Did a search and everything, but there doesn't seem to be a thread for this other than the 2016 one, and it's a year out and the event's just over two weeks away...
So, who's in?
It'll (hopefully) be my first road century, it won't be quick or pretty on my part, but I'm hoping it's at least enjoyable, mainly Type 1 fun with a likely bit of Type 2. I've got two mates who are umm-ing and ahh-ing about it, so I might be riding on my tod and I might not. I'm as uncertain as ever about my physical fitness levels for it, but mentally I reckon it's doable for me. I'll be the shortish beardy one on a blue/black/white Giant Defy, if anyone spots me, say hello.
Pyro, it was my first road century too, last year. It's a fantastically well organised, grass roots, yet free event. I hope you get the same weather as 16, nice gentle tailwind and dry all the way.
For info, we started pedalling from Carlisle at 9, it's pretty much 55 of the flattest miles you can imagine to Moffat, then fish and chips and off again. The climb from There up and over the beeftub is not a bad one at all, I was thinking about it all the first half, and was a hell of a lot easier than expected. Maybe stopped for 10 minutes at the next banana stop (canny remember the name of the disused hotel!), then it's just wee ups and downs after that.
Arrived at Crammond shore about 0315, even with a magical mystery tour of Edinburgh!.
Enjoy sir.
Cheers Nobeer. Sounds like you were a bit quicker than I was expecting to be, I've got no real gauge so was just going to start at 8pm, take it steady and see what happens. Looking forward to the spin across the Solway Moss in the evening, and once we're past Moffat and the Beeftub it's just keep plugging to the finish. Crossing fingers for the weather!
Doing the double this year,so I am very much hoping for the same weather as last time ....
Crammond start at 8.30
[i]@ Nobeer..Nae hanging around the station at stupid 'o' clock this time though,have a bed booked in Edinburger then a late train home[/i]
You'll be grand.
Its great fun and watching a snake of red lights going up the beeftub is cool.
Don't start to late or you'll be in a massive chipshop que.
Also don't stop at the top of the beeftub unless you like being eaten
Pyro, Aye, that sounds like my memories a bit off!. Checked Strava and we started at 8.25, we planned for 9 but felt as if we were hanging about a bit, so headed off.
From the top of the beeftub down to the feed station was a bit of an arms race tbh, which ate up a few miles quite easily, and then it was pretty steady until got involved in another arms race with a couple of blinged up roadie rude boys just before penicuik all the way into town!.
Fasthaggis, best of luck on the double mate, but I'm not going this year, 100 miles used up my road points for a few years!.
Hi
Thanks for starting the thread Pyro and for the kind words Nobeerinthefridge!
For those that don't know - www.ridetothesun.co.uk is a northern/Scottish homage to the Dunwich Dynamo. It's 100.5 miles, Carlisle to Cramond beach (Edinburgh), overnight, on the weekend nearest the summer solstice. Linda in the chip shop in Moffat stays open to serve everyone food, there's a 'cyclorave' at the banana/water stop at the derelict Crook Inn pub in the Tweed Valley (literally the middle of nowhere), Freshstart charity serve up hot rolls and drinks at the kirk hall at the finish, and our local pals chip in to get free beers for the finishers. Oh, and it's FREE.
Some photos here:
And what's a cyclorave at a deserted pub?
We've had such a good word-of-mouth response after 2016 that I didn't feel the need to push it this year. We are at about 1200 sign ups, so probably expect about 750 on the night if the last two years are anything to go by. We are still amazed at the response - we expected about 50 when we first had the idea.
Hope you enjoy, and weather like last year would help!
And please come and say hello at Bitts Park or at the end, that's the best thing about it - it's a very sociable and friendly wee adventure and in th first two years everyone has been (without exception) absolutely lovely. Perhaps it's the free entry and beer! Very funny in year one for someone to come up and shake my hand and say 'hello...I'm FrankSinatra...off STW'.
All the best, Fraser
A good laid back ride
We set off at 8:30 and it took the best part of 8 hours to ride across.
