Highland Fling 1000 from Darlington, - now Friday 29/04/2022

[FifeingEejit]

Now seems the perfect time to sign up for another 1000....
ACME grand is tempting me...

Edit: Has tempted me.

[Graeme]

Bicycle touring back home... delightful climb over the R&BT. Fabulous canal towpath into the heart of Glasgow. Currently waiting for a connecting train in Eds-bo. Found a cafe that serves enough calories to clear my deficit in one go.

It was so good to meet mattc for the first time, and to meet friends from audax-past. I'll be at Arrivée to cheer the plucky riders home.

Cycling today I have come to the conclusion I got clothing, eating, pace, mind and body right. Where I screwed up was strategy. LEL17 I left midday and slept from 1-3am. Then carried on. Trying to get to 570 without sleep was a mistake. I'm feeling hugely encouraged about my endurance - I pushed further than I've ever done before without sleep and found my empty bucket. PBP23 is going to require a sleep stop on the way to Brest. I'd heard that wisdom said: ride to Brest, tour home. But I now know I couldn't do that.

Last night I was wondering if I'd ever Audax again. This morning I remembered what *day 2* ought to feel like. I've even found myself wondering if I could do a 24hr TT and get to 500 - what with there being no gratuitous ascents.

Anyway. Dean has really created a monster in this event. I hope more people get to experience the severe kicking I've had.

(Note, yeah the A9 was premeditated by said rider)

[FifeingEejit]

Looking over my Strava, I seem to have beaten all my best times on descents.
Well except from Patna to Ayr, 50kg of luggage seems to be better for that one than 25Kg of excess ballast.

Said rider... had commented at Castle Douglas about the state of the roads on the descents of the Military Road, I did wonder why I caught him so easily as he hadn't long before dispatched me and my aching right foot on the way into Dumfries.

Maybe he thought the A9 would have a better surface than the route?

Despite that aching foot I seem to have set my best time over to Brampton, admittedly Vs the return leg of "Over the hill and back" 400.

The aching foot was fixed by loosening velcro straps when I put my warmers on.

[Graeme]

Just seen your Strava uploads... you abandoned too?

[Graeme]

That's an interesting navigational fuck up.

The short cut from Doune road to Cromlix is easy to miss, but the direct route to Braco isn't!

I packed at Otter Ferry....
Ok I decided I was likely to pack at Otter Ferry and fuck is that a long way to bail out from.

I am maybe regretting the decision to continue to Arrochar rather than bail to Dunoon, and certainly deciding to go to Balloch by Loch Lomond (Why did I think the railway went that way) rather than continue to Hellensburgh and chance my luck on a WHL train before that. (IT was 1hr 15m to the next one at Arrochar and Tarbert and there is no heating in the waiting rooms)

Felt great all the way until Cowal, but the brutality of Stronafian followed by the Bealach Maim/Bealachandrain revealed I had no climbing left. Grinding to a halt on what looked like a descent without touching the brakes somewhere near Strauchur further dampended spirits (I'll need to check my wiring and dynamo as I think that was water related) and then climbing Glen Kinglass finished me off, even the descent off the rest into Arroachar didn't help and I didn't bother grabbing a reciept at Arroachar (mistake really I should have eaten)#

I suspect the cold hard night and struggle to find breakfast before the café up the cut didn't help either.

Ah.

[Graeme]

I sort of wished I'd packed at the 20% walk from Dunoon, and returned to the ferry. There was a train direct to Glasgow from Gournock and it was early enough. However, my abandon has turned into a cycling holiday. Yay!

[IanDG]

Looking over my Strava, I seem to have beaten all my best times on descents.
Well except from Patna to Ayr, 50kg of luggage seems to be better for that one than 25Kg of excess ballast.

Said rider... had commented at Castle Douglas about the state of the roads on the descents of the Military Road, I did wonder why I caught him so easily as he hadn't long before dispatched me and my aching right foot on the way into Dumfries.

Maybe he thought the A9 would have a better surface than the route?

Despite that aching foot I seem to have set my best time over to Brampton, admittedly Vs the return leg of "Over the hill and back" 400.

The aching foot was fixed by loosening velcro straps when I put my warmers on.

Potholes on the OMR are not the worse in Dumfries and Galloway

[Deano]

Back in Darlo from sorting out the Comrie control, where I solved both the Mystery of the Missing Jacket and the Case of the Vanishing Brevet Card*. I've a night off (ish) before sorting out the finish in the morning.

There are actually 38 still on the road, decent weather today and looking like a tailwind finish back from tonight's overnight control at Powburn in glorious Northumberland.

