Selkirk Vitus Sportive

For the past 5 years, i've taken part in the Selkirk MTB marathon. I've done various distance over the years from 50k - 100k (although they are always shorter than the advertised distance) This is usually held in the first weekend in August, and has always been a great way to end my Summer Holidays. 

 
This year, they decided to bring it forward to Mid May.

They introduced a road sportive to the weekend a couple of years ago, and earlier in the year I thought about doing both events.  This idea was quickly quashed by my wife, so I decided to the sportive for a change, as a fiew of my friends were also doing it.

The route was a shortened version of the Moffat Toffee i did last weekend, so I wasn't expecting any difficulties.

The weather leading up to the event was dominated by long spells of rain (as everywhere else in the country) but the event day stayed dry. The wind had changed from the southerly to a northerly, so the fast finish from last weekend wouldn't be repeated. Fortunately it had also dropped, and there was no rain forecast.

It was still cold enough (in May Ffs) for tights although there were a few in bibs.

Almost 300 road enthusiasts turned up to enjoy the fantastic roads around the greater Selkirk area. The route took the riders through the Yarrow and Ettrick valleys starting with a long yet gentle climb following the Ettrick River upstream.

But it wasn’t all easy going. The course designer Pete Laing had some ‘proper’ climbs up his sleeve to turn what appeared to be a gentle stroll into a real challenge. The route made the most of the network of narrow hill roads linking the river valleys that the Scottish Borders is so famous for. The climb tot-up is, 95 mile: 8 climbs. 

None of the climbs were Alpine in scale but only one is less than 100m vertical and if you check the course profiles, there isn’t a flat road in between, so the ascent total soon builds up.

Map and Profile can been seen here

Next up - snow Roads Audax

Moffat Toffee Re-Invented 200k Audax

The forecast was dire for today and after last months efforts on the Merse and Moors, it was not looking like it would be much fun.


I'd lost contact with the main group before reaching Ashkirk and the first (info) control, as i struggled with the short sharp climbs south of Selkirk.  


I only saw one other cyclist between Ashkirk and Sayme Ling.  Even the usually fast descent down Fingland was a struggle with the strong headwind.


I stopped at the Buddhist retreat for a warming coffee and a stamp in my brevet card.  The main group were just leaving as I arrived, and I was temped to continue on with them, but really needed a break from the wind.


I quickly drank my coffee and headed back to my bike, only to discover it had blown over in the wind, bending my rear mech.  I straightened it as best i could, but it made gear selection interesting for the rest of the day.


I arrived at the next control in Langholm just as the main group were leaving once more.  I wasn't loosing too much time to them even though I was on my own.  I stopped, and had a warming bowl of soup this time before heading back into the wind towards Moffat.

Very strong headwinds and crosswinds all the way made this section very tough indeed, and my back was beginning to get sore just trying to keep the bike in a straight line.


I stopped an the next info control and had another go at straightening my rear mech.  I was joined by another two riders, and we rode together all the way to the Rumblin' Tum in Moffat where we once again stopped for coffee and another stamp.


We had made it to Moffat in the dry, but dark clouds were gathering overhead.   


The tailie up the Grey Mare's tail road helped greatly.  As we crossed the border back into the Scottish Borders, the rain started.  I stopped here to put on my waterproof, as it would be a fast descent back down the valley.  


It seemed like I hardly went below 40kph for the next 50k to the finish. 


All in all a good (if lonely at times) day.


Map of the route can be found Here


Thanks to Lucy, Dick and all the helpers.

SMBO - Achray and Callander

Round 3 of  the series saw a long drive up to Callander's Mclaren Centre in Stirlingshire.

This is a new area for the series, and also with a new event organiser.

Having biked in the area previously, I knew the terrain could be quite steep.

There seemed to be a few technical issues on the start line with the dibbers, but mine seemed to register OK, so I set off.

My innitial plan was to gather up as many of the lower-level points as possible, plus a few of the higher value points in the harder to reach areas.

That plan went out the window after taking a wrong turn early on, and i missed a 5 and a 10 pointer.

To make matters worse, my hint sheet had fallen off my wrist while climbing over a fallen tree, and i didn't notice it was gone until I was at the top of a very steep climb.  A quick run back down, and it was easily found and re-attached.

For the rest of the morning, I felt as though I was chasing points, not sticking to my plan at all, and was nowhere near on the map where I wanted to be.

After a fairly long climb up to a 30-pointer, i was descending quickly - trying to claw back some time and washed out on some loose gravel while trying to avoid a barrier.  I was OK but my map board wasn't so lucky - the 2nd broken one in two events.

I attached the map to my bars as best I could and headed off, with it flapping in the wind.

The next control was an easy 15 points.  Unfortunately it didn't register.  Whether this was due to the issues on the start line, or whether i didn't dib correctly, i don't know.

