HT550 - 2025

[fatbikephil]

Lamer scratch at contin for me. Yesterday was pretty tough not helped by a binding rear brake which took much faffing to sort. Slowest time ever to fort a. Poor nights sleep left me feeling broken today. Ate lots but made no difference. Just no energy at all. Track of 1000 puddles hellish because of the gale plus a drenching every 10 mins from a ove and below....

Pete A (hyppy) going really well

[gecko76]

Nightmare. Hardly lame though, 155 miles in those conditions with a dodgy brake.

(lame would be failing to get yourself together for even a local bivvy this weekend)

[Alpinum]

Lamer scratch at contin for me. Yesterday was pretty tough not helped by a binding rear brake which took much faffing to sort. Slowest time ever to fort a. Poor nights sleep left me feeling broken today. Ate lots but made no difference. Just no energy at all. Track of 1000 puddles hellish because of the gale plus a drenching every 10 mins from a ove and below....

Pete A (hyppy) going really well

You gave it a try and must know very well what's to be expected. I know I like to paint a romantic picture of the Highland Trail, it being a good way so see the Highlands. But it's tough, even to ride the loops within 5 or even 7 days.
How many time have you taken part in the HT430/550?
I am truly amazed by Alan and also Annie (and others obv.), who do it again and again.

Binding rear brake must suck.

And hey, the track of a thousand puddles... in 2016 we enjoyed a dry year, yet I still must have gotten drenched every 20 seconds for below...

Any how, well done Phil. Also riding it on a rigid bike
And seeing the old (?) Wildcat gear frame bag you used, I wonder how the zip is doing, having just recently broken teeth of my frame bag, rendering it rather useless after just 1/2 of regular use. Mind, I thought it'd be a good idea to try Swiss made Riri zips. Load of rubbish... nowhere near as durable as similar sized YKK zippers.

[Alpinum]

The forecast must be appreciated by those familiar to biking/hiking in Scotland when it reads "gales" and roughly 100 km/h on the munros.

Emma and Kerry doing incredibly well. When was the last time, if ever, that two women were in the top 5 at this point?

[fatbikephil]

Cheers Alpinum, was the seventh time lining up done it 4 times. A few folk have done it 4 times, Alan 8!

It's funny you should mention the frame bag zip - this morning at Invermoriston loos (open! Clare Walkenden slept in them!) I hauled it shut only for it too burst. Fortunately I re opened and closed and all appears well.

Brake was weird. It pumped solid on a ride last month after fitting new uber pads. Some faffing later it was fine, until glen Lyon when it started dragging hideously. Much pumping of pistons followed without any joy. This persisted until the ben alder trail including the descent. Stopped at culra to either sort or scratch. Spring was mangled so put in spare hope pads and springs = sorted. Wtf? Plus "oh sub standard, I've fixed them so have to keep going!" Corrie pass was horrendous but dot watchers Donnie and Ritchie's whisky helped a lot

[Escape Goat]

Just checked your dot, Phil. Sorry to hear.

[Alpinum]

Wow, 4x.
And Alan... just proves he's more dfferent than we'd think

Perhaps you can get another couple of months from it with some care (brushing off dust/grit and giving it little lube/wax) after squeezing the zipper with pliers. But what happened to you is an indication to start getting te zip replaced. If the bag is otherwise still in okay shape.

I can imagine the quad rings to have been to gritty and kept wanting to stick in the position they were in with the old pads. Often you can force them back, to make room for new pads, but those cylinders move more freely when free from gunk. When changing pads at home I often clean the cylinders with isopropyl alcohol & an old t-shirt pulled along (or a q-tip) the outwards pumped cylinders (don't pump them out too far!), wait for the alcohol to evaporate, one drop of brake fluid, move them back in, give a quick wipe of the caliper with alcohol and then install be new pads. Probably nothing new for you though...

[redefined_cycles]

Nice one Phil and that's just hard-core mate. FWIW someone smashed into my car yesterday (they're handbrake broke) and I'd put so much care and attention into that thing. Point I'm making is, that everything always happens and is coordinated for the best.

Anyway, you're zipper. Like what Gian says, get it sorted mate. I redid mine on my (probably as old as yours) Wildcard framebag. If it's the main compartment then it really is quite simple as you can easily turn it inside out.

Don't do what I did though and accidently putting the zipper back to front (not inside out thankfully). But, do please get a 1) Guttering thread; 2) one of those thumb tools for pushing the needle through; 3) one of the uprated no8 or similar YKK zippers. They might not be waterproof but everyone is now using them - Custom Merit Gear; the newer Revate bags and anyone else - and the material will fail before the zip hopefully.

