"Ride to the Sun" « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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"Ride to the Sun"

(208 posts)

Started 9 years ago by chdot
Latest reply from Frenchy

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bill
Member

As I stated a couple of posts earlier I went to do my "Ride with the Sun" on Friday morning. The plan was to set out at 4am, but as I was about to leave the flat the rain has started. Waited about 20min and headed off.

The morning started with a beautiful sunrise and rainbows. I headed over to Carnwath for the key lime pie along the Lang Whang (though avoiding the climb to Balerno). There was barely any eastbound traffic, few showers and rainbows, so pleasant overall. I was wondering if I would be able to make it all the way to Carlsile and how my padded pants would manage. I was on my own, not racing anyone, not keeping the track of my speed, so just kept a pleasant and sustainable pace.

TakeControlOfYourCreditScore by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

LangWhang by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

With a belly full of key lime pie and latte (it is OK to have cake at 7am) I headed over round Tinto still wearing a rain jacket over my long sleeve as it was rather chilly! I would be wearing the jacket till about 10am. Around Nether Abington I joined NCR 74 and stayed on it till a bit before Gretna Green, from where I just followed the roads to Carlisle. I must say the NCR 74 is pretty dull but it is straightforward and gets the job done. Quite a lot of timber lorries along the way. Groups of tourists in Gretna Green.

WelcomeToEngland by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

Around lunch time I finally made it to Carlisle. Ate some more of my ham and cheese croissants halves, got some water from a shop and was keen to get going. Heaps of traffic all the way to Longtown. Then back through Gretna Green (more tourists) and onto NCR 74. All the way to Moffat was even more dull than a few hours earlier ;-)

CarlisleAtLast by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

ScotlandWelcomesMe by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

At Moffat I had a short break to have some of my snacks and headed over for the climb to the Devil's Beef Tub -- I loved it! There was barely any traffic (Friday evening), the sun was shining, birds singing, views so pretty! I made a deal with myself not to stop before the end of the climb (to avoid the burn in legs after getting back on the bike). No bagpipes to greet me there but pretty views instead.

DevilsBeefTub by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

SunnyWeather by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

I loved going through the hills along Tweed. However from around Broghton the miles seemed to have stretched. I welcomed every sign showing distance to Edinburgh and was converting miles to my commute units. The evening chill also became apparent. In Penicuik there were people wearing beanies (Summer, eh?). Finally Hillend, Oxgangs and then home just before 10pm with a lovely sunset.

HomeForSunset by Bill Harriman, on Flickr

I wanted to see what doing 200 miles is like and whether I could do it. Turns out I can!

Strava track

Thanks to @HankChief and @CC.CC for the idea of the ride!
Thanks to @sheeptoucher for lending me the kit!
Thanks to @IWARTS (you heard me) and @Iain McR for introducing me to longer rides only a month ago!

CCE truly is a magical place...

Posted 4 years ago #
gembo
Member

@bill, great write up

Sounds like Beeftub was your highlight and maybe key lime at the apple pie

Posted 4 years ago #
chdot
Admin

“CCE truly is a magical place...”

And so it continues - encouraging people to ride (more) - and then tell people about it.

Posted 4 years ago #
I were right about that saddle
Member

@IWARTS welcomes this ride report. Deep joy.

(Nice luggage on Bikrosoft too.)

Posted 4 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

Nice one. And great photos.

Posted 4 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

200 miles - glad you got the weather and great to see. Next time you could borrow a trike / bike from us and not wear padded shorts!

Posted 4 years ago #
EdinburghCycleCam
Member

Fantastic effort, bill! I was almost regretting getting a lift down - such a nice day!

Posted 4 years ago #
steveo
Member

Great day out Bill.

Posted 4 years ago #
amir
Member

Nice one Bill!

Posted 4 years ago #
DrAfternoon
Member

Nice work! As someone who's reasonably used to these sort of distances I decided relatively last minute (after seeing the weather) to go for it this year and do the down and back, signing it up as a 300km DIY Audax.

