The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Welcome sight as anglers and cyclists spring into action angus: Time to return to the green banks – and look out the lycra for trips on two wheels
It might be daffies bursting into bloom, the clocks going forward or that first gambolling lamb.
For me there is one Angus sight synonymous with the arrival of spring and it came during last week with neoprene-clad hopefuls shooting their first line of 2017 into the waters of Rescobie Loch.
I pass Rescobie daily, and every March I promise myself this will be the year I return to the green bank in determined pursuit of its hard-fighting trout.
I’ve also cast an admiring eye across Rescobie passing it at sedate pedalpowered pace on two wheels, and a decent morning also brought several sightings of that increasingly familiar species, the ‘mamil’.
Anything but a rare breed nowadays, the middle-aged-man-in-lycra (yes, I am one) is just part of an upsurge in interest in cycling that continues to gather momentum, and more power to those pedals.
Brighter weather and more hours of daylight means looking forward to discarding the layers, getting back to hummel doddies and letting those peely wally legs hopefully see some sun.
I realise that prospect might not hold universal appeal, but like to think I’ve given back something to other road users through the comedy value of such failings as toppling over at the traffic lights still clipped into my pedals.
After passing my favourite loch last week, I was also delighted to hook up with Angus Cycle Hub as it revealed the electric van bought with part of a £65,000 grant from Angus Environmental Trust which will help the thriving social enterprise go from strength to strength.
Under the dynamic Scott Francis, the hub has spearheaded the brilliant Angus Cycling Festival, is rolling out Bikeability training for primary youngsters through the modern iteration of cycling proficiency, and last year rescued a staggering five tonnes of pushbikes from the scrapheap.
And with spring also comes cleaning, so if you’re having a tidy and come across a long-forgotten old bike, please be sure to think recycling.