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It's not that long, then you've got a jaunt alongside the forest of eternal midgies (awesome trail though) , then you're back on the road for a superfast downhill section into Kinlochewe - nice cafe there - then another long fast road section down to Torringdon. She has a nice 'easy' section for the next two hours or so now.
Only a few miles left for Johan nearly there !
Nice to see Markus is out of the worst of the terrain now, the climb out of Glen Lichd must be the worst of what remains? (I don't know the stuff between Affric and Ft Augustus).
Wondered why the route didn't take the climb up beside the Falls of Glomach and descent down Bealach na Sroine? Was that just a little too sadistic for the organisers to consider? I guess the climb up to the falls could be a bit tricky in the dark after 24 hours riding... 😕
Oh, and I see Steve Heading STILL hasn't finished! The final descent into Tyndrum isn't [i]that[/i] scary... 🙄
Just had a text from Richpips. He's having his supper at Fort A and pushing on to finish tomorrow. Top man.
I can confirm the pizza report. It sounded nice.
Front hub well and truly on the way out. Lets hope the road to Tyndrum runs out first.
That's AlasdairMc almost finished. He'll be looking forward to a decent nosh-up in Tyndrum.
RichPips isn't too far behind him.
The question is; will Markus pull out a long one to make it within the eight days? "Only" 70 miles to go, but much of that is the easy spin down the GGW to Fort William.
Markus will dig in an finish within the 8 days have no doubt about that.
Good one Alisdair - I have been telling Rich that you were "just in front" for days now..... I may have failed to tell him that it was a good half a day. oooppps.
So, you finish 3rd in a 550 mile race on a rigid SS. You'd rest up for a bit after, wouldn't you? Not NewRetroTom - he's just emailed me to see if I fancy a whiz round Gisburn Forest tomorrow! What a legend!
MrSparkle - Member
So, you finish 3rd in a 550 mile race on a rigid SS. You'd rest up for a bit after, wouldn't you?...
What do expect?
First thing SSers do before removing the derailleur is disconnect their brains.
Saw plenty evidence of that in Ireland recently... 🙂
If he's stopping and selling stuff, no wonder he's a little off the pace.....
Sorry, this made me laugh 😆 [/pedantry enthusiast]
In my defence I was slightly distracted by the potential of a large bag of bicarb, child's chemistry set and some of herbage growing in the garden coupled with a understaurated market of bored housewives with large disposable incomes.
I really must get the hang of multitasking...
Onto other news he is almost finished and the children are still alive.
What a great race. On the train back now, eating my way back to normality.
To echo what others have said before, it's bloody tough. That's not to say I won't ride it again though, as it's amazing.
High points include the great riding, the amazing scenery and the little things like bumping into fellow riders when you've not seen anyone all day and getting a little lift from a quick chat.
Low points - dragging my bike through everything. Up big hills, down the other side, repeat. Midges - lots of midges.
Double post
Come on Rich only 6 miles left. 🙂
I was worried there for a moment. It looked as if he had thrown the bike into the loch. Or maybe he has and he is running the last 6 miles.
It is so good to see Iona still digging in there.
Looking forward to seeing how many KOMs he's got on Strava.
Seriously he was out practising (I checked that on the grammar website) shouldering his bike with kit attached. Sounds as if that may have been quicker than the drag bike through bog method, but he does like his sleep.
Come on Rich, get it done 🙂
Yay.
Showing Rich as finished. 😀
Race Status Finished
Well done mate that's awsumz.
He did it ... He did it...He did it... WOOOOOOOOHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Not bad for an old man.
Chapeau Rich 🙂
Wonderful 🙂
Excellent 🙂
Good man. Looks like Markus is just about to descend the Devil's Staircase. Couple of hours and he'll be finished too.
Well done Rich, utterly amazing.
Cha-bloody-peau Rich! Next year he'll be taking minipips round with him, nailed on!
Nice one Rich!
Minipips has already penciled it in. Rich may not be so keen.
Looks like Markus made it in before midnight. That's a monster day on its own, let alone after 6 others!
Just Iona left, and she's still on the go at the 450 mile mark.
Amazing effort.
We'll done sir Pips.
Inspirational
Any clues on Iona ?
She appears to be about 400m off course at Tomich, not too far from Fort Augustus.
Cafe there ?
Has she run out of time to able to complete, as in has to rejoin the real world for work.
Or just having a rest and carrying on later ?
Hope she can make it round, another day should do it..... keep going 🙂
plot looks to be bang on hotel / PO in Tomich..
You see more detail than me sir, Ta for the update.
Cake stop then 🙂
Nah, I use the VeloViewer Flipper overlay, puts Iona's track onto an OS map 🙂
It does look like Iona is heading for Cannich. Shame if so, she's put in a valiant effort.
Her tracker is currently showing her at the Tomich Hotel, but also shows the last update as 2.4 hours ago. Her SPOT signal has been intermittent all week so it's likely she move on some time ago.
Just checked back, on my screen she is still in the same spot.
Overnighter with a bath tub perhaps 🙂
Will look back later see if anythings changed or Iona's spot marker has moved.
Ah good, she's on her way to Fort Og...
About 80 miles left all up.
