The birds and the bikes

I knew I wanted to see the puffins again. I knew I wanted to get out on the bike. I kinda figured I could do both.

Finished up in the office for the day and hightailed it with the bike on the car to Johnshaven. Looked like a nice 12 miles or so from there to Crawton, thence on to the Fowlsheugh cliffs, and so it proved. 4 odd miles to Inverbervie along the shore (taking the VERY off road Sustrans route, glad I took the cross bike); a beast of a long drag if a climb on the main road for a short while, before heading into undulating lovely narrow roads, then dropping down to the coast once more.

Ended up riding most of the path along the cliffs as well. Faster than walking, and the singletrack was a blast (more so coming back as it was then downhill). there was only one puffin amongst the thousands of guillemots and razorbills when I first arrived, but they started returning to roost, and just before I was about to leave, a pair came back to their burrow just off the path. It's precarious shooting these little birds at this spot, but oh so worth it.

Had planned a stop at the Bervie Chipper on the way back, but it had inexplicably closed (having been open when I passed on the way out), so I carried on back onto the rutted, rocky path by the shore. Of course having had a great ride, the yin had to balance the yang, and a mile and a half from getting back to the car the underwheel conditions popped the chain off one of the jockey wheels, wedging it in the rear mech cage, snapping the dropout.... It's not all bad, as I was within easy walking distance and by this point it was a nice still night, and it's a replaceable dropout, AND I have a spare (though it's in Edinburgh, so my planned last ride tomorrow is off...).

Good humpback Wednesday.