‘Supermums’ get connected
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
TODDLERS and trailers were the focus of our attention as a group of mums and children got together to enjoy a gentle cycle in Strathglass last weekend.
The term “gentle” is used loosely there – pulling one or two kids around in a bike trailer is far from an easy ride but these weren’t just any mums, they were “supermums”. And a couple of us token gesture dads, too!
The informal event had been organised by Mick Heath, a stalwart of the cycling community in the Highlands. He had done a recce of the route through Kerrow Wood above the village of Cannich in Inverness-shire and reckoned it was a good one for a family cycle.
What he didn’t expect was the fine weather we got to go with it, despite some fairly dismal forecasts. A total of seven little ones joined us on the cycle – hitching a ride in one of the four trailers or on the kid’s seat – plus one baby out for a walk with its mum. There were four mums, two dads and one Mick - all on their best behaviour, of course!
We gathered at the head of the track, still marked as a site entrance for the upgrade of the Beauly-Denny power line although a sign at the gate welcomes walkers, cyclists and horse riders and informs visitors that most of the work has been completed in this area.
The legacy is a wonderful track that cuts through the woods with views (beyond the huge new pylons) of the Glen Affric and Glen Cannich hills.
There’s limited parking available at the gate, or you can leave the car at a lay-by a few hundred metres towards Cannich along the main road.
Once we were all geared up with our different trailer set-ups we hit the trail. With no traffic to worry about, it was a great location for us to enjoy spending some fabulous family time together in the great outdoors.
It was also nice to meet like-minded families who share the same love of the outdoors as we do. The children all had a wonderful time tucked up in their chariots with books and toys to amuse them as we rode along the sweeping track, which has its ups and downs in terms of gradients but is mostly rideable even with a trailer in tow. Only at one point along the four-mile out-and-back route did we have to get off to negotiate a steep descent on loose stones.
As we approached the picnic spot that marked our turning point there was a lovely descent and I heard Clara giddy with excitement shouting “weeeeeeee” and laughing as she and her little sister Jennifer enjoyed the sensation of going fast on the bike. That moment sums up what it was all about for me.
After a hearty lunch overlooking Glen Affric, its high mountains still supporting a smattering of snow, we headed back along the track, albeit a bit slower than we had got there! A short ride is definitely all that’s needed to have a great day on the bike with the little ones.
We headed down to the village after returning to our cars and got together for tea and cake at the excellent Bog Cotton Café on the campsite. The kids had a great time playing with the toys and on the campsite’s playpark and even dancing to Mick’s mini concert on his banjo.
There was a definite feeling of wanting to get the “supermums” together again and Mick is already on the case of organising a second trailer and tag-along outing. It could be the start of a new wave of cycling families in the Highlands getting together to embrace the philosophy of “starting them young”!
Mick tells me that was how the current CTC Highlands group began, with families going for rides together with various kiddie seat combinations – before the days of hi-tech trailer attachments. The group is still going strong today and rides take place throughout the year.
Personally I’m excited about the prospect of doing more outings like this superb Strathglass cycle, and I hope others will join our quest to bring the supermums – and dads – together to introduce our children to a wonderful world of exploration and adventure.
* If you’re interested in joining the ‘supermums’ on a future ride, keep an eye on John’s Twitter feed @BL6John – which you can read at his website www.BL6.co.uk even if you don’t have a Twitter account!
