htrider wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:05 pm This morning I thought I'd break 30 hours easily - what a fanny. Chuffed at doing it SS but I am absolutely broken.

I thought I'd get under 28 but the wind made that impossible. It wasn't just riding into it, I had to push long sections of the technical singletrack that ran along the slope as it kept blowing me off line and I had to go slower on the doubletrack descents as it was gusting and making it sketchy. But I took comfort in knowing it was the same for everyone... well except singlespeeders. I thought of this morning, I was grinding along into the wind with a 34/42 (which on the Island seems ridiculously low but I could have done with lower) and thought 'poor Phil's only got one gear, glad I didn't bring mine!

Chapeau for doing it singlespeed, proper hardcore.

Phil, I reckon it was 10:04 everyone set off...

ChrisS wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:16 pm Brilliant effort Sean, especially in the conditions. Are you following it up with the Lomond Trossachs Loop or have you had enough?

Apart from my chafed and grazed groin, brused toes, blistered ankles, maybe a slight achilles tweak, the start of trench foot (pale and stating to shrivel) and maybe the start of trench hand...

All my limbs ache

I think I'll have to pass on the Lomond and Trossachs but I'm gutted, I was looking forward to it. All the kit is ready to put in the bike bags although they are soaking wet and covered in bog mud, Jane's car will smell lovely when I give it back

The injuries to my feet are probably as a result of them going numb when they get wet and then cold. I didn't feel my feet from the first river Saturday until 17:30 Sunday when I warned them in the car on the way back to the campsite, that was a painful experience. I've also lost 2 toenails but they are running injuries and were on their way off, the CL just finished them off

sean_iow wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:22 pm

htrider wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:05 pm This morning I thought I'd break 30 hours easily - what a fanny. Chuffed at doing it SS but I am absolutely broken.

I thought I'd get under 28 but the wind made that impossible. It wasn't just riding into it, I had to push long sections of the technical singletrack that ran along the slope as it kept blowing me off line and I had to go slower on the doubletrack descents as it was gusting and making it sketchy. But I took comfort in knowing it was the same for everyone... well except singlespeeders. I thought of this morning, I was grinding along into the wind with a 34/42 (which on the Island seems ridiculously low but I could have done with lower) and thought 'poor Phil's only got one gear, glad I didn't bring mine!

Chapeau for doing it singlespeed, proper hardcore.

It really had its moments (like when I cleared off up the first climb!) I was properly impressed through the Fords of Avon section - I reckon I rode as much as I did with a geared bike plus you didn't have to worry about smacking a rear mech off a rock. Also riding through all the glop was great - no der or cassette to get bunged up. After the river crossings I suspect I need another set of hope bearings though. Today was fine until the headwind. I've got blisters from walking and my arms are killing me from pushing the thing.....

robbie wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:12 pm Well done guys.
Good to bump into you this morning Phil.

I was properly envious of your leisurely run round the Deeside trail. Maybe I'm done with doing ITT's....

Well done for getting through it guys. Sounds like it was a right laugh.

I was retreating this morning after a night in the tent, it was windy as fook and wet too.
I looked at the felar lodge turn and thought, sod that. Into a driving rain head wind glen tilt was poor show enough.

Congrats and respect to those who were out there,

I got lucky with what could have been a fairly serious mistake, more care next time.

Oh. And nice to meet few from here.

Sean, you'll be glad to hear, or won't.... My slipping seat post never went away

Hi,
I just finished at 23.06. afraid my broken brain isn't able to figure out how many hours that is right now.

Really pleased anyway, hardest I've ever pushed myself and the Glen Derry descent down to Linn of Dee was a particular highlight yesterday.

Great to meet so many like minded souls and thanks for organising Colin.

Stu.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:33 pm

ChrisS wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:16 pm Brilliant effort Sean, especially in the conditions. Are you following it up with the Lomond Trossachs Loop or have you had enough?

Apart from my chafed and grazed groin, brused toes, blistered ankles, maybe a slight achilles tweak, the start of trench foot (pale and stating to shrivel) and maybe the start of trench hand...

All my limbs ache

I think I'll have to pass on the Lomond and Trossachs but I'm gutted, I was looking forward to it. All the kit is ready to put in the bike bags although they are soaking wet and covered in bog mud, Jane's car will smell lovely when I give it back

The injuries to my feet are probably as a result of them going numb when they get wet and then cold. I didn't feel my feet from the first river Saturday until 17:30 Sunday when I warned them in the car on the way back to the campsite, that was a painful experience. I've also lost 2 toenails but they are running injuries and were on their way off, the CL just finished them off

No worries, sounds like you took a bit of a battering!

