I dont have a space blanket or whistle!! Will i be in big trouble and not be allowed to ride??

You've got time to spend less than a tenner and get both these items. Or you could risk not doing it after paying 50 squid to enter. Choice is yours, eh.

radoggair – i have a spare space blanket – yours for the princely sum of two whole pounds

forecast seems to be improving, not hot by any means, but no rain. Mate of mine who lives up Kielder way says thats the forest roads are soaked through though. I'll be fitting mudguards

You've got time to spend less than a tenner and get both these items. Or you could risk not doing it after paying 50 squid to enter. Choice is yours, eh.

I really can't see them checking 200 odd riders camelbaks etc before they start. On the site it says all that happens apparently is a time penalty.

Ive done a few events where it says this, thim meridas your meant to take crap like that, I don't have a space blanket and I dont know if I will have time to get one.

Is the whistle so you can toot at someone to tell them to get out of the way??

No, the whistle is so that if you crash and land off the course with a broken leg or something then you can blow the emergency signal (3 blasts on whistle, pause for a minute, 3 blasts etc) to attract the attention of someone who can then save your sorry ass help you.

I did a marathon at Kielder earlier this year (organised by Kielder Trail Rievers) – they had a similar kit list and DID check everyone's kit at the sign on (although not on the start line…)

forecast seems to be improving, not hot by any means, but no rain. Mate of mine who lives up Kielder way says thats the forest roads are soaked through though. I'll be fitting mudguards

I did ponder fitting a rear mudguard (front stays on all year round), but probably won't get round to it.

I did a marathon at Kielder earlier this year (organised by Kielder Trail Rievers) – they had a similar kit list and DID check everyone's kit at the sign on

thats run by different people, but that is a FC requirement, so as this is on FC land expect the same…

You won't believe this. I've just changed my brake pads since I'd bought some new ones and I wanted to see how to fit them in the unlikely event I'll need to during the race. The new ones are *much* better. I don't think the old ones will pass as spares though!

Travelling up tomorrow (Thursday).
Camping with a large blue family tent on the caravan side of things as there's a hook-up / power point for my hairdryer and rollers.
Swing by and have a cuppa if you're there on Thursday / Friday.
I feel fine and relaxed now, but come Friday late, well, that's a whole different ball-game!
Tim

I'm getting a lift up off someone I've never met before (though I do know his brother) on Friday night. We're stopping at the youth hostel. We're just stopping for the Friday night unfortunately, though will be hitting the BBQ before we go home, I'm sure.

Looking forward to meeting some new STW people in the Duke's Pantry on Friday night. I'll be the guy who looks like someone off STW (beard, short hair, glasses, skinny) and riding a rusty Inbred with bright pink grips on the Saturday.

I was up there on Monday doing both red routes. I was going to go over to Newcastleton but the weather was shocking.

Someone made a comment about spare brakepads earlier. I got through a brand new set in the few hours I was out. It's very gritty up there and seems to eat them in the wet.

You could have ridden both redt routes and fireroads on a racing tyre. Despite the standing water there was very little mud. Can't say much for the rest of the route. If i was entering I'd be thinking fast allrounder rather than mud tyre.

Good luck! Hope the weathers better than it was for me!

Don't be an arse. Take the stuff.

GB

I'm traveling up tomorrow, staying with family in York as I have a meeting early doors on Friday then heading over to kielder around lunch time i think. Should be there for 3 ish.
Guess ill be signing on around 5 and handing over my foooood bags, then spending the evening in the pantry eating with the rest of you!

Staying at the Grapes if anyone else is? Will be there Friday and Saturday night.

On race day i'll have nice Pink Cyclescheme Lycra on and be on a white Orange 5 with 36's.

That'll be me on the left…..

jonB.
What's a reasonable time on those red routes?

Me? I have lovely hair – after the rollers have come out, obviously.
I'll be taking pictures on the Friday, on the ride and on Sunday too. That narrows the field down somewhat!
See you in the Pantry on Friday and in the queue for the loos and then on the start line.

RRalf on the rear, NNick on the front seems to do the trick most of the time.

Just finished packing my food bags.

So when are we doing a pre-ride of the course then?….

So when are we doing a pre-ride of the course then?….

😆

I've been fannying around all evening trying to pack but have so far only managed to replace brake pads and fit a new chain. Jojo will understand that I'm having outfit dilemmas – do I go with this:

or this?

