Monday 06/09/04

I start by going to the post-office, to the baker's for lunch and the hairdresser's. All in Commercial Street. Another sunny day, so I decide to go out on a rented bike. There is a bike and car rental place up the road, and I'm duly issued with a mountainbike for £7 for the whole day. At 11.30, I head out south down the A970. In a car, you don't really notice the inclines. On a bike you do. After the Clickimin roundabout, I'm pretty quickly puffed out. I follow the same route as yesterday, and head out towards Scalloway, 6 miles to the west. Just before the junction at the far end of the B9073, I take a wee breather. Then I go down that long and steep hill towards the Tingwall valley. Nice viewpoint about 1/3 way down. I'm not really happy to go thundering downhill, but I do manage to get to the bottom without mishap. Go uphill into Scalloway and ride around the harbour. Return to the far end of town, where I head south down the road towards Burra. It's getting fairly warm - sun is beating down. After a mild incline, the road veers west to cross a narrow bridge. Once vehicle can cross it at a time. After another short break on the far side, I press on and finally arrive into Hamnavoe. I proceed through the village. I'm now 10 miles from Lerwick and 4 south of Scalloway. It's 1 pm, so I've done well. Nip into the shop for some bits, then sit down at the harbour to eat lunch. Nice views to other islands. At 1.30, I head back up the hill and run into a funeral procession that is just setting off from the church. Turn off to the right at the roundabout and head down to another beach. Park the bike at the toilets and wander down the path. Several people on the beach. I proceed past the beach and up the hill. Path leads a little further, but I'm happy just to sit and enjoy the sun. At 3 pm, I head back to Scalloway. Just before the town, I go into the Tingwall valley, which I ride along its full length. In the village at the other end, I dive into the pub. It takes a while for a bartender to appear, but that pint of coke went down a treat. Had a chat with some of the locals, them jumped on the bike again to labour uphill to join the A970 back to Lerwick. By now it's 4.30 and very warm. This road is the arterial route through Shetland and I have cars, lorries and motorbikes flying round my ears. The orad is on a relentless downward slope to veer around a valley a 2km descent. At the bottom, the sideroad to Scalloway veers off south, but the A970 veers round the head of the valley and goes uphill again. The incline beats me, so I'm reduced to walking the bike up the hill. It is so warm and I'm perishing with thirst. Toil up the hill, then bomb down it on the far side, racing into the Lerwick rush-hour at quite some speed. A long line of cars waits at a roundabout; it's 5.30 and all are trying to get hoome. I deposit the bike at the shop and head into town for supper.