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24 hours in. Josh and Tom are at about 190 miles. Josh's SPOT hasn't updated for a while, I think he may be further on. That is a massive first day from both riders. Josh slept for 2 1/2 hours.
Tom is ahead now. Looks like Josh hasn't moved for a couple of hours.
Watching a few pixel dots on a screen is addictive. 😕
I remember that last year a few of the trackers didn't update occasionally, maybe that's what's happening.
Go Tom!
It's his stag do next weekend! 😯
As if to prove my point, on the last update Josh's tracker now puts him past Oykel Bridge and about 7 miles ahead of Tom. There's a few further back whose trackers haven't updated for a while as well.
The older trackers need to be reset every 24 hours, plus poor placement can result in loss of signal.
i like this pic, old giant, knackered rst forks, v-brakes, no gloves, not much kit, looks under prepared if anything, not much gear in that dry bag on the bike,
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Overnight Scratch Update:
Ashraf Kamel - Broken derauiler before Fort Augustus.
Kristan Rivers - possible return of Lymes Disease....urk!
Thats it for now.
Lets also clarify something with "SPOT issues" - a lot of the time it is user error. Ie, not turning them back on. Or forgetting to check if they are working at all.
Greg: Perhaps I could have worded it better as "no updates have been received from the trackers" which doesn't imply any fault with the units, not that I intended to imply anything in the first place.
Greg: Perhaps I could have worded it better as "no updates have been received from the trackers" which doesn't imply any fault with the units, not that I intended to imply anything in the first place.
Not taking a jab at you. It's something that irks me in general. Hardware is only as smart as it's user. When a SPOT is in open sky, like a GPS, and is set to signal - it will. It make take 20mins, but it will signal.
Now if someone has stopped for 30mins in a building, then gone outside, you're looking at about 50mins before it can update.
So not SPOT issue, user error. Hence why we ask riders to attach to their bike - facing the sky. Not in their pocket, facing the building.
i like this pic, old giant, knackered rst forks, v-brakes, no gloves, not much kit, looks under prepared if anything, not much gear in that dry bag on the bike,
Does anyone know which rider it is in that photo??
I know what you mean - Tom's tracker was being shown as greyed out but his position was at Oykel Bridge so just possibly maybe he might be inside the hotel tucking in to one of their breakfasts 😛
Similarly if someone has a mechanical they could have the Spot covered or pointing to the ground for a couple of updates, potentially thirty minutes between the system/website being updated.
Back on track (sorry), I wonder just how far Josh will get today - another ten hours of daylight though on increasingly tired legs and there's Bealach Horn to contend with.
Have you met Josh? If he's back riding like he used to it'll be no issue. I really hope he sets a record time.
Sorry Phil, looks like you may need to go back buddy 🙂
27 hours in, Josh at 220 miles, just on the climb from the power station now.
Does anyone know which rider it is in that photo?
I don't know his name. I chatted with him and another rider briefly at the Kinlochleven Spar.
A bloke in 2 photos up there, for some strange reason a character from spaced comes to mind "wheels" 🙂
Is the giant rider this years underdog hero 🙂
Does anyone know which rider it is in that photo??
I think it's Chuck Norris.
Well impressed by this. My guess is even doing it in 7 days would be not quite "fun" for most of us.
Looks like there's a few bits of tarmac, correct? Offset buy the bog-pushes no doubt 😛
I think someone reckoned 10-15% walking Al. And the tarmac section includes the Drumbeg road 😆
this makes more sense to me than that double double south downs thing 😕
Have to say I didn't find the Drumbeg road that bad.
It's about 5% of the distance walking, but could be 25% of the time.
I enjoyed the Drumbeg road a lot last year. I was rested up, it was blazing sunshine, and I stopped in the store for a lot of food. If you are feeling on form, it is a great rolling cruse that section, an easy part of the course.
My guess is even doing it in 7 days would be not quite "fun" for most of us.
My feeling is that it is better to do it either as fast as you possibly can push yourself to do it, or to really tour it with lots of stops over 12 or more days.
7 days is still excellent going, and tough as hell. But to be honest, it is 'finishing it' that is the hard part, not how many days it takes. Dealing with the physical and mental strain is hard.
as Nick said, finishing the route is hard. It has some serious riding in it mixed with long distances and not great resupply if you're going slow.
I'd say the walking is closer to 10% minimum - more for less capable riders.
Any idea what the tarmac % is?
Probably about 10% if you include the Drumbeg road. Quite a bit of gravel and access roads though.
Ilan Rubinstein appears to be going the wrong way?
Or has had enough?
I would suspect the latter.
He's not officially scratched yet.
Every year, someone has taken that wrong turn though....
There appears to be a party going on in Crontin, or the cafe service is really slow.
When I first had a look at the route there's a few small bits of tarmac here and there like in Kinlochleven and Fort Augustus but the biggest sections appear to be the Drumbeg road; Ledmore Junction back to Oykel Bridge and Loch Maree to Torridon.
Ledmore comes after the hike-a-bike section through Glen Canisp and the Torridon section comes just before the climb up from Annat.
There's a few other bits and pieces like riding out of Ullapool
do****cher - Member
There appears to be a party going on in Crontin, or the cafe service is really slow.
It's one of the last food stops for a long time. Tiny shop, sporadic opening hours.
Rich has just tweeted: "Mile 157 Contin. Food resupplied. Onwards....."
Ledmore comes after the hike-a-bike section through Glen Canisp and the Torridon section comes just before the climb up from Annat.
I hated the Ledmore section last year. On paper, an easy roll. In reality, I was very fed up after the Lochinver / Glen Canisp trudge, there was a 15mph headwind, and I had a slow flat that I didn't notice the whole section. Hard going!
riding out of Ullapool
That is another least favorite section. Busy main road near the only major town in the area, I hate getting buzzed by cars, even less by lorries. Also it is the section where both times I have been struggling with an injury that would see me throw the race a few miles further on... both times... I am not bitter or anything 🙂
The road out of Ullapool blows.
It's one of the last food stops for a long time. Tiny shop, sporadic opening hours.
Haven't they heard of Ocardo? That is the last time I am letting Rich take Tom out on a pootle around Scotland. It is bad enough that he left the underwear I carefully ironed for them behind. 😉
Yeah..
"Hi I'm standing on the side of the trail at Bealach Horn can you deliver?"
Just before entering Contin, if they hang a right up a farm track which is a shortcut to Strathpeffer, in less than a mile you're at a shop called Deli in the Square with heaps of nice food. Also a shop next door to it.. or a barber. If you're planning on taking your time on route ;o)
The service has gone downhill since they started doing for Morrisons
I have put up photos of the individual riders as they passed the Glencoe ski centre
http://niksbikingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/highland-trail-race-2015-riders-as-they.html
Thought I'd be able to fill in more names, but track leaders board is not that accurate, plus many riders didn't put in what they are riding, so impossible to tell :-/
"I am on a (colour) (brand) (model) (any distinguishing features)" would have helped 🙂
Here is the leader at the moment, Josh Ibbett, photographed yesterday as he passed:
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Apparently, he is fueled by "6 Hot Cross Buns" 🙂
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Thanks Nick! Posted these to the Twitter feed
Surprised to see Josh taking a roll mat TBH!
Rickie Cotter is in Okyel Bridge. She had her tracking turned off. All is well.
Tallboy in front on this
Tallboy doing a quad SDW
Nick - this is Phil Fraser T
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Karl Booth
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