Or perhaps the "speshul" jersey…?

Oh yeah – can someone clarify for the lazy/hard-of-thinking:

– Are the food bags only needed if you want your own special food? I don't need to bother if I'm just going to eat any old shite that is provided "free" at the feed stations?

Yes to the second question. My understanding is that if you're happy with what's going to be on offer, you don't need drop bags. I'm going to play it on the safe side and take what I know works for me food wise and if that's on offer from the organisers, I'll eat that and get mine back at the end.

I'd go for the Euro Fluro Transalp finisher jersey. Hi-vis and kudos all in one jersey!! Perfik! 🙂 See you there. Should I take a spare whistle and a bin bag for our raddog pixie?

People are packing already? That's far too organised! 🙂

I'm setting off from work tomorrow to drive the 4 hours south to Edinburgh, then on to Keilder on Friday. Necessary basic organisation rather than OCD 🙂

Should I take a spare whistle and a bin bag for our raddog pixie?

Anything to slow him down. I've got a spare bike for the wee fella which is about 5 pounds lighter than the one he already flies up hills on…

All this talk of stashing food. I'm taking a handful of year out of date gels, that'll do the trick.

So, what are you putting in your foodbags then?

Where's eveyone staying? I've been on holiday for a month and only got back today and have no idea where to go. The youth hostel appears to be full.

How is camping not provided in a £50 entry fee???

A little bit of what I fancy.

Which is not usually what I fancy come the time I need to eat it, but hey ho, I'll just force myself.

Small bags that I've filled myself with Salted mixed nuts, Haribo and dried fruit (separate, not mixed…).
A couple of ordinary gels, one caffeine gel and a protein bar per drop.
A banana.
A flapjack bar thingy.
A bottle of electrolyte water.
Will be carrying energy juice in camelbak and will re-fill with whatever's supplied as energy juice.

EDIT: Rolf, Speak to the Hostel tomorrow, central booking told me there were 12 beds on the Saturday night but they could only be booked direct with the hostel. I called the hostel who said they were full. When I said that the central office told me there were 12 beds, they seemed to miraculously be able to fit us in. Tell them you don't mind being in dorms. tel:01434250195

@rolfharris I think most people are staying here:-
http://www.kieldercampsite.co.uk/

Campsite said they were full when I spoke to them at the end of last week.

I'm camping. £10 a night iirc.

Thought that might be the case.

I might wild camp, but don't tell anyone, yeah?

Has anyone got tent space? I'm very willing to get cosy with a stranger.

Glad I booked then!

@rolfharris looks like you'll be staying in a random field! 😯

ROlf, you can kip in olly's wagon 😉

Oh yeah! I was going to try and blag the Volvo to sleep in, but that's not going to happen. Otherwise it's the back of Doris, which will be a squeeze for me.

What if more people entered? Where'd they stay?

I'm still very skeptical of this whole thing working to be honest.

Should I take a spare whistle and a bin bag for our raddog pixie?

That could be helpful and bring it just in case tho i'm biking it into glasgow tomorrow to see what i can pick up ( the real reason i'm going is to exchange a pair of shoes my missus bought but were bust when she got them home). Brake pads being changed tomorrow and got some spares. Food bags will be prepped up Friday, leave about 2 or 3 pm Friday afternoon so don there for 6 ish probs.

Just got 1 final ride tomorrow to do if weather is good, if not up early for a quick 100 miler on Friday (weather permitting) before heading down

looking forward to this race now

Stuart….. go with the yellow top, you look quite fetching in it 😉 😉

Rolf, They'd have to find a B&B in Bellingham and get up VERY early on Saturday morning.

Stop being a negative thingy!. It'll work if everybody, including the riders, makes it work. It's a first event of this type so there's bound to be the odd hiccup.

only 240 riders anyway so shouldn't be too hard to manage, compared to the 1000 odd at the bigger events

Well they were only expecting 100 riders to take up the challenge for this first one, so they are overwhelmed with the uptake. next year I'm sure it'll be based over Newcastleton way, at the Calvert Trust place I suspect. Plenty of room over there for everyone;0)

Rolf, I've just seen a post on the XCracer forum for this event that someone is unable to do the race and is offering their booking for the campsite for Fri and Sat…..

Cheers!