Mille Alba 2012 - Brevet Cards update 3rd Oct 2012.....

[Bairn Again]

I’m currently scoping out the potential to run a 1000k audax in Scotland in June 2012.  I visited Fordell Firs Outdoor Centre near Inverkeithing last week and its an ideal potential event HQ - it can sleep just under 60 in proper beds in dorms and also has camping space in addition.  My pen is poised over a cheque in respect of a deposit for the weekend of 23rd/24th June 2012  and before proceeding I'm trying to establish how much interest there is in helping, or helping + riding from local riders (although if you want to travel and help that's fine too). 
 
As a rough outline and perhaps to whet your appetite, the working assumption is that the ride would start 7am on Friday 22nd June and the draft route is broadly as follows –

Leg 1 : HQ > Kinross > Newport on Tay > Forfar > Banchory > Braemar > Perth > HQ. ~350km.

Leg 2 : HQ > Forth Road Bridge > Musselburgh > Duns > Moffat > Abington > HQ. ~310km.

Leg 3 : HQ > Auchterarder > Crieff > Amulree > Dunkeld > Blairgowrie > via Kirkmichael to > Pitlochry > Bridge of Balgie > Glen Lyon > Glen Lochay > Killin > Comrie > Kinbuck > Alloa > Culross > HQ. ~ 350km. 

I would hope to arrange a sleep stop (however basic) at around 275km on leg 3 which would effectively provide a 4th leg on day 4 of approximately 75km with the latest finish time 10am.     

The route unashamedly uses large bits of some great events such as The Kingdom Come, Snow Roads, The Saltire, Moffat Toffee and Tayside Transgression. 

I would anticipate manned controls at locations at or near the following locations in addition to HQ :- Forfar, Banchory, Duns, Moffat, Blairgowrie, Bridge of Balgie (or further west in Glen Lyon) & Somewhere TBC around Braco/Kinbuck/Dunblane.     


At this stage, I would like to know -

Would you (or somebody you know) be willing to help organise a control (or controls)?
Would you (or somebody you know) be willing to help out at control(s)?
Would you (or somebody you know) be willing to help out at HQ?
Would you be willing to help out in another way?   
If you are interested in helping out on the calendar event, would you also joining a “helpers ride” a week or two before the calendar event which (apart from the date and fewer manned intermediate controls) would replicate the calendar event? 

As a “thank you” to helpers and to encourage local riders to help I would hope to offer the helpers ride at a significant discount to the calendar event.

If theres enough volunteers the event will go ahead as planned, failing that I'll probably put on a basic 1000k such as Aberdeen - Preston - Aberdeen. 

This message will also be circulated by e-mail, apologies in advance if this has resulted in duplication but if the event is to be a success it will take a  collective effort.   I look forward to hearing from you.

Rather than PM, please can you send e-mails on this subject to millealba@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks to Lucy and John (Mille Cymru) for their help and guidance so far.   

Regards

Graeme

[eck]

G,
You're a star!
You (will shortly) have email. 

[Captain Zep]

I too was at Fordell Firs last week.  It seems perfect for an HQ.

I'd love to ride the event.  Sefishly, as I've never ridden such a distance before or ridden a big event I'd kind of prefer to get the full experience if that's OK.    And if I'm on the bike, I can't be helping at a control.

I'm very excited.  I'll really have to get in better shape though - and keep up my fitness through the winter.

Thanks Y L G 

[MercuryKev]

You should have my email.  Looks like it would be a blast.

[GrahamG]

This is the kind of ride I wouldn't hesitate to travel for!

[Bairn Again]

Thanks to everybody who responded (*) . 

Its clear that we have a quorum to proceed.  

Given that a lot of Scottish riders are looking to ride the event [and I appreciate that a calendar event is quite a different beast from an organisers ride] I might trade off having fewer traditional manned controls where a good quality commercial establishment is available which will allow more local riders to take part.  

