After 14 days of hard (and wet and cold) Scottish riding, including wading through streams and bouncing with packed bike bags over rocky trails on remote passes, the Vielo V+1 needed next to no fettling.

I knew that but it was good for it to be confirmed by Vielo mechanic Lucas who kindly gave the bike a once over this morning.

No punctures to report (I run tubeless) and, apart from taking up a tiny bit of slack in the drivetrain, nothing for Lucas to fix.

Instead, I got a requested demo of switching out the brake pads (little wear noticeable so far and therefore they might last the whole 4,500 miles) and was assured that I could lose the 5 extra PSI I’ve been riding with in the tyres. On middle-of-nowhere Scottish passes I’ve been riding with 30-35 PSI tyre pressure for that extra protection from rim flats, but Lucas (a gravel racer) assured me I can go lower.

Science says I’ll add no rolling resistance by going with lower pressures, and I’ll definitely gain in palm comfort (thick gel pads in my mitts have been a big help so far) so I’ll push through my mental block and roll with the tyres squidgier than I’d usually dare.

After today’s rest day I head back up to Inverness by train tomorrow, but this time with my wife, Jude. She’s riding a hybrid with inner tubes — we’ll see how they hold up.

Later in the week I’ll jettison the Tailfin rear bags (which have been stunningly good) and ride up one of Britain’s toughest and most scenic road climbs. In the rain, predicts the forecast. Bummer.

On the bright side, I’ve not yet had any days when drone photography wasn’t possible (I can’t fly in the rain) and I’m hoping for similar gaps in future downpours so I can get in the air to get the shots I need for the book.

I can work with grey, moody skies (away from the “golden hours,” diffuse light is often better than strong sunlight for landscape photography) but the incessant rain that has been previously forecast during the trip so far has turned out to be exaggerated. Rain, yes, but not non-stop.

I might get cold and wet (and eaten alive by midgies) but I’m always happy when I bag the shots I need for this blog and the book.