Anyway, i made it back with about 10 mins to spare with a disappointing score of 190 and a provisional 14th place (No penalties were deducted due to the start line issues, so i'm hoping to move up slightly once this has been resolved)

The scoring at this round has been far lower than at either of the previous two.  Since it has been announced that only 4 of the 7 rounds will count, i'll definately be dropping this one.

Next round is closer to home - Yarrow Valley

Randonneur 1,000 and Gold Grimpeur Awards

As a result of completing the 300k Merse and Moors Audax on Saturday, along with the following events, I have been awarded the Randonneur 1000 award;

Guy Fawkes Buddhist Retreat 200k
DIY Permanent 100k
Dave Harris Memorial 200k
The Nippy Sweetie 200k

Also because there was 4 or more AAA points awarded for riding the Merse and Moors, I was also awarded a gold medal

Merse and Moors 300k Audax

This was my first attempt at a 300k.  I have found the last couple of 200k events i've done  have been fairly straight forward to do, and with a 400 planned for August, it was about time i uped the distance.


a 6am start from Musselburgh train station meant i had to leave Selkirk at 4.30am!  I was feeling a bit nervous, and didn't sleep very well the night before. 


At just under 18hrs, it took almost 3 hrs longer than i expected it would take.  It's a lovely route with some cracking roads but it is a hard route. 


There was quite a big lead group for the run out to the Granites, where as you'd expect it splintered into several groups. The rain that had been forecast had arrived soon after we left Musselburgh.  I was glad I had put on my heavier waterproof jacket, as it didn't look to improve for the rest of the day.


While climbing the Granites, I was spat out the back, and decided 300k was longer than i'd ever done before, and didn't want to blow up on the first 100! 


I soon settled into a steady pace and was joined by Stephen and John and we stayed together for the rest of the day. 


After a quick control in Innerleithen, it was onto the more familiar roads down to near Selkirk, then some not so familiar roads towards the border at Carter Bar, where we stopped for bacon rolls and  pint mugs of tea.


From there a gentle tailwind  meant it was a fast blast down to Elsdon and the excellent cafe control where we caught the faster groups.  As lunch progressed a few more riders came in and after some excellent beans on toast and tea, our trio set off together into what was now sunshine


Elsdon to Alnwick packs in more hills than I would have thought possible for a stage of less than 40km. Most of the hills had pretty tough gradients and I was reduced to the granny ring on absolutely all of them. I found this really tough

We became a bit strung out, but regrouped for a coffee in Alnwick to recharge the batteries.


The flatter terrain up to Wooler allowed for some rest bite, but as we crossed the Tweed bridge into Coldstream, the heavens opened again.  Luckly we were only a few minutes away from stopping for a pizza, but in that short period of time, we were totally drenched.


We headed back out into the rain, to face more climbing over to Dunbar and more familiar roads. This section started easily enough but from Duns onwards we were back in steep, hilly terrain, and my pizza was sitting heavy in my stomach.


From the top of one hill we finally got a great view of the sea and Torness power station just as darkness was falling.  I assumed it would be just a couple of miles to Dunbar.  One hour later, we arrived at Asda in Dunbar with minutes before it closed to collect another receipt.  The rain had turned to hail, and I had to stop several times on route as i couldn't see a thing.


We sheltered under the door heater in Asda until they switched it off, and asked us to leave.


From there on it, it was plain sailing with a slight tail wind all the way back to Musselburgh, and the finish for a warming bowl of soup.


Route can be found here

SMBO - Glentress

Round 2 of the SMBO series was at the 7 stanes Glentress trail centre.

There was snow on the ground when I started, but it soon turned into a bright sunny (if a wee bit cold) day.

Normally I prefer the more natural located rounds of this series, as I feel the one-way system that trail centres use restricts navigation, but with all the forest roads, and even some walking trails in use, It was looking like a good venue.

I am noticing a big difference in the level of competition between the pairs series i took part in last year, and the solos this year.

I planned my route based on 3 areas to cover, and allowed myself a set period of time for each area.

Things were going really well until the last 15 minutes, when i went over the bars on a fast downhill section, not only hurting my neck, but also breaking my map-board.

I decided to collect a few of the easier points on the way back to the finish, rather than pushing myself for the extra points, so i was back with a couple of minutes to spare.

I finished 15th, with a score of 310 points (which is my highest score ever at an SMBO event).  I probably should have made it into the top 10 if I hadn't have crashed, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

For reference, a score of 310 points in the pairs would have got me 2nd place, 20 points behind the winners.

My route can be found here

The next round is on the 6th May at Achray and Callander.  More info here

Randonneur 500

As previously posted, for 2012, I plan on completing a few of the Audax Randonneur Series', the first of which is the Randonneur 500.

By riding Populaire events of 50, 100 and 150km then going on to a 200km at Randonneur speed (ie, 200km or 125 miles in a maximum time of around 13½ hours), all in one season, I will become a Randonneur 500.

I have already completed the 200k Guy Fawkes Buddhist Retreat in November, so in February, i decided to make a start on the other 3 distances, completing a 50k and 100k.

