I've entered this - not sure why as coughing up 60 bar in order to ride 200k round Kielder forest tracks and get a T shirt seems a little extravagant but I'm hoping it will be a good laugh and a stroll compared to the YD200 Looks like a few more BBers in for it also.....

DR - a little over 8hrs; YD200 - a little over 15 hrs.

I did the 1st one (took me 13 hours) but 60 quid is too rich for me. I'm making plans to ride a Dirty 'Free'ver around the same time

I did the second one. Cold start but beautiful day in Keilder. Not the most exciting of routes but pretty sociable. Price has gone up a bit and a little rich for me now.
I had a similar time to restlessnative. Phil, you will be capable of doing it a lot quicker. Will you do it on your new Surly Straggler?

restlessnative wrote:. I'm making plans to ride a Dirty 'Free'ver around the same time

I've got my eye on some local forest trails to do something similar.
No free food stops in mine

pushbikemike wrote:

restlessnative wrote:. I'm making plans to ride a Dirty 'Free'ver around the same time

I've got my eye on some local forest trails to do something similar.
No free food stops in mine

I have a nice 100km loop round Eskdalemuir and Craik planned out, time for a quick bit of meditation at Samee Lyng and a café in Eskdalemuir village for a cuppa :)

restlessnative wrote:

pushbikemike wrote:

restlessnative wrote:. I'm making plans to ride a Dirty 'Free'ver around the same time

I've got my eye on some local forest trails to do something similar.
No free food stops in mine

I have a nice 100km loop round Eskdalemuir and Craik planned out, time for a quick bit of meditation at Samee Lyng and a café in Eskdalemuir village for a cuppa :)

I was looking at that area. Looks ripe for a Dirty Free'ver

I too am too tight to do the proper thing

Tried to arrange to do the actual route as an overnighter with JohnClimber last year but it didn't work out. I think he tried it but ended up cutting it short.

I'd still be interested in trying the proper route, or something in Craik/Eskdalemuir (rode through Eskdalemuir this summer but more on road than planned, except an excursion to Greensykes).

See also: http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... 10&t=11053

Happy to put something together in Craik / Esdalemuir for March with or without a bothy overnight if anyone fancys it?* I've done a few recce trips down there this year.

*warning: I ride slowly, drink rum and am a bit socially awkward

Did it this year as part of the 'Gravel Rocks' package. Good ride, but sixty quid does seem a bit steep. That said, there was a lot of top dollar kit on display last time, and with relatively few similar options in the UK, I expect it will sell.

My friend is trying to persuade me to enter this. I think I'm a bit over organised events with feed stops etc. and a bail out crew (and an overly long mandatory kit list that includes 1.5 litres of water!)....specially for the price tbh. There's a market for it, but I don't think it's me.
Trying to get 'highwayman' status does look sufficiently difficult though

restlessnative wrote:Happy to put something together in Craik / Esdalemuir for March with or without a bothy overnight if anyone fancys it?* I've done a few recce trips down there this year.

*warning: I ride slowly, drink rum and am a bit socially awkward

I would be up for that Shawn. Could be a nice warm up for The Badger Divide
I too ride slowly and am socially awkward but I drink whisky.

Me too.

I also fit the same 2/3 of the person spec as pushbikemike

thenorthwind wrote:Me too.

I also fit the same 2/3 of the person spec as pushbikemike

Might be up for this too, and whiskys my tipple. Helps to alleviate the social awkwardness

Cool that's half a plan already. I prefer whisky but only expensive stuff hence cheap rum for camping.

What sort of distance do we want? over 2 days?

ps. I have a liberal definition of gravel

badger divide

yeah I just need to work on an extension to get me all the way home to Lilliesleaf :) Bit of the capital trail does Edinburgh to here but need to look at Glasgow to Edinburgh

Zippy wrote:My friend is trying to persuade me to enter this. I think I'm a bit over organised events with feed stops etc. and a bail out crew (and an overly long mandatory kit list that includes 1.5 litres of water!)....specially for the price tbh. There's a market for it, but I don't think it's me.

Yep, this 100%
Only thing I've entered next year is my first audax coz it seemed like a good idea and it's only 200km and it was £10 entry

I have entered again only to try and go quicker than this year. Btw there is a bothy exactly half way on the route. And if anybody wants this years route i have it on strava which is easily converted to gpx!

pushbikemike wrote:I did the second one. Cold start but beautiful day in Keilder. Not the most exciting of routes but pretty sociable. Price has gone up a bit and a little rich for me now.
I had a similar time to restlessnative. Phil, you will be capable of doing it a lot quicker. Will you do it on your new Surly Straggler?

Could well be - will be trialling it over the next few months to gauge comfiness. Failing that my Trusty Jones will get it done in both style and comfort

padonbike wrote:DR - a little over 8hrs; YD200 - a little over 15 hrs.

Took me 13 1/2 for the 'Gravel friendly' ( ) '17 yd200 but I reckon 10 or so for this as I'm not going to knock my pan in training between now and then...

restlessnative wrote:Cool that's half a plan already. I prefer whisky but only expensive stuff hence cheap rum for camping.

What sort of distance do we want? over 2 days?

A day ride or One night will probably be all i can get approval for and not too concerned about the distance, interesting is more important for me.

ps. I have a liberal definition of gravel

Would that include Muddy gravel then?

Think this needs its own thread.....

restlessnative wrote:

badger divide

yeah I just need to work on an extension to get me all the way home to Lilliesleaf :) Bit of the capital trail does Edinburgh to here but need to look at Glasgow to Edinburgh

Would you consider the canal route. Taking in the falkirk wheel to link the two canals between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

techno mail wrote:

restlessnative wrote:Cool that's half a plan already. I prefer whisky but only expensive stuff hence cheap rum for camping.

What sort of distance do we want? over 2 days?

A day ride or One night will probably be all i can get approval for and not too concerned about the distance, interesting is more important for me.

ps. I have a liberal definition of gravel

Would that include Muddy gravel then?

Think this needs its own thread.....

Agreed. New thread needed. Possibly titled Dirty Free'ver

1 week out and my new gravel bike is still a collection of unassembled parts! With internal routing, PF BB, hydro brakes, etc, I just know it’s going to be a right PITA to build, and I can’t even start until Monday, at the earliest. Bugger... Just relieved we now have decent online video tutorials to keep bodgers like me on the right track.

ZeroDarkBivi wrote:1 week out and my new gravel bike is still a collection of unassembled parts! With internal routing, PF BB, hydro brakes, etc, I just know it’s going to be a right PITA to build, and I can’t even start until Monday, at the earliest. Bugger... Just relieved we now have decent online video tutorials to keep bodgers like me on the right track.

Just f*** the ***t together, you'll be fine.
Personally I'm still havering over whether to use the straggler (appropriately named as it happens as my fitness is hee haw) or the Jones as it will be comfortable but a bit heavy. Also due to my characteristic lack of pre-event planning I have nowhere to stay so currently looking at bivvy options in the (Scottish) vicinity.... In fact the only way I'm currently motivated to do this is to ride to the event, bivvy, do it and then ride home again, albeit with some help from Scotrail

A similar lack of planning means we'll be dossing, I mean bivvying, as well.