[Closed] Etape Caledonia Sun March 14 Recce anyone?

I'd love to but I can't make the 14th and I'm planning a midweek recce. Looking forward to the evnt though.

Did you get the 'seeding' e-mail? I'm down for 'Under 5 hours 30 mins', I wonder what time that'll be setting off?

Bummer, I just checked the entry site and found that it has sold out. That will teach me. I'm still keen to ride the loop again though as the roads are good.

Woops 😉 Are you travelling far to do the route mcmoonter. Its just that the route of the Radar Ride (Southern Upland Sportive on 12th July) is an absolute cracker and certainly worth a look.

i'm up for this. is there parking near the bike shop? (think i've only ever ridden through pitlochry so no idea what its like)

I did a similar loop on Saturday

Dunkeld - Blairgowrie - Kirkmichael - Pitlochry - Tummel Bridge - Aberfeldy - Scotstoun - Dunkeld

and it was one of the best road rides i've been on, great combination of scenery, climbs and descents. The descent into pitlochry on the Moulin road was a classic, i want to ride more corners like those!

I would quite like to come up on the train for this, did you mean sunday 15th, or saturday 14th?

i'm up for this. is there parking near the bike shop? (think i've only ever ridden through pitlochry so no idea what its like)

You can park on the road right outside escape route or there is a pay and display just across the road.

There is loads of parking in Pitlochry - nowt to worry about.

Oops that should be Sunday 15th. But I'm easy either way, sat would be fine too if its easier for everyone else.

I hurt my back trailbuilding last weekend, so a rehab road ride should be a good start to recovery.

13thfloormonk, that sounds a good loop too, I'll have to try that too, as you say the downhill back to Pitlochry would be very good, and well earned.

Just heard that the entry list is full. Thats 3300 riders! I'll have to see if there is an on the day waiting list.

There are two ride leaving Escape Route on Saturady and Sunday. These are being organised by some local guys who have been out all winter. Neither follow the entire loop though.

The entry list is full because Macmillan Cancer Support have taken up a batch. You can still get an entry if you pledge £150 to them. I've just put in for "under 5h30m too". I don't think I'm ready for a training ride though 🙂

Druidh, its not that hard a ride, its pretty flat around the lochs. The only real hill is Schiehallion. The proposed ride will include cafe stops.

Interested too - depends on your approach though, are you planning to batter round or take it at a steady pace? I'm keen to support the local economy by having a cafe stop somewhere as well...(not least because I ain't doing 80 miles on 2 bottles).

I'm not doing the Etape event, but I did the route solo last spring in a sniff under 6 hours - does that sounds like the sort of pace you're thinking of?

Aye, you must have got Mike D's e-mail too. ****in hell: 3300 entries!

I've probably left it too late n'all. Bugger...

Fancy a dander around the course at some point none the less. 'For next year...'

Don't know if I can make the 14th though.

I'd prefer a steady pace if possible - i'm training for the fred whitton and trying to work on miles rather than speed. Unfortunately i've not been working on either much at the moment!

Not doing the Etape either - decided it might not be a good move after the Fred the week before - but still keen to see what the route is like as a possible for next year.

Is there a preference for the 14th or 15th?

If it's the 14th, not too early a start and an easy pace, I might be tempted. 🙂

Druidh

Can I get a lift if it ends up being on the 14th? Happy to share petrol costs etc.

PS, I need to reply to your email - been off sick all week and not really been online so will have a think and get back to you.

If I can get everything else lined up then a lift will be fine. No hurry on the routes thing - just after some ideas...

i've been looking at the map quite a bit recently - trying to up my mileage on routes from our side of town (which doesn't leave many that are quiet!) -so would be good to swap ideas. to be honest, all the road riding i've done that's been any good has involved a drive... although i've worked out a good route from mine, to carnwarth, peebles, cardrona, moffat, peebles, gorebridge, hillend and back to mine but don't know the mileage yet. its all pretty much on quiet/back roads, aside from a few small bits on the a702.

sorry for the hijack, will continue this via facebook email druidh (but that has to be at home cos work blocks emails!)

