Folks
In case folks are interested or haven’t heard of it.
http://www.ridetothesun.co.uk for details (June 22nd), previous feedback and a 7 minute clip of when it was on the Adventure Show.
It’s a 100.5 mile, Carlisle Castle to Cramond beach (outskirts of Edinburgh) road bike ride, overnight on the weekend nearest the summer solstice, and free to enter. A northern/Scottish to the Dunwich Dynamo. Easy 43 miles to Moffat, chip shop stop, 7 mile climb of the Devil’s Beef Tub, a piper at the top, ‘cyclorave’ at the derelict Crook Inn pub, with the aim to get to the beach for sunrise at 4.26am. Local homeless charity FreshStart serve up hot food and drinks between 2 and 6am, all proceeds to them.
Shand (www.shandcycles.com) made a wee film in 2018 that gives you a flavour too – https://youtu.be/vYjFOWFS7Og
Sign up, share etc, much appreciated. Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers, Fraser

I had to miss it last year but did this in 2017 and it was one of the highlights of my cycling year. Definitely in the list for 2019.

Yep, broke my collarbone so missed a ‘Ride to the Ride to the Sun’ attempt with mates last year, by all accounts the loved it, on the list for this year!

Its a brilliant ride. If nothing comes up i’ll probably do it.

Great fun with a relaxed vibe. Banana Man and the rave at the Crook Inn was a highlight. Next time might try and stop short of Moffat to avoid the queues and midgies.

Hope the weather is as good this year.

I really fancy it, need to work out the logistics though.

Did this last year, really enjoyed it.

The wife is due our second child a couple of weeks after this one so I won’t be risking it!

The midges in Moffet were unreal, the garage had free spray. I wouldn’t stop for the chippy again, but it was very tasty!

Great ride and craic, and I’m in that video 😁
I’ll be taking a midge net and Smidge this year for Moffat!

Thank you Fraser and Gary for a great event 👍

I’ve done it a couple of times and loved it. First time we were lucky enough to get bike spaces on the train, but the second I did it myself with a chilled ride down through the day, returning with the crowds overnight.

Sadly the midges at the Crook Inn were horrific as the tunes were good.

Thanks for the kind words folks. Looking to get Smidge as a sponsor this year!

I’m planning my own much slower version.

Ullapool to Dingwall – much shorter distance, so time to stop and celebrate in the middle around Loch Glascarnoch. A drum up, and perhaps a beer or dram or two.

(I’ll be riding to Ullapool from Dingwall in the afternoon)

Finish down the ferry at Dingwall to dip wheel.

Pace – talking speed.

Probably just me and an Ozzie mate on singlespeeds, but anyone welcome. BYO mug and supplies.

Rode this last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rode alone at times and also with other folk, some alone, some with mates and also with a couple of clubs at different points of the night. There was a lovely friendly vibe on the road. The climb up Devils Beeftub was cool – all those little red lights twinkling away in the darkness! I had a coffee and that at the end, but was too cold standing around to wait for sunrise so headed back across the Forth to my hotel and had the rather surreal experience of having the entire Forth bridge to myself whilst watching the sun come up over Cramond.
Hopefully will be able to get up there again this year.

I did this last year. A friend of mine planned the round trip Newcastle-Carlisle-Edinburgh-Newcastle so I joined in up until Edinburgh.

Good atmosphere, nice route, it’s actually quite picturesque as well in the sunset and then watching all the lights going up the climb. Not sure on plans this year but it is on the calendar if no racing is happening that weekend.

Logistics is always a challenge. I got a ride bakc from Newcastle with Watbike. For the last couple of years they have run transport from Newcastle to Carlisle and then back from Edinburgh.

https://watbike.co.uk/

Couple of new partners this year:
https://www.smidgeup.com to help combat the mythical Moffat midge!
And Ross from https://www.straightcutdesign.com is going to offer some giveaways too.
👍

Folks – any more STW-ers riding this year? Come and say hello at Carlisle, it would be nice to put faces to names. All the best, Fraser

yep, planning on this, getting to Carlisle at about 3pm due to train spaces, so will probably have a sleep on one of the park benches in the afternoon…hope this period of damp weather stops for the weekend.

I’ll be there if British Rail let me. No bike bookings Newcastle to Carlisle.

However this bit sounds interesting…

Couple of new partners this year:
https://www.smidgeup.com to help combat the mythical Moffat midge!

Samples? Discounts? Or help with organisational costs (which is fair enough)?

If it’s one of the former two, how do I apply – ‘cos I is already feeling itchy?

Do they not mean legendary Moffat midge?

Gutted I won’t be doing it again this year but I seem to be suffering from some sort of fatiguey/stress based thing which is leaving me with absolutely zero energy at the moment. Struggled to do ten miles the other night so 100 is definitely not on the cards.🙁

@Bregante, sorry to hear that. I’ve had a similar virus and post viral fatigue a couple of times and it’s an awful feeling. Get well soon.

@igm Smidge are giving us free bottles to have at the Moffat chippy, for the pipers at the top of the Devil’s Beef Tub and at the Crook Inn. The midges were pretty savage last year!

Weather looks perfect for this now.

My plan is to use this as part of a bigger Solstice Weekend thing. Ride from Manchester up to Carlisle on Saturday. Meet up with Richpips & Minipips in Carlisle.
Ride to the Sun.
Turn around and ride back to Carlisle with them.

They’re doing the double. I’m doing the double plus another 100ish miles up there to start. I may get end up getting the train back from Edinburgh though… 😉

Looks like I need to be in Stranraer next week, so will be able to do this. Any advice on ways to get back to Carlisle from Edinburgh, other than riding, or the rail lottery?

Edit: just seen the stuff oñ the facebook page and website. Will start there!

Weather is looking good,have a good one.

I’m riding this again this year for the 2nd time and I’m super excited. Bit anxious on what to wear though 😬

i heard it was very cold on top of the Beef tub last year, even though it was warm to start…

Having done this a couple of times before, I’m a bit jealous of you folks doing it – have a great ride, the weather looks good.

Best advice I can offer re. clothing is to stop and put on more layers as soon as you get to the top of the Beef Tub. You’ll be warm enough on the climb (unless it’s excessively cold/windy/raining, which looks unlikely) but don’t wait til the Crook Inn – it’s only a few miles, but gently downhill and you’ll be cold by the time you get there, and it’s hard to warm up after that (IME).

Thats just the effects of blood loss thenorthwind

Haha! May well be. One of our group had a puncture just before Moffat, not long before sunset, last year. The winged devil’s caught me unprepared and I got eaten alive.

Hope you lovely folk enjoyed it? 👍