I've put so much pressure on mine, they're just so strong. Feel free to send you bag to me and I'll get the zippers added on for you. Won't be pretty but functional!

[boxelder]

Hyppy slept at Oykel Bridge and looks to be loitering for breakfast. Graham C in there after a few hours kip at Suileag bothy.

[Mr G]

Unlucky Phil. HT550 = utterly beautiful and utterly uncompromising taking no prisoners as well we know. If it’s any consolation when attempting the ITT earlier this month my mates rear hub tore itself apart on the first climb towards Rannoch, 3.5 hours in! Something that could not be planned for but he has a good extraction story to tell.

[fatbikephil]

Oh no looks like Hyppy's out at oykle bridge!

[boxelder]

Oh no looks like Hyppy's out at oykle bridge!

Bottomless prosecco brunch??

[fatbikephil]

He was having problems with his seat post slipping looks like he stripped the thread according to dotwatchers. Now on bus home

[Hyppy]

He was having problems with his seat post slipping looks like he stripped the thread according to dotwatchers. Now on bus home

Yeah, that did it for me. It was knackering my knees riding with my saddle ~15mm too low. Skipped the northern loop and headed to Ullapool. New seatpost clamp fitted and now planning an easier route back to Tyndrum. Blagged a caravan at a stables with a sea view to sleep in this evening, and free dinner too, just asking a horse rider if they knew of any b&b with vacancies. Got soaked (again) coming over the coffin road and wasn’t fancying another damp windy night in the tent. #winning

[fatbikephil]

He was having problems with his seat post slipping looks like he stripped the thread according to dotwatchers. Now on bus home

Yeah, that did it for me. It was knackering my knees riding with my saddle ~15mm too low. Skipped the northern loop and headed to Ullapool. New seatpost clamp fitted and now planning an easier route back to Tyndrum. Blagged a caravan at a stables with a sea view to sleep in this evening, and free dinner too, just asking a horse rider if they knew of any b&b with vacancies. Got soaked (again) coming over the coffin road and wasn’t fancying another damp windy night in the tent. #winning

Glad your OK, I'm now home, train journey to Tyndrum tomorrow. 3rd time lucky Pete!

[AlasdairMc]

Sorry to hear you’re out, Phil.

I’ve been speaking with Daniel and Leila. They got soaked through and rode out to Lairg. Hotel tonight then they’ll look to continue tomorrow.

[Hyppy]

Glad you’re OK, I'm now home, train journey to Tyndrum tomorrow.

Was good to see you Phil. Sorry it didn’t work out.

[NewRetroTom]

Kerry lost her bike in a river near Poolewe late last night! Hope she finds it today!

[fatbikephil]

Saw that - what a nightmare... it's the river a few miles back where you turn off to letterewe. There is a bridge about 300m upstream!

Sorry to hear you’re out, Phil.

I’ve been speaking with Daniel and Leila. They got soaked through and rode out to Lairg. Hotel tonight then they’ll look to continue tomorrow.

Nice to see you again Alistair sorry I didn't get time to speak more - usual pre start stressing!

[NewRetroTom]

Seems like it's right before Poolewe after you've passed the first houses. Can't remember a ford there...

[fatbikephil]

Seems like it's right before Poolewe after you've passed the first houses. Can't remember a ford there...

Thats the access to Kernsary farm and there is a vehicle bridge over it, defo no ford. From Mikes description noting the 'wee footbridge' I can only place that as the one 6k back from Kernsary

[PeddarsWayJason]

Really enjoying following the dots, especially as there's a few on here doing it. Sounds like it's been a tough one though, looking forward to reading some reports once riders have dried out.

[Alpinum]

Seems like it's right before Poolewe after you've passed the first houses. Can't remember a ford there...

Can't remember one either. I might have been to distracted by the mighty cow dung bog

Really enjoying following the dots, especially as there's a few on here doing it. Sounds like it's been a tough one though, looking forward to reading some reports once riders have dried out.

Same here with Mike's commentary on dotwatcher. Not really following any dots, but enjoying his regular updates.

[landel]

Kerry lost her bike in a river near Poolewe late last night! Hope she finds it today!

Great news, her bike has been found! That's some adventure she's having.

[fatbikephil]

that must be relief.
Given her tenacity so far after that nasty injury I wonder if she will get her kit dried in poolewe and crack on!