http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Tour 'o the Borders Sunday 10th August - closed road event en Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:35:15 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-183394 Mon, 16 Mar 2015 15:12:14 +0000 LaidBack 183394@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><strong>PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO SHORT ROUTE OPTION FOR 2015</strong></p> <p>That means I'll have to train much harder then. </p> <p>But thought it was a fun run....?<br /> For many riders the 55 mile option is ideal. :-) The faster riders on last years could knock off 75 miles faster than I could do 55. (eg Dave McC)</p> <p><em>Every little bit ( less mileage) helps! </em> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-183374 Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:24:41 +0000 amir 183374@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"We’re confident this is the best value-for-money sportive in the country"</p> <p>Sounds like a challenge! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-183372 Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:12:34 +0000 slowcoach 183372@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>For anyone who hasn't already heard, this year's event is Sunday 9th August 2015. Closed roads and <a href="http://tourotheborders.com/">same website</a> as before. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-162279 Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:00:31 +0000 chdot 162279@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/2014/08/tour-o-the-borders-ride-report-or-how-i-learned-to-love-sportives" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/blog/2014/08/tour-o-the-borders-ride-report-or-how-i-learned-to-love-sportives</a></p> <p>(By Ged) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161968 Tue, 12 Aug 2014 23:08:36 +0000 Dave 161968@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Looks like they fixed the results. Clearly 3:30 is the goal for next year. Quite chuffed in the meantime...</p> <p>Hopefully we'll get some pics soon, I've promised to write something. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161777 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:15:48 +0000 ianfieldhouse 161777@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>&gt; Must be something wrong with these chips. According to them I did a lot better than last year</p> <p>Last year was a nightmare though with the weather. I trounced last years time (42 minutes quicker this year) and it was a longer route this year was it not? </p> <p>My Garmin tallied pretty much exactly to the timing chip. I did notice through browsing competitors in and around my finishing spot that some didn't have start or end times so I'm not really sure what is up with the chips/website. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161772 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 15:52:12 +0000 LaidBack 161772@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Must be something wrong with these chips. According to them I did a lot better than last year.</p> <p>Team Laid Back Bikes did ok and were one of the faster ones. </p> <p><em>Not that it's a race of course.</em> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161759 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:10:12 +0000 amir 161759@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There were some very fast times! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161747 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:11:43 +0000 HankChief 161747@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>They only had one check point. At the start and then it moved to the end.</p> <p>For more money they could have had a 2nd checkpoint somewhere on the long (only) route which would have confirmed who did which route.</p> <p>On the Etape they have checkpoints at the start &amp; end of the big climb (for KOM competiton) and on a flat section (for sprint competition). I can't say it adds much to us mere mortals. My mate got a DNF for one of the intermediary checkpoints not picking up his chip. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161745 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:04:16 +0000 chdot 161745@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Strava seems to suggest he did the short course. Uberuce already on his case"</p> <p>Er, I thought the point of the tags fitted to each bike was to prove they had passed all the checkpoints(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161741 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:56:43 +0000 HankChief 161741@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Strava seems to suggest he did the short course. Uberuce already on his case. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161739 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:47:33 +0000 Dave 161739@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.raceplus.co.uk/raceplus-index.php?content=1&amp;race=47583&amp;show_type=All&amp;event_id=TOB14&amp;page=1&amp;event_id=TOB14">Results are up</a>.</p> <p>I'm not quite sure but think the guy at #1 might have switched to short course. 25mph is closer to the speed the pro peleton would average than a solo rider :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161732 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:27:07 +0000 adamthekiwi 161732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Wow, 3:29 for the long and doing it on a fixie - humbles my efforts! Well organised again, though not as friendly as last year's... