Author Topic: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018  (Read 50359 times)

Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #150 on: 26 April, 2018, 06:06:08 pm »
Ha, beer comes under drinks as in energy drinks.

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #151 on: 28 April, 2018, 04:43:27 pm »


Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #153 on: 02 May, 2018, 01:48:15 pm »
In case anyone's still to find a Friday night bed, http://www.corranhouseoban.co.uk/ had 3 beds/bunks left, this (Wednesday 2nd) morning. And the SYHA now seems to have limited beds available, when I looked.

Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #154 on: 10 May, 2018, 07:30:20 pm »
On my overnight 300, just over 10 days ago, my bike frame broke. The good news is that the frame has a lifetime warranty. The other good news is that weather was cold and wet overnight giving a good test of the gear I will take on this ride. I did also at least cover 200km before needing to abandon the ride. If we get a heatwave, well gear can just stay in the saddle bag.

An appeal quickly secured me a bike to borrow.  So I will have had 4.5 weeks of riding the loan bike ahead of WH 1000.  Final bit of fettling today was to fit a shorter stem from my box of parts to fine tune position.  It is a bit of a Franken bike being mix of my components and the ones it came with. 

A test 200km DIY on the setup this weekend. Then just a series of short rides leading up to this event.

See you all at the start in three weeks.

IanDG

  • The p*** artist formerly known as 'Windy'
    • the_dandg_rouleur
Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #155 on: 10 May, 2018, 09:25:40 pm »
I've just sent my apologies to the organiser. After riding a 200/300 back to back earlier this week I realise that I'm not ready mentally for the distance and overnight riding. Recovering from a very stressful work situation (over the last 3 years) - the signs are clear that physical fitness is returning but mental resilience is a long way off.

I'll be cancelling my 2 night booking at Oban YH - but if anyone is still looking and knows if the booking can be changed let me know.

Ian

Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #156 on: 11 May, 2018, 11:12:49 am »
Sorry to hear that, hope the recovery from the stress goes well.

JonB

  • Granny Ring ... Yes Please!
Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #157 on: 11 May, 2018, 12:34:04 pm »
See you all at the start in three weeks.

Yikes, that's sneaking up fast :o

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #158 on: 11 May, 2018, 01:36:00 pm »
Sorry to hear your pulling out Ian
The Golden Road and Standing Stones that you organised on 5 th July 2014 is one of my most memorable and enjoyable rides.
Hope you fully recover soon.

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #159 on: 14 May, 2018, 08:48:12 am »
In case anyone's still to find a Friday night bed, http://www.corranhouseoban.co.uk/ had 3 beds/bunks left, this (Wednesday 2nd) morning. And the SYHA now seems to have limited beds available, when I looked.

I'm booked in here with someone else. Just email them to let them know we would arrive between 10pm and 11pm see what they say!

IanDG

  • The p*** artist formerly known as 'Windy'
    • the_dandg_rouleur
Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #160 on: 14 May, 2018, 12:07:42 pm »
Midge forecast up and running - I get the feeling they're out earlier than last year. Have even noticed a few out here already.

https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #161 on: 14 May, 2018, 12:20:36 pm »
Thanks for the warning. I've just ordered a bottle of Smidge spray and a head net.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #162 on: 14 May, 2018, 06:28:46 pm »
Thanks for the warning. I've just ordered a bottle of Smidge spray and a head net.

Hope you haven't ordered midge mating cream by mistake. A mate did this in the late 80's.  All the midges made a beeline for him whenever we stopped. Leaving tge rest of us alone.

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #163 on: 15 May, 2018, 09:30:52 am »
With 1000kms in prospect, the midges are likely to be the least of my worries !
Does anyone know the "Midge Matrix" ?......which is a combination of the slowest speed you can ride, yet complete in time, whilst outpacing the little buggers !
Alistair (pieeater) Dulwich Paragon

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #164 on: 16 May, 2018, 09:14:31 am »
This seems so far away and now all of a sudden it is very soon, too soon ;-)

I have 2 nights booked at Oban SYHA, does anyone know if late arrivals are ok and what the bike parking security is like?

Thanks Rich...

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #165 on: 16 May, 2018, 09:40:06 am »
Reception is manned 24 hours (01631 562 025)
From the websitehttps://www.syha.org.uk/where-to-stay/highlands/oban.aspx: "a secure bike store with racking".
Also see upthread:
SYHA: I think a few of us [on the 'late' start] arrived crazy late on the 2014 event. They were cool about it, and it's a nice hostel.
Has a decent members kitchen, so you can heat stuff up etc and dine at a proper table. Instead of taking food to a shared dorm to eat  :facepalm:
Oban SYHA is staffed and open 24 hours. You can phone to l;et them know you'll be late, and they are cool with this. They also have a secure cycle shed at the rear of the rear courtyard.
Dave C

Bairn Again

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #166 on: 16 May, 2018, 01:52:35 pm »
Got back from 2 weeks holiday on Sunday, and have finally reconciled Paypal with the start list generated automatically on the auk website (those folk who pay for other riders dont make it easy!)

