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I have some free time in Aberdeen this week, not enough to allow for off road wanderings, So I've got the road bike with me instead. Any recommendations? 30-40 miles ideally, I'm looking at the area out towards Banchory as an out and back, anything else?.
I'm based in the South of the City.
Cheers.
What time of day ?
Makes an odds to what roads i suggest.
Probably from 4pm onwards Terry.
I've been working Mon-Fri in Aberdeen for the last 5 weeks
The traffic has been chronic every time I've ventured out, regardless of the hour. I've been running instead of cycling.
Time for 40miler on road but no time for off road 😕
Given the shite roads and even shite driving in Aberdeen I'd rather be off road.
Haha, cheers Bruce!. It's more convenient, that's all!. Staying with someone and I don't want to be dragging mud into their house, but weather looks okay for next week, so road means less mess.
And I wouldn't have a clue where to start with regards to routes.
Go out the countesswells road. Keep going out then head left to Peterculter then right to banchory. Cross the dee there and head either to Stonehaven or just cycle around those side-roads up there.
Or if you want a challenge do the cairn o mount from Stonehaven and back. One of the top 100 climbs in Britain. Great ride with coffee and cake at the clattering brig if you wish.
Sounds promising...
If you go out to banchory you can go on the deeside walk to culter if you want to stay off the roads. Its a sealed surface up til then. If you're horsing on at any decent speed I'd recommend a bell as there are quite a few walkers and runners on it usually and some can get a bit pissy. The path starts at duthie park but you can get on it at various points eg holburn street (the path goes over it on a bridge).
Unless your feeling particularly suicidal do not follow that route speedster describes even at best thats a horrifying route.
Ill comandeer mrs t-r s computer and draw you some maps of nice routes to take you to the same place tonight.
To clarify - the countesswells road is a singletrack rat run till about 7pm the road from there to peterculter is a horrorfest even in the car. - the peterculter to banchory road is never plesent ( i live on the damn thing near drumoak)
Im not saying i dont ride these roads only if its unavoidable or a saturday/sunday morning. A weekday evening - not a snowballs chance id do it out of choice.
Thanks Terry, I was pretty sure you lived near Peterculter, was hoping you'd pop up!.
I'll second Trail Rats advice re. Countesswells Road. It's a rat run and once you get past the turn off for Bieldside it turns single track and swear to god the car drivers aim at you... A Sunday morning run only.
There are back roads ways out to Banchory but mostly involve heading out the main road past Culter (yes, there is the old railway line, but remember this is a shared space with family's strung across he path, dogs and just plain bimblers. Do not treat it like a race track please). Do not head off the North at Easter Anguston, it leads past Cullerlie which makes the Paris Roubaix cobbles look smooth. The next road however (at the start of the long straight to Drum) can be taken several ways but the best way is left at the fork (before the weak bridge at Milton of Drum) which leads to the back of Drumoak road. Turn right then left at the Hirn road. This will take you to Hill of Banchory. Can't really think of a pleasant way across the town I'm afraid.
The way home is through Banchory over the Bridge of Feugh and turn immediately right once over. Take the first fork left and up and over the hill which picks up the bottom of the Garrol. Turn left then right again at the junction (over the bridge) past the quarry/welder shop then left just after the big left handler on to the Denside road. Follow this to the Netherley road then turn left and sharp right signposted Lairhillock. Turn left just before the Inn/school and follow the road to the Dyke Neuk/Auchlunies junction. Turn right then the first left heading towards Banchory Devenick. Once you hit the cross roads take a left (sign posted Causey Mounth) which will take you down to the end of Leggart Terrace.
You could shorten it by cutting across the bridge at Durris and heading up the Slug (takes you the Denside of Durris road directly. Except of course that the road form Myrebird is shut atm. Hmm, infact, the Raemoir road was shut last week, not sure when it reopens.... Raemoir best avoided at that time of night anyways...
There will be traffic at that time of night though.
HTH.
Good luck!
I had a nice road / off-road spin a few months back out the Deeside Way, but it was a bit clogged with walkers on the way back right enough, esp. near Culter..
Terry, I must have passed near your road end on my return leg for that, as I deviated off by Drumoak, to the NW for a couple miles, to pop in by my cousin who stays by the Loch of Park area.. very pleasant..!
Looks like metalheart saved me the hassle and clearly knows the names of the junctions better than me. Ive been stuck in the bathroom locating a majorly leaking pipe all night :/
but yeah thats how id do it , dont be tempted to reverse it , as late afternoon / early evenign the last part is a rat run but it quietens down quick.
North deeside to culter isnt bad at rush hour as its pretty much a car park with a cycle lane, just watch out for cars using it as an extra give way line.
Not sure if this will work but hopefully this is a google maps route of the T-R approved 😉 route:
Hmm, try cutting and pasting the whole link and sticking it yer browser.... (but chop the [url= at the start and [/url] at the end... works for me...)
Headed out from leggart terrace and along the road to maryculter, then over to Stonehaven for fish and chips, returned the same. Traffic wasn't too bad, roadworks on way out slowed things down a bit. 33 miles, nearly worked off the fish supper!.
Too late now, but I'd avoid the South Deeside road from Aberdeen till the bottom of the Slug road. Too many d*ckheads drive along there and I've seen too many crashes or near misses for comfort.
One of my preferred routes would be that one linked to above. If however, you are short of time then on the roads around the back of Drum castle you can do a short loop by going over the stone bridge at the Gormack Burn, then follow the road for a mile or so, turn 90deg left to Flora's cafe on the junction of the B9125. Then head south till you get to a left and turn back east to head back to the back of Drum castle. It's more obvious a loop on the OS map than on Google maps.
Major roadworks on south deeside at the moment , most of the dick heads will be avoiding it as they wont be able to get their speed on .
Speaking of which some one wants to tell muir homes marketing department that blairs is not royal deeside......royal deeside is the upper reaches of the river dee, blars is practically aberdeen harbour.