Where do you start, great to meet everyone at the start and lovely ride to Feshie yo-yoing with Colin (I think he was Colin) on the ss fatty, 45 miles in ate as stomach felt funny and that didn't stay down. My plan was to ride 3 100km days as not super fit but a camp at 60miles and subsequent lack of food staying down meant a bail out and a horrible trudge down glen tilt, ate a kit kat and thought it was the best thing ever. Sean was behind me and overtook me, I felt sorry for him having to turn off glen tilt. My first time down glen tilt so a positive.i used everything I took apart from spare gear hanger, spare tube and the food. Anybody who finished congratulations and perhaps we should drug test Ben for doing it under 24 hours, I know Huw did 18 hours recently but in those conditions that's impressive

I finished in 33:56 hours.
https://strava.app.link/1bi8NSZDL9/
- There's a few pics there, including one of the initial hike-a-bike out of Glen Tilt

Relieved to see others found it tough too!

Anyway, I ended up bivvying just outside Aviemore.
The sting in the tail (the loop via Fealar Lodge and Daldhu) was brutal, but at least I was forewarned which helped psychologically.

Great to meet a few more BB folk.
Thanks to Colin and Steve for putting on the event.

The rivers were not as high as when a pal and I did a loop of the Cairgorms 10 years ago - my avatar picture is me wading the Burn of Brown before Tomintoul for the nth time on that trip. - It was our first 'bikepacking' adventure (staying in pre-booked accommodation) and we didn't really know what to expect.

Well done Steve, I wondered where your avatar pic was! Shortly before Glen Brown I mentioned to Bob that given the low rain fall and the already low burns we'd have no more river crossing worries.....

Some amazing tales of fortitude and commitment. Fair play to you guys.

Outstanding effort guys!

Some pics: (following my discussion on another thread I picked up a cheap, waterproof compact digi camera the day before departure and it worked well)

First river - easy peasy. Sean is just about to step across, Bob approaching

On the descent off Bynack more approaching the fords

The Fords of Avon (pronounced A'an) stepping stones!

On the descent down Glen Derry - a corker

The river Tilt - this pic makes it look OK - it was thigh deep!

Fealar Lodge - a bleaker place you can't imagine but people chose to live here....

Checked my GPX track and I appear to have not made any nav errors

Saturday went pretty well- somehow got to the Linn of Dee two hours quicker than three years ago. Didn’t need lights until well after the Red House. Then somehow lost all of it getting to Glen Feshie.

Bivvies in an old horse boxwhich was dry but with lots of hay in it meant no stove usage.

Sunday I had zero energy. Phil had bivvied a few Km further on and was just packing up as I passed him. Nothing open in Tomintoul when I went through. The wind wasn’t too bad in Glen Avon but from Loch Builg onwards it was really hard work.

Had an hour in Braemar getting food, Steve caught me up here. He got about ten minutes on me as I needed some medication for my arse which was really sore

Linn of Dee to the Geldie took an hour as I was starting to get cramps. The Geldie was much deeper than on Saturday and the next two burns were also tricky. The wind didn’t let up so I walked a lot of the singletrack to the Tilt then walked all of the ravine section but still managed to fall a couple of times one time I ended up with the bike on top of me and my leg jammed between the bottom bracket and the chainring! By then I had had enough so bailed down the Tilt.

ChrisS wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:04 am No worries, sounds like you took a bit of a battering!

Through the healing power of lots of food and sudacream I'm actually still considering it now. I'll see if the campsite have a hose I can use to rinse the bike off next I think and make sure it's ready just in case.

Do it Sean.

This year's finishers names are now up on the website.

Ian

Didn't hurt wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:46 pm This year's finishers names are now up on the website.

Ian

I think (hope) I've got everyones times right

8 finishers from 16 starters. The wind was obviously a big factor. Turning South at Tomintoul with the knowledge that it's basically headwind all the way back to Blair Atholl...

The CL weather genie obviously hasn't given up on her little japes. It was lovely here last weekend again

Thanks again to everyone who turned up. It was nice to see a bit more interest this year. Here's hoping I can stoke the flames for another good turn out in 2021.

Hi Colin,

My times a few hours quicker than it actually was but if you don't get round to fixing it anytime soon then I won't be complaining

I've sent you an email along with a link to the photos I took over the weekend.

I got blown off a couple of times, at one point to screamed expletives into the wind, didn't do much but made me feel a little better.

Lots of good memories.

Thanks again.

Ian Martin

Thanks Colin, only 8 finishers? Blimey didn't think it was that bad!

That's an increase of 8 over last year's September group start finishers!

Is the group start cursed? I'm not sure I've ever seen a group start without some "interesting" weather...

JoseMcTavish wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 1:09 am That's an increase of 8 over last year's September group start finishers!

Is the group start cursed? I'm not sure I've ever seen a group start without some "interesting" weather...

Well the four weekends before and the one after were good weather so you may be right. The first May group start in 2012 was a snowy one. 2013 was cancelled due to snow, '14 went ahead, 2015 was another snow / torrential rain event and only a couple did it. 2016 was when Steve introduced the September group start and I think they have all been 'interesting'....