Ride to the Sun 2024

June 22nd this year
All details here – https://www.ridetothesun.co.uk/

Free to enter 100 mile overnight summer solstice road ride from Carlisle to Cramond beach, chip shop stop in Moffat, piper at the Devil’s Beef Tub climb, rave at the Crook Inn, free Stewart Brewing beer at sunrise at Cramond, hot food served by Fresh Start homeless charity with all proceeds to them. Check out the feedback, folks love it.

Videos that show what it’s about:
https://youtu.be/kGv8-m9EEfY?si=mzi7H5xLSNfjZaE_ from Simon at Always Another Adventure

https://youtu.be/vYjFOWFS7Og?si=0la48oPxhzBPUZ9a our collaboration with Shand

https://youtu.be/nSOdzsCbIvA?si=MKWcmNzJNw5dzDg5 from the BBC Adventure Show

800 riders signed up. Non-competitive, just set off at whatever time gets you to Cramond for sunrise at 4.26am.

Cheers, Fraser

I really want to do this. Sounds like a great event. Just need to sort logistics 

I really, really need to make an effort to get this done. I’ve been promising it to myself for years but haven’t made it yet.

Did it last year and it was excellent. Logistics were slick and the atmosphere really friendly. 

It’s an excellent event. I’ll be doing it for a second time this year. Did it in 2022, got soaked in the thunderstorm at the Devil’s Beeftub and didn’t quite manage to ride back to the start the next morning, but it was ace. I missed this year so must do it in ’24.

Did it this year for the first time. Great fun, lovely atmosphere and a brilliant way to get a hundred miler done.

There’s me (early sixties) and six 30-year olds coming as a crack East Anglian squad. We may have the logisitics sorted now but what could possibly go wrong?

How do people work the logistics? Its on my bucket list but not this year, sadly.

We’re planning a two car approach with some people watching the bikes while we deliver a vehicle to Edinburgh and then fetch the Carlisle vehicle afterwards. I suspect the younger chaps will be keen to head back home on the Sunday, I may have an extra night in a Travelodge or similar before setting off home.

How do people work the logistics?

Ride To The Sun Scout Bike Transport Service

How do people work the logistics?

Am fortunate enough to live about 4 miles from the finish in north Edinburgh, so a couple of years ago I did RTTS and rode down from Edinburgh, setting off late morning on Saturday, via Innerleithen and  Eskdalemuir, then picked up the return route about half 7ish just north of Carlisle.

An absolutely fantastic event, definitely on the to do list this year, thunder and lightning storm a bit further north when heading up the Devil’s Beef Tub made for spectacular views, and just the amazing sense of collective belonging with the other cyclists of all ages and abilities kept you going at all hours. Highly recommended!

800 riders signed up.

I’ll not know until much nearer the time but will be hoping to be on form for the double there and back. Is there a maximum capacity, when does it usually fill up?

No. There’s no maximum number.

I’ve missed the last few as my daughter’s dance show has been this weekend, but this year is definitely now penciled into the diary.

@13thfloormonk – as people start as early as 5pm and as late as 11pm (bit of a peak of folk around 7pm) its really spread out and so there’s no real big peaks of numbers. Aside from a slight queue at the Moffat chip shop!

The year after we were on The Adventure Show we had crazy high numbers, but things are more normal now.

Have done the last two – a brilliant thing indeed. 2022’s thousand years stares over bacon rolls at Cramond Church Hall were #ChefsKiss. Back again next year and maybe a Ride From The Sun soon if I pull my finger out.

Logistics – driven down from the central belt for the start and then returned the next day by train.

And just to give it a bump – sign up as a New Year resolution folks 👍
And a Simon Willis of Always Another Adventure has just released a podcast that he recorded with us at this year’s ride – https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TlTQi9wjTlFn2V8bkcS9L?si=-5UtR6NWTMqDebAglnCAQA

Word to the wise – there’s more than one chippy in Moffat…

Its the Best Pizza and Kebab House that we use, top end of the high street on the right. Though the other chippy does try and poach folk in as they pass!

i am gonna have a go this year.

train to carlisle,  do the ride, than meet the Mrs in the scottish capital for a couple of days.

Come and say hello at the start or finish @ton – be lovely to meet you 👍

Cramond Scout transport is now taking bookings if folk need Edinburgh to Carlisle on the Saturday, or Cramond to Carlisle on Sunday morning.

Ride To The Sun Scout Bike Transport Service

They take people, bikes and bags 👍

Another word to the wise. If your pals stop at the top of the beeftub to add more layers and faff about…

…leave them.

They’re already dead, save yourself from the midges.

Registered.

3:30 bus booked.

Kebab to look forward to.

@scotroutes Colin – used to be a customer of you and Mark at The Bike Chain, so pop and say hello at Bitts Park

Dom and the team from Fairlight will be riding and showing off their Straels at Bitts Park and Stewart Brewing are confirmed for the free beer at Cramond seafront on the Sunday morning again 👍

I’m booked on the 4pm bus. Looking forward to it.

I’ve just taken a look at the route, pretty much A roads all the way…

Not for me.

Don’t let that put you off. The roads are incredibly quiet once out of Carlisle. The main issue in Edinburgh is dodging the half-cut lads and lasses doing the walk of shame at 5am.

When I rode it the bulk of the traffic was cars that were supporting riders. It wasn’t until  Moffat that I realised that it was the same cars passing again and again. Why these riders needed someone leapfrogging them in a car I don’t know. Without these cars there would have been minimal traffic. Hoping to do it again this year.

Yeah. I noticed that. It’s not LEJOG! The biggest issue on the roads up there is the forestry traffic. Obvioulsy there’s very little/none about from 8pm to 5am.

Yep, genuinely surprised at how few cars there were on the road when I did it in 2022.

I’m guessing that nobody really gives a toss if you decide to detour via some B roads instead.

No traffic to mention last year, in fact I can’t remember being passed by a single car between Moffat and Edinburgh.

Much to my wife’s amusement I’ve purchased a pair of bib tights, having felt slightly out of place amongst all the roadies. There were a couple on Bromptons and the like though, and that chap on the standing contraption. Fair play to him.

Going down Friday night and having a mooch around the Solway Firth coast on Saturday, then up the road at night with the crowd. #apropercoast2coast 😉🙃

The only thing to worry about on the roads is avoiding the drunken night life tottering about in Edinburgh. 😊

And for any newbies to that distance, (IMO) it’s one of the easiest 100s you can get, if the weather and wind direction play nice 😉

@intheborders – most folk set off at say 7pm, and it’s a Saturday night. Very quiet roads until Moffat (B7076 is straight and flat), and only really supporting cars or vans of riders after that. It’s incredibly peaceful and quiet between Moffat and the centre of Edinburgh (the climb of the Devil’s Beef Tub being the highlight for many), and then dodging a few drunk folk is part of the fun. At the Cramond end it’s a bit of a flash mob feel – hundreds of cyclists milling around between 2 and 5am…and at 7am you wouldn’t know anyone had been there aside.

Signed up.

Just waiting for entry confirmation and details.

Looking forward to it 😊

Do you get a confirmatory email?

I assume if so, it just takes a few days for the organisers to respond, which is no problem and totally understand it’s volunteers organising.

Its just that I’m starting to think I’d messed up the sign up. Wouldn’t be the first time 😳

I don’t think you do. I got an email confirming my place on the bus, but that’s a different thing. I think registration is just so they have some idea of how many might show up on the night, plus to forewarn the chippy in Moffat how many fish suppers or whatever might be wanted.

^ ok

Thanks for that @gecko76