CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
This has caught my eye on Audax UK. Looks as "fun" as 300k can be!
There is a bikely map here. Somehow a route that amazing appeals to me, whatever the physical challenge. Time to get training I think!
If anyone is really interested (Dave?) feel free to PM me - transport / accommodation might be cheaper in bulk. I recognise the name of the organiser from ERC and think the chap is at my work.
The Snow Roads Audax from Kirriemuir to Granton on Spey and back via Cairn O Mount etc is same distance and climb (I haven't done it just did a mini 167km version with Cairn O Mount one way which we found hard enough) the roads are very quiet. I wonder what the last stretch at the end from Fort William to Oban at night on that road will be like?
The Mull route is one I know and has some climbing and great scenery. I thought the Loch Aline ferry was seasonal but maybe it starts in April? or isn't seasonal anymore?
Is that an observation from the safety of the sidelines, gembo, or has the acorn of interest been planted? :)
Cairn O Mount? wine maker perchance?
I'm already signed up to this one. Definitely interested in sharing transport though if anyone else is going up (to leave at 5pm on the Friday, stopping at the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum I imagine).
I can't imagine it has as much climbing as the Snow Roads surely (for starters, you can ride from Oban to Forth William via Kinlochleven and stay just about at sea level) although I do seem to recall that Mull is a bit lumpy!
There's a discussion here which prospective riders may find useful.
Dave - good point on the hill front - no mention of them on the site you sent link to. The Mull bit is hilly. 76km. Steady 15mph to make the 11.30a.m. ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline. 20 mins tops on the ferry. 224km left from 12 noon. Suggested attempt to take west side of loch on way back and last Corran ferry at 21.20pm. To avoid the main road for a bit but main road all the way from there in the dark. I would be more tempted as bits of it are in beautiful scenery if it was on 21.06.11 and there was no wind.
Unfortunately that's too late for Paris-Brest-Paris. The whole calendar this year is crammed into the first half of the year...
Agree it would be fantastic (a lot of routes would, in fact) at midsummer. But then, I find on the big roads you get a lot more space at night. If people can see what's going on, they know how much closer they can cut it! ;-)
I've signed up for this.... http://www.eroica-ciclismo.it/english/home.asp .... 205 kilometers on gravel roads on a bike built before 1987........can't wait.
Im up for the Dave Harris memorial on the 6th March, 201k leaving from rosewell, the only trouble is im adding another 30k to get to rosewell (and more back).
Im up for the Dave Harris memorial on the 6th March, 201k leaving from rosewell, the only trouble is im adding another 30k to get to rosewell (and more back).
I'd be ditto. I was going to see if I could convince a friendly parent to drop me off at the start and ride home. If that works there would be room for +1.
its ON! :)
more info about mull it over on yacf err forum.
Oh that climb out of Loch Sunart towards Lochaline is steep, 272m over three km. I've driven to lochaline a few times.
I bet this is a great ride.
Well a 3km walk is probably good for the cross-training.
Good luck to those of you going out to Mull this weekend. Forecast looks okay.
I haven't dared to look :/
Will type more when I'm not on me phone suffering oban signal, but this was quite literally the best ride of my life. Stunning scenery, stunning weather, grest company and feel a great persona achievement, far exceeding my personal goals. When's the 400k on? :-D
weather gods kind
distance gods still wanted 300k
what was road at end from Ft William to Oban like, for me it would be in darkness?
Nothing makes you put your head down and find hidden inner reserves of awesomepower than chasing down a ferry to avoid a 45 minute wait for the next one. We cut the Lochaline-Fishnish ferry VERY close but were last on and coming in 1 ferry ahead of the mornings most optimistic schedule was a huge boost.
Corran ferry was an equally hard run to catch as you can see the thing sitting at the slip for about 5 miles away, but made it with about 10 minutes to spare.
Stopped at Glencoe village to put on some more layers and affix / turn on lights. In darkness for the last hour or so, was quite a buzz to be honest. The group I was with had a couple fo good dynamo lights that did the job of lighting up the tarmac. Mine wouldn't depress low enough to help with that but did a great job of lighting up catseyes, road markings and signs.
