[Closed] Ride to the Sun 2016 - Carlisle-Cramond beach, overnight, solstice, 100m ride

Various photos from the event, our trial run etc - all at https://www.instagram.com/ridetothesun_scotland/

Bump for the morning crowd...

A friend and I have registered, looking forward to fish and chips then a 7 mile climb! 😀

Yes! Want to do this this year.

I did the C2C (Whitehaven to Tynemouth) in one go, solo, overnight, around that sort of time last year and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Couldn't do RTTS as I was busy elsewhere but would be great to do something similar but with a big group.

Anyone else Newcastle-based doing it?

Same one that was written about in Ride Journal 10? Enjoyed that read.
Good luck to you all, it is tempting indeed. I only managed 90 miles last sun racing I did http://shedbrewed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/we-raced-sun.html

Yes, the one from the Ride Journal - glad you liked our wee article.
My bro is getting the train from Newcastle and back from Edinburgh the following morning.
300 folk signed up as of today...but the only time it felt busy was in the chip shop!
Ping me an email on info@ridetothesun.co.uk if you want a copy of the feedback we received.

Wee bump for folk that might not have seen this...

Another wee bump...nearly up to 400, well ahead of last year.
Few folk off here did it last year...franksinatra, slowpuncheur, fasthaggis, imnotverygood etc, and they all loved it - check out the previous thread.
Any questions just shout...

I remember seeing some of the riders last year, sounds awful to me tbh- a hundred miles? On a bike? but they were obviously enjoying it 😆 Very cool

Over 510 signed up, anyone else fancy it?

That's 600 as of today - the more the merrier.

Planning on doing this this year - did a solo overnight C2C same time last year and it was fantastic.

Didn't realise there was a register though - will sign up. 600 riders 😮

I'm up for it. Just needing my holiday at work covered.

It's free to enter, but just need to know numbers to let the Moffat chippy know how many they have to cater for, for how many bananas we need to buy for the Crook Inn in Tweedsmuir, and for the bacon sarnies at the end.

Hey Fatmax. Please count me in. Looking forward to it.

Cheers

Paul

Just got the eMail about Shand giving away a bike.
#randomwinnertastic. 🙂

Yip fasthaggis - it's a belter of a gesture from Russ.
For those that might not have seen it, Russ at www.shandcycles.com is giving away a FREE Shand frame and forks worth up to £1500 to one lucky finisher of RttS. They are made within 15 miles of the end of the ride at Cramond. The winner can choose any standard frame and colour (28 to pick from). Not sure how we'll choose a winner just yet, but it will be random. Amazingly generous from Shand - please check out their website if you ain't done so yet (www.shandcycles.com), it could be you if you join up and ride! 😀
Mark at 2Pure has given us two sets of NiteRider Pro 1400 Race lights to give away - the second set will be on Facebook tomorrow.
Graeme at Hart's Cyclery is giving away free spot prizes at each grub stop (Moffat chippy, Crook Inn, and the kirk hall at the end).
And now Ettix are going to support us with drinks and gels for folk at the start in Carlisle. Rumours that Boonen, Terpstra and Martin will turn up to ride are not yet confirmed 😉
And Torm are sorting us out with bespoke tops (black, yellow and red version) based on the http://torm.cc/t11.html#ad-image-0.
Not bad for a FREE event. I hope folk agree!
650 folk signed up.

Free NiteRider Pro 1400 Race light giveaway on the Facebook page this weekend folks.
In addition to the free Shand that someone will get to have built.
And now Etixx are helping out with nutrition at the start.
All for a FREE event...nae bad.

I'm up for this this year. Looking forward to it, in fact, although I couldn't think of anything worse than chips/kebabs in the middle of a century ride. I'll give the chippy a miss!

Stone the blasphemer! The chip shop seems to get folk excited more than owt else.
Bananas and water at the Crook Inn after about 65 miles and bacon sarnies at the end too!

How hilly is this generally? I know there is a long drag up to tweedsmuir but it's not very steep is it?

Hopefully have lift to Carlisle sorted but trying to decide between vintage road bike (43x22 is the lowest gear) or cx bike (silly low gears!).

I saw this a while ago and have been thinking about doing it, I'd be on my own and not very fast. How long do people take to finish?

