Hey,

Im doing the crossing for the first time this year, and was wondering if anyone did it last year who can answer a few questions?

1. is there a place where you can charge your phone/garmin/whatever else?
2. can you get tea, coffee and food (preferably not greasey crap, or even boiling water then i can take them porridge pots) in the morning before you ride?
3. how much of the ride is actual fun off road, alot seems to be road looking at the maps.

Also has anyone booked on to do it this year?
i fancied a challenge, and thought why not do it for charity aswell. should be a good crack!

Cheers 🙂

Also, do i need a padlock and chain for the secure bike area at night?

I’m doing it for the first time this year too. I actually just emailed them about 10 minutes ago asking about recharging phones and Garmins so I’ll post on here when I get a response. I also read something on the site about bringing a lock. Not sure why as they have secure storage overnight. I’m just going to put it in my overnight bag and find out when we get there.

Good luck!

That’ll be awesome mate thankyou. They haven’t really made many things clear have they!

Hi again, here’s the response from Rat Race about charging.
There will be charging facilities, but given the number of riders (and the number of devices they may be carrying) we can’t guarantee that they will be available immediately at all times.”

Sounds like it’ll be a bit of a free for all to get a plug then.

They were quick getting back to me so might be worth dropping an email to them with a g other questions.

Event@ratrace.com

I marshal for Rat Race occasionally, and if the Crossing’s anything like Road Trip was last year, the catering van was open in the morning doing porridge pots as well as bacon butties. I don’t remember any charging points being available, but that may have changed.

All their bike events as far as I remember have had a secure storage area, but they tended to recommend having a cable lock with you anyway – people occasionally stopped at village shops, pubs etc for an extra top-up and it was worth having a ‘deterrent’ lock just in case. Same goes for overnight I guess, just a double protection.

You should get a better response by email though, hopefully!.

I done it last year,it was really well organised as all rat race events are. There are plenty of local pubs etc for phone charging,also 2nd day finishes at a sports hall where you can charge, there was cooked breakfast available every morning. There are points when you think your on the road to much but then it slips back off road just as your getting bored, Def no need for a lock,the bike lock up was secure and staffed overnight

thanks dave, pyro and rich, definatly cleared up some questions. looking forward to this now!

and good luck rich!

http://www.ratracecrossing.com/portfolio/faq/

I`ll be there…..the auld guy trotting along at the back 🙄

Read somewhere they are expecting to have 400 or more participants, the chances of getting near a charging point may be slim!!

400?! whoa! wasnt expecting that many!

Ive got solar chargers and a iphone battery case, im not too fussed about my phone, its mainly my garmin! the battery aint the best on it to be honest and id really like to keep track of all my data!

Would it not be worth buying one of those battery pack things to top up phone/garmin? They’re not crazy money.

I’ve got something called a power monkey. I’ll be able to borrow my dad’s aswell. So should have enough juice to power my garmin. I’ll test them out on the garmin. Might give it 30-50%

Aldi have just had an external charger thingy on offer for £13.99. It has USB sockets for charging at 1A and 2.5A (I think). Should do you for the weekend if you can’t find any sockets and if the garmin can be charged via USB.

I know it says on the ‘essential’ kit list that you need to bring waterproof trousers. I have never ridden with waterproof trousers, even on all day snow biking or rain fest two day event. Is this really an essential item – do rat race enforce this as they say that do and not allow you to ride if you don’t have the essential kit?

Re the Waterproof trouser, I asked the very same question as I also would never wear them and this is the response I got back:

“We can fully appreciate that you’d never actually wear waterproof trousers while riding. However the event does go through some very remote areas which are capable of generating bad conditions even in the summer, so the kit we specify is to protect you from the elements until we can get you recovered, if you were to be incapacitated for any reason and unable to keep warm as a result.”

thats the crazy! that means i have to go out and buy some, so i dont wear them?! and also clog up my already full bike bag!and i already have a survival bag. anyone else going to be boycotting the trousers like i am?

Ive also sent them an email, but they havnt replied yet, anybody know if you if you can access your overnight bags on the friday morning after handing them over on the thursday?

I don’t fancy buying some redundant trousers either. I’ve got some 3/4 length waterproofs that I use for commuting so I’ll try to get away with those

Hmmm – I will drop them an email as well on the trousers issue but if anyone else hears please post. Just over a week to go………

Re waterproof over trousers. I don’t wear them if I’m riding. But I sure as hell do if I’m walking (or even running sometimes) in proper weather. Guess what you will be doing if something major fails on your bike? This is a broken record, but there are far too many mountain rescue call outs for un(der) equipped people on the hills. Don’t be one of them!

They never checked bags last year just threatened to,it was the 2 hottest days of the year and they still wouldn’t have any off it,i think its h&s arse covering as per normal and it was obvious the quick boys at the front had nothing with them as all they had was hydration pack and a saddle bag yet it seemed a blind eye was turned.

What are people doing regarding accommodation the night before and after?

I only just noticed the 6am start time!

Thinking of a cheap hostel room near Whitehaven the night before and the B&B at Scarborogh

http://www.summergrovehalls.co.uk
Most other stuff is full, require multiple nights booking etc.

