[Closed] Ride to the Sun 2016 - Carlisle-Cramond beach, overnight, solstice, 100m ride

Looking forward to this.

Setting off from Carlisle at 8. I want to be in Cramond for sunrise, and I don't want to be rushing!

My preparation has included destroying my legs with the Clennell Colossus on Sunday and spending the rest of the week mainly eating cake.

Folks, the weather is indeed looking good. Fingers crossed.
Last eshot with a bit of timeline coming tomorrow lunchtime.
Sincerely hope you all enjoy it.
Of the two organisers I'm the tall lanky one, please come and say hello. We'll be at Carlisle from 6.
Do I need to put up a STW sign in Bitts Park for a rendezvous point? 😉
All the best, Fraser

856 as of today, which is pretty cool, though there's a late flurry of injuries and excuses from a few folk...

Hebden - my plan exactly!

I've just started 3 12hr nightshifts in preparation 🙂 should be a scoosh. Body clock will be the right way round. Me and Nobeer will be pedalling back to Glasgow afterwards too......mibee 😆

Hmmmmm... we'll see.... 👿

Hopefully the first train from Edinburgh to weegie on a Sunday morning will be quiet enough to get bikes on. And a sleep!.

I had half an idea to go down to the coast then ride back up to Carlisle for 8.00 .Make it a proper coast to coast an all that 😉

I did wonder how far away the coast was...

If the mainline is looking dubious for bikes to weege try the helensburgh line it takes longer but a bit more "dump bikes" friendly

I did wonder how far away the coast was...

Bowness on Solway is 13 miles out of Carlisle...or the stretch of the River Eden that you go over is still tidal if that makes life easier?

Fatmax, I'll take the river eden 🙂

Well having broken my wrist 4 weeks ago today... I'll be at the start line (and hopefully at the end too!)

Hoping the road surface is quite good.

Oh good, I see there are veggie options at the end. I guess I'd better just HTFU if the wrist plays up then!

Looking forward to it!

Anyone planning on doing the double?

Unsure what the rails will be like to get back to Carlise, so was just planning on a few hours of kip of the Beach before heading back.

Vaguely VERY VAGUELY considering riding from peebles to carlisle.

Having said that I'm just in the sorting office hoping they have my aforementioned rim.

This'll be fine on fixie, right?

, I see there are veggie options at the end.

I'm guessing there is no vegan option?

Anyway I'll be there probably on my Brown/Gold Mercian 2 speed

This'll be fine on fixie, right?

Oh good, I see there are veggie options at the end

where did you see that?

Difficult to decide on clothing options for tonight.

3/4 bibs, s/s jersey and armwarmers I think.

Wheel built lights tested. Maltloaf and a single serve roija for 'mergencies.

Short top and bottom with warmers.

Its the additional layer i'm hesitant about. How cold is 8 degrees when you'd rather be in bed...

It' always colder than you think after midnight. I always add an extra layer for overnight riding.

It looks like it's going to be relatively warm tonight. Met Office saying about 10-11 degrees. The humidity helps a bit. Don't think the cold will be bothering anyone too much. Though it is on that tipping point between hot and cold! Arm warmer to be on the safe side, maybe. And a good baselayer.

Not planning on going fast enough to get too hot!

Just given my bike a preparatory once-over. Loads of stuff wrong with it. I wish I'd never bothered 🙂

Oh and 36% chance of precipitation overnight, having checked weather for Lockerbie and Moffatt. The boil-in-the-bag is going in the back pocket

Well that was good.

Not half, wicked route, brilliantly organised. Nice sunrise for a bit and a free beer.

Now in wetherspoons devouring brekkie before getting train home.

Thanks so much Fatmax! Don't think you could've picked a better night!

Well done chaps.

Great night, thanks! More knackered from missing the nights sleep than the ride I think.

Got a puncture at 99 miles so rode the last 2 miles with a flat as I couldn't be bothered to stop and fix it 🙂

Feeling pretty good now.

Must ride more!

What a great ride. Thoughts:

1. My hands were so cold on the Devil's Beef Tub descent that I couldn't change gear.

2. The disco stop was surreal and brilliant. In an Apocalypse Now sort of way. Who was the jester who gave me a banana? Whoever you were, I think I love you.

3. What is with those road surfaces? I'm running 28s next year.

4.

and a free beer.

Where was this? 'Cos I missed it!