Got word from Iona - FIRST OFF she's not scratching, just going to be back a little later than planned. Yesterday was a bit of a nightmare apparently - but otherwise, she is doing well!
Great news. Don't know why, never met the girl, but I'm here cheering her on. Fantastic effort.
Great news! Hope she makes it back in one piece.
Yay, keep going Iona!
good going!! all the best..
If it's same Iona I'm thinking of, was in ER(o)C then moved N to Aviemore, extra cheer as another ex-Edinburgh that decamped for the bright northern lights..
Right - what bike is she riding? A part of my hopes that it is indeed a red post bike, but I feel that I will be disappointed. 😀
Through Ft Og now
I have no idea who Iona is or what she's like as a rider but she must have balls off steel to still be going after this long.
Just brilliant that she still has the will to go on. 😀
What Stu said 🙂
🙂
Still moving towards Fort William.
Anyone able to post/link a decent piccy of Iona, my google search turned up a square headed BMC male pro rider.
Just curious like 🙂 see who we have been following.
Stalker alert!!!
She was training using these in March.....
[img] 
[/img]
Spectacular will power.
come on Iona!
At the head of Loch Lochy now.
Club stalk 🙂
Approaching Ft William.
Looks like today should be the last day of green do****ching for us all 🙂
Until Tour Divide in two weeks.
Apparently Iona started with a taped up Achilles injury. A fantastic effort on such a tough route.
Yay! She's on the move again.
Cross posted from Bikepacking.net from Stuart Rider
[i]What an event. Spent far to much time preparing and realising I had not prepared properly. Made Fort Augustus in 12hrs only to be sick whilst feeding my face. A wet Sunday and unable to stomach any food resulted in a hard 60 miles to Strathpeffer and a warm dry room. With virgin and uncharted territory to come and with the racing head down the toilet I relieved myself of the race baggage and unwilling to climb off the bike and onto the Chigwell train back to Tyndrum I planned a tour west to rejoin the race route at the bottom of Torridon. Result, 4 days of wonderful cycling. 400 miles of views and vistas which blew me away. Bothys and trail side camping. Rain and sunshine followed me back to Tyndrum. Mike Davies joined me for a while as we climbed and cycled through Glen Affric and onto Fort Bill. Thanks for the company Mike. After a small diversion to explore a valley near Glen Coe, Tyndrum awaited.
I knew the HT550 would teach me a few lessons. Prep is everything. Experience is essential. Eating is life itself. Bring on 2015.
Link to my pics on Flickr.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yorkshirebiking/sets/72157644973666285/ [/i]
Oh well, work sent me home via the doctor's, so will have to spend the day dot watching 🙂
Iona's rolling to Kinlochleven, might all be over by teatime.
Might check out that deathrace on trackleaders next 🙂
Come on Iona. What an absolute legend to be nearly there now!!!
Still the wrong side of Kinlochleven, been there about an hour, lunch rest time ? or tracker stuck ?
🙂 nearly there
Some great pics from Stuart.
Rolling again.
Through Kinlochleven and heading to Glencoe ski center 🙂
Excellent. Once you hit the top of the Devil's Staircase, the climbing is pretty much complete as the one onto Rannoch Moor is quite gentle and all rideable. Hopefully she'll get back to Tyndrum in time for dinner.
And hopefully there will be a reception committee to reward that effort. 🙂
Iona's just coming down the Devil's Staircase now.
She's past Glencoe Ski center and halfway to the end of Loch Tulla, then it's bridge of Orchy over the A82 and final bit to Tyndrum
🙂 nearly over, should be well over before closing time.
Been looking about, seen Scotroutes blog, and started going through a similar thread to this on Bearbones bikepacking forum, some more technical detail over there, and some snippets of rider hell and bail outs with the aid of some long distance walkers.
It really is hard going out there !
acehtn - Member
...Been looking about, seen Scotroutes blog, and started going through a similar thread to this on Bearbones bikepacking forum, some more technical detail over there, and some snippets of rider hell and bail outs with the aid of some long distance walkers.
It really is hard going out there !
Proper mountain biking. 🙂
ohhh sodding trackers slow to update....
Close to rounding the bottom of loch Tulla now 🙂
3 miles to go!
Come on Iona.
running at 5.6mph 5mins ago, not long now 🙂
On my screen she has stopped just up the road from the pub at Bridge at Orchy, been stationary for 30mins now.
Tracker not updating
Has she stopped for a pie and pint 🙂
Has she stopped for a pie and pint
She deserves an entire round of drinks from everyone in the pub!
Come on Iona! 🙂
But is she in the pub ?
my screen puts her about 350m up the road, hasn't made it to the pub yet.
It is a well used overnight wildcamp spot, by the river, short walk to pub, maybe shes getting smashed and pootling down to the finish in the morning..... 🙂
maybe shes getting smashed and pootling down to the finish in the morning.....
That would be precisely the correct way to do it. None of this battering round in 4 days and heading home for work pish. Full value is best.
It's always an option when i am up that way to get off the main road at the pub, park the car, pitch tent and vist pub, does get busy there at times 🙂
According to my screen Iona's been still for 1 1/2 hours i reckon she's pubbing it 🙂
Maybe she's sat in the pub reading this and having a good laugh at how we're all watching a stationary dot a few miles from the finish 🙂