Will be in touch more formally via e-mail with those whove responded, thanks again.

(*)  EDIT : Incorrect!  To the person who responded to point out to me that 350km + 310km + 350km doesnt = 1000km.    G.I.R.U.Y. 

[Ernst]

Mrs Ernst would like to make a formal offer to run a control
Omlettes and trifle could be on offer

[MattH]

Given that a lot of Scottish riders are looking to ride the event [and I appreciate that a calendar event is quite a different beast from an organisers ride] I might trade off having fewer traditional manned controls where a good quality commercial establishment is available which will allow more local riders to take part.  

U.N.Dulate's Mille Cymru worked well like that; a very, very good quality base camp for overnight stops, one or two manned controls but mainly commercial ones. Obviously you've got to make sure that those who chose not to follow "normal" sleep patterns can still control outside cafe opening hours.

Unfortunately the excellence of MC means that your MA has a lot to live up to 

I'd be very tempted to ride it.

[Bairn Again]

Given that a lot of Scottish riders are looking to ride the event [and I appreciate that a calendar event is quite a different beast from an organisers ride] I might trade off having fewer traditional manned controls where a good quality commercial establishment is available which will allow more local riders to take part.  

U.N.Dulate's Mille Cymru worked well like that; a very, very good quality base camp for overnight stops, one or two manned controls but mainly commercial ones. Obviously you've got to make sure that those who chose not to follow "normal" sleep patterns can still control outside cafe opening hours.

Unfortunately the excellence of MC means that your MA has a lot to live up to 

I'd be very tempted to ride it.

Yes Mille Cymru has set a high standard and I've been in touch with mr dulates a few times already and will no doubt do so again to tap him for information and advice.   Hopefully we'll all gain!

Graeme   


 

[iddu]

In, wherever.

>helper's before...
mmm - would schedule holibobs and ride just prior to cal event, to minimise travelling

[Bairn Again]

The deed is done.  

Mille Alba will start on Friday 22nd June 2012 at 7am from Fordell Firs Scout Centre near Inverkeithing.  This will be the event HQ and has dedicated sleeping facilities in YH style dorms.  The organisers / helpers ride will be held 2 weeks before starting Friday 8th June 2012.  

I'll be in touch by e-mail to contact helpers and helpers/riders who have volunteered.  

Random but potentially useful info -

The calendar event will have a field of at least 58 (= the number of beds which have been booked at HQ) and could be higher if riders want to camp or use their own camper van.  

The organisers/helpers ride can cater for at least 18 on the same basis.
  
The route will be broadly based on the above ^.  A potential change is that the 3rd leg may return to HQ about 275km with the addition of a new “out and back” final 4th leg.  The main driver of this is keeping costs down and also the practicality of having to cope with some riders finishing on Sunday and others on Monday.  

Entry fee for the calendar event will likely to be in the region of £70 - £100.  It will include dedicated sleeping facilities on Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun nights and all meals at HQ and manned controls from dinner on Thursday until breakfast on Monday.  The final £££ figure will depend on the number of manned controls other than HQ.

The organisers & helpers ride will feature accommodation on Fri-Sat-Sun nights i.e. NOT the night before and the entry fee for this will be a modest amount probably not much more than validation, but all intermediate controls will be commercial and food at HQ will be BYO.  As a thank you to those who are willing to help out on the calendar event and also want to do the organisrs/helpers ride, accommodation at HQ will be free.  In practice it means that about £7 per head of the calendar entry fee will be used to fund this, which I believe is reasonable and I want to be open about this in advance.      

The event won’t open for entries until after PBP at the earliest.  

The HQ is about 1½ miles from Inverkeithing Railway Station which is on the east Coast main line.

If you need to contact me please use the millealba@hotmail.co.uk e-mail address.      

Graeme

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Will you be advertising this brevet at PBP?

[rottenhat]

Oh, I am so on for this one. 

