The Borderline 600 - Galashiels, 19th July

[Creaky Knees]

Excellent! What a great ride. As Annie says you should be really proud of yourself.

Dick and I left Gala for the second loop at 06:45 and spent the whole day wondering where everyone was especially as none of the cafe's had seen anyone. The fast boys would have gone through before they were open and the only people we saw were Don B and Julian Dyson who we finished in together with at 19:50.
I have to say having only ridden the last 200k as a stand alone 200,the hills are an awful lot bigger when you've already done 400k

Still awaiting news of a few riders but hoping everyone else finished ok.

You can't give up cycling just yet anyway.You've still got an entry in for that little ride in August to the lighthouse and back   Go on you can do it

Pedal Up

Lucy.

That was tough!  I’ve never attempted a 600k before, and I doubt I’ll do another!  I was the nutter on the fixie…  I’d actually geared down a bit for this ride as I still hadn’t fully recovered from the 400k a couple of weeks before.  I was suffering from cramp, sore knees, and quite a few other ailments.
However, I made fairly good time on the 400k part - last time we’d finished nearer 5:30am, but this time I got back before 3:30am.  I ended up riding most of the way on my own, but meeting up with Applebag’s group at the controls.  The bit along the Roman Road was much harder this time, but the tailwind from Moffat was a great help, although spinning the twenty miles or so to Selkirk was pure torture.

This being my first 600k, I didn’t really know how to plan for the second loop.  I ended up stripping my bike down, putting it in my van, driving off to a cash machine for proof of passage, after which my immobiliser played up and I thought I was going to be stranded in a Galashiels bus stop.  I then drove back to the hotel (they’d forgotten to leave the door open for me so I had to disturb them with a 3:45am wake-up call), had a bath, ate some food, and went to bed.  I got up after 7:30am, drove back to the ‘start’, re-assembled my bike, and was on my way sometime between 8:30am and 9:00am.  I soon realised I was going to be in for a difficult day.  There were hills and headwinds, and I was struggling to motivate myself.  I stopped at one village and ate some rice pudding, and then made a decision to do something I’ve never done on a ride before – I changed my gearing down to 65”.  It made the climbs a wee bit easier (although I was still struggling), but it meant my average speed dropped a fair bit.  On one long sweeping downhill I was overtaken by a fast rider who left me for dead.  He stopped at another village and then caught up with me again on a steep climb I had to walk up.  We met at the first control, and he started talking about ‘buffers’ and making controls before time cut-offs.  I’d never really realised I had to be at controls within certain time limits – I’ve never had that problem before - but I suddenly realised I didn’t have much time in hand, and had to get going again even before my dessert had been delivered!  I kept up with the fast man for a few hundred yards up the long climb immediately after the Cedar café, but after that I was on my own the entire day.  I did ask at some of the controls, and was told that about half a dozen cyclists had been in a long time before me.  The next stage to Etal had a tailwind but also some steep climbs, and with the low gear I was unable to make up time on the descents or easier sections.  I wasn’t suffering from cramp on this part of the ride, but my knees were playing up, and I had pain behind my ankle, plus abrasions and numb hands.  The weather was pretty wild at times too.  I made it to Wooler in the middle of a downpour, and had thoughts about giving up.  However, I decided to try and make it to Morebattle.  A couple of times my right knee kind of gave way, but I backed off and tried to pedal using a different ‘technique’.  At Morebattle the nice lady in the pub gave me the numbers of a couple of taxi firms in the area, but I sat down and managed to read the brevet card for the first time.  I worked out I had a bit of time in hand, and my route sheet seemed to show that if I could make it to Lilliesleaf then Selkirk was only 0.7k from there (the reality was that it was more like 11 miles!).  I raised the pace on the first part of that leg, and felt I had enough time in hand to walk up a couple of steep sections.  After Lilliesleaf the directions were a bit sketchy, and at one junction I had to study a page of a map that fortunately I’d brought along.  The final climb before Selkirk was tough, but as I sat, shivering, atop a Calor gas bottle in a garge forecourt while eating crisps and drinking Gatorade (yuk!), I realised I would probably make it.  Cycling through Galashiels, I hit a particularly bad pot-hole, and the bike left the ground and I was lifted out of the saddle and could easily have become one of those ‘over the handlebar’ cases one reads about…  It was about twenty past nine when I got back, vowing never to ride my bike again.  When I got home yesterday the route sheet for the Dulsie Dipper 200 had been delivered, and as I now need ‘only’ to ride a 200k to become an SR and some sort of official fixie challenged nutter, I may relent and try to ride that one, but after that – no more!

David

[Creaky Knees]

Very sorry you didn't make it AB but hope you enjoyed the miles you did.

