

It’s not a drink from those crazy Yanks, Because it’s made right here, you know it’s tougher than tanks!

Made in Scotland from girders! Unpronounceable too!

Made in Scotland from girders! Barr's Irn-Bru!

Still this ad is really quite fun! It gives me a hint of a go to number one!

The only fly in the oil- I’m a loose cannon!

Made in Scotland from girders!

There goes my chance of fame... It's a bit of a shame.

A Little Bird Watching

I just finished reading Helen Macdonald's "H is for Hawk", and now I'm somewhat inspired to try some lightweight bird watching while cycling. Maybe I can catch a view of a Goshawk?

After a little research, and the purchase of a used copy of "Birds of Britain and Europe", I found that if I keep my eyes open, I have a good chance at some good sightings.

I created this sighting log and refer to the colour plates in the field guide. As I make sightings, I'll fill in the log.

Here's an example of one of the colour plates (with the Goshawk).

Radio Entertainment

I've decide to bring along a light, small, portable, rechargeable, splashproof  combination Blue Tooth Speaker / FM radio receiver / TF card MP3 player to tune into local broadcasts at times (perhaps during an afternoon picnic along the road, or in the evenings). Although I'll have my Android phone and a Chromebook, I think I'll enjoy the over-the-air broadcast experience. 

Research tells me that I can tune into local Gaelic broadcasts on Radio nan Gàidheal, which might be fun for music, and to listen to local presenters (without much comprehension on my part).

BBC Scotland (FM)

• Milngavie/Stirling: 94.7 MHz
• Callander/Strathyre: 92.8 MHz
• Killin/Perthshire: 93.7 / 94.1 MHz

BBC Scotland Radio nan Gàidheal: 103.5 – 105 MHz

In case reception is poor, on the TF Card I have loaded some previous BBC over the air recordings, plus some albums and mixes (all for my own personal use) , including:

• Amy MacDonald  -This Is The Life 
• Angle's Share
• BBC Scotland Saturday Show 
• Dick Gaughan Handful of Earth
• Flower of Scotland - The Corries 
• Ian Smith and his Scottish Dance Band
• Jim Moray - Gallants
• Julie Fowlis - Gach Sgeul (Every Story)
• Peat Fire Flame - The Corries  
• Radio nan Gàidheal (several programs)
• Roddy Hart BBC Scotland (several programs)  
• Scots Wha Hae
• Scottish Folk - Border Lands
• Scottish Love Stories
• The Corries - Shuffle   
• GaberLunzie: The Definitive Collection
• The Quay Sessions BBC Scotland (several programs)
• Traditional Scottish Instrumentals 
• Travelling Folk with Wayward Jane