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.

Likewise, and thanks again for running the event.

1. Yip, it was colder than anticipated.

I just came underdressed. I’d always wondered why people bother with toe covers – now I know 🙂

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 Superb 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

That’d be me.

or the one with the etixx top?

Think that’d be my mate Jon.

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

Yeah, us too!

Wish I could have made it – had been training for it and looking forward to it, but had to do loads of work for our bike park open day. Was prepping the BBQ food at 5AM and dishing out sausages on the grill for a few manic hours – no way I’d have managed after doing that ride!

Next year!

Great ride.

Glad to hear it’ll always be free. I’ve done events in the past that have started affordable and eventually become unjustifiably (to me – maybe this is the only way of running these things for a living and covering insurance/site hire etc.) expensive.

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

I had 28s at fairly modest pressures, but my recovering wrist still didn’t thank me for those bits. It gave a good bit of banter between myself and my mate who had no leg warmers though. [bumpy bit] “How’s your wrist” “Shit, how are your legs” “Cold”.

I’ll be back again next year I think, possibly with more organisation and a nearby bed/sleeping bag to roll into.

Loved it, had a great night, really a rather special ride. Well done fatmax, please keep it up! And Schwalbe S-Ones FTW 🙂 .

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Jas1k9]Ride to the Sun[/url] by Bigbroondug, on Flickr

I had 28s at fairly modest pressures, but my recovering wrist still didn’t thank me for those bits.

Ah – we had a chat at the finish. Hope your wrist’s felling better today dude 🙂

YoKaiser, can I grab that photo for us to use? It’s a cracker and gives a good feel for the event.
Sounds as if we need to get Wetherspoons as our next partner / sponsor!

Fatmax please do. There are a couple more if you click the Flickr link.

Even more gutted to have missed this now. Next year…

Nice one – cheers for that.

The rattly road rattled out my rear skewer and my wheel came out 30 miles from Crammond, which was emotional. Wheel ended up wedged in the rear triangle and collateral damage to components.

This cudda been horrible but by chance 5 minutes later some of the organisers rode up to ensure I was OK. We freed the wheel and with a quick phone call the broom wagon picked me up a minute later. What an absolute result. Thanks everyone! Even more evidence of the massive efforts to organisers had put in the run this free event.

I got a lift home to Edinburgh by Bananman, pausing along the way to see if those stopped were OK. All were just just having a pee break aside from one lady who also got lift as she she’d fallen asleep while riding.

I was dropped at home in the city centre. My desperate 3am spannering failed to sort my stricken bike but a new chain got my old bike going. A big push got me the 5 miles to Crammond just in time for sunrise and a lager.

Even luckier, I was awarded a prize generously donated by Hart’s Cyclery – a full strip-down, polish and rebuild £95 service and £50 to spend on components of my choice!!

I am planning a solo effort to complete RttS once the bike is running again.

Nice one Jamie. We can’t offer the broom wagon as guaranteed for everyone, but it worked out well on Saturday!
Thought you’d be gutted for not completing so deserved the voucher from Graeme at Hart’s.

Sounds as if we need to get Wetherspoons as our next partner / sponsor!

This was a serious thought that occurred to me yesterday. There must be an independent cafe near the station that would open early for the extra business in return for somewhere for the walking dead to rest their heids while they wait for their inadvisably-late trains. More organisation though 🙄

As long as it has beds, more bacon, more beds, and a licence to serve the leg weary a pint or two, for rehydration purposes y’understand… 😆

thenorthwind – we’ll have a think about what we can do. One of our local crew will know someone that can help or do something.

😀

As long as they do eggs benedict, that was the tastiest thing I’ve had for ages! Though the free beer certainly slaked a thirst (much appreciated benefactors).

Fasthaggis, was that your Rudge at weatherspoons?

Nope,I have an almost modern bike (black and white Kona)

As long as they do eggs benedict, that was the tastiest thing I’ve had for ages!

I’m on a one man mission to tell of this super-breakfast. Add in unlimited filter coffee, and all for £4.19p.

Fasthaggis, was that your Rudge at weatherspoons?

That was my piece of cycling history.

fasthaggis, you must be the guy from Dundee we chatted to at the start too, when I was admiring your armadillo-style cable outers [that’s possibly the most bike-geek thing I’ve ever said].

I had 28s at fairly modest pressures, but my recovering wrist still didn’t thank me for those bits.
Ah – we had a chat at the finish. Hope your wrist’s felling better today dude

Yeah, it’s coming along. Was much better by yesterday, I’m glad to say, so clearly no damage done.

^^^^ you’ll be able to start using the right hand again soon then Luke 🙂

fasthaggis, you must be the guy from Dundee we chatted to at the start too, when I was admiring your armadillo-style cable outers [that’s possibly the most bike-geek thing I’ve ever said].