RestlessNative - check out the picture here - http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jul/13/top-10-uk-cycle-climbs - that's very representative of it. And as the article states, it's pretty much the same gradient the whole way up. 310m over 10km, so steady away.
Carlisle to Moffat is as flat as it gets up north, for 45 miles. And from the Devil's Beef Tub down to Cramond is 50 miles of downhill! (again, a bit undulating in places, but no hills as such).
Gary's Strava route from the May recce last year - https://www.strava.com/activities/309884391

cheers, doesn't sound too bad, looks kinda flat 😉

I did it last year and it was a blast. It felt like an anti-sportif. No cost, no finishers medal, just loads f people riding their bikes for the hell of it. Was a great atmosphere, felt like a ride organised by bikers for bikers rather than anything more corporate.

Route wise, I could not believe how flat it was. Devils Beef Tub was only notable climb.

Barrelling down Lothian Road in Edinburgh just as the clubs were kicking out was great fun.

I hope to be back this year, just sorting out some logistics

Gastromonkey - first off, it's not a race or sportive, it's meant to be a social thing where folk go at their own pace and enjoy the overnight and social aspects, so please don't worry about being slow. We'd love it if everyone was there for the sunrise at 4.30am, that would be the ideal, but realise that some will be earlier and others later.
We'd anticipate that the slowest riders might set off about 7pm from Bitts Park, so perhaps up to 9 hours of cycling and some time for grub stops? A number of folk have been in touch with your exact query, so you're not alone.
The kirk hall at Cramond will be serving bacon sarnies between about 3.30am and 6.30am - the church want us out of there by then so that they can prep for their Sunday service / school etc. So if you are a bit early or late, you'll be able to get a cuppa, food, a seat and some shelter. I'd say most people set off last year about 8-8.30-ish - but it's entirely up to you.
To try and make it as social as possible we were perhaps going to put out cones or signs at Bitts Park - so that people could group together by rough starting times, so that if you were on your own you could hook up with similar paced riders. Not to have set start times or big groups going off together, but we thought it would get folk chatting.
Any further queries, please just shout.
All the best
Fraser

franksinatra - would be great to meet you again, and thanks for the kind words.

It felt like an anti-sportif. No cost, no finishers medal, just loads f people riding their bikes for the hell of it. Was a great atmosphere, felt like a ride organised by bikers for bikers rather than anything more corporate.

That's exactly it, thank you so much, nail on head. Folk are fed up of paying £75 for the Etape Caledonia etc and looking for something different. Free to ride, but 100% of the money at Cramond kirk goes to Fresh Start - www.freshstartweb.org.uk, so get to the end, grab a cuppa and a sarny and stick some cash towards them.
And you can win a free Shand at the end this year!

Oh, and that's 700 now signed up!

I'm in. Can't wait, have never ridden a 100 miler.

Folks
A number of Edinburgh folk have got in touch to say that the trains are fully booked for bikes on the Saturday now. We've put a pinned post on the Facebook page to see what interest there would be if we hired a van for bikes and we'd take them to Carlisle. Let us know via the Facebook page or email - info@ridetothesun.co.uk - if you'd be interested.
Cheers
Fraser

We've put a pinned post on the Facebook page to see what interest there would be if we hired a van for bikes and we'd take them to Carlisle.

Heh - this is how the Dunwich Dynamo started off! Give it 3 years and you'll have a fleet of coaches 🙂

780 folk signed up at the moment...would be great to get 800 before the 18th.
Latest eshot / update here - http://createsend.com/t/y-2828560D9265EEF3
Cheers
Fraser

Not long now, really looking forward to this. Who's going then?

Yep - I'm in. What's the hill called around the middle of the route? I'd like to google it 🙂

What's the hill called around the middle of the route?

Devil's Beef Tub.

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jul/13/top-10-uk-cycle-climbs /p>

Link from page 1

The image of a trail of red lights snakes up the Devil's Beef Tub in the pitch black was my favourite memory of last years ride. Awesome event.

Folks
We now have over 800 signed up.
If anyone is potentially struggling to make the trip from Edinburgh to Carlisle for the start (train slots for bikes are fully booked), then a guy has got in touch to say that he'll organise a van if he gets enough uptake. Please email david.tipping@lothian-vjb.gov.uk if that sounds of use to you.
Can't wait!
All the best
Fraser

I know I [i]really, really[/i] shouldn't say this, but the forecast is looking good! 😆

Looking forward to this, should be quite an experience.

Bring it 🙂

I've subsituted training for a last minute dynamo wheel build

I've substituted training for a last minute cram in a week of commuting to give a semi semblance of fitness!

What time are y'all planning on kicking off from Carlisle?.

