That Highland 400 race during the week had a few singlespeeders.

Think they fall into the “awesome” camp 🙂

Huraah ! 🙂

All back, good go Andy under 6 days.

+1 on photos and tales of glory and daring do.

So next year then, nutters will be aiming to get under 3 days, maybe doable. And anything out to 5 days is good going.
So my math would have me still out there for another 2-3 days, maybe longer. I will just follow this from the sofa next year, quite certain mountain rescue will be happy with my choice.
Before you know it someone might do LEJOG version, that would be epic.

Well done to all who rolled off the start line.

Andys at 403miles, looks like he has stopped at the crossover point above Kinlochleven.

Greg 🙂

We have been following the weather, it looked a bit dicey at times.

Following the spots has been fun, and some updates have come in after we have seen spots veer off and stop at hotels, or get on the train.

Aidan and Paul Errington i am aware of, this is what they do, only one of them made it round.
Broken bikes, smashed faces, blown knees, and this is well prepped riders, half of you didn’t finish. I will stick to daydreaming….might change my mind when i read the write ups, then be all sensible again and leave it to more suitable people to try.

Good training for GTD 🙂

Been following this all week, been great fun, just Andy to roll home now.

Andys still on the move, very very close to Kinlochleven now.

403mile mark and 13mph so must be running downhill.

Greg, well done.
I understand the constraints and word count limits of mag articles.
If your able to do an indepth, no word/photo limit online account of the race when your able too 🙂 that would be brilliant.

I think some of us who thought of having a stab have maybe realised that romantic dreams “of having a go” could end badly. Many very capable riders have dropped out, that means it was hard, really hard.

Bike set up and equipment carried will be of great interest, also keeping yourself fueled, what food did you opt for ?, cold food ? take a cooker ? tent or bivi bag ? etc etc.

Andys still out there, it’s not over yet, but really looking forward to an indepth report or blog link from anyone that had a go.

🙂

Andys around halfway between Fort William and Kinlochleven.

All nighter ? or stop for chips and a sleep at kinlochleven ? and roll in friday morning

Aiming for 5days not 6 then 🙂

Ta Blackhound 🙂

Phillip Richmond hasn’t been updated on the leaderboard yet.

Andy Farish is down to Fort William now.

Will he slog it out….. or roll in friday lunchtime.

Last but not last, last of those that completed the route 🙂

I reckoned on doing 50miles a day if i had a go, so i would have hoped to complete in 8days.

Still mind boggling, Aidan will be around twice as fast as Andy, and Andy is still going to have a good time.

I expect the aim is for a sub 3 day next time ! brilliant race/event.

🙂 plod on Andy, nearly there.

Think it’s spot being quirky 🙂 i wouldn’t stop for 18 hours a mile from the end.

Apart from the maybe 1 non spot rider (don’t know where he is) looking like Andy Farish is back marker, still a way to go, maybe Friday night finish depending on what state he is in.

Just had a look see.

Andy Farish appears to be back marker now and maybe last man out there.

In Fort Augustus.

Keep plodding on !

10.46pm Ian Finished 🙂

Alan might be in around midnight.

Good go fellas !

About 1 mile left for Ian

Will he make it for last orders at the bar…..

waiting on a refresh

Ians at 425 @ 7.9mph

Alans at 415 @ 7.3mph

And Phil Richmond is tucked up in The Tomich Pub or B&B 🙂

Alans at 413

Ians at 424 crossed the Bridge at Orchy and should be able to smell food wafting up the valley from Tyndrum.

Alans past Glencoe Ski resort.

Ian’s bearing down on Bridge of Orchy, he could have enough time to spare for a swift half and chips and still take second !

Ian on 420
Alan on 412

logged out and in again, spots have refreshed

was going to bed, cup of tea and wait for Ian to knock out the last few miles.

Oliver is out now.

27 started, 13 have pulled out so far !

Spot’s seemed to have stalled for the moment, no movement on Alan for 30mins and Ian for about 20mins.

Expect a big jump when they refresh. Can Alan claw back some mileage on the down with his susser ? or will Ian hold him off to the finish ?

Ians on a downhill 13mph at 416
Alans on 4mph at 409

Can geared Alan beat SS Ian ?

Ian’s on 413
Alans on 408

Ian appears to have pulled away, maybe Alan has stopped for chips at Kings house or Glencoe ski resort (roughly where they are abouts)

Should be downhill, last few miles.

Hmmmm, knackered, hungry, close to finish, fading light.

Still a few hours before one rolls into 2nd place, going to be close and a hard fight either way.

2 miles between 2nd & 3rd now. Ian at 406, Alan at 404

Deffo a race on for 2nd place.

Ian and Alan have been close all race so far. Will pop back later see how the fight for 2nd is going.

I like a bit of singlespeed action but knocking out 400+miles on a geared bike is something, SS is nuts. Wonder how many will make it round ! plod on.

Good go Nikk, have a whisky chaser !

Ian Barrington about 25 miles to go and about 8 miles up on Alan Sheldon.

So second and third incoming…. will Ian hold the lead to 2nd.

(assuming i have read the leaderborad trackers correctly)

Oliver must have found a nice bar, reckon he might just do the bottom loop only 🙂

Look back tonight see if 2nd has arrived.

woaaa how fast !

