# Went cruising, ended up not where I set out for.



## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

I think I have a problem with intentions...

About a week ago I accidentally rode 125 miles on my shopping bike. It came about like this:

A friend was doing a DIY audax and asked me to keep ride with him for the first 20 miles while he warmed up to the ride. I grabbed my 3 speed upright shopping bike simply because it was closest to the door and I wasn't going far.

The sun was out, the hills and mountains were shedding the last of the snow. The only snag was winds gusting to 35mph, but here in the Highlands of Scotland that's a blessing, it means there's no chance of bloodsucking midgies. At the first stop, the views were magnificent and a big descent beckoned.



You can see how irresistible that was. 

At the bottom we figured I may as well go on to the next town where we'd refuel. Our favoured eatery was gone, so on to the next town. By that time I'd done 50 miles.



To cut a long story short, I ended up 125 miles from home with the audax completed well within the designated limits. 

Yesterday, another fine day, I grabbed my fast road bike from the shed with the intention of just knocking off about 20 miles or so in the sunshine, but after a mile I turned back and grabbed the 3 speed instead just to deter me from going a-wandering too far.

Intentions are wonderful things...

I rode to a nearby village about 10 miles away with the intention of tea & cake and then ride home. The cafe was crammed, that idea was scratched. Instead of turning back I figured a little further, well maybe a fair bit further, towards the mountains behind Loch Ness.

I'd done about 20 miles when I had the brainwave of checking out a track that is part of one of Scotland's toughest mtb events, the Highland Trail 550. (It's a self-supported event aimed at the racers amongst the bike packing community.)

I only intended going along the track for a mile or two just to check it out.

Intentions are liars...

The first part is a horrible steep climb - or it is if you're an ancient fossil on a 3 speed bike. Luckily years of riding singlespeed have taught me a few handy tricks (none of them elegant) for climbing hills and I needed them all for that bit. That got me to here:



Now my problem was I did not want to waste the climb, so I figured go on a bit further to get to the bits where the views get really good.

A bit after that I was feeling peckish. Luckily I hadn't emptied my saddlebag after the audax ride, so I found a very black banana that I had forgotten. It was delicious. 

One mile lead to another and eventually:



The ranges in the far background are those behind the hill in the previous pic.

By the time I got home I had been in the saddle 8 hours. So much for intentions, eh?


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## J_Westy (Jan 7, 2009)

Quite nice shopping bike!


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Velobike said:


> To cut a long story short, I ended up 125 miles from home with the audax completed well within the designated limits.


That's a heck of a ride! How did you get home?


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I wish I had more time to explore like that. When I lived in Japan, every weekend I'd plan a bike ride, usually with a destination being a shrine or a garden. Sometimes I'd make it there and sometimes I'd come across something else on my journey that called for me to change my plans and do some exploring. Sometimes I have a bit of a similar experience on road rides and a bit when riding trails for the first time. Exploring by bicycle is ideal, slow enough to really enjoy the views but fast enough to cover a decent amount of distance.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

very cool...looks like beautiful country!


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Awesome! Inspiration for my summer vacation ride.

I'm planning to ride SoCal's coast from Malibu to Sta Barbara, it will be only about 150 round trip, but I'm sure I will be exploring on the way.

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

J.B. Weld said:


> That's a heck of a ride! How did you get home?


I was planning to turn around and ride home after a feed because I figured it was warm enough to sleep out with my cycling cape as protection when I got tired, but my friend insisted I stay for the night.

The next morning I then got offered a lift back home because his wife wanted to go shopping in the large town near where I live. (Where we were was very much in the sticks).

So in other words, I took the soft option.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

jcd46 said:


> ...I'm planning to ride SoCal's coast from Malibu to Sta Barbara, it will be only about 150 round trip, but I'm sure I will be exploring on the way.


After a lifetime of planning, these days I eschew it.

I just have intentions, but let chance and the direction of my front wheel over-rule them to lead me to serendipitous places.

I think that's called freedom.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Velobike said:


> After a lifetime of planning, these days I eschew it.
> 
> I just have intentions, but let chance and the direction of my front wheel over-rule them to lead me to serendipitous places.
> 
> I think that's called freedom.


I like it! For now I have other things that dictate otherwise..but maybe one day!

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Before starting every ride, run, workout... I keep a goal in mind. I try not to sell myself short and I don't aim for something that is beyond riddiculous. What usually happens is that when I get within range of that goal, I push myself a little more. I am amazed sometimes how much more energy I have left. 

Your achievement is awesome!


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## guido316 (Apr 20, 2018)

It's amazing how far one can go without realizing it. I usually have a goal, but more often than not I wind up either going a lot further or in a different direction than planned. Sometimes I find a path that I haven't travelled and that call is louder than my anticipated goal. I just keep in mind my energy reserves and how long I've been out. I hate to bonk and then turn around.


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