Forum menu
No tandem for us for this trip.
If Minipips makes it all the way round, it'll all be his doing. 😯
Fair play richpips and minipips! That will be a massive achievement if you both make it round. Take it steady, keep eating and rest well is my advice.
I was thinking that tandem would be extremely difficult on the rough/awkward stuff.
[quote=richpips dijo]No tandem for us for this trip.
If Minipips makes it all the way round, it'll all be his doing.
Ours is available if you are keen to use one - we were due to ride it that week but plans have changed. Currently set up in touring mode with rigid forks & pannier mounts etc
Rich, what's not ready with the tandem? If you are short of bits post them here - I will help if I can
I was thinking that tandem would be extremely difficult on the rough/awkward stuff.
It would certainly be time consuming.
Ours is available if you are keen to use one
Tom calls yours the "tandem of doom" probably as it is too big for us and we kept on falling off it. Thanks though Jules. 🙂
Rich, what's not ready with the tandem?
There has been a delay with the frame.
Knee is much better. I'll try my best not to pull an all nighter early on in the race this time....
Although I do have a bad habit of starting any race far too fast. Being a competitive type can be a liability at times!
Ours is available if you are keen to use one - we were due to ride it that week but plans have changed. Currently set up in touring mode with rigid forks & pannier mounts etc
Jules, is your tour off? I hope not.
[quote=ton dijo]
Jules, is your tour off? I hope not.
Jane's not well enough to ride so we're in the car. Our friends are still cycling, we'll be the support vehicle
oh heck. sorry to hear that mate.
honk your horn if you pass me and the wife.
44 riders showing for the group start on Trackleaders now - it's going to be a good one!
Think I'll go for a wee gear shakedown overnighter in the Pentlands tonight as the forecast is good.
I'm in!
Tom, I met you at WEMBO Scotland, I was with the Catalans.
I've been riding part of the course from Torridon to F. Augustus, then up to Contin and 12km later took the road back to Torridon. Weather was very windy on Monday and made some parts very dangerous in Coire Lair. I'm going rigid ss with 650b wheels and I struggle on tech bits a lot. At least bike is very light.
I'm taking a stove, it's the 8gr one from Bearbones. Plenty of food in zipped bags, undecided tarp or not tarp.
Some parts found a bit dirty water, probably for the amount of rain mainly on Sunday? Still drank (not much) and fine.
Good luck and enjoy!! 😀
Hi Javier - look forward to seeing you again in Tyndrum. Fair play for riding those parts of the route in advance - I'm sure you'll be sick of them by the time the race is done.
Only a week to go!
That's what I thought when I rode the hard bits "I'll have to do it again soon, aargh!!"
Read your blog 4 or 5 times, and also another 5 or 6 blogs ftom the race. Encouraging!! 😆
Just about ready now.
We're heading up on Thursday, leaving Friday early.
Say Hi as you are passing. 🙂
[img] 
[/img]
Post up trail updates please Rich, you'll be a day ahead of me throughout...
Good luck to you both, hope you enjoy it second time round
AlasdairMc - Member
Post up trail updates please Rich, you'll be a day ahead of me throughout...
Ahhem, that would probably border on outside assistance... in my books anyway. But hey, why not. It'd be a shame to have an adventure where you don't know what's around the next corner.
Edit: Yes, that was my cranky voice.
Does reading the Twitter feed if you're competing count as outside assistance then? Not that I will - I'm still to work out how to actually tweet
My response was tongue in cheek btw, I know exactly what to expect - like last year but wetter...
Post up trail updates please Rich, you'll be a day ahead of me throughout...Good luck to you both, hope you enjoy it second time round
Thanks Alasdair.
Trail updates - puddles then boggy. 🙂
It'll be an interesting few days for sure, hopefully enjoyable ones.
Good luck to richpips, minipips and Karl.
What an exciting adventure for you Tom.
good luck all 🙂
Team Pips has set off - Pips the Elder has strict instructions to keep the younger one alive as I have promised school that he will be there to start the new term.
