The park in Carlisle is already busy with excited participants about to set off.
As well as several already on the road.
Spotted DaveC near the border making an early departure.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Sport
"Ride to the Sun"
(208 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Well Dave c is doing a 400km audax and the Carlisle to Edinburgh but is the last leg. Dalgetty, Berwick upon tweed, north tedious road, Carlisle embra. Respect
Posted 8 years ago # -
Greenroofer was spotted on approach to Moffat. He was in good spirits and not stopping for chips
Posted 8 years ago # -
One other ride going up that way (for Glasgow greyhound charity). Good night for it. Hope it all goes well.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Oops. Made it back a bit too early for the sun rise.
Greenroofer was on cracking form and I last saw him after Romano Bridge. Maybe the double pannier approach has something going for it.
DaveC is currently eating a well earned bacon butty on Cramond. Chapeau for a very long day out.
Hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did.
My thanks to Galaxy for answering my call for someone stupid enough to keep me company on the way down and back - inaugural double century for both of us.
And now for bed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Tee hee. Me too. Currently at home (well it seemed rude not to stop for a cup of tea, given that I was going right by my front door) but will head out again shortly to see what's happening in Cramond.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well done to you all. Good too that the weather cleared for it
Posted 8 years ago # -
Failed spectacularly to get bikes on the train to Carlisle so rode to Moffat and back instead.
Good fun on a fixie.
About 200km all in.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Highlight for me was the pull up to Devil's Beef Tub in the gathering gloom. I could see a long line of twinkling red lights marking the route all the way up. There furthest were probably three or four miles away. Behind there was a similar trail of white lights marking the road I had come. It was beautiful.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I only signed up for this because of this thread!
Well beat my previous best of approximately 73 miles, so well chuffed with myself!
No prep except my regular commuting. Not by choice, it took me nearly 4 months to get back on my bike after Novembers crash. And then only the single speed to work. I wonder if there was some kind of mental block going on there, despite no recollections of my accident. Maybe just coincidence.
It was as physically tough as I expected really. I always kind of knew I'd make it. Emotionally a surprise though, I am really drained there too.
Lovely cycling in near perfect weather from Carlisle to Moffat. He Devils Beeftub was hard but exhilarating too. As greenroofer says, the trail of lights ahead was beautiful. I was too tired to look behind even once.
It's probably too early to say I'll do it again, but I think I'd do it again! I'd definitely recommend it
Really great camaraderie from most, always asking if I was OK when stopped at the side for a comfort or Haribo break.
Wasn't impressed with the club groups most passed very close, almost taken out three times. They seem to assume everyone else on the road n
knows what their shouts mean!Awfy puggled. Away tae bed again.
I owe CCE a lot for introducing me to this. Merci beaucoup.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Wot ECT wrote a month ago -
"
If anyone takes longer than me to finish Ride to the Sun I'll happily buy them a pint! This will be my first ever 100 miler. I'm confident I'll do it. Eventually.
"
http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16293&replies=10#post-217463
How many pints will you have to buy??
Posted 8 years ago # -
I left Carlisle at 17:30, arrived at Crammond at 04:30, so probably not many!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Nice work!
Now, did anyone have a swim at Cramond on arrival?
Posted 8 years ago # -
I cycled to long town the other week near Carlisle it's harder coming back would not like doing it at night. I only cycled to long town after this thread as had not though cyling that way before.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well I kinda wish I'd taken ECT's approach. Instead I hung around in Carlisle for what seemed an eternity. Ah well it was a lovely day at least.
Set off just after 19:30, and arrived at the finish 05:15 approx. So it was already daylight - saw the sunrise somewhere in north Lanarkshire ion the road to Penicuik.
Don't think I met any CCErs on the road, but did meet a colleague from work in the queue at the chippy at Moffat. Small world.
Had a problem with the bike about ten miles in: cycle loops came off the saddle and suddenly my saddlebag was loose. Rigged the straps to the saddle rails directly. Felt very out of condition during the ride, struggled on the Devil's Beef Tub: it's gradual but rather relentless. Not helped by the club teams buzzing past very close as ECT says.
Still glad I did the ride - a good test to see what I need to sort out for future in terms of getting fit, given that I've not ridden further than 20 miles in a day the past six months or more.
Many thanks again to unhurt for the ticket: great to be organised and travel in comfort to the start.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Spotted Thank chief at Barnton. It took me a couple of seconds to realise he was returning from the family day rather than the RTtS. He was on the extended tandem and it was the afternoon so it should have been obvious.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Great fun, but much colder than forecast. 2.5 degrees showing on the Garmin going over the Beeftub. I was a bit underdressed and got rather chilled. Highly recommended next year for anyone who fancies it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Aye there were a few riders at the banana stop at Crook Inn complaining about being cold. I thought I was overdressed for the first leg in blazing sunshine, but was glad of the jacket and longs later on...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Saw video of the guy in the yellow gimp suit dancing at the crook inn. He was having fun.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Great that folk gave up their time into the wee small hours to hand out bananas and water. It's an amazing event considering there's no money changing hands. The amateur spirit lives on. Only spotted one support vehicle too, for a group of female riders.