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161727 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 10:08:09 +0000 Uberuce 161727@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's too epic for my office PC and connection. Somewhere inside there was a little NHS Scotty screaming that the engines couldnae tak nae mair, Cap'n. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161722 Mon, 11 Aug 2014 07:14:50 +0000 Dave 161722@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The <a href="http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/#178197567,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">Strava flyby</a> for yesterday is quite epic... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161705 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 20:30:20 +0000 LaidBack 161705@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not that far ahead it turns out. 3.29 was my time. Lost a lot on Witchy Knowe.</p> <p>Original idea was to refuel at Kirkhope stop where routes merged. Choked on my cake slightly when I saw D McCraw go through after having started half an hour earlier on the longer ride. I expected him to catch me but this seemed a bit early! </p> <p>So got back on bike and winched my way back up this. Big chain of bikes including his could be seen on this 'popular' climb.</p> <p>The effort here meant that I really had to stop longer at Selkirk/ Waterwheel Tea Room.</p> <p>After that the route became more 'competitive with long gangs of people shaving by on the last 20 miles.</p> <p>Turns out though that your fixed machine evened out a lot of the topography over the distance - I reckon you were only one doing it without gearing... Still find it difficult to work out as my bike varied between slow uphill and silly speeds downhill. A lot of the time I could move up between groups without expending too much using aero advantage.</p> <p>Was a great event though and sorry not to hang - rain did get worse though.<br /> Chatted with Ged from Edin Bike Coop for a bit on the Berry Bush climb<br /> Was at least one tandem on event and at least one bike with straight bars. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161689 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 18:16:50 +0000 Uberuce 161689@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah righto. No, LBBDaveG caught up with me and cousin a commendably short distance into the ride, as we were going uphill, no less. My cousin's a huge lad(only lean person I've seen outside my old gym circles with bigger calves than ARobComp) and really struggles on climbs right now. </p> <p>Didn't see him after that, so I guess he finished a fair bit ahead. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161688 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:32:05 +0000 chdot 161688@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@U</p> <p>I meant the other Dave! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161687 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:24:05 +0000 Kenny 161687@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It was my first sportive, and my longest ride ever, being 24 miles longer than my previous longest, so I was glad both (a) to get round in one piece and (b) that the weather played nicely.</p> <p>Clothing choices were thankfully perfect. I decided to go with a compression top under my cycling shirt, and put arm warmers on before the start with the intention of taking them off once I warmed up. While the weather forecast was completely wrong about the wind, it was also completely wrong about the temperature, with it sitting at 10°C for a significant period of time. The arm warmers, therefore, never came off. Shorts on the bottom half was totally fine though.</p> <p>I was surprised to get to the top of the first hill and think "really? was that it?", but the legs were obviously fresh and I think I was expecting Kingscavil style inclines for each climb. The one around 46 miles was certainly more of a challenge, because you could actually see it all from the bottom. However, I'd been up it once before, on my very first ride on the bike I took today, so I knew roughly what to expect.</p> <p>The legs didn't start to complain until mile 63, at which point the lower back also started to complain too. However, after a bit, I figured out a different way to sit which helped, and employed the Jens Voigt tactic re: the legs, which also worked.</p> <p>The course was good, although for some reason I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings as much as I would if I was out for a spin on my own. I was doing a lot of riding on my own from about the 30 mile point. However, around the 50 mile point, I tagged on to a group of 5 riders and managed to stick with them for about 8 miles, flying along some of the flats around 24mph before they spectacularly dropped me on a small hill which they took at standard speed, and my legs refused to cooperate.</p> <p>Some cyclist overtaking was odd; groups went past me with centimeters to spare, as if they had forgotten they had the entire road!</p> <p>All in all, it was definitely much better than I was expecting. The arm warmers are brilliant, I'm now going to get the matching leg warmers, I am so impressed! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161684 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:08:09 +0000 Uberuce 161684@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>chdot: Bwahaha etc! Dave's moving time was one minute and seventeen seconds longer than mine; he did 18 miles more ride; and I had 20 minutes stop time, so eh...no. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161680 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 16:11:58 +0000 Dave 161680@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm hoping that I came first out of my wave. There were some guys in at 3:30 or below, but I don't think any of them passed me, I think they were in a big work unit that flew off at the start.