Is anyone else having difficulty getting the Tracklogs map to display correctly? I can only get a very small strip showing...
I've just been using the BlueDot app on my phone and it looks fine there.
I'm out and about on the bike Saturday and Sunday but will be keeping the guys at [url= http://trackleaders.com/highland15 ]Trackleaders [/url]updated as and if someone scratches.
So, if someone contacts me to scratch I'll post it to the [url= https://twitter.com/HT_550 ]@HT_550[/url] Twitter account as soon as I hit signal. I'll be doing an update of scratches once a day as a post if all works out IT wise while on the move.
Ride well kids.
First ITT riders Rich and Tom are en-route as of 7.05am today.
24 hours to go for the Grand Départ!
Get excited if you're not already!
Great another one of those threads that makes me feel completely inadequate 🙂
9am and I'm not dressed yet and the pips are already 12miles into a fantastic adventure.
Good luck everyone.
Whooooo!
Sun shines and the motivation very high![img] 
[/img]
Javi
They are still going. On the miles per year calculation it is 6.1.
They thought they might be caught on the first day after the mass start - good luck!
And the chase (race) is on...
Because the spot trackers are all assumed to start together and Richpips set off a day early, their average speed is showing as 509 mph! 😆
Are we having a sweep on the overtake? I'm guessing Contin.
Tom had beans for breakfast? 😉
The Pips are at Fort Agustus eating pizza so large they don't fit on the table. Or it could be a cafe with small tables. Either way they are happy.
The boy was a bit tired last night - falling asleep while eating. Today is to be more of a bimble.
The boy was a bit tired last night
Yes, but how's Tom doing? 😆
In truth, I'm seriously impressed with him even having a go and just as impressed with you and Rich letting him. Too easy to keep saying "Can't".
The alternative is peeling him off the ceiling each day where he hovers in a Coke (Cola thankfully at his age) and haribo cocktail induced flying session.
Just back from Tyndrum / Kinlochleven. Saw everyone off.
Can't believe that Josh Ibbett and Steve Headding are at the top of Corrieyairack!
One scratch already I'm afraid. I drove Steve Robbins back to Tyndrum from Kinlochleven. He had an OTB on the descent from Devil's Staircase, hand injured, can't hold onto bars 🙁 Some cuts, but he will be ok I think. Bad luck, having to scratch so soon.
That section is the most dangerous in the 1st day, [url= http://niksbikingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/highland-fail-440-550.html ]as I said before[/url]. Also hearing from walkers of other OTB incidents there, plus numerous flats.
Pics up later today I hope.
Steve Heading is at Fort Augustus now. 7pm. That is 10 hours for nearly 100 miles, including some tough / slow sections. Racing!
I think the catch will be well before Crontin... The front runners are charging along. Is it just me or is this year faster?
Looks like the front two have now passed Rich and Tom.
Not sure about faster - Ian Barrington's account from last year had about eight stopping at the same point as Rich and Tom on the first night but the leaders were ahead by a while.
Official Scratch Update - sorry for the delay but I was riding back from the Lakes
OK, we had a DNS yesterday from Craig McGee who had and RTA in Glasgow before he got to the start, he's fine.
Todays scratches are:
1) Steve Robbins after a crash that may have caused a fracture in his hand/wrist.
2) Andrew Hutchenson is having some back issues and taking the smart route by stepping out.
Also, Pete Lumsden missed the start due to work and will be doing the route as an ITT in a few days! Good man 🙂
That's it until tomorrow.
Some [url= http://niksbikingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/highland-trail-2015-1st-day-photos.html ]early photo rushes[/url]. I think I got photos of all the riders, and will post them when I have processed them all.
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
After midnight. They're still going!
Tom is running second on a rigid SS. 🙂
Bonkers distances as ever!
Every year I think the leaders will blow up after such a huge first day, but they just keep on trucking mostly 😯
Incredible athletes some of these guys and gals.