2018 Borders 350/Borders 220 group start, register now.

[Howard]

Was out last weekend for a play which included the 30 odd miles where the Borders 350 route follows the Borders Abbeys Way long distance footpath. A perfect day for being out in the hills and everywhere very firm under wheel. Long may it last. Starting to get excited Borders Abbeys Way by Heatherstalks, on Flickr

[fatbikephil]

Starting to get excited

I'm starting to get nervous....
Ray, any chance of posting info up on here as well for all us Facebook haters?
Cheers P

[benconnolli]

Sorry Ray I will have to drop out of this. It would mean taking the second week off from my new job as holiday. Much as my boss is also a cycling nut and would surely understand, I need to show some sort of commitment to the job as I only have a trial initially
May the weather be forever in your favour

[adrianb]

Ray, any chance of posting info up on here as well for all us Facebook haters?

+1 please Ray
Thanks
Adrian

[Ray Young]

Ray, any chance of posting info up on here as well for all us Facebook haters?
Cheers P

+1 please Ray
Thanks
Adrian

Ok, I'll get onto it.

[Ray Young]

Sorry Ray I will have to drop out of this. It would mean taking the second week off from my new job as holiday. Much as my boss is also a cycling nut and would surely understand, I need to show some sort of commitment to the job as I only have a trial initially
May the weather be forever in your favour

Sorry you can't make it but I understand. Thanks for letting me know.

[Howard]

Starting to get excited

I'm starting to get nervous....

Oh I'm definitely that as well

[Ray Young]

The first day for both routes is in my opinion the hardest both physically and psychologically. To make up for that after Moffat there is mile after mile of gravel riding so you should be able to do big miles.

220 FACILITIES, distance in miles.
0. Start NT265401, 8am.
17. Broughton, tea room, garage.
50. Moffat, big coop late opening, take aways, cafes, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b, campsite, bike shop.
76. Turn off to Greensykes Bothy NT312000, 100 m off route.
110. Newcastleton, shop late opening, pubs selling food.
117. Turn off to Kershopehead Bothy NY544862, 250 m off route PLUS you have to cross a steep sided stream and cross an area of felled trees.
129. Kielder village, small shop shuts tea time, pub selling food, cafe, camp site, bike hire that may be able to help with mechanicals, public toilets open 24 hours.
144. Byrness, YHA, hotel.
146. Spithope Bothy, small and popular so you might find it full NT768056.
154. Yearning Saddle or Lamb Hill refuge hut NT804129.
178. Jedburgh, shops, takeaways, cafes, pubs selling food, bike shop, campsite, hotels, b&b.
192. Hawick, shops, takeaways, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b.
206. Selkirk, shops, takeaways, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b.
227. Finish NT262390

350 FACILITIES distance in miles.
0. Start NT265401, 8am.
21. Tibie Shiels roadside cafe.
47. Broughton, tea shop, garage.
81. Moffat, large coop open late, takeaways, cafes, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b, campsite, bike shop.
92 . Over Phawhope bothy NT181081.
128. Greensykes bothy, 100 m off route at NT312000
162. Newcastleton, shop open late, pubs selling food.
168. Kershopehead bothy, 250 m off route PLUS you have to cross a steep sided stream and cross an area of felled trees.
181. Kielder, small shop shuts at tea time, bar selling food, cafe, campsite, bike hire place that may be able to help with mechanicals, public toilets open 24 hours.
196. Byrness, YHA, hotel.
198. Spithope bothy, small and popular so you might find it full NT768056.
205. Yearning Saddle or Lamb Hill refuge hut NT804129.
224. Kirk Yetholme, pub. Town Yetholme 500 m off route shop, pub, b&b.
239. Wooler 500 m off route, Coop open late, take aways, cafes, pubs serving food, hotels, b&b, campsites (don't use the big commercial one, it'll cost you a fortune).
268. Alwinton, pub selling food lunchtimes and evenings, may be able to do something out of these hours if you ask nicely.
307. Jedburgh, shops, takeaways, cafes, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b, campsite, bike shop.
321. Hawick, shops, takeaway, cafes, pubs selling food, hotels, b&b.
335. Selkirk, shops, takeaway, cafes, pubs doing food, hotels, b&b.
356. Finish NT262390.

220 NAVIGATIONAL ADVICE.
Fruid Reservoir NT099182 to The Devils Beeftub. Long and sustained uphill bike hike. Do not be tempted by quad bike tracks, stick to the GPX except for when you encounter a fence line, following right next to it can be easier going due to less vegetation from sheep and rabbit traffic.

Moffat to The Cheviot Hills. 98 miles of mostly gravel.

Garrogill push NT158029. A steep 1k push up a good path.

350 NAVIGATIONAL ADVICE.
Megget Reservoir to Dollar Law. It is now mostly an estate track and not single-track as marked on the map. Stay on the estate track untill your almost at the top of it NT179265, when it bears sharp left exit right at a small pile of stones. Skirt right round the bog aiming for a gate in a fence corner.
Newholm Cairns Hill area NT169287. After descending from Dollar Law keep left of a small hillock, aim for a signpost whilst looking out for a small gully to the right, descend this to cross an old gate then join the main path.
Long Grain Knowe NT168295 to Pykestone Hill NT170307. After climbing the good path to Long Grain Knowe follow the fence line with the fence on your left, pass through a gate and follow the fence line with the fence on your right. At a small mound with a sunken rocky centre join the main path.

Fruid Reservoir NT099182 to The Devils Beeftub. Long and sustained uphill bike hike. Do not be tempted by quad bike tracks, stick to the GPX except when you meet a fence line. It is often easier to follow this as there is less vegetation due to sheep and rabbit traffic.

Moffat to The Cheviot Hills, 120 miles of mostly gravel.

