Longtown 300 (Sat 27th July)

[mattc]

Anyone else riding this? Looks like we might get some ... interesting weather!

Any locals want to recommend a route from Darlo? I've got time to add a few miles and avoid the seething metropolises. Google suggests a Barney (via Forcett), Stanhope, Kiln  PIt Hill looks reasonable (and allows a bit of roman wall spotting )

https://goo.gl/maps/WZRGCzH9jee9ed2D8

[FifeingEejit]

Aye, travelling down after work on Friday.
That weather front is certainly ugly...

[Deano]

Yeah, sounds fine, Matt - you need some hills in your legs!

I can't actually see the route, but I can concoct you one if I have time. Darlo to Bishop is a bit shite onna weekday and it's generally quiet the farther west you go. You could link up some of the old railway lines via Bishop, Broompark and Lanchester to pick up the line down to Derwenthaugh/Blaydon.

[Deano]

Here you go, Matt, meandery route along the old railways, and I've even sent you out to a decent cyclists' cafe in Blaydon: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30653079

Realistically, you could just bash up the A167 to Aycliffe. Or all the way to Newcastle - it's not a great road, but you probably wouldn't die, and you would see an angel.

[mattc]

... but you probably wouldn't die, and you would see an angel.

You sweetie! 

[bairn again]

I had entered but have been struggling a bit for fitness and motivation since finishing PBP qualifiers. 

20 hrs in the rain on a lumpy course doesn't really appeal so I've let Andy know I'm a DNS.
 

 

[Socks]

Here you go, Matt, meandery route along the old railways, and I've even sent you out to a decent cyclists' cafe in Blaydon: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30653079

Realistically, you could just bash up the A167 to Aycliffe. Or all the way to Newcastle - it's not a great road, but you probably wouldn't die, and you would see an angel.

Deano - where is the cafe in Blaydon, is it the Pedalling Squares place at Swalwell?

I entered the Longtown event but have also let Andy know that I will be DNS in view of the weather forecast.

[Revolution9]

Aye, travelling down after work on Friday.
That weather front is certainly ugly...

I'm travelling down Saturday am

Ugly?  Character building for sure 

[FifeingEejit]

Aye, travelling down after work on Friday.
That weather front is certainly ugly...

I'm travelling down Saturday am

Ugly?  Character building for sure 

Nah I'd say 10mm in 3 hours is beyond character building; although it's forecast to sit mostly on the coast and move west as it eases, so probably miss the worst of it; or I may be swimming along the ettrick road again...

[Revolution9]

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/bad4aa94-9d8b-4f42-895f-de1dd24b727d

[FifeingEejit]

Aye, latest forecast has the worst of it focused right on Nisbet all day; 16mm over 3 hours to 1pm!
I've packed a towel.

[Deano]

Here you go, Matt, meandery route along the old railways, and I've even sent you out to a decent cyclists' cafe in Blaydon: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30653079

Realistically, you could just bash up the A167 to Aycliffe. Or all the way to Newcastle - it's not a great road, but you probably wouldn't die, and you would see an angel.

Deano - where is the cafe in Blaydon, is it the Pedalling Squares place at Swalwell?

I entered the Longtown event but have also let Andy know that I will be DNS in view of the weather forecast.

Does Blaydon have another cyclists' cafe?

I quite like Pedalling Squares, it's like a little corner of Hoxton transported to Tyneside.

[FifeingEejit]

Didn't need the towel in the end, had dried out before I finished.

[mattc]

It rained almost continuously to around 1pm. (luckily it was dry over Alston Moor*, cos that made the descent darn near enjoyable). Bampton-to-Longtown was biblical. I really didn't enjoy myself all morning, and switched to PlanB - the Newcastleton-Kielder diversion. 250km, which took me about the same time as the bulge finished the 300  Despite getting to Longtown "in time". Just. I was stopping rather a lot ...

Although it was nice to have a dry-ish 2nd half (t'other way round would have been really horrible), it did mean my chain made worse noises in the last few hours than I have ever ever heard from a bicycle. Bought WD40 on Sunday morning - first time I've done that during a trip! I really did doubt it would get me to Kirkby Stephen and back.

*Is that the name of the climb? I couldn't see anything else on the map.

[FifeingEejit]

https://fifeingeejit.blogspot.com/2019/07/longtown-way-round-300-27-july-2019.html