I shall attend.

Not fussed what the pace is like.

Sunday is best for me.

Shall we say Saturday the 14th then? Meeting to leave Escape Route at 10am.
I cn give folks a lift from near Kirkcldy or would pick up anyone from the Sevices (car park next to Dobbies) at Kinross for a group car share.

I'm up for a super mellow spin.

Sounds good - though it looks like I might not actually make it as life stuff could well get in the way.

Clare - are you familiar with the Bathgate Alps (the hills between Lithgae and Bathgate)? If you mail me (in profile) I can send you a couple of route ideas if that would help - easily in striking distance of Edinburgh.

Sat at 10am sounds good to me.

Stu - i've heard of them but never ridden them. Will mail you in a bit. Thanks for the routes 🙂

OK - roll call. [*]Saturday 14th[/*] [*]10am[/*] [*]Escape Route[/*] [*]Easy pace, with possible bail-out options depending on weather[/*] [*]Compulsory Café stop[/*] [*]Lights?[/*]

Count me in, with the option of a car share from Kinross services. There's plenty of scope for a bail out option. Its dark at 6 so lights wont be needed unless the weather is bad and we are on busier roads.

Might have to go into work but hopefully not - forecast looks reasonable too. Put me at 80% chance of making it.

Which cafe are you thinking of?

I'm thinking [i]lights[/i] in the event of any problems (mechanical or physiological).

Café? Dunno - need to see what's en route I guess. Any friendly locals know what's available (in March) somewhere around Bridge of Gaur / Kinloch Rannoch?

There are cafes in Kinloch Rannoch, Fortingall and Weem.

I may be up for this. How many folk will be in the bunch?

Looks like half a dozen. Maybe more by the weekend.

I would just be along to get the miles in. Im not doing the etape.

Merak - So far, it's as you see on this thread. Myself, DGOAB, McMoonter, Stu_N (poss). This'll be my longest ride since last summer (by some considerable margin), so I'm hoping for a nice easy pace and will have a few bail-out options up my sleeve. I'm really just planning a nice ride in the country 🙂

There is a nice pub/hotel in Fortingall. Right next to the Churchyard with the Yew in it. And if the Glen Lyon Post Office / Tea Room is on your route you must stop. The cakes are fabulous! Oh and slightly off your route - the Watermill in Aberfeldy would be another possible cafe stop. Grrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaat coffee.

The Glen Lyon cafe is run by my brother's brother and sister in law. As you said the cakes are fantastic, so is the stove which we monopolised last February when we rode down from Ben Lawers. It was minus 5 at the dam. Who knows what the windchill was on the downhill. I've never been so cold, ever. No one else was getting near the stove without a fight.

We'll not be going as far as Bridge of Balgie I'm afraid.

me, but i don't have lights on the bike i will be using...

I would be travelling from Glasgow so would need some directions. I havent got a clue where Im going or what the route is! Or indeed the mileage involved.

Incidentally would everyone be on roadbikes?

dirtygirlonabike - Member

me, but i don't have lights on the bike i will be using...

[img] [/img]

You might need a man to show you what end to use....

Merak - you're aiming for Pitlochry. Up the A9 to Stirling, Perth and keep going on the Inverness road. Should be about 90 minutes or so for you, depending on where you are, traffic, etc.

Meet at Escape Route (bike shop on the main road).

I've put a pdf of the route up [url=www.scotroutes.com/Routes/Road/etape.pdf]here[/url]. It heads North, then all the way west, cuts back east, then a dog-leg southwest before looping back to Pitlochry. 84 miles if we do it all.

I'm trying to decide [i]which[/i] road bike to take - the fast one or the comfy one 🙂

lol cheeky. there's no room on my bars for lights anyway.

this thread is loading all weird on my screen :-S

merak - the routes 84miles with 2,000m of ascent. think most of us will be on road bikes.

