CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Sport

CCE Point to Point Challenge

(28 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by steveo
  • Latest reply from AKen
  • poll: Who'll win
    team A (Road) : (3 votes)
    33 %
    team (mt) B : (6 votes)
    67 %

    9 votes

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  1. steveo
    Member

    I was thinking about this the other day whilst out on the mtb. A "race" betwixt a road rider and a mtb biker. Both start at Penicuik Town Hall and End at Balerno Parish Church

    Team A (road) must go inside the bypass.
    Team (mt) B must go over the hills.

    Over the hills should be shorter but starting at Penicuik means there is some road work where the road team gets away. Who do you think will win?

    I've excluded team Team C (yclocross) as I don't think there is a route that is knarly enough to slow a crosser down to make it fair to team A but still long enough to balance the extra weight of an off road.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Sounds like a job for Ride with GPS's new feature.

    Google goes with the MTB:


    Snap 2015-09-02 at 15.03.46     by Tom Orr, on Flickr

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've excluded team Team C (yclocross) as I don't think there is a route that is knarly enough to slow a crosser down to make it fair to team A but still long enough to balance the extra weight of an off road.

    Up past the reservoirs and then through Green Cleugh to Bavelaw would be the fastest and most direct route IMHO for the CX component.

    It's 12 miles by the road and 460 feet ascent.

    ~8.5 miles and 750 feet ascent over the hills.

    10.4 miles and 650 feet through Green Cleugh.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    The map Google generated takes the road bike along the cycle track rather than Lanark Road but the distance would be about the same.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. steveo
    Member

    Google picks the route I'd go with a cross bike mostly on tarmac, maidens cleugh is a bit of a climb but not overly technical and once off the hills it would be downhill tarmac blast.

    MTB I'd try to go straight over Scald Law, the path just outside Silverburn, to Green Cleugh and down; 14km however I don't know how much climbing that would involve but I'm guessing a lot!

    Actually, I think Maidens cleugh is the way to go on either bike.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. AKen
    Member

    The descent down from Scald Law towards the Green Cleugh is a bit steep. I'd be taking that one very slowly - might negate any advantage gained by the shorter distance.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. gembo
    Member

    Had assumed the mountain bike route would come down at Harlaw reservoir and thence to kirk

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. steveo
    Member

    The descent down from Scald Law towards the Green Cleugh is a bit steep. I'd be taking that one very slowly - might negate any advantage gained by the shorter distance.

    You can contour round the hill slightly but with enough suspension and a quick prayer it should be ridable. Might scrub a bit of the advantage though. I'm not sure but I'm thinking Maidens Cleugh is the way to go but it just adds a lot of road mileage.

    Had assumed the mountain bike route would come down at Harlaw reservoir and thence to kirk

    Round Black hill?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. steveo
    Member

    MTB route seems to be the clear favourite, but I'm not sure it'll be that simple. The obvious road route isn't that hilly; the only climb of any sharpness is out of Colinton to Gillespie Cross road. Its only 5kim longer and one should be able to make that up pretty quickly.

    Any one want to help with the experiment?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  10. fimm
    Member

    Ooooh, are we actually going to do this?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  11. wingpig
    Member

    Those who don't compete could perhaps select participants for a fantasy team.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Will Gembo organise food from the Farmers' Market and a film show?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  13. steveo
    Member

    Ooooh, are we actually going to do this?

    Don't see why not, though we need work out a way to balance the teams. I foresee the road team being a little strong given the membership of the forum.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  14. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Don't see why not, though we need work out a way to balance the teams.

    If Arobcomp is taking part, his bike can have 2 panniers full of bits of old scrap iron ;)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  15. steveo
    Member

    Send Dave and DaveC via Carnwath?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  16. fimm
    Member

    I foresee the road team being a little strong given the membership of the forum...
    LOL, I was going to bring my TT bike along...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  17. gembo
    Member

    If this is done on 12.09.15 then I am at the farmers market with the Fietsclub Balerno team running a cycle smoothie maker lent by Big Ged.

    THe outdoor ed. man from Harmeny School is also doing a bike maintenance stall.

    All happening.

    Check Balerno Village Screen for the film that night. We are putting on Northern Soul soon (a film about the Northern Soul Scene) with DJ input. Big Ged is bringing the talcum powder.

    THink that is October.

    September offerings are the next weekend. Friday - Silver Linings Playbook on the Friday. Guardians of the Galaxy on sat matinee and Birdman on the Sat night. If you like drumming then Birdman has a great soundtrack which I totally dig.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  18. ARobComp
    Member

    I'd be up for riding either. Shame about not allowing CX bikes as I recorded 11.47 from flotterstone reservoir to harlaw carpark in the dark (without lights) on Tuesday evening so fairly certain I could improve on that by a significant amount if fresh and racing.

    I've got a 26 inch MTB that I'm happy to attempt the route on but it weighs a tonne so likely to be even slower.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  19. steveo
    Member

    I recorded 11.47 from flotterstone reservoir to harlaw carpark

    Yeah thats why I didn't think it was fair on the road team, though if Fimm is TT'ing maybe it is.

    I don't mind doing the mtb but I'm neither particularly good at mtb nor fast on the road so it probably a trifle unfair on the discipline.

    I wonder if we can get enough riders for mixed ability teams. The whole team is only as fast as the slowest rider. In which case I can literally anchor for any team.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  20. Dave
    Member

    I voted for the MTB route, it's a lot of detour through town... alas I'm on hols until the 13th so can't join in finding out!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  21. fimm
    Member

    I wasn't being very serious about bringing the TT bike (and if there's going to be a group ride I certainly wouldn't bring it, it is totally unsuitable for riding in a group).

    Posted 9 years ago #

  22. steveo
    Member

    Not sure when it'll be yet Dave, I'm busy the next few weekends so for me it'll have to be towards the end of the month.

    If we let Arobcomp go on the cross you and your TT bike might be the only hope for the road team fimm :)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. gembo
    Member

    the balerno farmer's market is but once a month on the second saturday thereof

    if there is a doodle poll can there be some way of sorting out a dead heat? Still waiting on the pub thing unless I missed it?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. gembo
    Member

    Up there today it was glorious. Black hill is very purple, maidens cleuch mottled bracken and Heather. Nary a breathe of wind

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. Nelly
    Member

    @gembo. Yep.

    I took the boy up from Harlaw today. Lovely walk, can smell the heather honey half way up. No question in my mind that the MTB route would scoosh it. Shorter and not that difficult.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  26. fimm
    Member

    Yes, I cycled parts of what I assume to be the road route yesterday. There are some hills. There's also one junction where you could wait quite a long time depending on traffic.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  27. steveo
    Member

    Right let me check my calender and see when we can settle this.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  28. AKen
    Member

    I don't even think a chunky-tyred mountain bike would be necessary for the suggested MTB route. I've done it often enough on a hybrid and narrow semi-slick tyres would be faster on the road sections. (In fact, if you went, as some have suggested, via Green Cleugh, it's tarmac almost all the way.)

    Posted 9 years ago #

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