Thursday 26th May:
In absolutely awful wet weather across Scotland, from the borders to Shetland, by train, plane and car, the BBC 9 team arrived at their Premier Inn Elgin ‘HQ’ ready for the 2011 Bouncy Bike Challenge event.

‘The Moray Foray’ brought the team to the beautiful Moray Firth coastal region for this year event which supported ‘Erskine’ the wonderful charity that looks after ex-service men and women who have been injured or affected by the many conflicts across the world both recent and in the past. Well I say they all arrived … Pat was coming from Glasgow and was in a bit of a hurry and missed the turn off in Perth and ended up in Banchory (“that’s quite far away”) at 11pm at night. She spent a long cold night sleeping in her car but to her amazing credit, managed to arrive in time for breakfast on Friday morning! That’s the Bouncy Bike spirit for you! Congregating in the ‘briefing room’ (bar) the team got reacquainted and warmly welcomed the first group of our new ‘Bouncers’; Bob, Jenny and John – little did they know what this was going to be like. After the usual hugs and kisses, looking at the route maps for two nanoseconds and generally aligning themselves together against ‘the organiser’, the advance team was cocked and ready: Finlay, Clive, Morag C, Smudge, Alan, Steven, Heather, Paul, John, Jenny, Bob. It was also nice to meet Steven’s dad who travelled up to see what this malarkey was all about! Off to a warm comfy bed, with a hot drink and all ready to go in the morning (apart from Pat, in Banchory, sleeping in a car …).  

Friday 27th May:
Thankfully the weather had radically improved as the team cleared out the breakfast stock at the HQ. A somewhat bleary eyed Pat finally arrived and managed to get the last of the sausages off Alan and Steven and ravenously tucked in. Finlay and Paul went off to drop the support van at Spey Bay whilst the rest of the team has another brew and compared lycra bulges in the car park.

Restored as a team, the team headed off from the ancient edifice, crossed the River Lossie and were soon heading east on the Calcots road with the smell of the sea in their nostrils. Crossing the babbling River Lossie again, the flat route continue east through the sublime Moray rural landscape heading to Garmouth. Along the way, the team were introduced to ‘a new game’ by John; the Fat Boys Race…. This involved everyone freewheeling down a hill (no pushing or pedalling) and the ‘winner’ is the one that gets furthest. The theory from the assembled experts is that the heaviest person would likely win… the winner was Jenny who weighs about 3.5 stone – I hate experts.

Whizzing through the pleasant village of Garmouth, the route then picked up the old railway line and across the stunning viaduct over the raging River Spey below. Noticing Bob hanging bat-like from the bridge girders, it was about this point, that the team realised that Bob was into photography…! After a wee off-road section, the team arrived at Spey Bay: the ocean, Tugnet Ice House, ospreys, whales and dolphins, beaches were all ignored as the team hit the coffee shop and loos.

Suitably lightened and refuelled, the team set off again and passed through the historic wartime airfield area of Dallachy and soon arrived at the sea front at Portgordon with wonderful views of the seashore. With the sights and smells of Buckie to keep everyone alert, the team sped though the busy fishing harbour area before ‘jinking’ up to the off road cycle way above the town and following this fast and flat (still) route for a few miles with great sea views to Findochty (pronounced Findochty). After a ‘yeeha’ descent to the harbour, the team dismounted after 20 wonderful miles and enjoyed lunch outside in the sun on the picturesque harbour side at Admirals Bar (I still think Cullen Skink is Kak…). There was even time for a quick walk and scramble on the beach to see the eider ducks and Heather and Smudge found lots of nests with eggs and Bob climbed up a ships mast to take some photos.

The return trip followed the outward route so the ‘yeeha’ descent was a bit of a bimble hill to get going after lunch. The team met a host of cheery local primary school kids taking part in a sponsored walk as they meandered back to Buckie and on to Portgordon (Bob hiding behind a lamp post with the camera) where the rain and wind started. Returning back to Spey Bay for a quick nibble from the van, donning some waterproofs and a pit stop on Jenny’s bike, the weather was closing in. From Spey Bay back to Elgin, it was the camaraderie and humour that kept us all going in the dreich conditions plus enjoying Jenny getting to grips with the bike gear shift (or not).

