Trip to Moniaive, Tynron and Penpont

The days between Tours 2 and 3 were spent mainly catching up with cleaning tasks and planning house and bike improvements with the help of specialists. Active rest comprised a little walking (some before breakfast) for three days and then, with legs largely recovered, gentle jogging. Similarly to the rest and recuperation period after Tour 1, the exception to active rest was on the penultimate day. This time a trip to Moniaive, Tynron and Penpont as Tour 3 preparation was undertaken as follows.

The direct route to Moniaive, mainly on the B729, took advantage of very light Sunday traffic. Watsons at Moniaive had a good choice of healthy food and a seat on which to rest and study a hard copy of the informative five year plan for the area, since found online. This is worth at least a quick look just for the excellent photographs. Steps taken to realise the laudable but ambitious aim of converting the disused railway line from Dumfries to Moniaive to a cycle path will be followed with great interest.

This being the first trial of my new 2 x 9-speed Merida Speeder 100, the return to Dumfries included the challenging hill towards Tynron. Using the lowest gear there was no need to stand on the pedals for the steep ascent, but even so the heart rate monitor confirmed that the new bike was not going to make cycling too easy. A right turn off the A702 at Penpont onto the minor road took me past Keir Mill and Glenmidge and then my quiet route went left to Auldgirth and over the old Auldgirth Bridge (wheeling the bike down the ramp alongside the steps), crossed the A76 and passed through Dalswinton and Kirkton, skirted Heathhall and then used cycle paths to reach Dumfries. With a total of 2500 feet of ascent in 40 miles this was felt to be ideal preparation for Tour 3.