I was going to fly this under the radar but, well, what the hell.

I’m a neophyte mountain biker, and my skills and fitness aren’t yet what they could be.

Tomorrow, I drive up to That Scotland with my other half and a couple of other ambitious riders, and pitch a tent (ho ho!).

On Sunday, we’re going to endeavour to ride the 7 Stanes. All of the blues. In a day.

Now, I’m sure to some rad to the power of sick!! types this is probably small potatoes. But I’m quietly filling my lycra.

So, wish me luck, and what’s left of me will see you on Monday.

Balls. If I hadn’t been otherwise occupied on Sunday I’d have joined you for a couple.

Good luck. What’s your total mileage looking like??

Good luck, take jelly beans or something to keep energy levels up and I’m sure you’ll be fine. Enjoy!

Keep tweeting. Should make entertaining reading.

Battery permitting, Twitter is an excellent idea. You’ll get to see the gradual breaking of a(*) middle aged man, step by step. (-: @ukcougar, pop pickers. OH will be tweeting as @mtbgirly, everyone else in the team are protected Twitterers.

Mileage is circa 70-80km depending whether we do the extensions etc or not. We’re planning to skip the Doon Hill extension at Kirroughtree, and wing the Upper Loop at Glentress (our final centre) depending on how ruined we are and how much light we have left. Including travelling, “daylight hours” is our biggest enemy we reckon.

Cheers for the nice messages.

(* – almost, ahem)

Fat see-you-next-Tues attempting all the Stanes in a day ?

No chance.

😉

If he’s going to fail, I’m ****.

What’s your total mileage looking like??

A whole 40 is my guess.

edit: oops, sorry, cougar did say that.

I think you are going to have a good time! enjoy 🙂

Mate. I hope you and Lou have a great time. Its not about the quantity, its about the quality and that applies to company too.

Take deet and tick extractors and you will have a great time.

I’m assuming it’s the scots that are quietly filling your lycra, right?

Sounds like an awesome plan though. Certainly the distance is doable but as you say, daylight hours may well be the limiting factor. Best of luck to you.

For balance, I’m off to North Walez on Sunday, and will be riding all the gnar on a hardtail XC bike. Without long travel forks, an uppy-downy seatpost, body armour or any of that crap.

And I’ll be looking great the whole time.

So there you go.

You should get enough daylight up until 8pm, although it’ll be dark in them thar woods. The fast blue descent from Buzzards is pretty obvious though, so you shouldn’t take any wrong turns 😉

Take deet and tick extractors

That’s a bloody good point, I parted company with my first aid kit on a spot of hurtle-y downhill a couple of weeks ago (I heard it go but was having too much fun to stop for it) and my tick tool was in it. I need to replace that, thank you.

A whole 40 is my guess.

It’s 43-50; you say that like it’s nowt, but it’s a factor of seven further than I’ve ridden XC in a day. It’s double what I’ve ridden on road (on a HT) in a day.

I’m assuming it’s the scots that are quietly filling your lycra, right?

So long as they’re filling it with scotch, we’re good.

Wearing one of these Effin?

EDIT: Oops: that possibly looks too big on a proper screen?

I’m off to North Walez on Sunday

Llandegla? Have fun, it’s a giggle.

just remember in scotlandshire the above toilet signs are for men and men in kilts as the women folk aren’t let out of the caves 😉

I reckon the most time will be wasted, getting the bikes on and off the cars! Reckon by number 6 they could be lashed on to the rack by a small piece of discarded bale twine!! 😯

Sound like a great idea. Ride gently to conserve your energy and muscles, keep eating and drinking. Best of luck to you!

Good Luck… Any plan like this that challanges “You” is awesome!

Betis-y-Coed? I like that one…
And enjoy it Cougar.

Have fun i might see you as will be going out in the afternoon tomorrow probably to Mabie (10min drive) for me.

Why not try all the reds next summer in a day, a nice challenge for someone. Dont know if anyone has done that.

You haven’t thought this through. Who’s going to respond when someone posts an inane query about computers on here?

So long as it’s still on the first page by Monday…

might see you as will be going out in the afternoon tomorrow probably to Mabie

If you see a bloke with a ponytale on a black Rockhopper and a lass on a white Marin, that’ll be us. If you don’t, that’ll still be us.

We’re planning to skip the Doon Hill extension at Kirroughtree,

Cougar, it was closed anyway a couple of weeks ago when we were up there – forestry work apparantly.

Have a great time, very jealous!

Some guy rode all of the 7 stanes in one go, and rode between them as well… think he did it in under 24 hrs.

Can’t find the story though 🙁

it was closed anyway a couple of weeks ago when we were up there

Oh, well, of course, we were definitely going to do it, but now we can’t due to circumstances beyond our control. I’m gutted.

Some guy rode all of the 7 stanes in one go, and rode between them as well…

Come back with my thunder.

Cougar – Member

it was closed anyway a couple of weeks ago when we were up there

Oh, well, of course, we were definitely going to do it, but now we can’t due to circumstances beyond our control. I’m gutted.

Have a go at the Glentrool Purple instead, it’s a perfect alternative 😀

My cat hates you.

Me? Please say it’s me…

Just out of interest, which Stanes are you riding?

Glentress
Ae
Mabie
Dalbeattie
Kirroughtree
Newcastleton
Glentrool

Innerleithen doesn’t have a blue yeah?

Mabie and Dalbeattie are very rideable with mainly double track, so you should be fine there. Nothing terrible.

I don’t think I have ridden much of Kirroughtree blue, but Glentrool is just a blast, although not many people remember this Stane. It’s mainly a simply climb to the top then lots of fab twisty berms to the bottom.

Are you on Twitter? It would be great to follow your progress. Good luck!

Just out of interest, which Stanes are you riding?

With apologies to Eric Morecambe, you’ve got all the right Stanes, but not necessarily in the right order. We’re doing,

Newcastleton
Mabie
Dalbeattie
Kirroughtree
Glentrool
Ae
Glentress

Twitter accounts are ^^ in my second post.

Some guy rode all of the 7 stanes in one go, and rode between them as well… think he did it in under 24 hrs.

Can’t find the story though

Probably because its not true. Must be close to 200 road miles just between them all. And about 14 hrs of off road ridding.

Cadel Evans on roids couldnt do that.

It was done in a weekend I think. Maybe.

Rob Lee?

http://frazerwaller.com/blog/?p=239

Ah doesnt count didnt use the same bike!!!!!

Fookin fit bastid.

Forty.