Back at HQ, the sun returned as did the team smiley faces as everyone got a wee rest, got cleaned up, got rid of Day 1 map and readied themselves for the evening quiz. Pat was rightly recognised as a real trouper for just completing the whole day after a trying night in Banchory (“it’s a long way away”). Meeting up for dinner, a warm welcome was given to Janet (the new Finlay) who had arrived and a short review of Day 1 with much giggles preceded the Day 1 quiz which was won only after a tantalising tie break… The ‘Bouncer of the Year’ 2011 award was presented to Finlay for his continued and generous outstanding services to BBC. Finlay was heading off ‘cruising’ after dinner and we all hoped he would wear his nice new award shorts whilst he was out and about and wished him Bon Voyage! A hard day's biking, a three-course meal and a drink or two meant that everyone was totally zongoolied by 9pm and were all tucked up in bed soon after (not together obviously, that just wouldn’t be right, don’t even picture it).

At Hopeman, it was a right turn and rapid descent to the quaint Hopeman harbour to meet Steph in the support van and savour lashings of buns and brews. Paul opted to freewheel this descent as his bike chain decided to break at the top of the hill; a quick repair in Hopeman using a pair of tights, a rubber band, a MIG welding machine, a Spanish windlass, a cable tie, three collar studs and some blue tack made it as good as new again and you wouldn’t notice the difference.

Refreshed, relieved and repaired the team continued to head west into the wind however, the next few miles were some of the most scenic ever encountered on a BBC event. The off road coastal track from Hopeman to Burghead was really, really wonderful: azure blue seas, pebble coves, rocky bluffs, sea stacks, blooming broom gorse and heather (not Heather), blue skies, fluffy clouds, green grass and good company all around – the word ‘bliss’ is oft misused but in this case – it probably still is, but we all loved it anyway. In Burghead, the route turned inland and followed the coast road to Kinloss; a hard section for 4-5 miles with the wind really battering the team on the exposed landscape. To cap it all, Bob decided to knock poor Janet off her bike in the middle of the road for some reason … maybe she wasn’t smiling for the pictures?

At RAF Kinloss, a horde of motor bikers were lined up for a photo shoot in front of a Nimrod airplane; so we did the same! They were in leather – we were in lycra; same difference really. From Kinloss, a few short miles had the team passing the famous Findhorn Foundation and some of the team went in for a quick meditation and muesli bar session. Another mile or two had the team congregate at the lunch stop at Findhorn Beach in Findhorn which is on Findhorn Bay and where the Findhorn Foundation is too – what an amazing coincidence eh? A range of lunches were taken; the café, the shop and the ‘buns and brews from the van picnic’ option whilst ‘Cooper’ entertained everyone with his acrobatic skills and ate all the biccies.

The team mounted up again with the sun shining; 2 seconds later, a very heavy deluge arrived and soaked us; 3 minutes later the sun came out – it is Scotland isn’t it! Retracing our steps (well wheel marks actually) back to Kinloss, the route then jinked right at the ancient Kinloss Abbey and followed the NCN cycle route for the next 14 miles back to HQ. This beautiful route passes through some gorgeous countryside made all the better for having a welcome tailwind behind us – we sped along. At ‘The Loft’ venue we carried out the Day 2 ‘Fat Boys Race’ with a range of interesting aerodynamic techniques being employed – John won the ‘Fat Boy Race' today … leave it.

As we approached Elgin in sunny weather, there was a vast outpouring of morale with some ‘hide and scare’ games being played as we bimbled along. This morale ended when a wee couple of ‘undulating hills’ came along. However, every hill has its downside … and a final ‘yeeha decline’ brought us back into Elgin and Cooper Park. A couple of miles along the River Lossie and before you knew it we were back at HQ, finish photos taken, smelly kit stuffed in a bag, bike bolted to the cars and happy faces breaking out all over as wasthe sunburn on the back of Steven’s legs – ouch dude.

Dressed in their very best clothing (from Primark) the team met for cocktails, a review of Day 2, the Day 2 quiz, the BBC AGM and then some dinner.

Sunday 29th May:
Next morning dawned as it so often does. The sun was out and so was breakfast so the team got stuck in as ever! As the team bade farewell to each other and began to depart it was agreed by all that BBC 9 had been a rather good event all round and everyone sincerely hoped that the team really had done a little something that would raise funds and awareness of the brilliant charity Erskine.  It’s always hard to leave a BBC event – especially when your car battery is flat John and Jenny (sorry).

Genuine and very sincere thanks go to: Erskine, Premier Inn Elgin, Finlay Binnie Ltd, Cowie and Cowie and Cooper Ltd, Margaret & Graham Harris (Ardchattan Solutions), all who sponsored and donated to the BBC9 team and especially - the amazing BBC9 Team.