Corran Ferry - made it (just!) by kaputniq, on Flickr
Lochaline ferry - made it! (just) by kaputniq, on Flickr
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Lovely wee video that someone took the time and effort to make of the day. Both Dave and I can be seen disembarking the ferry at Craignure. I can also be seen doing my contemplative thing at the start, gazing back to Oban thinking "*************! what the ******* have I let myself in for!"
Needn't have worried, as you can see from the video it was a stunning day in stunning surroundings with a top group of riders to boot.
Well done Kaputnik!
Next PBP or LEL?
Kinross will seem a little short.
I wondered where you were, I missed the ferry-before-the-first-ferry by a few minutes because I didn't realise there was one (doh!).
What time did you finish? I was done by quarter past 10 which was way better than expected (aiming for midnight).
Cracking ride though. I drank almost 7L in a vain attempt to stave off dehydration. One flat and I had to boot with a chunk of cardboard (!) - teach me to use a very old commuting tyre...
Sounds like you all had an amazing day. And how were the gears? Did you keep crank shorteners on?
Well done guys! It looks like a beautiful ride -but isnt...err..300km quite a long way?!
I'm aspiring to do the local 200km Erit Lassin September if I can get the miles in the this summer - but finding even this a bit daunting.
What time did you finish?
I've got a missed call on my mobile at 5 past 9 from my Dad giving me a ring to see if I had finished. We had just finished at that point and were in the hall. The first guy back was just leaving at this point, roadie in Lichfield CCC / Zipvit kit. He appeared to have been struggling earlier on but I think it's just he was trying to do everything on mull in the big ring. When he started using the little ring he began to fly. We had a chat with him and when we pulled in at Acharacle for a quick pitstop he had been about 2 or 3 minutes behind and chasing us, hadn't seen us pull in and had shot past and spent the next 30 miles on the way to Glenfinnan desperately trying to catch us and hoping he hadn't taken a wrong turn!
I ate remarkably little - my appetite generally shuts off during big rides - was constantly fearing I'd hit a wall, but managed to keep going on about 3 litres of PSP drinks (I took a spare supply of powder -NEVER get the "original" flavour, truly disgusting!), 4 mars bars, 2 bananas, a sugary coffee, a bottle of lucozade, a pint of milk and a bag and a half of jelly babies. All backed up with a good fill of breakfast porridge!
The guys I fell in with were old hands at PBP and audaxing in general and were driven on by not being beaten back by a tandem! I think they were very pleased to accomplish that mission.
Sounds like you all had an amazing day. And how were the gears? Did you keep crank shorteners on?
No, I didn't like them riding around the block and thought I shouldn't risk it!
However, I put them back on this morning for the commute, and weirdly I quite like them... how strange!
Please Sir?!?! Whats a Crank Shortener?
they bolt onto your cranks and make the pedaling circle smaller.
but isnt...err..300km quite a long way?!
Longest I have ever ridden to that point. The previous longest was the Moffat Toffee 2 weeks previous which was 200k. That at the time was also the longest I'd ridden, previous longest being 106 miles (170km). When I did my first 100 miler - Trossachs Ton last year - longest previous ride had been about 75 miles.
I'm aspiring to do the local 200km Erit Lass in September
go for it! if you can get a 100 miler in (plenty of Sportives to pick from - entries for the Bonnyrigg in june just opened) then there's no reason you can't step up on the day. I find it remarkable what encouragement notching up your "next longest ride" can be to get you through the miles.
Hmm so do you remove your old crank arms or just the peddles?
My biggest hang up about anything longer than 100km was the Tour of East Lothian. I seriously ran out of energy and even those jellies didn't last long in my system. I also get dehydrated but have rediscovered rehydration powders, so only needing a water top up along the way. I had wondered what bike to get to do an Audax on but turns out I have a good un anyway - Dawes Galaxy, from some of the photos above. I might just need to remove as much excess weight as my bike is quite heavy at the rear end when I have the frame and rear bike box, perhaps just carrying a smaller lighter bag with essentials in. Plus I can put smaller tyres I suppose as I think I have heavy winter tyres 35mm instead of 28mm I am hoping to get off a friend who no longer needs them.
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