Ha ha ,aye indeed,gotta have a wee bit of bling going on. 😉
Nice to meet you and your mates.

YoKaiser…Eggs Benedict sounds a bit fancy for Ride to the Sun…after the chippy and bacon sarnies. Don’t want folk think we’re getting fancy!

It’s the left wrist Iain, but it did feel a bit… Untrained when I first took the splint off!

That’s the date set for next year – Saturday 17th June. Same format but we’ll try and in a wee surprise again, and the cyclo rave will be back at the Crook Inn!
https://m.facebook.com/events/1584888821804250 and please register via the website – http://www.ridetothesun.co.uk/register-cm.html
Cheers, Fraser

We’ve just collated some of the feedback from this year, and we’ll pop it on the website in the next couple of weeks…but just to give folk a taster…

I cannot even begin to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed the ride to the sun 2016! We got rid of the kids and then caught the train up to Carlisle from Southport on Saturday – not really sure what was happening but I’ve never met such a friendly bunch of cyclists – everyone was really cheerful and encouraging – even when the morning was moving on! The lasagne and chips was lovely in Moffat and then the climb up Devils Beef Tub was the strangest experience of my life – just following the odd red flashing light as it appeared to climb and drop off the face of the earth – until we picked it up again on the next bend. As we went through Edinburgh, I asked myself what on earth I was doing – wouldn’t I be happier falling out of the clubs and into a taxi like everyone else but surprisingly my answer was that I was really enjoying myself! To see the beautiful red sunrise at Cramond just made me smile – that was our goal to make it by sunrise and we did it. Again such a lovely atmosphere. We made it up the hall for a lovely bacon roll that warned the heart as we waited for our friend who cycled all the way – 225 miles! Thank you sincerely to you, your families and friends for the organising and commitment that you all show. This is such a fantastic idea – thank you so much for sharing it with everyone else.

So let me get this straight!! Not only do you get served Bananas by Bananaman, You get a rave in the middle of nowhere with some random in a yellow morph suit for entertainment! You get to buy a bacon roll and a coffee at the end where the proceeds go towards funds for an extremely worthy charity. You then get handed a free beer from a random stranger at Cramond beach AND you get to cycle 100 miles with some amazing like-minded people on some of the quietest roads I’ve ever ridden and it’s all included in the registration fee of £0.00? Gary Cameron and Fraser Maxwell take a bow gents!! Absolutely outstanding and a real “get it up ye” to all the s’**** expensive sportives out there these days…Chapeau gents!

Best event I have participated in, well organised thanks to the select few giving up considerable time and ££££ to encourage cyclists of all abilities to join in the least snobbish event, where participation beats Strava KoMs! Thanks for running it again next year!

The best event I’ve ever done. The stop at The Crook Inn was superb. Loved it. See you next year!

A massive Thank you to Gary Cameron and Fraser Maxwell for putting on this brilliant event. At £5 this is both the most expensive and best value bacon roll I’ve had (as well as the most enjoyable. This event was free to enter and profits for the sale of this roll – served by volunteers at 2:30 on a Sunday morning! – went to a homeless charity. Brilliant!!! The ethos, non-competitiveness, camaraderie and atmosphere of this event puts other events to shame. It was a real pity I had to be a party pooper and leave at 3am to ride home before the sunrise party got really started. I hope next year to be able to stay for the free beers!

What a brilliant event guys – so well organised and so many great people on the ride. The fish supper and midnight rave were awesome. This will be the first event on the diary for next year. Thanks.

Near perfect conditions, great scenery, fantastic camaraderie, smooth roads, drunken revellers offering encouragement through the Capital…the feeling of a closed road event for the grand price of £HeeHaw…muchos kudos dudes.

Brilliant night thanks to a select bunch of top people giving up their time to arrange a great event which puts others to shame! We enjoyed it so much we slogged our way back to Carlisle on more quiet scenic roads. Sincere thanks all involved.

We are up to 640 entries for 2017, so well ahead of last year.
Good Facebook post here with images that shows what it’s all about…
https://www.facebook.com/ridettsun/posts/1188593901177440
Cheers, Fraser

We have now gone over 1000 entrants for the third running of Ride to the Sun. Get involved if you fancy the sound of it folks!

Wouldn’t mind this, this year- I haven’t read the whole thread- apologies, but is there a train back to the start?
I’m not on face book either.

Yes, train back is easy one, you’ll get it real cheap if you book 12 weeks in advance, I was 8 quid last year.

Wee but of an issue is that first train on a Sunday isn’t til after 8am, means 4 hour wait or thereabouts. Spoons on Waverley opens at 6am mind.

A fantastic event, is encourage anyone to do it. First 55 miles are an absolute canter, very little climbing after that too tbh.