I fear however this does imply that we'll have to put on a Mille Eire in 2014....

[DanialW]

Awesome stuff! Looking forward to this a lot.

[PloddinPedro]

Given the experience of the Mille Cymru, in the context of how attractive the event was seen as and how quickly it filled up, I would anticipate that this will be very eagerly received.

Given my personal experience of riding 1000km in very 'illy country, I'm not sure how eager I will be myself mind!

(But worryingly, I've diarised it!)

[Rimnod]

I would be more than willing to help on this project.

Willing to travel a reasonable distance and don't mind waiting around.  May even coax SWMBO, depending on her shifts, to lend a hand.

Free bridies?  

[Panoramix]

Oh, I am so on for this one. 

I fear however this does imply that we'll have to put on a Mille Eire in 2014....

I can see a "Celtic Ultra-randonneur" badge coming; 4 x 1000 BRMs: Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany!

In 2016, I will probably be living back home to put together a mille Breizh...

[Paul D]

Congratulations on a route that does a significant amount of Scotland not covered by us on our DIY 1300 last year.

You've piqued my interest. Save me a place...

[Maverick]

Given my personal experience of riding 1000km in very 'illy country, I'm not sure how eager I will be myself mind!

(But worryingly, I've diarised it!)

Nothing to worry about, this route is nowhere near as tough as the MC. There are hills, there are even some very big and steep hills but it is not relentlessly hilly as MC was. There is 40 - 50km of flatish riding between the HQ and any significant climbing. The toughest day will be round the Borders.

[mmmmartin]

I would anticipate that this will be very eagerly received

I agree, this certainly sounds an attractive event, even for a numpty like me living in God's Own Country, which as any fule kno, is south of the River Thames

There has been a suggestion, for those unable to get to Furthest North Britain, of a group riding of an El Supremo 1,000k perm, from Hailsham on Friday July 20th, 2012. This date is before the Olympics and should not interfere with summer holiday plans.

This should not clash with things happening up north. I mention this because it's not a "proper" calendar event so won't be in the bit of the website that organisers can see but mere mortals such as I cannot.
(El had planned a calendar 1,000k but has now changed his mind and won't run one so this is very much a second best)

[Billy Weir]

Make the el Supremo ride "Mille Abba" and I might take notice.  Beards and jumpsuits compulsory.  Yeah  

PS: Isn't there one too many l's in Mille (vague recollection that scots gaelic is "mile" with a ` in place of the dot over the i).

[thing1]

Sounds amazing.

Just in case anyone else is wondering where all these places might be, here's the extremely rough and ready join-the-dots (via main roads etc) map of the route

Leg 1 : HQ > Kinross > Newport on Tay > Forfar > Banchory > Braemar > Perth > HQ. ~350km.

Leg 2 : HQ > Forth Road Bridge > Musselburgh > Duns > Moffat > Abington > HQ. ~310km.

Leg 3 : HQ > Auchterarder > Crieff > Amulree > Dunkeld > Blairgowrie > via Kirkmichael to > Pitlochry > Bridge of Balgie > Glen Lyon > Glen Lochay > Killin > Comrie > Kinbuck > Alloa > Culross > HQ. ~ 350km.

[recumbentim]

No point in doing any other Audaxs next year cause this covers all the best central and broders routes we have up here.
 
                        Well done Mr G. ----- Do you have another job?

[mattc]

PS: Isn't there one too many l's in Mille (vague recollection that scots gaelic is "mile" with a ` in place of the dot over the i).

Depends on whether you want the name to suggest 1000km, or one mile!

[I had much the same thing pointed out to me by locals in Dolgellau on the Mille Cymru. I tried to explain the italian connection but it all got rather confused, what with the Tolkien element ... etc ... ]

[vistaed]

Looks like a great ride and would satisfy my desire to do a decent ride around Scotland. I will have to keep an eye on it.