Dot Watch Hopefully Fast Borders 350 Attempt

[Ray Young]

Tom Gibbs starts Thursday 8th at around 9 am from Moffat. He's hoping for a fast time.


https://live.opentracking.co.uk/tomborders350/

[In Reverse]

He's flying. I make that 106km in 5hrs 45m.

I'd done 61km in that time and felt like I was making decent progress

[Ray Young]

Up till now he's been on gravel 98% of the time. In fact it's gravel all the way to Spithope Bothy just before the Cheviot Hills ridgeline. That will slow him down.

[In Reverse]

Yeah the trails are all pretty fast other than that grassy push over the Southern Uplands Way. That slowed me down quite a bit. And the Roman Road section in Craik Forest was so boggy I had to push some of it.

Be interesting to see his speed over that Cheviots Pennine Way stretch. Have you had much rain?

[Ray Young]

Have you had much rain?

Biblical, at least in Edinburgh. I'm sure the hills didn't go unscathed. Having said that the forecast whilst he's out is pretty good but quite humid.

[Ray Young]

Just out of interest who's watching this?

[Lazarus]

me I fancied a go [considerably slower ] at it till my broken collar bone put me out for the summer

He is shifting

[Borderer]

Just out of interest who's watching this?

Me

[trogladytes]

Just out of interest who's watching this?

Me

[Borderer]

I see you have changed the section from Jed to Hawick Ray to take account of the river bank collapse. You have actually routed the wrong way up a one-way street - Princes Street in Hawick is one way west to east since last year. There is also a much better off-road path from Burnfoot to the Leisure Centre that I will message you about. The way that you have them going through Burnfoot is actually pretty busy with trucks accessing the industrial estate, where the off-road route is a flat, rails-to-trails tarmac thing that is obviously much safer to ride that instead.

[Ray Young]

I see you have changed the section from Jed to Hawick Ray to take account of the river bank collapse. You have actually routed the wrong way up a one-way street - Princes Street in Hawick is one way west to east since last year. There is also a much better off-road path from Burnfoot to the Leisure Centre that I will message you about. The way that you have them going through Burnfoot is actually pretty busy with trucks accessing the industrial estate, where the off-road route is a flat, rails-to-trails tarmac thing that is obviously much safer to ride that instead.

Thank you.

[Borderer]

I see you have changed the section from Jed to Hawick Ray to take account of the river bank collapse. You have actually routed the wrong way up a one-way street - Princes Street in Hawick is one way west to east since last year. There is also a much better off-road path from Burnfoot to the Leisure Centre that I will message you about. The way that you have them going through Burnfoot is actually pretty busy with trucks accessing the industrial estate, where the off-road route is a flat, rails-to-trails tarmac thing that is obviously much safer to ride that instead.

Thank you.

I have emailed you a gpx

[Borderer]

I'll pop out in a bit and make sure Tom doesn't try and ride the wrong way up Princes Street.

[Ray Young]

I'll pop out in a bit and make sure Tom doesn't try and ride the wrong way up Princes Street.

That's very kind of you, thanks

[Borderer]

Safely escorted past the one way street and on his way. I'm not sure he got the joke with the sign I wanted to write Allez Opi Tomi which would have been even better but I ran out of space on the sign

[thenorthwind]

Just out of interest who's watching this?

I am. Well I looked a couple of times yesterday (once at 09.30 to be fair) but didn't seem to be working... and now I've checked in and 2/3rds of the way round At this rate he'll have finished by the time I next look.

[Lazarus]

He does not even look tired chapeau

Chapeau to the weirdos for helping out

[Borderer]

He does not even look tired chapeau

Nope - he was quite happy to stand up and chat. Not out of breath or anything. Legend.

[In Reverse]

146km to go and looks like he's loading up on coffee. Going for the last stretch in a one-er? He's going to be smashing Alex's time...

[Borderer]

146km to go and looks like he's loading up on coffee. Going for the last stretch in a one-er? He's going to be smashing Alex's time...

He was planning on a wee kip tonight but he might get inspired to keep going if he gets far enough I spose.

[Ray Young]

He does not even look tired chapeau

Nope - he was quite happy to stand up and chat. Not out of breath or anything. Legend.

Was he enjoying it?

[Borderer]

He does not even look tired chapeau

Nope - he was quite happy to stand up and chat. Not out of breath or anything. Legend.

Was he enjoying it?

I think so. He said the Cheviots had been claggy and tough going, which isn't surprising given the rain we have had recently. He was pretty focussed - unsurprisingly! He said his bike was fine and everything seemed to be going well, so he certainly seemed to be enjoying that aspect of it - everything going to plan and a good time within his grasp. He honestly didn't seem as though he had ridden more than ten miles to get here.

[Ray Young]

Still going strong but slowing down which is hardly surprising. He's still got some of the hardest sections to do. The climb up to Dollar Law, the highest point of the route and the Devils Beeftub bikehike.

[thenorthwind]

Wow, he's virtually done

Chapeau Tom

Remind me what Alex's time was Ray?

[Lazarus]

He is now that is a seriousy impressive ride there