Almost the exact same route out and back. Set off from Edinburgh just before 12pm.

The things is I didn't actually enjoy it that much. It was the first go on my newly rebuilt bike and I hadn't got it set it up well enough. Bad back ache, which I eventually managed to sort early on the Beef Tub climb heading south (saddle too far back). Bike technically working better but not feeling quite right. And some unexpectedly strong bursts of headwind from the south.

I got to Carlisle about 6.30pm, but not knowing quite how things work, especially in terms of when people set off, I wasted time just hanging around instead of getting fed. Eventually set off on the main ride just before 8pm. The trouble with staggered starts is that it's much harder to find people of your pace, and I never did really. Caught and passed a few small groups on the drag up the Moffat. A couple of large fast groups passed when I was among the small groups, and not riding very well to my mind. A lot of shouting that was verging on get out of our way, and various acts of inelegant roadcraft.

Moffat was nice at first, getting a stop and some chat, but it took ages just to get some chips, waiting for over an hour. Chips and cheese, which I've never eaten outside of Glasgow before.

The Beef Tub I enjoyed, always seem to. Passed lots of people who probably don't have a digestion that is used to the same abuse that mine is. The Crook Inn I was looking forward to, but it was just too much of a jerk back to people and noise. I didn't stay long, although I did appreciate the Shand sponsored banana.

The rest was a mostly uneventful drag home, although the ride through Edinburgh got vaguely fun as I ended up in a fairly fast bunch of West Lothian Clarion and it got a bit racy. Ex-courier skills smugly brought to bear on junction transitions.

The Crammond arrival is a bit confusing if you're not familiar (or haven't been paying sufficient attention).
Before the end proper the route whips you off to the village hall type place. "What's in there?" I inquired to a leaver. "Bacon!" came the reply. I was excited but then devastated when the news came just as we were entering that bacon was finished. I had a cup of tea. Even got it cheap (£2.50 it was meant to be!) because they had no change and I negotiated/dictated in the disturbingly ruthless manner that the normally gentle discover in the midst of acts of endurance.

And then the end, 4am-ish, perched on the grass for the sunrise, which could kindly be described as subtle.

Conclusion, I'm glad I did it because I've been not doing it for years, but it's a lot of pretty rubbish roads (I used to enjoy the A701 but its surface is getting properly rotten), and if you like long stuff with people on roads then proper Audax is much more fun.

http://www.strava.com/activities/2472648175

Posted 4 years ago #
I were right about that saddle
Member

the disturbingly ruthless manner that the normally gentle discover in the midst of acts of endurance

Lovely.

Posted 4 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

I ended up in a fairly fast bunch of West Lothian Clarion and it got a bit racy. Ex-courier skills smugly brought to bear on junction transitions.

Visualise this as involving hopping onto pavement past lights in an alleycat style? I might be wrong though and it's track standing. ♧

Sometimes head west with legal shared use pavement at traffic lights in front Akva when green bike shows.

Posted 4 years ago #
DrAfternoon
Member

There may have been some pavement hopping, somewhere I suspect was meant to be legal but never quite became so. A crossing where post-tram I've never been quite sure what the legit route is meant to be.

I did actually do an alleycat where a track standing demonstration was required at one point.

Posted 4 years ago #
EdinburghCycleCam
Member

@DrAfternoon - at the end of Lothian Road onto Princes Street?
Technically the legit route there is to dismount and walk across the pavement to the left of Ryan's Bar, or to go right and cycle around Charlotte Square; it's a no left turn from Lothian Road, and it's not a shared use pavement.

Posted 4 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

I'm glad I did it because I've been not doing it for years

Bets bit for me of a great write-up. I think that also counts as a coast to coast x2.

