CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.

South West 300 Cycle Challenge - 16th June 2018

(41 posts)
  • Started 6 years ago by HankChief
  • Latest reply from HankChief

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  1. HankChief
    Member

    Bus has arrived. Should be okay. .

    And is okay

    Panic over

    Posted 6 years ago #
  2. HankChief
    Member

    Daybreak in a chilly Girvan and well over an hour down on schedule.

    Too much time spent at stops and waiting for others so we could go through a railway bridge worksite together without needing to make a large diversion.

    Just hope I make my train home...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    Aye would be bad to have to cycle back from Dumfries after already doing 300 miles and no sleep.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  4. HankChief
    Member

    Finished it. 24 3/4 hours, including a tumble when I tried to take a shortcut on a cycle path and found it full of mud resulting in scratches to the bike & me.

    Bike speed was fine, too many delays leaving feed stops.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. amir
    Member

    Great work! Hope you caught the train

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. Frenchy
    Member

    Well done! Hope you didn't get too wet, either.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. HankChief
    Member

    Am now on my Edinbugh bound train. Relieved as I am struggling to stay awake.

    Got drenched during the 1st couple of hours (flooded roads etc), but it dried off after that only to give us some showers overnight and this morning.

    I changed into my dry kit at the Mull of Galloway but was waiting outside for a while so put on extra layers but due to the 'no waiting' rule I didn't dare stop to take them off so they got drenched from the inside with sweat (TMI?)

    The hour we spent at Girvan seafront at 4am was not a warm experience as a result

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. gembo
    Member

    @hankchief, what is the no waiting rule, your reports suggest you did have to wait on the others several times. I read this event was a group ride so I am guessing you were going at pace of slowest person?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. HankChief
    Member

    Therein lies the problem.

    The idea was that the ride wouldn't wait for anyone and if you had a problem, you would be passistebd by the mechanic/first aider and then either need ride to the next stop solo or be picked up by the van and transported ahead of riders.

    It all got off to a bad start when the northern Irish contingent' s ferry was delayed and then they got stuck in the local road closures for the Marches.

    They started 25mins after everyone else.

    For the 2nd stage a Glasgow Green rider had a mechanical when a stick flew up and broke a spoke. They were operating under a all for 1 & 1 for all approach.

    This led to delays in departures but the requirement to all cross the worksite together meant we had no choice but to wait for everyone to arrive.

    Tricky...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. HankChief
    Member

    Latest FB update:

    "HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SW300

    We again wish to sincerely show our gratitude to all those who supported, took part in or were otherwise involved in this event last summer and remind you that you helped raise over £15,000 for worthy charities whilst, for many of you, achieving far more on a bike than you had previously considered possible. Thank you.

    Despite it, right from the start, only ever intended as a one off event I have been asked by a number of riders about a 2019 repeat. It seems a great pity for what was built up to be dropped and forgotten, however I am unfortunately personally unable to dedicate the next 6 months of my life full time making it happen again.

    AND SO SW300 IS DEAD! LONG LIVE SW300!!!

    If any club (or individual) wishes to take over the baton and organise a SW300 2019 event then you do so with my full support and offer of help on the proviso it is not for profit and for the benefit of charity. Out of courtesy I ask you let me know it is your intention to run a SW300 event.

    I have been invited to join a small private group to ride SW300 over 4 days in 2019 to publicise and promote the the route for tourism. When organising the 2108 24hr event I got a large interest from riders wanting to do the route as a multi-day event and so I hope in 2019, in some small way, to help address this interest. If you are interested in riding the route over 2, 3, 4 or more days or wish advice on route, accommodation etc. please email me on the address below.

    DISAPPOINTED NOT TO BE DOING A BIG CHALLENGE THIS YEAR?

    Don’t be!
    When organising SW300 I sought advice from the organisers of Chase The Sun, an annual free-to-enter event held for the past 10 years in the South of England, and also more recently in Italy.
    The good news is that this year they will also be holding the event Up North and so they got back in contact with me. I met with them before Xmas when they came up to recce a route and I enlightened them on the suitability of the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway as a location. As a consequence they have settled on Newcastle to Prestwick, 200 miles from sunrise to sunset, on Saturday 22nd June (all 3 locations will be ridden simultaneously) This will be an annual ride and what’s more it is hoped will expand in future years to more locations, all ridden at the same time. The ethos is similar to SW300 in that it is free to enter and has an official charity partner. I hope to help the organisers make this a great event. Details to sign up are here;- https://www.chasethesun.org

    INSPIRED BY SW300?

    As mentioned above many who participated in 2018 rode further than they previously thought possible. If doing so has inspired them to take on even yet bigger challenges then I have been asked to mention on here that my friends Esther & Warren will be giving a talk on one of their rides - not so much around Dumfries & Galloway in 24 hours as around the world in 4 years! Tickets, which include 2 course buffet dinner, are available here;- https://www.selkirkarmshotel.co.uk/news/2018/12/9/selkirk-speakers-supper-club?fbclid=IwAR1xxjYGY2RFegnErbZ62TF5t9Q-w8GfO19rNncpy-_6ojhEw10FpNepfss

    Keep pedalling and I hope to catch up with many of you in the New Year.
    Nipper

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. HankChief
    Member


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