*In both cases, it was there all the time.

[FifeingEejit]

Slightly jealous of the remaining 38, but only slightly.

In fact I might just haul myself out of my own bed and take a walk to the 24hr BP, evidently the medium papa John's vegan pizza claiming 1500kcal I ordered for lunch when I realized my fridge was empty wasn't enough, nor the ben and Jerry's dairy free ice cream (this is a find of much delight) or garlic bread pizza, cos I'm getting a bit hungry.

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[Peter]

That was going so well - and then you mentioned garlic bread pizza!

[FifeingEejit]

It went down hill further, I got hungry at 1am so went to the spar and got a sweet and sour chicken ready meal.

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[Graeme]

Seeing riders getting back to Darlo right now. Half a dozen through looking remarkably fresh and in great spirits. A joy to stamp cards.

[FifeingEejit]

fantastic

[John Stonebridge]

Well done to all concerned, finishers DNFs Dean and helpers.   Sounds epic!

The stretch of the A9 at Balhaldie takes the definition of "main road bash" to daft levels.  An info control in Kinbuck or at Cromlix does the trick though info control material is somewhat thin on the ground.  I recall a lengthy post event debate about the difference between chimneys and flues sparked by an info control question.     

[FifeingEejit]

There's a good Farm sign on a house in Kinbuck that would do nicely and very topical at the moment.

[oggy]

Got off to a good start and made good time to Castle Douglas, the food there was awesome kept me going well. Had an option for breakfast at Greenock Cut bit foolishly decided to carry on paid the price on the hills to Otter Ferry (that last one is a beast).

By this time the rain had started so by the time I got to the top of Rest and Be Thankful I was soaked through so was thankful I found a cafe (obvious by the collection of bikes parked outside) soup was awesome and feeling better carried on replenished supplies at Helensburg. 95k to overnight control got to Buchlyvie and started to feel cold starting to shiver every item of kit was soaked and still raining so decided to pack rather than risk hyperthermia I packed.

Very grateful for the lift to Comrie and to the station.

The route is fantastic and manned controls were brilliant.

In hindsight i should have packed extra gloves and a base layer plus extra socks would have been good.

[aidan.f]

Yes, even with plenty of wool on it was cold at times
Big thank you again to Dean and Team  Great support and super route.

[mr ben]

Well done to all who started, never mind finished.  In awe of the speed some of you (ok most of you, I'm always bringing up the rear) were going at.

[Diesel]

Going to be a while recovering from that but I think I've warmed up and dried out again finally!

Great event and will have many wonderful memories.

Huge thanks to Dean and the Team. It really was exceptional organisation and controls.

Turning up at Duns at midnight to be met with such a warm welcome at the camper van control - Hot Coffee AND Whisky. Surely that's Audax at it's best.

Thank you all

[L CC]

I'll be making use of all the sleep offerings, hoping that my riding speed is enough to get me to the finish on time.

You reminded me to find my ear plugs...

Dale & I agreed we'd rather have been riding-it's probably easier.

I'm glad I'd booked today off work and hope all you riders were properly fed. And I am very sorry about the lack of cream.

[mattc]

Well that was a long day out. Pretty, though (mostly)

From there, it's a gorgeous run back down the coast, under the Tyne* and through the lanes back to Darlo.

Yeah. Lanes.
They would have been nice. Still, I'd hate to have nothing to moan about.

[Deano]

Dale & I agreed we'd rather have been riding-it's probably easier.

I'm glad I'd booked today off work and hope all you riders were properly fed. And I am very sorry about the lack of cream.

Yeah, I went into work (the actual office) the day after riding it, couldn't have done that today...

[IanDG]

Dale & I agreed we'd rather have been riding-it's probably easier.

I'm glad I'd booked today off work and hope all you riders were properly fed. And I am very sorry about the lack of cream.

Yeah, I went into work (the actual office) the day after riding it, couldn't have done that today...

My legs are still aching - I only helped for 1 night (plus a full day in the kitchen food prep). Did my voluntary food deliveries this morning and then fell asleep on the couch 

[Deano]

Well that was a long day out. Pretty, though (mostly)

From there, it's a gorgeous run back down the coast, under the Tyne* and through the lanes back to Darlo.

Yeah. Lanes.
They would have been nice. Still, I'd hate to have nothing to moan about.

Careful, Matt, I'm checking cards and just got to yours

[FifeingEejit]

Just been sent a screenshot of the finish list, not sure how Robbie gets it from aukweb still.

Hard Bastards the lot of them and that was their categorization before last Friday.

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