Devils Beef tub is steady away so no issues there.
The things to mention are bigger tyres would be an advantage as the road surface after the climb aren't the greatest.
Also sort out what you're going to do when you get to Edinburgh. Either have a lift, or make sure the train is booked. Don't think the first train is until 10 and a lot of them are going to be booked up.
We rode back to Carlisle and arrived before people taking the train.
Agreed with the tyres thing - Gary and I cycled home on most of the route a few weekends ago, and between Broughton and Penicuik some slightly wider 28mm would have been nice.
I'm on 32s, it'll be reet
I did it on 24c tyres and was fine just ride faster
Also sort out what you're going to do when you get to Edinburgh
This. Alternatively get to your girlfriends flat to discover she went out on the lash, forgot about your early morning arrival and fell asleep on a friends sofa.
First train back to Glasgow is at 8am, must be trains south at that time too?.
If I was to do it again, I'd take the van to Cramond kirk and leave it there, train to carlisle, then coma in the van until time to drive home.
Oh, I almost forgot, THE best bit last year - guy with a wheelbarrow of free beer just before sunrise.
THAT is how to finish a ride!
Sadly had to withdraw as we couldn't get the logistics to work for a sensible cost coming to up from Derby.
Nobeerinthefridge - the local lads will be chipping in for more slabs of beer again this year, so hopefully everyone that wants one can grab a tinny...we're nice like that!
Brilliant, have a good one Fatmax!
I'm coming up with Bregante and we're both very much looking forward to it! Not long to go now!
We and the bikes are booked on the 8am train back out of Edinburgh to Carlisle via Glasgow so might have a bit of a wait before the train leaves.
I think i'll be slower than your average rider so looking to get away from Carlisle somewhere around 7.30. Plus we should get a good place in the queue at the kebab shop!
Yep. As above, WW and I are doing it.
Bregante/Witton spoons right next to Waverley station opens at 7am, ideal for brekkie n coffee pre train home.
It was full of RTTSers last year!.
Cheers Nobeer. I'm really looking forward to this now. It won't be mine or Wittonweavers first 100 miler but I actually want it to be the most leisurely and I plan to stop and take loads of pics along the way.
hahaha what Bregante is saying is that he will be riding at my speed!!!
Thanks also for the tip about Weatherspoons!
I know it's a week in advance and liable to change...but the weather forecast is looking great. Sunny, warm and tailwinds again!!
Did it last year and had a great ride...though I was massively fitter then than this year due to a knee injury that's still not right.
Trying to work out logistics for this year. Atleast my road bike now has 5 gears instead of 2.
This will by myself and Mrs SB's first 100 miler. Logistics have been set back a bit by the Replacement Bus Service on the borders railway on Sunday so it looks like I'll be driving to Crammond on the Sat and leaving the car there and getting a train back down to Selkirk before driving to Carlisle.
Logistics have been set back a bit by the Replacement Bus Service on the borders railway on Sunday
ARGH great didn't know that, makes life even harder. The train doesn't start till Gorebridge
Last eshot has just gone out.
New improved cyclorave set for the Crook Inn - glowsticks ordered again too.
Chance of showers according to the current forecast, so please check before you head off.
Come and say hello at Bitts Park on Saturday!
New improved cyclorave set for the Crook Inn
So won't look like a scene from World war Z this time ?
I was too scared to stop
It'll look slightly less like World War Z...and with added lasers and smoke machines! 8)
Great to hear richpips and Tom are riding, and unsurprisingly doing it as a down and up (200 mile) return trip!
Make sure the STWers come and say hello!
Will do! I'll be in my BearBones jersey, probably going very slowly, if anyone sees me.
Weather looking grand.
If folk are getting to Carlisle early they can always ride down to the coast for a proper C2C
I went to Silloth last year before the start,some nice wee roads down there.
Have a good one..
pulled out four weeks ago with a knackered back, venturing back on the bike for the first time in 4 weeks to do this was going to be a little too adventurous for my first 100miler!
