CL reminder

[Justchris]

With all the talk of the ht550, it would be easy to forget that entries for the group depart for the cairngorm loop have opened a few days ago.

Thanks

Chris

[Zippy]

Hmmm, this is unfinished business, dunno if I wanna group start though!

[whitestone]

Have sent my intent to ride, looking forward to it.

[AlasdairMc]

I'm in again. Hopefully we'll have the weather on our side this time.

[GregMay]

I'll be there.

[Mariner]

Have sent my intent to ride, looking forward to it.

Do you need to register or just turn up?

[atk]

Should be there too. Emailed Steve on Tuesday or Wednesday as it said on the website, not heard anything back but not sure I'm supposed to!

[whitestone]

Have sent my intent to ride, looking forward to it.

Do you need to register or just turn up?

I think you need to "register" as there's a limit of 30 riders for the group start. - http://www.cairngormsloop.net/groupride.html

Of course there's nothing stopping you doing an ITT at any time, I've seen quite a few blog posts this year on people doing it including Ian of this parish doing the inner loop.

[voodoo_simon]

Say I were to do this by myself, would the starting point make a difference to a 'completion'? Obviously in my own mind, i would put it down as completed but if i wanted to use it as a qualification ride for another event, would it still be counted?

[AlasdairMc]

Say I were to do this by myself, would the starting point make a difference to a 'completion'? Obviously in my own mind, i would put it down as completed but if i wanted to use it as a qualification ride for another event, would it still be counted?

I'd say it would as the start point impacts on your stop strategy so could be beneficial. The last thirty miles past Fealar Lodge are meant to be the final sting in the tail, but if they're met with fresh legs then your time could be completely different.

The route runs from Blair Athol to Blair Athol, inner loop and then outer loop and thus any official times would need to be done in that way.

[whitestone]

Of the loop I've only done* the bit from crossing the Tilt to Fealar Lodge then back to Blair Atholl (part of the Beinn a Ghlo circuit) and had to get off and push on the climb about 3Mk after Fealar Lodge, that was only after 30Km or so not 270

* actually I've done a tiny bit in Glen Feshie from the road head to the bothy but apart from this it's all virgin territory for me!

[ScotRoutes]

Say I were to do this by myself, would the starting point make a difference to a 'completion'? Obviously in my own mind, i would put it down as completed but if i wanted to use it as a qualification ride for another event, would it still be counted?

It's a fair question and one I've asked myself. Living in Aviemore, it makes little sense to start and end in Blair Atholl. I guess you'd just have to submit your GPS track to enter whatever other ride was looking for qualifying evidence.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you (or me, or anyone else) listing another ride on selfsupportuk.net - perhaps a simialr one with a different start/end point.....

[whitestone]

It's an interesting point -I suppose it's up to the route's creator to specify if other starting points are allowed. The Lakeland Loop can be started from anywhere on the route but I'm not sure about the Cairngorm Loop.

[fatbikephil]

I think that as Blair Atholl is at the bottom of the loop its the most obvious start point as well as being the easiest bit to get too for us southerners. Starting in Aviemore would definitely be easier as you do the Bynack more and the strath to glen derry with fresh legs on day 1 and the aforementioned gruesome climb out of Fealar with freshish legs on day 2..... The only thing I'd say is that your best starting early at say 7am as that means you can get round to Aviemore on day 1 after the inner loop in time for the chippy! Won't be doing the group start but I'm intrigued by the idea of doing it in winter.

[AlanG]

As a "qualification ride" for Highland Trail I would certainly accept a Cairngorms Loop started from any point on the route. I think it's important that people don't have to drive for an hour to get to Blair Atholl when they live near another part of the route. The group ride starts there as it was assumed the majority of riders would be coming from the south.
As someone has already said, the Lakeland 200 can be started anywhere on the route.

[voodoo_simon]

Cheers Alan, thats the sort of respsonse I was hoping

I guess it does change the ride, hence the question, but does having the hard bit at the end make it easier or harder than having it mid way through? If its mid way through and you're tired, you may take a short cut but if its towards the end, the failure on the last hurdle will kick in and you'll get over it by any means necessary. Food for thought?

Won't be doing the group start but I'm intrigued by the idea of doing it in winter

Sound good to me, guess it all depends on the ground conditions