Posted 4 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Sadly I did not ride this year, as I had other plans. In the past I have ridden from Home to Berwick Upon Tweed and then through Kelso and Hawick before riding over the hills to meet everyone at Carlisle. The last bit - the Ride To The Sun route is the most dull, as the M74 side road and the drop to Braoughton has awful surfaces but Moffat and the Beeftub make it bearable.

Instead I rode the Glasgow Nightrider charity ride as a helper, giving good cheer to others and helping fix punctures and minor technical bits.

Perhaps I'll return next year, but then again I like looking for new routes, so may take a more northerly 400 DIY. If you fancy joining me, let me know.

Posted 4 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Remember back in the summer when I said I would do Ride to the Sun on a JustEat bike for thr craic and to raise some money for Fresh Start, but then didn't coz my knee was bust in anticipation of what I had signed up to...

Well, my good buddy @themightysimonite is going to give it a go in a style all his own...

This Saturday night to mark the winter solstice he will set off from Carlisle with the hope of reaching Cramond before sunrise Sunday morning. He will have a lot more darkness & no riding companions.

Bon Courage Cliff.

P.s. The justgiving site is still active if you think this is worthy of a few spare quid. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rttsbyjusteatbike

Posted 4 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Smashed it. Bravo Cliff & David.

https://www.facebook.com/772698899433611/posts/2607242505979232/

Posted 4 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Anyone doing the low key Ride to the Sun on Saturday/Sunday?

Posted 2 years ago #
HankChief
Member

For info, I'm driving a van down from West Edinburgh with a couple of spaces left if any CCEr is struggling for getting their bike down...

PM for more details.

Posted 2 years ago #
gembo
Member

@hankchief, if only I had known I would have booked a pass.

This would however have sown some discord

Given previous passes to the Covenanter’s Grave

Posted 2 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Have you tried the angle that the nights are fair drawing in so you have to make hay while the sun shines? Either that or that you'll be back for breakfast :)

I thought I had a full van but had a few drop outs but not enough to drop a van size.

Posted 2 years ago #
gembo
Member

Very tempting but also the pass for The Dulnain.

Posted 2 years ago #
chrisfl
Member

For info, I'm driving a van down from West Edinburgh with a couple of spaces left if any CCEr is struggling for getting their bike down...

PM for more details.

Doh! Far Far too behind on CCE!

Posted 2 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Sorry @Chrisfl.

I was juggling the vagaries of van sizes and level of commitment amongst vague FB comments to determine whether I had spare space.

Took the view to hire the biggest van I could and then realised I might have space. As it happened it was a comfortable fit rather than the spacious fit I feared.

I now have knowledge to better to judge bike packing in vans. Maybe next year...

Posted 2 years ago #
gembo
Member

How busy was the RTTS @Hankchief?

Posted 2 years ago #
HankChief
Member

It wasn't bad for a non-event.

Lots of small groups and first timers and less of the mass groups from previous years, so fewer vans/minibuses etc. Which I guess makes sense given the circumstances.

Not sure but it felt like more people doing the down & back with a range of times - think Mr Hart's group would have been the quickest with a sub 11hours moving time. The last stragglers coming in at 5.30am had been on the road for 20hours...

Great effort one and all.

Apart from the midges it was a pleasant night. The sunrise was pleasant enough and they even put on the Mossmoran flare to give the early finishers something to look at.

Roll on next year and it being back to full strength.

Posted 2 years ago #
gembo
Member

Yes hope it gets back to full strength and we can all do it again next year

Posted 2 years ago #
HankChief
Member

It's that time of year again. Ride to the Sun is this weekend.

Who's riding?

I'm driving the BananaVan again this year so be sure to say hello at the Crook Inn CycloRave. I'll be the one in the midge net :)

Also, if anyone is looking for bike transport down, I can squeeze a couple in the van if you ask nicely.

Posted 1 year ago #
acsimpson
Member

I'll be riding both ways again this year so very grateful of a banana. I might even pack a midge net this time round.

Posted 1 year ago #