Yup, in September 2017 I finished 3rd and also last out of about 20 starters!

Here's Bob casually strolling across the Fords of Avon on the Saturday afternoon.

Didn't hurt wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:05 pm 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

Think I just ducked out of the gust to put my fleece on at that point! Pretty sure I could've been more sympathetic but I just had my "get finished" head on by that point.

Does this mean the worst bits have been relegated to type 2 fun now Ian?

Great to read all of the reports - some epic rides. I had a great ride too, and was I think the last bike to make it around - wee write up here:

https://challengescotland.wordpress.com ... oup-start/

Cheers

Colin

Now there's a name I've not heard or seen in a while - Graeme Livingstone, climbed a bit with him in the 1980s.

A couple of pics from the event. - First is Stu - just after crossing the Fords of Avon:

And this is Ian looking pensive on the magnificent singletrack in Abernethy Forest on Sunday morning:

ColinC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:02 pm Great to read all of the reports - some epic rides. I had a great ride too, and was I think the last bike to make it around - wee write up here:

https://challengescotland.wordpress.com ... oup-start/

Cheers

Colin

Good effort and glad another SS rider made it. I was jealous of your 30/22 on a quite a few occasions!
I totally missed the machinery parked up on the Bynack Mor climb, too busy staring at the ground I guess....

The diggers are taking part in a Peatland Restoration project on nearby An Lurg. Digging some trenches, creating small dams of boulders. The boulders are flown in from the Ciste Car Park. I had the helicopter fly directly over my bivvy spot last week.

JoseMcTavish wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 11:38 am Yup, in September 2017 I finished 3rd and also last out of about 20 starters!

Here's Bob casually strolling across the Fords of Avon on the Saturday afternoon.

That is one hell of a picture. It looks like it was quite strong...

Anyone got splits they wouldn’t mind sharing?

Piemonster wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 9:00 am Anyone got splits they wouldn’t mind sharing?

https://www.strava.com/activities/4084256314

Here's my strava, are you able to work them out from this? I'd offer to list the times I reached the key points but other than the garage at Aviemore I don't know what the key points are?

Edit, having looked on my strava my splits were

Feshiebridge 4hr
Glenmore 5hr 15min
Fords of Avon 7hr 30min
Aviemore 14hr 45min
Tomintoul 19hr 30min
Braemar 23hr
Fealar Lodge 27hr
Finish 30hr 30min

Shaun - I have some gpx tracks that folk submitted. They have timestamps. Want me to bundle them up and email to you?

Cheers Sean, appreciate that

And yes Colin, that would also be appreciated

Errr...
Start to Glenmore - 2 1/2 hrs
Glenmore to Linn of Dee - 3hrs
Linn of Dee to Achlean road end - 5 3/4hrs (inc about 45 mins eating tea)
Achlean road end to Forest lodge bivvy - 2 1/2 hrs inc 30 mins eating tea part 2
Forest Lodge bivvy to TToul - 2 hrs
Ttoul to Braemar - 3hrs
Braemar to Blair Atholl - 5 1/2 hrs

I may be moving a tiny weeny bit slower than that

htrider wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 7:45 pm Errr...
Start to Glenmore - 2 1/2 hrs

Not that I'm doubting the extra speed of a singlespeed.... but Glenmore is 50 miles in What ratio for a 20 mph average speed?

Phils timings add up to 24 hours...

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 8:25 am

htrider wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2020 7:45 pm Errr...
Start to Glenmore - 2 1/2 hrs

Not that I'm doubting the extra speed of a singlespeed.... but Glenmore is 50 miles in What ratio for a 20 mph average speed?

Whoops - 4 1/2 hrs of course......
Also note I was stopped for 6 hrs in bivvy which roughly adds up to 31 1/2 hrs or thereby

htrider wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:00 am Whoops - 4 1/2 hrs of course......
Also note I was stopped for 6 hrs in bivvy which roughly adds up to 31 1/2 hrs or thereby

It does show how much faster than me you were riding I finished an hour ahead of you but you had a 6 hour bivi, without that you'd have been round in 25 1/2 hours.

Like I said to Colin on the day, I don't ride through because I'm fast, I ride through because I'm slow.

Timings from my ~40hour ride here https://challengescotland.files.wordpre ... timing.pdf

FWIW Strava's flyby feature shows where everyone (on strava) was at any moment in time during the group ride

my track https://www.strava.com/activities/40584 ... b5592c744b

Just realised that I recently registered username ColinC on here without anticipating potential confusion of there being two ColinCs ...

Colin(not ScotRoutes)C

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 10:13 am

htrider wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:00 am Whoops - 4 1/2 hrs of course......
Also note I was stopped for 6 hrs in bivvy which roughly adds up to 31 1/2 hrs or thereby

It does show how much faster than me you were riding I finished an hour ahead of you but you had a 6 hour bivi, without that you'd have been round in 25 1/2 hours.

Like I said to Colin on the day, I don't ride through because I'm fast, I ride through because I'm slow.

But if I hadn't stopped I'd have likely slowed down a lot and probably collapsed in a heap at some point.....

Colin not Colin

Superb, thank you.

More on the Peatland restoration diggers up on An lurg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e61jNqL ... aVXAR0fUoo

I've been woken up by that bloody helicopter while bivvying

An Lurg is also one of my VeloViewer squares

ColinC wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:02 pm Great to read all of the reports - some epic rides. I had a great ride too, and was I think the last bike to make it around - wee write up here:

https://challengescotland.wordpress.com ... oup-start/

Cheers

Colin

Hi Colin,
That was me at the Cafe and Bynack More. I was on full sus bike and once up the hill was a little indulgent on the descents. Behaviour that in the end saw me crash and eventually bail out. Silly me.
I wasn't recording a podcast, just stopping to put one on to listen to while I slogged up the push.

Nice to meet you though
Dave