</p> <p>I took 2L of pre-mixed energy drink in a bladder. While it may have helped me ride faster, my gut is seriously under-impressed. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227&page=2#post-161679 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 15:53:59 +0000 chdot 161679@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>But did you beat the man with lots of gears and a Laidback position?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161678 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 15:51:30 +0000 Uberuce 161678@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was doing the ride with the aforementioned and now pictured cousin, Iain, on the short route in deference to him only starting this road cycling malarkey a few months ago when he moved to Linlithgow. </p> <p>Did it on the stiff little fixer to keep things interesting, which after the Swire/Swyer climb they certainly were. As I said to a couple of people who spoke to me about my singular gearing, I looked at it and didn't think<em> #^&amp;% I need to get up that</em>; I thought<em> #@%! I need to get down after that</em>.</p> <p>Route and marshaling were very impressive, so yep, another thumbs up from me. Great event. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161677 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 15:33:05 +0000 LaidBack 161677@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dave fettling his bike (again!)</p> <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/14689611999/"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14689611999_bd2bea1cf0_z.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/14689611999/">Tour o' the Borders 2014</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/66067108@N08/">LaidBackBikes</a>, on Flickr</p> <p>Uberuce with his fettle-proof bike<br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/14689628029/"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/14689628029_6e562e3a60_z.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/14689628029/">Tour o' the Borders 2014</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/66067108@N08/">LaidBackBikes</a>, on Flickr</p> <p>Was a challngingly early start. I rode till my first real stop at Selkirk with my T-shirt inside out. No one noticed I think. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161673 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 14:35:31 +0000 Dave 161673@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Great morning's riding. Not windy, no rain until after I'd finished, and lots of other riders to play with.</p> <p>Only a few really tiny niggles with the course, which was generally awesome (on the moor there was a wide gravelly corner on a fast descent... it had been swept clean!)</p> <p>Highly amusing to finish to the sound of megaphone excitement. One for next year's calendar? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161672 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 14:32:46 +0000 HankChief 161672@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I must be the first one back :)</p> <p>The weather held off and whilst there was spits of rain it wasn't bad enough that I felt the need for a jacket.</p> <p>My ride wasn't great - I punctured before the first climb (which is an improvement on last year when I punctured before leaving Peebles!) And couldn't get enough pressure into my tyre, so I was dreading the many cattle grids. I stopped a few times to put more air in, which threw out any hopes of a good time, so I tried to enjoy it instead. I even stopped at the feed stops to sample the plentiful supplies - I had a hot cup of tea and some macroni pie.</p> <p>I finally found a track pump at 50 miles and had a good blast round the flat section to the finish.</p> <p>I could tell I had been a while as my mates were already changed when I met them in Peebles. </p> <p>I was using today's ride as my Gran Fondo ride for August, so had to do some laps of Peebles to make up the distance.</p> <p>I thought it was a very well run sportive - certainly a whole level above last year when you barely saw any Marshall on the course.<br /> The closed roads worked well, although in a couple of places we had cycle in a narrow coned off area to free up a carriage way for traffic.</p> <p>Can't wait until next year. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161670 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 14:14:54 +0000 chdot 161670@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Word from the course (by txt) -</p> <p>"Not bad. Better than expected. Dave finished in four hours or less. Can't get on web. D" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161662 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 11:15:37 +0000 chdot 161662@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/14889402093/"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14889402093_7148802dbf.jpg"></a></p> <p>(Obviously no 'phone signal in the Borders, for progress updates...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161656 Sun, 10 Aug 2014 09:57:13 +0000 chdot 161656@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Rumours of "extreme" seem to have been exaggerated </p> <p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5568/14687756360_3ba48ce2f8.jpg"></p> <p><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14874142662_05354880dd.jpg"></p> <p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3885/14687922347_351fd11faa.jpg"></p> <p>Perhaps some riders will outpace most of the rain, others ride under a cloud. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13227#post-161647 Sat, 09 Aug 2014 23:21:47 +0000 chdot 161647@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14684370178_e06c8b9357.jpg"> </p>