Druidh, fast or comfy? If its going to rain I'm taking my retro Roberts with mudguards, if its sunny my road bike. I'd rather enjoy the view and the company that chase a wheel all day.

Yeah looking at the met office forecast, it looks pretty damp. I would be on my winter bike with full mud guards anyway whatever the weather. I would like to ride the roads up there as I have never been there before.

How likely are folk to turn up if its lashing down? Its a bit of a drive for me if no-one turns up! 🙂

Merak - PM me a mobile number and I'll keep you appraised of any last-minute changes. TBH - it's more the wind than the rain that bothers me!

Hmm - comfy bike is an option then? That would be the Sutra with 32c tyres, triple chainset and handlebar bag. This is beginning to sound a bit more enjoyable already 😉

I'll go regardless. There are plenty of cafes if there is a monsoon.

hmm, so you'll all be on winter bikes with mudguards then? i'd like to be on mine, but its giving me knee problems so i'll have to be on my nice road bike, without mudguards and get wet :-s

dirtygirlonabike - Member

hmm, so you'll all be on winter bikes with mudguards then? i'd like to be on mine, but its giving me knee problems so i'll have to be on my nice road bike, without mudguards and get wet :-s

Sheesh - I'm not riding behind you then!

Weather forecast is currently looking a bit pants ( http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/tomorrow.asp?zipcode=pitlochry ). I'll be having a look [url= http://www.mwis.org.uk/mountain/SH.PDF ]here [/url]later this evening. I'm happy to turn up and ride something, although I' thinking that the whole route is currently looking a bit ambitious.

I'm still keen to just go for it, or some of it. The first year of the Etape Caledonia it was torrential the day before. Flood water was 18 inces deep past Fortingall. I just manage to drive though it with the Mothership on max height. The following day was not quite as bad but still hardcore (for a road ride). We can weigh up our options when we get there. We could go up by Tummel Bridge or Kinloch Rannoch over Schiehallion, or from the top we could ride back alongside the Tummel.

The local guys are meeting at 10 too, we can get more advice from them.

Want to PM me a mobile number?

Big fat FAIL here. Need to go into work tomorrow morning (cucking funts) so not going to make it to Pitlochry by 10.

Hope you have a good one.

It has been pretty windy up here for the past couple of days. Nice and clear though. If that rain holds off it might not be too bad.

Stu_N - weather forecast suggests a curtailed route might be in order, so mibbe a return in April some time when more folk can make it?

You coming along geoff?

How wet can it get?

You coming along geoff?

*The MIL was staying at the Pitlochry Hydro and I was taking the kids up to see them - I was the one randomly shouting from the passing car. 🙂

It was very blustery. The sort of wind that reduces your speed by half in a second. Made for an interesting descent off Schiehallion. We decided in the Kinloch Rannoch cafe as the rain clouds scurried over the loch to give that section a miss.

It was a top day. It never really rained all day. The tailwind home was fantastic!

Kudos to you lot who went out riding today. I bloused 😳

Sounds like it wasn't so great - would be keen on reprise if or when that happens.

Anyway, a bad day on the bike is better than a good day in the office, and I didn't even have a good day at work. :-S

Still, sneaked out for an hour on CX bike in local woods before the Scotland game and only had to de-clog it once so that has to be a sign that spring is here!

Well, that actually turned into a great day, despite the wind. Skipping Loch Rannoch was a good idea - I reckon it's [i]still[/i] raining there - the temperatures were better than forecast and it was remarkably dry, even once I took the waterproof off. Thanks to mcmoonter for the encouragement and for pointing out the various climbs etc. in advance. I definitely feel more up for the event now.

We'll be organising a return trip (full circuit this time for sure) around the end of April, so those that had to miss out today can pencil that in.

it was a really good day out, thanks for organising it. hopefully next time it won't be so windy, but just as sunny and druidh can wear his raincoat all the way round to make sure it stays dry 😆

Well I took Stu-N's place, had a lovely day out, was nice to meet a few new people and put names to faces. Thanks to mcmoonter for the organisation and a great ride. 🙂