5. What's the score with the Shand Cycles prize draw? How did we enter? (I must have missed this as well)

6. See you next year

1. It really wasn't cold at all, you need to man up, I don't think we could've had a better night.

2. Agreed

3. Apart from Edinburgh and Broughton, I thought the surfaces were pretty good (on 25C's)

4. Beer was in a wheelbarrow at sunrise

5. Dunno

6. Possibly

😆

Hi folks
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, glad you seem to have enjoyed it. The weather undoubtedly helped, we might struggle to get such good conditions again!
Hebdencyclist - nice to meet you on Saturday at Bitts Park.
1. Yip, it was colder than anticipated. I had to stop and put my windproof on. Glad I had toe covers on.
2. Glad you liked it, that was our wee surprise. My pal Steve Dunn was dressed as the kids cartoon character Bananaman! He was lapping up the attention and banter.
3. Yes, I was on 25s and would prefer a smoother ride, there are plenty of bumpy surfaces!
4. Our local cycling buddies decided they'd all chip in and buy a few slabs of beers to give out to everyone at the finish. There was a wheelbarrow to the river side of the grassy knoll. We shouted this out at one point. Sorry if you missed it.
5. Shand were happy to give this out at pretty much random! Gary's wife was working with Fresh Start in the kitchen and chose a lad called Barney Barnett (?). Criteria - he had a glow bracelet in his helmet (so we knew he'd followed the full route and got into the spirit of things at the Crook Inn), he was buying a sarny and donating his cash, and he was particularly enthusiastic when Petra asked him if he'd enjoyed it. That was it, the lucky sod won it!
6. Yes, we have again received lovely feedback, and so we'll Ride to the Sun again at the summer solstice in 2017. Please just tell your cycling buddies how good it was and encourage them to come along. And it will always be a free event.
We think we had in the region of 500 this year, which is remarkable, and we're a bit blown away by the number, and the nice feedback that we've had. In the two years it's run, EVERYONE we have met as part of it has been lovely, so it's a real pleasure to put it on and ride it with everyone.
Cheers
Fraser

From my desk I can see Barney on the shand site... Sod.

I had intended a steel bike with 28c to rude but never got round to it definitely will now though.

Fraser, I got to say hello to Gary at the start and finish, but not yourself, so thanks for putting the "event" on. It's a great compromise between organisation and not losing the fun doing something a bit mad. The sight of a string of lights winding their way quietly up the Beef Tub was something special. Cheers.

Now in wetherspoons devouring brekkie before getting train home.

I've never been so happy to see a Wetherspoons when everything else was shut. One of the barmaids had to wake me and my friend up eventually and ask us not to sleep on the table but she was very nice about it!

Hebdencyclist - nice to meet you on Saturday at Bitts Park.

1. Yip, it was colder than anticipated.

5. Shand were happy to give this out at pretty much random! Gary's wife was working with Fresh Start in the kitchen and chose a lad called Barney Barnett (?). Criteria - he had a glow bracelet in his helmet (so we knew he'd followed the full route and got into the spirit of things at the Crook Inn), he was buying a sarny and donating his cash, and he was particularly enthusiastic when Petra asked him if he'd enjoyed it. That was it, the lucky sod won it!

Well congratulations Barney.

4. Our local cycling buddies decided they'd all chip in and buy a few slabs of beers to give out to everyone at the finish. There was a wheelbarrow to the river side of the grassy knoll. We shouted this out at one point. Sorry if you missed it.

Ah -I see - well that was a very generous gesture. I got off before sunrise. I'd wanted to hang around but the thought of a warm bed with my girlfriend in it at the Premier Inn in Leith was too much of a temptation!

6. Yes, we have again received lovely feedback, and so we'll Ride to the Sun again at the summer solstice in 2017. Please just tell your cycling buddies how good it was and encourage them to come along. And it will always be a free event.

Will do.

Another vote for a [b]Superb[/b] night out.
Dry,clear skies,full moon and what felt like a tailwind all the way to Edinburgh.
Fraser,nice to meet you and Gary at the start and thanks very much for getting all this going,and yes,that Bitts park toilet block could have been used in Trainspotting.
It's the first through the night ride that I have done and it was great following all those lights up the 701,with some good chat along the way,even the drunks in Penicuik were on good form.
Nobeer..
If you and YoKaiser were the beardie lads with the big seatpacks ,that was me chatting to you at entrance of Wetherspoons.I bet the staff never expected such a crowd to wander in for a Sunday 6.00 breakfast,they were a bit flustered. 🙂

I've never been so happy to see a Wetherspoons when everything else was shut. One of the barmaids had to wake me and my friend up eventually and ask us not to sleep on the table but she was very nice about it!

Were you the one with the big hair and beard, or the one with the etixx top?

If you and YoKaiser were the beardie lads with the big seatpacks ,that was me chatting to you at entrance of Wetherspoons.I bet the staff never expected such a crowd to wander in for a Sunday 6.00 breakfast,they were a bit flustered.

Guilty as charged, that was us! Good to meet you fella.

1. Yeah, what a night weather wise, it doesn't get better than that really.

2. It smelt like something had died at the Crook, I hope it wasn't a cyclist! Bananas and rave, spot on, perked me up

3. I was on 27 x 1 1/4 tyres (32mm if you like) and grateful in places

4. Would have loved a beer but had to drive soonish after

5. Gutted, I may have to buy my own when the wife is not looking

6. See you next year +1

Were you the one with the big hair and beard

or the one with the etixx top?

Apologies if we weren't very conversational. We'd just... well, you know 🙂