The bright almost full moon was amazing coming back down past St Mary's Loch lighting up the Grey Mare's tail and surrounding hills with the hoolets calling.

Keep pedalling ready for your Nocturne.We're looking forward to a good night out

Lucy.

Well, that was fun!

Cyclops was designated Route Master for the day and he guided us to Berwick and Eglingham.  The rain started at Eglingham, and it was really heavy.  The temperature dropped a few degrees as well, but thankfully the rain didn't last.  The sun even showed itself, and it was a very enjoyable ride over to Bellingham.  I was loving those hills!

There were 4 in our group - forummers Cyclops, Alves and me, plus Simon T.  We keep meeting Fixed Wheel Nutter (sorry, didn't ask your real name) who was on an 86" gear.  We're not worthy!

We had another really heavy shower along the military road beside Hadrian's Wall but it was dry from there on, though the temperature fell after dark.  My feet were frozen coming down Yarrow and I was glad when we stopped for a faerie visit so I could stamp my feet.

We got back to Gala (400km) before 3:30.  We made arrangements for meeting up in the morning and retired to our vehicles for sleep.  6:30 arrived and we had had enough.  None of us fancied continuing - saddle sores, cold, dark clouds, wind - whatever our excuses, we parted company.  No SR for me this year.  But we all had a good ride and I would certainly ride the route again.

Thanks to my companions for the day - it would have been a lot less enjoyable without you.

And thanks to Lucy and Dick for organising. 

[Andy Corless]

Still awaiting news of a few riders but hoping everyone else finished ok.

My cards's in the post 1st class today, along with the entry for your 1000........

Andy Corless

[nashd]

Thanks for all the encouragement, everyone.  I don’t feel much sense of achievement, although I do think it remarkable that it’s possible to cycle such a distance in one weekend.  I just wasn’t feeling as strong as normal – I seem to be getting slightly worse on each ride – but I know the terrain was difficult, the weather didn’t make it any easier at times, and my gearing was a compromise on that sort of route.  Setting out a bit too late on the Sunday morning spoiled my dreams of a relaxing day with plenty of extended stops.  Having said that, I did manage to eat and rest at all the controls, and just kept plodding away as the hills kept on getting steeper.  The scenery was beautiful, and the roads very quiet (although rather rough in parts), but I’ll forever be wary of entering one of Lucy’s ‘Scenic Rides’ in the future!

I’ve been to a sports clinic and the doctor’s over the past couple of days, and they’ve both advised me to give up cycling, especially on fixed.  I’ll probably rest up for a couple of weeks, and go with the doctor’s treatment, and then see if I’m in a fit state to do a 200k.  My recumbent frame should arrive soon after, then I’ll concentrate on getting used to that, and seeing if I’ll be able to ride audaxes next year. 

I did enjoy meeting up with AppleBag et al on the Saturday at the various controls.  I felt I could have done with a bit of a hand on the Sunday to take things easy and just get around the course.  Also, it’s a shame that I never got a chance to learn from the fast guys.  I must have caught up with Tigger’s Tandem and someone else (VC167 rider) after the Salmon Inn, but I was trying to take things easy and they went at the hills fairly hard, and after they’d dodged a couple of cars crossing a main road I didn’t see much more of them.

On the descent from the Grey Mare's Tail I surprised two snowy owls which were sitting on the white line.  They flew along beside me for a few hundred yards, illuminated by my pulsing Solidlights and the full moon.  I also saw a dead buzzard, a freshly killed roe deer, and a wee red squirrel ran towards me on all four legs looking very pleased with itself before getting a fright and darting up a nearby tree.   

David

[alves]

So that's what that weird noise was, quite unworldly, I admit I had to google "hoolets" as well.

I really enjoyed the ride and the company of Applebag, Cyclops and Unrest with appearances from nashd at stops. Despite some chafing it was a terrific ride and a beautiful night and a memorable day. I just didn't have the courage of my convictions after a sleep in the car at Gala and somehow a cold start without a cup of tea or a bacon roll just was the final straw so I packed after that.
My 1st 600 and the longest ride up to then was a 300, so it was quite ambitious. having failed on this one, I think I could have rested a bit longer and then headed off later in the morning, thinks...must remember not to pack "until the next control/cafe".
Thanks Lucy.

[Tigers Taxi]

Moffat Riot,

Half man Half Biscuit did the Trumpton Riots, whats a Moffat Riot, the place was dead when we got there.

Andy S
 PS But beware the Denshaw riot if the shorter distance riders have eaten all the butties 

[don black]

"whats a Moffat Riot, the place was dead when we got there."
You were too early, if you keep up that pace there'll be a butty left for you at Denshaw.
Don.