Might do it next year too if the organisers can be bothered putting it on again.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well done all!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Apologies for forgetting to than the organisers earlier. For a free event, they went above and beyond. They disco at Crook Inn really did put a smile on my face at a pretty low time. Thanks folks...
There was another support vehicle @Crowriver, for a group up from Newcastle.
One of them caught me at Leadburn, then very very nicely and kindly coached me all the way to Crammond. Although even the slightest incline had me down to abot 6mph, I could descend as fast as anyone. Thankfully, there were more descents that inclines those last 16 miles or so!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Oh where to begin? At home I suppose. 04:00 rise and shine. 04:40 left home. Through Edinburgh and past the race course spotting a few Cycle Festival night owls. 07:00 at Gifford (that bike café was closed Tom ;o)
Up Redstane Rig, weaving from side to side to avoid a direct climb up the steep bit.10:40 at Berwick upon Tweed for a sandwich and a drink. Spotted more organised riders with a minibus (cycle tours) in tow. On to Kelso to the north side of the river Teviot.
Midday in Roxburgh for a bite out of my saddle bag and tag on to a group of cyclists doing a Four Abbeys tour, from East Kilbride cycling club. Left them a few miles later and cont to Hawick for a Subway and a coffee at 14:30. 30 mins for lunch.
On towards Newcastleton and over the hill between bumping into another group of cyclists on a meetup?? group (name escapes me) its an online do anything meetup group.
On to Newcastleton and chat to a couple of English cyclists before heading towards Longtown. Finally on the A7 and into Carlise for around 6pm.
Hung around for 20 mins but as soon as the vans turned up I left to get a head start waving to a few cyclists going the opposite way.
Ecclefechen had me slowing so an emergency jellybabies pick me up before continuing on to Johnstonebridge services and dinner. 1 to have a coffee and 2 to avoid any queues in Moffat.
Moffat and Co-op for water and put a hi vis on - got eaten alive! Stopped half way up Beef tub to dig out nidge net (note for next time - keep midge net handy!)
Tweedsmuir for a V loud disco (note to self - not liking loud music anymore). The on an on an on.... to Cramond.
North of Penicuik I took direct lines through junction bypassing crazy roundabout to over take faster cyclists and again into Edinburgh. At Holy corner I took a direct line to Russell Road passing lots of perpendicular going cyclists - their route must have been convoluted!
Saw no one on the Roseburn/silverknowes path but then down to Cramond where a small crowd were coming and going, before heading back up to the church hall for a pick me up!
Finished at 02:30 - home for 04:00 and in bed 24 hours after I had started out. Phew!!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well done Dave and nice report.
Midges eh? Note to self for Borderlands RT
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well done DaveC!
"Moffat and Co-op for water and put a hi vis on - got eaten alive! Stopped half way up Beef tub to dig out nidge net (note for next time - keep midge net handy!)"
Aye the midges were murder in Moffat! Queue for the chippy full of hot sweaty cyclists was like a feast for them. I was glad I was mostly covered up...
Posted 8 years ago # -
This was good fun. I rode in a group and have to say it was the easiest 100 miles I've done (it's all relative ;-) ). Really good atmosphere, relaxed, no excessively competitive folks (or they were well up the road by the time we started).
A nice steady and flattish ride out to Moffat, gave blood to the midges outside the chip shop (recommend bib longs for anyone doing it next year - bibshorts and knee warmers don't provide enough coverage), then had a good ride up the Beef Tub, threw some shapes at the Crook Inn, the glow on the horizon kept us going into town and to Cramond, where bacon roll and a free can of Tennents from whoever was handing them out(revelation - it doesn't taste too bad after 100 miles; in fact it didn't taste of anything until I was halfway through it) took the edge off the fatigue.
We hung around for 30 mins to see dawn, but really just saw the sky and clouds getting lighter; however the colour of the sea on the ride home along the waterfront was something else - like mercury.
It was cold though. I was properly shivering once we got going from both Moffat and the Crook Inn.
Posted 8 years ago # -
For those of you who like the swarming of a strava flyby - here's one from Saturday night
Can you guess which one was DaveC?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Who else is planning to Ride to the Sun this year?
Does anyone have any advice for getting to the start? Riding there isn't an option and I assume I'm too late for a bookable bike slot on a train now.
I see Transpenine are making noises about new trains with less space (https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-a-bike/changes-to-bike-reservations) although they are still running the old trains. Do they have the same policy as Scotrail where the guards are allowed to use discretion?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Train via Glasgow might still be an option, but will add an hour or so to your journey.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Who else is planning to Ride to the Sun this year?
Might do it one year, but this year I have no passes left!
Posted 6 years ago #
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