If i was doing it i was aiming for halfway by now, or there abouts, or sacked off to a hotel with a bar.

Off to look at the trackers 🙂 didn’t expect a winner this early today.

Well done Aidan, and keep plodding on everyone else.

Maybe i should aim lower and try the WRT first, after seeing these updates on better and fitter riders having problems….maybe i will just dream about doing this along with the 135 and GTD 🙂
If it happens next year, deffo one to follow again.

Very nice indeed.

This all just keeps getting proper awesome.

Riders down, serious fight for the win, and Oliver 🙂

Thats pure class, make your bike, saunter round on your honeymoon (is Mrs Oliver with him) and stop for brandy breaks, he must be a STW member.
So Oliver is just making it round at leisure so Nik is racing back marker.

Anyone thats attempted this, i salute you. From the comfort of my armchair.

Edit.
Nik is nearly halfway, about 106 miles behind leader Aidan. Quite certain i would not have made halfway by now.

Hard to say what’s happening with Oliver.

Will assume Nik is the new back marker.

Interesting watching the spread of riders as Spots still active, so we know who has scratched but can still track there escape routes.

Good attempt Alasdair, well done for having a go.

Sub 3 days is a scary thought.

Off to check on Oliver 🙂

Oliver must be a STW forumite.

Hope he has allowed lots of time off work. Be epic if he does make it round….or even half way 🙂 i get to follow his progress for the next week.

I wonder if he looked at this event and just thought “hell yeah, looks like a giggle” and entered. Can’t win but going to have a stab at it anyway.

Will look back later see if he has doubled back to find the missed turning.

Go Oliver !

Aidans hit 306miles ! with a massive lead.

3 are in Fort Augustus, presumed bail out’s or thinking about it.

Oliver has moved on, and looking at the spot is maybe lost or bailing out.

Oliver is back marker going on other chatter on here.

This is way more fun than that fast car race in some town yesterday 🙂

Go Oliver.

Another Crank Brothers multi 19 here as well, in blue.

Would consider Leyzene tools if the Crank ever fails.

And countryfile weather report on now.

Rain, lots of rain, bearing down fast on them !

Just checked the leader board, Kevin and Steve are “Scratched” 🙁

Found Paul E and a few others off course.

Looking like Oliver is back marker…..take your time…make it round !

Maybe it’s harder going than we can imagine from the sofa in front of countryfile with an empty bottle of red and demolished roast.

king…hell

A Harding is over halfway now !

A couple of back markers might have stopped and turned off the GPS, Oliver Webb has been still for a while but spot still active.

How many are running SS 🙂 i demand the mag do a profile on first and last runners, bikes, the rider the works.

Might have a winner late on tuesday at the rate their going.

Olivers my current favourite, he’s either stopped for the day, or fixing something, or just broken out the emergency half bottle and is enjoying being where he is for the hell of it 🙂

They are covering some ground still !

Interest is switching to back markers Kevin and Steve 🙂

From the comfort of my sofa with a big bottle of red wine next to me, and about to slam a roast in the oven.
I looked at this and reckoned if i could do 50miles a day i would be going some. Anything over 50 is a bounus.
I am old’ish, unfit’ish don’t train, not sponsored etc etc excuses excuses.
I hope they all finish. i reckoned 8days for me, if i competed. Hope the mag can get some sort of group photo. And a bloody good write up.

Loving the spot marker info.

🙂

Wondering if Aidan and Phil are in a pub on Shore street Ullapool

They are really covering some ground out there ! i feel i would be one of the back markers…. i reckon thats the real race, who will be last 🙂

Will the leaders be done by Monday night ?

🙂

Have a good one !

Had a stab at Tarbet to Sourlies to Inverie last week, granted not your route, but ground conditions, anything off footpaths was very hard going and like wet sponge, anything on footpaths was not so hard going but wet.
Was surprisingly warm even at night, and only got caught in one blizzard, but lots of rain, didn’t get trench foot and didn’t require mountain rescue. No midges either which was nice, everywhere we pitched the tent was like sleeping on a mattress, so spongey wet but comfy

Did take an interest in this event but decided it was a bit much for me, looking forward to post event write up 🙂

Depends on what type of riding you do.

Full wrap for custom team graphics makes sense.

Part clear wrap for general riding and playing with chairlifts.

Full superduty wrap if racing DH using the UK tractor trailer uplift vehicles.

People like to argue the toss over wrap or not, it’s very possible to have more damage done to a bike in a single uplift than several crashes, depends if you want any resell value at the end of the season….peel off the tape, bike looks new ready to sell, unless you had your rotors bent, or the hanger, or the hoses ripped out, or brake levers bent, or forks scored so badly you need new legs/CSU, but tape wouldn’t help any of that anyway 🙂

Glocks being invisable to airport x-ray 🙂

Diehard movie, Bruce Willis, that statement in that film caused a lot of problems as it was pure fiction made up by hollywood that was jumped on by the media.

But that means the magazine fed automatic crossbow in Van Helsing can’t be true either 🙂

Would have that over a light saber, even though i could chop wood with a light saber, be less hassle than an axe.