Anyhow yesterday I emailed everybody im still expecting on the start line (91 of you) with an update and a zipped file with 16 tracks one for each leg of the event.  These will help riders avoid confusion on the duplicated parts of the route and should also help folk home in on the info controls more precisely.  Id recommend using these rather than the gpx track for the whole event as they are more up to date.       

Ive updated the blurb on the AUK website (click on the routesheet link http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-402/) this morning.

A couple of folk have asked about the bag drop (chiefly concerned about my welfare I guess) over the availability of the van in Oban. 

I can confirm that I'll be accompanied in Oban by Martin Foley and we will take turn about stamping cards and looking after luggage - so the van will be available to riders continuously from the point that the Oban control (456km) opens on Friday at 16.16 until the Oban control (738km) closes on Sunday at 03.21 (or when the last rider has left Oban if this is later, subject to an absolute drop dead time of 0700 when the van will leave for Edinburgh). 

Thanks to Robert McCready who rode a recent 200 on the Kintyre peninsula we now know that the petrol station in Lochgilphead has a Tesco Extra that opens at 0600 [EDIT - with a coffee machine  :thumbsup:] and that the Marine Cafe in Tarbert (just off route by about 20m) opens at 0700 which will be good for all but the quickest.  They have offered to open early for us and once I know numbers better I will make contact.       

I was up in the highlands on holiday and can confirm that the garage at Tyndrum does indeed have a tap outside.       

Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #167 on: 16 May, 2018, 05:53:24 pm »
Given we will pass Tyndrum in the night, likely both ways; is the tap obvious amongst the shadows? Near the pumps or outside the Green Welly entrance?

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #168 on: 16 May, 2018, 09:50:33 pm »
I had the pleasure of being up in Kinlochleven last weekend so checked out the tap at the Green Welly Shop.  The one I found was round the back of the main buildings.  From the road head to the right of the main buildings through the car park.  At the back is a block of toilets and the tap's on the outside wall of that building.

Picked up a bit of info on Kinlochleven opening times - the co-op (on the right as come into town) is open at 7 am, the cafe at the Ice Factor (on the right just before crossing the river) is open from 9am, and the Tailrace pub (on the left just after the river) serves breakfast from 8am.  Out of hours the cash point is on the wall of the Aluminium Story building, which is set back from the road on the right just before the Ice Factor.

Bairn Again

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #169 on: 16 May, 2018, 10:03:27 pm »
Given we will pass Tyndrum in the night, likely both ways; is the tap obvious amongst the shadows? Near the pumps or outside the Green Welly entrance?
it faces the road right next to the shop at the petrol pumps.  I say this to be proved wrong, but you cant miss it. 


Phil W

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #170 on: 17 May, 2018, 07:01:53 pm »
Great, I will try not to prove you wrong. It is on my list of planned top up points.

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #171 on: 17 May, 2018, 07:31:11 pm »
Given we will pass Tyndrum in the night, likely both ways; is the tap obvious amongst the shadows? Near the pumps or outside the Green Welly entrance?
Tap is at the base of the 'Green Welly' access ramp outside (to the left of) the 'Snack Stop Cafe' entrance. There is another right round the back which tally51 found.

Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #172 on: 21 May, 2018, 06:14:16 pm »
Just to add to the fuel stops found these from Google maps and Street view:

461km Garage 24hrs
519km Garage 07:30
545km Garage 07:00
745km Garage 24hrs
806km Londis 07:30
824km Garage 07:00


Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #173 on: 22 May, 2018, 10:29:11 am »
Just to add to the fuel stops found these from Google maps and Street view:

461km Garage 24hrs
519km Garage 07:30
545km Garage 07:00
745km Garage 24hrs
806km Londis 07:30
824km Garage 07:00
Just to add location names to those:
461km Garage 24hrs Dunbeg (Esso) - see GW's info sheet.
519km Garage 07:30 Glencoe
545km Garage 07:00 N Ballahulish
745km Garage 24hrs Dunbeg (Esso) - see GW's info sheet (NB only 10km before Oban).
806km Londis 07:30 Crianlarich - see GW's info sheet.
824km Garage 07:00 Lix Toll (Killin road junction with A85)


Re: West Highland 1000km. Thu 31 May 2018
« Reply #174 on: 23 May, 2018, 10:49:35 am »
Reposting the Midge Forecast link!"5" around Ballahulish/Glencoe [Spinal Tap: "these go to 11"]
https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/
Smidge is stocked on the Acharacle village store - the control at 593km.
If you have to wait for the Corran ferry (on the way back), from Ardgour, the pub overlooking the jetty is open (closed to midges) and serves food.