Good bit of info for you guys

. Will there be a place to charge devices such as GPS’s, phones and the alike. – Yes there will be a charge station which is self-service and you will be responsible for all items

2. In the morning will there be breakfast on offer, Preferably not fry up and something like porridge or cereal. Or even if theres boiling water i could bring my own porridge pots. – There will be on site catering we do not know the full menu they intend to offer but they have been briefed to make it nutritional to reflect the challenge all the competitors are doing! There will be butties and hot water for definite not entirely sure about porridge
3. Do i need to bring a lock for the overnight stops? I will probably be bringing a deterrent lock in my back pack incase i stop off at a shop. – There will be security patrolling the bike compound at night and only competitors with a wristband matching the race number will be able to remove the bike, however there is no harm in bringing a deterrent lock too.
4. At the check in on the Thursday, we hand over our bags and tents (do we hand over our bike aswell?) on the morning of the ride are we able to access our bags to put away the things we’ve used the night before? There is a change of plan regarding dropping bags off which will be in the 1 week mailout due to be sent tomorrow. The bags etc will be dropped off on the Friday morning before you start. It’s up to you what you do with your bike on Thursday evening. We will have a bike compound which you can rack it in overnight. This will be manned by security. Alternatively you can take it with you to wherever you are staying – whatever works best for you

As regards to Thursday night I’ve got a b&b. Cost me 65quid but saves me travelling up at silly I clock from Sheffield! Get a good nights sleep!

Great bit of help there Sam. Cheers for all that. I’m currently on hold with HMRC so can’t call those halls but they look to be the last option available. Other than that I might have to camp somewhere a few miles from town before the event. Got a nice cheap room in Scarborough sorted though.

On another note, is anyone staying in Scarborough on the Sunday and watching the World Cup Final? Or am I that single cyclist who actually likes football too? 🙂

Thanks to Trekster for finding that room! I’ve just booked in. I was really struggling to find somewhere to stay!

I would be up for a piss up and football on Sunday but I’ve got my dad picking me up! I’m off to wales on Tuesday morning with the gf. Got a caravan booked for some R&R!

I am doing this crossing as well! Whoop Whoop. Thanks for asking all the questions, some of them I wondering about myself!

For charging your Garmin. Used it this weekend on the South Downs Way. works a treat.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gomadic-Portable-Battery-Pack-Garmin/dp/B0042892SM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404536044&sr=8-2&keywords=garmin+battery+pack

or if you want to do all your stuff, Phone, Garmin and tablet.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%AE-15000mAh-Lightning-Sensation-Blackberry/dp/B00FAU7ZB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404536207&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+pack

richellicott – Member
Great bit of help there Sam. Cheers for all that. I’m currently on hold with HMRC so can’t call those halls but they look to be the last option available. Other than that I might have to camp somewhere a few miles from town before the event. Got a nice cheap room in Scarborough sorted though.

On another note, is anyone staying in Scarborough on the Sunday and watching the World Cup Final? Or am I that single cyclist who actually likes football too?

Whereabouts in Scarborough Richie? Still to do that! Stayed in those halls a few years back having biked over from Windermere whilst on a charity ride for MS. They were good then.

Battery pack ordered, only got a wee 200 for logging the ride. Cheers ff29

What’s everyone doing for maps or do you all use GPS/phones?

Friend and I plan to be down for mid afternoon, register, evening meal and early night. I am night shift on Wed, finish @ 6am so will be ready for some early zzzzzzzs 😆

I’m staying at Atlanta b&b in Scarborough. Looks ok, anything with a bed will do me after this ride!

I’m using a Garmin edge touring to log it, haven’t uploaded the route to it as they say its fully marked out. Picked up a power bank from Maplin the other day, didn’t want to risk missing a postal delivery this week and being without one.

me and my dad have got one of these https://www.powertraveller.com/en/shop/portable-chargers/outdoor-adventure/powermonkey-explorer:1/
there awesome, my dads is newer than mine so his can fully charge an twice on full charger of the unit, mine only does it once.
ive also got one of those iphone cases that charger your phone, so might just leave the solar ones for my garmin.

Does anyone know how the start works – why do we have to rack our bikes?

not sure to be honest. my guess is that you will prob get given your bike when a group is called up?

jelly – Member
Does anyone know how the start works – why do we have to rack our bikes?

Day 1 0600 Rolling mass start from Whitehaven to Shap

Guessing the racking of bikes is for optional overnight security and for those that are not returning to Whitehaven it is somewhere safe to leave their bikes 💡

Weather ain’t looking too good! 🙁

Bit of Yorkshire rain will do us the world of good (apparently) 🙂

Met office;
Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Friday rather cloudy but mainly dry, with only isolated rain showers. Saturday and Sunday a mix of sunny spells and heavy showers, possibly thundery.

Updated: 1545 on Wed 9 Jul 2014

Might need the leggings yet!!

Heading down tomorrow.
Night shit tonight so it will be an early one tomorrow 😉

I hope everyone got around safely and had a great time (I know I did) today’s Yorkshire Rain certainly have the weekend a different flavour.

yeah really enjoyed it! the lakes and dales scenery were amazing! the rain yesterday made me swear a few times but at least it wasnt like that ALL weekend!

time to rest my legs up and get straight back on to the bike in a few weeks! (after alot of repairs i need to sort! haha)

A great ride – I managed to put together a little montage of the three days. Hope you enjoy it – the weather – the scenery – the riding – and a stupid over the bars moment only 20 miles in!

[video]http://youtu.be/VdjZGmGPO_w?list=UUCpCTzNsXkYHtghw5fyezlg[/video]