Weather conditions look perfect, enjoy all that ride.
I've just arrived home in Manchester and wanted to say what a fantastic event this is. If you get chance this should definitely be on the list for next year. Thanks to all involved in organising and I'll try to stick some pics up later.
What Bregante said!
Absolutely stunning evening, great for, good company, great atmosphere and a lovely moment of sitting watching the sunrise with a beer and a good chat with a bunch of lovely people. Chippy stop was good (chicken kebabs FTW), big climb was a doddle, and the only minor issue was the midgies! Couldn't have had better weather for it either, absolutely awesome.
Big thanks Fraser and Gary!
We rode with Fraser and a pretty quick group from around Gretna to a few miles before Moffat when wittonweavers found his sprinting legs and we put a spurt in before the chippy stop.
Slow and steady went out of the window and we were done in well under six hours but there was still time for lots of great friendly chat along the way. And the sight of the cyclo-rave coming into view at the crook inn was bonkers in a good way!
A few pics as promised.
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After the ride we had 3 and a bit hours to kill before catching the train back to Carlisle via Glasgow before picking up the car for the drive back to Manchester... So we had a little ride down the coast to Portobello.
I really enjoyed it too. My riding partner pulled out so I rode down myself on Saturday on a quiet route via Innerleithen, and then straight back up. Didn't meet anyone I knew until richpips and Tom at the finish, but it was good to tap out the miles and get my first double century in.
The rave was good, midges horrific so I didn't stop too long, but overall a great event. I'll be up for next year if anyone else is interested.
Thanks folks, glad you enjoyed it. Perfect night for it really. Please spread the word!
Hope to see you next year.
All the best, Fraser
Yes, i'd just like to echo the sentiments above! What a truly fantastic event and experience. Its free to enter, not something that's important to me from a financial point of view but shows how much Fraser and his friends are doing for no return. It was brilliantly organised. The route was superb - I would never have imagined that the ride could be so flat, even the Devils Beeftub ascent was insignificant!
There are many people put off by the logistical challenge of being 100 miles away from their car at the end but the trains were fine and this little obstacle shouldn't stop anyone giving it a go next year.
Unlike plenty of other sportives I will forever remember this one! Kebab meat and chips race food; riding through the dark; a cycle rave at an abandoned pub in the middle of nowhere and a free beer at the finish! Superb stuff!
Thanks again Fraser and co it was brilliant!
Oh and all those flashing red lights blinking away up the devils beeftub was a great sight!
I was sold this ride as "It's a bit like the Dunwich Dynamo but it won't actually get properly dark" by a mate.
I then decided to make it my first 200 miler and ride down so I had a cracking ride down via Peebles and the Grey Mare's tale even though the guy I was going to do it with had to bail at the last minute and then back up again with Si and hundreds of others.
The lights blinking away up the beef tubs had to be the highlight of the "night" for me, though the Crook Inn Rave does only just get pushed into 2nd by it.
Went at a nice slow pace too as I was reduced to a bike choice of Heavy Tourer or nothing; I was finding some of the roads a bit rough in places on 40x599 Marathon Pluses so I probably have too much air in them.
Having the motorhome in the carpark at Cramond (glad I arrived early as by 9 it was hoaching) was a good move, although it was warm and dry enough to sleep in the daylight (if you can (I can't)) at the foreshore.
I took a few pictures during the ride which are easily accessible but unfiltered here: https://goo.gl/photos/6u9JZpJKrUvaVcfA6
I also posted my filtered facebook album to the RttS facebook page (So it's hidden away since facebook doesn't like showing peoples comments on pages).
Thanks to Gary and Fraser for organizing it.
I'm now working out how to fit a 400Km ride into it. I think it may be time to join and Audax club...
nwallace am I ok to download and use some of your photos on the RttS Facebook page? There's some crackers. Glad you enjoyed it!
Oops only just saw that; yes, good choices on the shots you used too.
The close up of the guy passing on the beef tubs was a fluke of zooming and flash... no I mean I totally meant to take that picture like that.