Ride - Scotland, Pitmedden Forest, Fife
This is another catch-up post for rides in late February and early March. I’ve moved on from the flatness of Tentsmuir Forest and West Sands Beach to Pitmedden Forest. Riding here involves gravel and single track and many more hills.
Where
Pitmedden Forest was once home to wild boar and frequent hunting by kings and queens of Scotland riding out from Falkland Palace. The original forest was largely eliminated to provide wood during the First World War, and later replanted by the Forestry Commission with Scots Pine, Sitka and Norway spruce. Its 1,300+ acres remain a commercial plantation under Forestry Commission control.
The forest sits on the Perthshire/Fife border and has parking areas which can be accessed from Auchtermuchty and the road that stretches between Startmiglo and Abernethy. The forest is popular with mountain bikers I suspect because there aren’t many good spots in Fife but also because there is a decent mix of gravel and single tracks. The majority of riders I’ve seen are mostly interested in fast downhill riding on singletrack and use the gravel just to get back to the start of the downhill. Parking areas are very busy at weekends.
Gallery
Gear and Nutrition
Still riding in long trousers, three upper layers and warm gloves. Upper layers are shed as the ride continues and as conditions determine.
The rear cassette suffered a catastrophic failure on the second gear and had to be replaced. That’s the second time one of these cassettes has failed on me in the past six months so now I’m being extra careful with gear changes during strain on the drive-train. Indexing seems to be fine so far. Otherwise, SurPug continies to deliver the goods.
Nutrition so far this year is limited to electrolytes before- and during- plus protein in unsweetened coconut milk post-ride.