This left the 150k which I completed today.

The Nippy Sweetie 200k Audax

It was an early rise for an 8am start out of Corstorphine for the Nippy Sweetie.

I'd been looking forward to this one for a while now, as not only did it take in the Scottish cities of Edinburgh, Perth and Striling, I got to cycle over the Forth Road Bridge not once, but twice!

Leaving the capital, it seemed like we got held up at every set of traffic lights along the way, but soon we were crossing the Forth Road Bridge.

We had come through a couple of light showers on the way, but it was begining to brighten up

The pace was fast all the way from Inverkeithing, through Kelty and Kinross to the first control at Dron. 

From there, it was another quick blast to Tescos in Perth for a full Scottish breakfast.  Unfortunately, the service in Tescos cafe wasn't as speedy as the ride had been, so we lost quite a lot of time here.

The pace became more leasurely as we headed to the info control at St Davids and onto Crieff.

Leaving Crieff, the pace quickened again, and i rode the last 5k to the control at Comrie on my own where a Pastie with beans was waiting for me

The climb out of Comrie was a toughie, and as the sun was now shining, I stopped to take off a few layers, and catch my breath.

A not so fast puncture change at the top of the hill for one of the group enabled us to enjoy more of the sun.

After another info control in Braco, we headed for Corieries Cafe for a late lunch and a stamp in our brevets.

As we approached the Forth, the wind picked up and I struggled a lot, so sat behind the others all the way to the FRB again

The cycle path to the finish wasn't the best way to end the day, but was probably the safest way to the finish at that time of day, where a warming bowl of soup and some chat was waiting

Thanks to Y L G and his crew for organising a good day out

Route Can be found here

SMBO - The Pentlands

The first round of the Scottish Mountain Bike Orienteering took place in the Pentland Hills south of Edinburgh.

There had been various negative comments on the singletrackworld forum, and the general consensus was that this event shouldn't be taking place in such a fragile landscape.

Nevertheless, the event went ahead.

This has been my favourite rounds of the SMBO series for the last two years.  I had decided to enter the solo category this year as I probably won't be able to compete in every round due to various commitments. 

Unfortunately, due to the large amount of out-of-bounds areas on the map, and the fact that most of the points were in the same area, I feel the course was fragmented, and didn't reward those who cycled the furthest or climbed the biggest  hills.

Anyway, the sun was shining and it was a great day out in the Pentlands.  An ambitious route choice, and a front tyre popping of the rim didn't help my lowly score of 269 points and a 21st place finish.

Route can be found here

Hopefully we didn't damage the landscape too much, and the event can get back to normal for next year.

Dave Harris Memorial 200k Audax

It's been a few months since i last took part in an event. 
I was signed up for the SMBO Lane-quest event in February, but it was cancelled due to lack of entries.

My level of fitness has stayed high over the winter, mostly due to the mild weather we've had, so I was in good shape for the Dave Harris Memorial 200k Audax.

That all changed when I woke up this morning to a couple of inches of snow!  The roads were clear so I headed up the A7 towards Rosewell.  The further north I got, the worse the conditions got, and as I reached the start, I could see people packing up and heading home. 

Anyway, I decided to start, and as we headed off towards Tweedsmuir, the snow was still falling.  We were riding 2-abreast in the tracks the cars had left in the snow.

After a quick stop for a coffee and bacon roll in Tweedsmuir, we were advised that the route over Talla was not passable due to heavy snow, so plan B via Moffat was put into action.

There were great views of the Devils Beef Tub in the snow, and fortunately by the time we passed through Moffat, the snow had gone.

The next control was at the Grey Mare's Tail for a much needed coffee and cake stop.

The Paddock Slacks climb brought more winter weather -  hail which stung when it hit your face, but it was short lived and soon we were at the petrol station in Peebles for a receipt.

The next control was a short dash East along the A72 to the Clovenfords Hotel. With the wind at our backs, this was an enjoyable section - almost as enjoyable as the pint I had in the hotel.

After the steep climb out of Clovenfords, we headed North on the A7.  By this point my legs were past their best, and I struggled.  Working with Gavin, Martin and Neil , we made it back to the finish.

This turned out to be an enjoyable day in the end, but it could have been a nightmare.

Thanks to Sonya and her crew for all their hard work

Route can be found here

Randonneur 500

For 2012, I plan on completing a few of the Audax Randonneur Series', the first of which is the Randonneur 500.

By riding Populaire events of 50, 100 and 150km then going on to a 200km at Randonneur speed (ie, 200km or 125 miles in a maximum time of around 13½ hours), all in one season, I will become a Randonneur 500.
I have already completed the 200k Guy Fawkes Buddhist Retreat in November, so in February, i decided to make a start on the other 3 distances.

Now with the 50, 100k and 200k in the bag, i've only got the 150k to do.
Hopefully i'll get this one done soon