Me and a couple of mates from work planning to leave 6, half 6. Will be in Carlisle a bit earlier as we're cadging a lift. STW meetup anyone?

Looking forward to this.

Setting off from Carlisle at 8. I want to be in Cramond for sunrise, and I don't want to be rushing!

My preparation has included destroying my legs with the Clennell Colossus on Sunday and spending the rest of the week mainly eating cake.

Folks, the weather is indeed looking good. Fingers crossed.
Last eshot with a bit of timeline coming tomorrow lunchtime.
Sincerely hope you all enjoy it.
Of the two organisers I'm the tall lanky one, please come and say hello. We'll be at Carlisle from 6.
Do I need to put up a STW sign in Bitts Park for a rendezvous point? 😉
All the best, Fraser

856 as of today, which is pretty cool, though there's a late flurry of injuries and excuses from a few folk...

Hebden - my plan exactly!

I've just started 3 12hr nightshifts in preparation 🙂 should be a scoosh. Body clock will be the right way round. Me and Nobeer will be pedalling back to Glasgow afterwards too......mibee 😆

Hmmmmm... we'll see.... 👿

Hopefully the first train from Edinburgh to weegie on a Sunday morning will be quiet enough to get bikes on. And a sleep!.

I had half an idea to go down to the coast then ride back up to Carlisle for 8.00 .Make it a proper coast to coast an all that 😉

I did wonder how far away the coast was...

If the mainline is looking dubious for bikes to weege try the helensburgh line it takes longer but a bit more "dump bikes" friendly

I did wonder how far away the coast was...

Bowness on Solway is 13 miles out of Carlisle...or the stretch of the River Eden that you go over is still tidal if that makes life easier?

Fatmax, I'll take the river eden 🙂

Well having broken my wrist 4 weeks ago today... I'll be at the start line (and hopefully at the end too!)

Hoping the road surface is quite good.

Oh good, I see there are veggie options at the end. I guess I'd better just HTFU if the wrist plays up then!

Looking forward to it!

Anyone planning on doing the double?

Unsure what the rails will be like to get back to Carlise, so was just planning on a few hours of kip of the Beach before heading back.

Vaguely VERY VAGUELY considering riding from peebles to carlisle.

Having said that I'm just in the sorting office hoping they have my aforementioned rim.

This'll be fine on fixie, right?

, I see there are veggie options at the end.

I'm guessing there is no vegan option?

Anyway I'll be there probably on my Brown/Gold Mercian 2 speed

This'll be fine on fixie, right?

Oh good, I see there are veggie options at the end

where did you see that?

Difficult to decide on clothing options for tonight.

3/4 bibs, s/s jersey and armwarmers I think.

Wheel built lights tested. Maltloaf and a single serve roija for 'mergencies.

Short top and bottom with warmers.

Its the additional layer i'm hesitant about. How cold is 8 degrees when you'd rather be in bed...

It' always colder than you think after midnight. I always add an extra layer for overnight riding.

It looks like it's going to be relatively warm tonight. Met Office saying about 10-11 degrees. The humidity helps a bit. Don't think the cold will be bothering anyone too much. Though it is on that tipping point between hot and cold! Arm warmer to be on the safe side, maybe. And a good baselayer.

Not planning on going fast enough to get too hot!

Just given my bike a preparatory once-over. Loads of stuff wrong with it. I wish I'd never bothered 🙂

Oh and 36% chance of precipitation overnight, having checked weather for Lockerbie and Moffatt. The boil-in-the-bag is going in the back pocket

Well that was good.

Not half, wicked route, brilliantly organised. Nice sunrise for a bit and a free beer.

Now in wetherspoons devouring brekkie before getting train home.

Thanks so much Fatmax! Don't think you could've picked a better night!

Well done chaps.

Great night, thanks! More knackered from missing the nights sleep than the ride I think.

Got a puncture at 99 miles so rode the last 2 miles with a flat as I couldn't be bothered to stop and fix it 🙂

Feeling pretty good now.

Must ride more!

What a great ride. Thoughts:

1. My hands were so cold on the Devil's Beef Tub descent that I couldn't change gear.

2. The disco stop was surreal and brilliant. In an Apocalypse Now sort of way. Who was the jester who gave me a banana? Whoever you were, I think I love you.

3. What is with those road surfaces? I'm running 28s next year.

4.

and a free beer.

Where was this? 'Cos I missed it!

5. What's the score with the Shand Cycles prize draw? How did we enter? (I must have missed this as well)

6. See you next year