The outward run from Musselburgh eastward should be a breeze, literally.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
Audax + sportives 2014
(345 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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SWMBO and I are in. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it but meh, it looks like the rain may hold off at least (no mudguards on the upright).
The last and only other brevet we rode was the ToEL a few years back and it put her off for a few years, so I had been hoping for sweet sunshine!
Mostly new roads for me until we hit the top on the way back though which is nice.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I think that's one of the things I'm quite excited about as well Dave. Looking forward to a bit of new road discovery!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Posted 9 years ago #
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Aye, at least it's not raining (yet).
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well that was windy! At one point I though my helmet was about to blow off. They were plenty of bottom gear grindy hills, but the long drag up from Whiteadder Res to Redston Rigg straight into the gale tested us all.
ARobComp, Cyclingmollie and Dave had made it back as well. Not sure about panyagua
Posted 9 years ago # -
Yeah, sweet ride - predominantly sunshine and no rain, and some cracking climbing. Really interesting route actually with much more going on than I expected. Will have to revisit when I'm riding solo.
It was rather blowy, I got a good workout towing SWMBO back.
The muffins were probably the best I've ever tasted. Will need to find the recipe!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Seconded about the muffins and the route. I rode the whole thing solo which was good fun and managed to get a riding time under 4 hours (by 30 seconds) so happy enough with that although it was hard work!
Ran out of gears more than once pulling my fat bum up the long hills into the wind.
Got rained on pretty heavily coming into musselburgh but other than that it was a surprisingly nice day weather wise!
Will be riding that route again. Cracking.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The muffins were super fantastic. At the start they were still warm. I also scoffed some more at the control and at the end. Yum.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Also checking the stava there it took me 2x as long to ride home from musselburgh as it did for me to ride there this morning!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Also checking the stava there it took me 2x as long to ride home from musselburgh as it did for me to ride there this morning!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Those muffins were amazing! Pretty sure the raspberry ones had white chocolate bits, delish.
That was probably the hardest route I've ever done- pretty much wanted to cry all the way up Redston Rigg, the wind was just horrendous. But great fun all the same!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Yes, that was quite a grim pair of climbs - to Crystal Rigg and then what should have been the easy approach to Redstone Rigg. Kudos to ARobComp for first home (I think). Martin and Lynne did really well with the catering as usual. Odd to think that you could turn up, have three home made muffins and have recouped the cost of the event before turning a pedal (sorry that's the way my mind works).
Posted 9 years ago # -
Very proud of Mrs Panyagua for toughing it out and riding every pedal revolution of the way. We were down to walking pace on the Redstone Rigg climb, but not once did she get off and walk. Luckily there were still a few muffins left when we rolled into Musselburgh about 16.45.
Not sure my better half will be back for more Audax punishment ('not really for me' was her most charitable comment). I may be back for the Erit Lass, though, and have already signed up for the Three Glens Explorer.
Posted 9 years ago # -
'not really for me'
I agree!
Well done to all who braved the wind yesterday.
Clearly well done to the muffin makers and (if different) to those who put on this and events like it - largely for the 'fun' of others!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well done to all the OHs who were dragged along for the first/second time. Not the easiest intro to audax.
Apart from the wind, there were 8 single uphill arrows (OS symbol for gradients between 1 in 7 and 1 in 5).
Posted 9 years ago # -
"there were 8 single uphill arrows"
No compensating downhill ones?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not that I noticed! The biggest downhill was matched by the strong wind. In deepest East Lothian, there is a custom of having a ford at the bottom of the deep cleuchs.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Not that I noticed!"
Maybe go round the other way next year!
Posted 9 years ago # -
The descent from Red Stane Rig is at least one arrow downhill?
Posted 9 years ago # -
there were 8 single uphill arrows
Is this on 1:25,000? I suspect they are just there to show drivers that they'll need a low gear to get up rather than to alert cyclists that they might have a cardio problem.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was looking at 1:50,000 scale though I think 1:25k is similar (see http://www.streetmap.co.uk).
It's worth looking at these maps to see the names. Of course there's Spott and the Brunt but we also climbed Sheeppath Hill and nearby there is Bladdering Cleuch leading down to Fairy Castle. That's just a small sample.
Posted 9 years ago # -
And I forgot Hungry Snout just by the dam at Whiteadder Reservoir
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well done all. Rather you folks than me in yesterday's winds!
Maybe see some of you on the Erit Lass next month. Hope for better conditions...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I actually found hungry snout less destroying than the climb up to redstone rig if I'm being honest.
Posted 9 years ago # -
And I forgot Hungry Snout
It's a weird landscape. Meltwater channels from successive ice-ages criss-cross. Glens with no river at the bottom or one so small a ford is all that's required. Tripsmuir is the oddest. You climb up through a steep sided wooded cleuch towards the source only to find the source has been swept away by an even larger, later meltwater channel. You ride down from there and that's where the Elmscleuch climb starts.
Posted 9 years ago # -
That was my first audax and I thoroughly enjoyed it- muffins were fanstastic as others have said. Will be back for more, but the Erit Lass may be too much too soon...
Thanks to all who organised it and those who took part for words of encouragement as well.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Welcome
So you took up audaxing without being a member of CCE.
I don't understand...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Thank you
Call me an ignorant Irishman/Fifer...
Look forward to exploring CCE and finding out more about cycling in and around Edinburgh...
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Call me an ignorant Irishman/Fifer..."
NO, that's against the rules.
Oh no not another Fifer!
Posted 9 years ago #
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