Passing Places Tours.

I've set up a new venture, Passing Places Tours! For a while I've been offering folk advice on where to go in Scotland for the best motorcycle holidays, so I've started a motorbike tour company. The way I see it, I've gained enough knowledge and experience over the years to offer a great wee trip without costing people a fortune.

I've got my first trip coming up, so I'm getting a wee bit nervous. I'm taking 14 folk away on a one night trip to Applecross. I'm charging my clients £85 for this first trip. The cost covers a night's accommodation at Hartfield House in Applecross, a three course meal in the Applecross Inn and a guide to show you the way, me. 

I must have done something right, because all my spaces sold out within a week! So if you want to come on one of my planned trips, or you'd like me to show you around, check out my new website, www.passingplacestours.com.

Mike

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year! Aye, I know its a bit late but better late than never.

We'll start with a few drinks. Faithir and I were round at Dave's just before Christmas and he brought out the big guns, some Ginger Tam's and a bottle of Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Ginger Tam's is a whisky, honey and ginger liqueur and at 48.5% its got plenty kick. With a few ice cubes it's fucking tasty too.

Ginger Tam's

Tactical Nuclear Penguin is a different kettle of fish. It was classed as the strongest beer in the world when it came out. It's 32% and an acquired taste (fucking boufing). It's sort of a mix between cough medicine, treacle and marmite. This shit will put fucking hair on your chest for sure.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin. For the dedicated.

Between Christmas and New Year (and between two fucking colds, I'm fighting part three off just now) I was out with some of the folk from the ELMTB pussbook page for out annual Christmas/New Year cycle round the local woods. We met at the Winton where the barman Jamie gave us a few ports to set us up. Most of the trails were really gloopy and muddy and half way round it started pishing down with rain, so by the time we got back to the Winton we were all ready for beers and the five massive pizzas we got delivered to the pub from Dino's in Haddington.

Mind I was saying that Tactical Nuclear Penguin was the strongest been in the world? Well Lee brought a bottle of Sink The Bizmark to our Hogmanay party. This shit will fuck you up good and proper. Its even more of a joy to drink than the Penguin and its 41%! The party was pretty good, plenty food, booze, laughs and fires.

Fucking hardcore.

After Hogmanay HB and I took the Fiat 500 north to visit her Dad and her Bro. I managed to get the crack with Drew, Ferg and the rest of the Caithness crew which was good. We also had a wee explore around some places. There's lots of stuff to see and visit hidden all over Caithness. If we'd had a bit more time I would have taken the Pugsley. Next time though.

Crossing the Forth Road Bridge

Ferg and HB

Ferg the sexy bastard gave us a surf demo. It was epic.

Dunnet beach. I'll return here with the Pug for sure.

I got out to the beach on the Pugsley for what feels like the first time in ages. Dave and I cycled to North Berwick from Gullane and back. There's quite a few of us with fatbikes in East Lothian but this was the first time I've met someone else out on the beach. Dave and I met Gary coming along the beach before we spotted some Nate tyre tracks and sent Bruce a text saying we were following him. He came back along and met up with us and we headed along to North Berwick for some posh coffee and cake. We nipped into Law Cycles for a chat with Dave McH before saying cheerio to Bruce and heading back along the coast.

Dave and Gary

A leftover from a Hogmanay party?

Dave and Bruce

Dave havin' a go. It was steep as fuck.

A gid day oot! Now to get this cold to fuck off and get back out.

You see me rollin'.....

Ok, when I last left this we had one fucked Pugsley, a sick ass new car and...... a shiney new frame!
The new Pugsley frame was built up a couple of weeks back, thanks to Dave at Law Cycles for getting me one nice and quick. I got the frame resprayed Porsche peppermint green again by Colin at Smillie Paint who gave it the usual flawless finish and Dave G gave me another hand building it up and swapping the parts of the old frame.
All left to do was to get out and ride the fucker!

I met up with Bruce and some of the folk from the UK Fatbike forum for the usual cycle out to the submarines at Aberlady Bay then along to North Berwick for a spicy haggis and chips. Braw.

We met these guys at Berwick Law, the big metal thing is a listening device the girl is making for her uni project. They said the couldn't hear much due to the wind and it was really cold on their lugs! The ear muffs they have planned should fix that.

Listening device.

A few days after that I headed up the Lammermuirs with Paul. There had been some snow fall so I wanted to get up for a play about on the Pugsley. The first bit of the track up was sheet ice, it was a fucking nightmare to walk on never mind cycle on but we eventually made it to the top of Lammer Law without any crashes, which is a fucking miracle considering Paul's current track record.

Lammer Law Summit.

I had my Gopro with me so I've made a video using some bits filmed on these cycles and some from a spin I went on with Roli the dog the other day. The song is One Big Moment by Orbital. Paul, Gary, Bob, Gav, Tom the Bass and myself went to see Orbital in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago, I was bouncing about all over the place at the front. It was fucking epic.

Orbital

Here's the video, you might have to open it on vimeo to view it in HD.

Pugsley in December. from yodagoat on Vimeo.

What happened here?? Comments below.....