Langlee Crags bikehike NT960261 to NT962220, this section is awful but this is in England so the route has to legally follow the bridleway. This section will be totally overgrown however there is a double track not marked on the map that goes directly up the hill, up to you whether you take it or not.
Langlee Crags bikehike continued. NT962220 to NT969209, once at the top make your best way possible until you see a shed, head for it but not too far right or you'll end in a bog. Once your going downhill you will see the gap in the trees your heading for which is near the lowest point in front of you. The track becomes rideable once in the woods.

Any questions please just ask.
Thanks.

[Bikepackeruk]

Hi guys..... I thought I would introduce myself as I’m new to the forum and will be taking part in the Borders 350 group start. I will be getting the train from Manchester to Edinburgh on the Friday morning then riding to the start. If anyone knows of any wild camp spots near the start it would be appreciated. Looking forward to to riding with like minded people and taking on a challenging route. My setup is a bit heavy because I’m carrying a stove and a small tent. I thought the tent would be a good escape from the dreaded midges. Cheers mike

[Ray Young]

Hi Mike, great to have you along. What time does your train get in and what sort of route have you planned to get to Peebles, road or off road? I reckon a few other riders will be using Rosetta camp site if you fancy that, maybe bump into some fellow riders. You could wild camp near the start in Glentress forest or somewhere along the old railway line that is the start of the route, I'm sure some others could recommend places for you.
Midges can be a problem but we tend not to get the real nasty ones that further north and west gets, a midge headnet, midge cream and careful bivi spot selection could work if you didnt want to bring a tent.

[Bikepackeruk]

Hi Mike, great to have you along. What time does your train get in and what sort of route have you planned to get to Peebles, road or off road? I reckon a few other riders will be using Rosetta camp site if you fancy that, maybe bump into some fellow riders. You could wild camp near the start in Glentress forest or somewhere along the old railway line that is the start of the route, I'm sure some others could recommend places for you.
Midges can be a problem but we tend not to get the real nasty ones that further north and west gets, a midge headnet, midge cream and careful bivi spot selection could work if you didnt want to bring a tent.

Not sure on times for the trains yet. I forgot how expensive they are. I was planning an off-road route but may change depending on time. I was thinking of camping in glentress but it would be nice to meet a few riders if they are staying on a campsite.

I can’t make my mind up about the tent so will decide in the next few weeks. Are most people taking bivi and tarp?

[Ray Young]

Tarp and bivi bag for me, may even ditch the tarp depending on the weather forecast but then I'm only doing the 220.

[Howard]

Hi Mike - lightweight TrekkerTent for me - I hate midges of any description with a passion and being able to escape from them could be the difference for me between completing or not (I figure there are enough other reasons why it's so hard to complete this route.....). I only live about an hour's drive away so i'll be making the most of my own bed and will travel down on the morning. It would be good to know if there's a cafe that people are planning to breakfast in before the start....

[fatbikephil]

Theres optimism Ray!
Deschutes and mesh inner for me. I went bivvy bag only last year but fortunately got in over phawhope bothy on my one night out as the midges were ferocious....
I'll also head down on the morning. I don't think there is a café open that early in Peebles.

[pushbikemike]

Peebles now has a Greggs and a Costa. Opening times are 7.00am/7.30am.

[ericrobo]

Ray

Forgot to mention, when I got back to Moffat on the Saturday, there was a car rally going on, checkpoint on the car park I was on, and they had been through Eskdalemuir Forest...

So make sure there are no rallies on the weekend/week of your group start

[ianfitz]

I’ve just ridden from the beeftub down to moffatt with Mia. The ground is bone dry currently, although looks like rain later.

[Richpips]

We are hoping to ITT the 350 in the summer hols.

[Ray Young]

We are hoping to ITT the 350 in the summer hols.

.

[Borderer]

Just a word of warning - someone had an expensive bike nicked from the Rosetta campsite yesterday. Peebles and Innerleithen have a big problem with bike theft - the area is targetted (most likely by theives from outside the area) because of the downhill trails. The theives follow people home even to see where they live and go back later for the bikes. So keep your wits about you and the bike inside your vehicle overnight at the campsite if possible.

[Howard]

just in case anybody didn't notice Ray's post about spot tracker links, I'm offering to (try to) set up a shared event page..... see this thread http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB ... 10&t=12441

[Borderer]

Byrness YHA closed last year Ray. Hotel in Byrness doesn't do food and neither does the campsite.
There is a YHA in Wooler though.

[Ray Young]

Byrness YHA closed last year Ray. Hotel in Byrness doesn't do food and neither does the campsite.
There is a YHA in Wooler though.

Thanks for the heads up.

[fatbikephil]

Ray, just been doing some route homework - the section between Bedrule and denholm has a vague bit between Dykesglen wood and Spittal tower - is this obvious on the ground or is it a case of following your nose?

[Howard]

Ray, just been doing some route homework - the section between Bedrule and denholm has a vague bit between Dykesglen wood and Spittal tower - is this obvious on the ground or is it a case of following your nose?

Phil, I did that bit when I did the Borders Abbeys Way a couple of months ago. It is pretty vague on the ground - and there were animals in the field at the time as well. However, looking at the GPX track it looks pretty much exactly what I did. You are following the long distance footpath markers but they are just posts in the distance to help you across the fields. I think the OS map has the red diamonds wrong as I was on the opposite side of the field from Blawearie. There was a boggy bit before Spittal Tower that should be bone dry now!! Hope that helps!

Anyway, while I remember, if you go slightly off route to Towerburn (see below), you might get refreshments in a sort of outdoor barn. I tried, but they were doing a wedding reception that day so didn't like to gate crash.

Here's my gps track from May
Bedrule by Heatherstalks, on Flickr