Forth and Tay 200 - March 10th 2013

[Pingu]

That's the preparation for the Easter Arrow complete. A good show by the East Audax Écosse team - 3 DNS & 2 DNF 

Otherdave and I were two of he DNSs: I posted our tale of woe on FB:

Well, David Fawcett and I managed a 30 mile ride this morning. But not as planned. We got down the M90 as far as Kelty about 7.15 when it began to white-out. We decided to come off the motorway and head back home. Going down the long slope into Kelty, we hit some black ice, skidded and pranged a front wheel hard on a kerb, knackering the suspension. We got AA rescue back up to the Honda garage in Perth, and rode home to Kirrie from there. Luckily for me, but not for David, we were in his car. Good luck to anyone still out.

The FB report omitted to mention that we had McBreakfast in McPerth before we set off home. The 30 miles took 2h11m into the wind all the way. Auchterarder to St Andrews in hat wind must have been hellish, if anyone made it that far.

Oh bugger - bad luck otherdave. Impressed with the audax spirit of you both cycling home, though 

[eck]

Oh bugger - bad luck otherdave. Impressed with the audax spirit of you both cycling home, though 

Well, we got to Perth about 9.30 and the garage didn't open until 12. We were also doubtful that we'd be able to get a hire car since neither of us had our driving licence with us. We spent a moment wondering how we'd get back up the road until it dawned on us that we just happened to have a couple of bikes in the back of his car. 

[jogler]

I saw the snow;decided not to venture forth & tayed in bed

[marcusjb]

Truly the face of "WTF I am doing here?"!  Terrible looking conditions and I hope if anyone is still out there, they're doing ok!

[Cyclops]

I'm off back to Dalmeny to open the hall as there apparently 11 riders still out there despite the conditions. If you've packed and haven't told me can you please phone or text me on the phone number on your brevet card. If I end up sitting in a church hall until 9.30 and no-one turns up I'll be somewhat less than impressed.

[eck]

Never mind the riders, a bit of a nightmare day for you too Martin. Would it be worth contacting riders' emergency contacts to ask them to let you know if they hear of any abandons - being a sensitive sort of chap, I imagine you could do that without causing them undue alarum! 

[crowriver]

Yes, sympathies with Martin. He and Kev were in the hall's kitchen fielding phone calls like an emergency response team whilst we assembled packers were slurping tea and philosophising.

Bad luck to Alex and Dave too. I'll bet the breeze was refreshing on the way home.   

[eck]

Now, there's a chap who has studied the "How to Fold Your Buff in 27 Different Ways" leaflet.

[bodach]

  Had a look out the window at 6.30, saw the snow starting and the temp. at -1C so went back to bed. Sorry about your pranged wheel Eck. Happened to me two years ago and cost a four figure sum to sort. Nice to see the snaps of the hardy young things who ventured out.  Shame about Cyclop's event having such challenging weather. Glad
I didn't let the Audax Ecosse Easter arrow Team down. Was out walking yesterday and did about 29k. so no great guilt about not going out today.

[Feanor]

Nae Luck Dave and Eck.

The A90 south was close to impassible between Stonehaven and Laurencekirk at 06:00, and as you discovered, there were some fairly big snowstorms further south.   Dundee was in whiteout as I passed through.   There were a few cars off-the-road through the road-works contraflow: they'd taked the contra-flow lane-change shimmy too fast and taken out the row of cones and landed up on the grassy bank.

The drive home was more sane.
ETA: I also had a sneaky second breakfast, at Kinross services.  I got some odd looks, still in my cycling kit.

Although we DNF'd it early at the North side of the bridge, we managed one of the best pieces of indecision ever.   We did about 4 partial repeats of the bridge in a yes-we-will / no-we-wont flap.   Still, it made up the majority of our km for the day.

Best of luck to anyone who's still out.

[Pingu]

Best of luck to anyone who's still out.

Indeed, hoping to hear news soon 

[MercuryKev]

According the the Audax Ecosse facebook group 3 people got back at 18:30

[otherdave]

Latest from the organiser on Audax Ecosse facebook was 4 finishers and 2 missing

[Pingu]

Who?

[Feanor]

As of 20:02:

Messrs Stark and Trumper were first back at 6.30 then a bloke from Fife CTC. There are 3 still out who were last seen about Newburgh.

As of 22:48:

4 finishers, 2 missing. The weather out there is awful