Recently I've had quite a few people asking when the new book will be ready. All I can say is that work is still ongoing. Family illnesses have precluded the trips necessary for research and images. There's actually still a fair bit to be done. Lessons learned from the first book mean that I will not rush it.
On this page I've included a few pictures from the riding that will be going in to it. Unlike the first book, which was restricted to the Highlands, they are from all over Scotland. Hopefully they'll whet your appetite.
The new book will have routes are accessible from major population centres without the use of a car. In fact, all the images above are solely from that sort of ride. Many riders who live in the cities have been introduced to the sport through centre based riding. With some there's an assumption that you have to drive somewhere to access decent riding. A good sized portion of the book will provide a few solutions to that problem.
Of course, there are fantastic days to be had all over the country which can only be reached by travelling. It's natural that inquisitive riders will want to try them. Visiting the places and seeing the sights while getting there are pleasures to be savoured along with the actual riding.
In common with the last book, many of the routes will be "clustered". If you're the sort of rider who likes to stay put for a few days to experience several rides, of different character in the one area you'll be able to do so.
Alternatively, it will be possible to "cherry pick" the sort of ride you want and build a fantastic road trip from the options available at your ability or stamina levels. Established classics will remain but there are new ones in the mix too. The images below show a tiny cross section of the riding and scenery to be enjoyed on the routes described.
There will be no riding centres featured at all. Each of those is waymarked and it there's no great point in putting them in a book. However, a good deal of the content will be close to them so that the best of both worlds can be enjoyed.
This page will be amended from time to time. Coming soon will be preview pages and maps from the book to let you see the improved graphics and presentation format over the first one.
The sample route in the link below pretty much represents the style in which the new topos will be appearing.
Thanks again for taking the time to check out the book. Once published it will be available from retailers and, post free, from the site.
Mountain biking is an adventure sport with associated risks. It is the responsibilty of all riders to be fully conversant with the risks to themselves and the risks to others. The activity also has impact on the land. This impact not only extends to wear and tear on trails but also how it affects agriculture and ecology. You must at all times be mindful of these factors. Any route suggested should only be accessed within the provisions of the Land Reform Scotland Act and conform to the concept of responsible acces within the terms of that act which spoecifies that any such access should be responsible. See http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp?nPageID=12&nSubContentID=0 for more info and guidance. No route published by Mountainbike Scotland should be undertaken without adherance to all of the foregoing.
