Borders 350. 2015 Final Route and Details.

[Karl]

Rosetta was £12 for a 1 man tent.

[ianfitz]

Good stuff Ray. Just thinking is it worth someone with local knowledge deciding on a pub that does food for Friday night? I recon we should be camped up and in the pub for 8 latest. Could post it on here and send out by email...

Pushbikemike's your man for that I reckon.
I may be up for camping Fri night but not definite yet. How much was the campsite to book?

It's £12 for a one man tent. But I booked a pitch for £18 as there are two of us.

[Ray Young]

Just thought I'd say that "The Devil's Beeftub" which comes after the bikehike section from Fruid Reservoir and before the drop into Moffat is worth seeing in the daylight.
It is a huge natural basin formed by the sides of four steep hills. Walter Scott, in his novel "Redgauntlet" described it thus, "It looks as if four steep hills where laying their heads together, to shut out daylight from the dark hollow space between them. A damned deep, black, blackguard-looking abyss of a hole it is".
I for one will be waiting until the morning to circumnavigate it if I fail to pass it in daylight on the first day.

[pushbikemike]

Good stuff Ray. Just thinking is it worth someone with local knowledge deciding on a pub that does food for Friday night? I recon we should be camped up and in the pub for 8 latest. Could post it on here and send out by email...

Pushbikemike's your man for that I reckon.


Cross keys on Northgate side of Peebles is a weatherspoons pub. The County is on the high street. Both are reasonable for price and quality for food. Bridge inn and Neidpath pubs are good for ales.

Mike

[ianfitz]

Good stuff Ray. Just thinking is it worth someone with local knowledge deciding on a pub that does food for Friday night? I recon we should be camped up and in the pub for 8 latest. Could post it on here and send out by email...

Pushbikemike's your man for that I reckon.


Cross keys on Northgate side of Peebles is a weatherspoons pub. The County is on the high street. Both are reasonable for price and quality for food. Bridge inn and Neidpath pubs are good for ales.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I checked and the cross keys serves food up to 11pm, Can I suggest we meet there from 8pm? I'll send out an email to all too.

See you there!

[pushbikemike]

Sounds good Ian. See you there.
I've just loaded up my bike for a little test ride.

[Ray Young]

I've just loaded up my bike

I can't believe how little I'm taking .

[pushbikemike]

I've just loaded up my bike

I can't believe how little I'm taking .

Details Ray. We need details. Are you leaving out a stove? Think I might leave it. Trying a quilt for this trip.

[Ray Young]

Details Ray. We need details.

No stove, not taken one for my last three trips. That also means no pan or meths.
Closed cell foam mat instead of my exped down lite.
Terra Nova moonlite bivi bag instead of Alpkit Hunka.
660 ml water bottle + chlorine tabs instead of bladder/filter.
Tarp, one pole, four alloy v pegs, four Alpkit Tipins.
Vango Venom 400 down bag + silk liner.
Midge headnet.
Night riding light with one battery (4-5 hours run time).
Basic tools + two tubes.
Goretex paclite waterproof.
Baggies + two pairs padded short liners.
Long sleeve base layer top.
Short sleeve, full zip cycle top.
Wind proof gilet.
Possibly leg warmers.
Cycle socks.
Beanie.

No spare clothing or down jacket, if I'm cold or wet when I stop it's straight into the sleeping bag.

My basic plan is to cycle all the daylight hours I can which should be about 19 hours a day. The night riding light is for emergencies or pushing on into the night on the last day if I have it in me.

[Zippy]

Sounds like a good setup Ray, just the right balance of speed/comfort. All easy for me to say from an armchair!

Good luck everyone.

[pushbikemike]

Details Ray. We need details.

No stove, not taken one for my last three trips. That also means no pan or meths.
Closed cell foam mat instead of my exped down lite.
Terra Nova moonlite bivi bag instead of Alpkit Hunka.
660 ml water bottle + chlorine tabs instead of bladder/filter.
Tarp, one pole, four alloy v pegs, four Alpkit Tipins.
Vango Venom 400 down bag + silk liner.
Midge headnet.
Night riding light with one battery (4-5 hours run time).
Basic tools + two tubes.
Goretex paclite waterproof.
Baggies + two pairs padded short liners.
Long sleeve base layer top.
Short sleeve, full zip cycle top.
Wind proof gilet.
Possibly leg warmers.
Cycle socks.
Beanie.

No spare clothing or down jacket, if I'm cold or wet when I stop it's straight into the sleeping bag.

My basic plan is to cycle all the daylight hours I can which should be about 19 hours a day. The night riding light is for emergencies or pushing on into the night on the last day if I have it in me.

Cheers ray. Thanks for the details. I'm with you on the plan to cycle while it's light. And carry very little.

[restlessshawn]

Hi Ray,

Any chance you could send me on the final GPX files please? I am actually leaving on Monday and a lot of what I was planning to ride overlapped. Just hoping to pick up on any of your last minute changes :)

cheers

smcfarlane at gmail dot com

[Ray Young]

Long range weather forecast looking pretty good at the moment for the Borders.

Sat-Tue temps 9-16 °, light rain showers Sun and Tue, 50% cloud cover Sat and Mon with sunny spells, light winds all four days.

[Ray Young]

Hi Ray,

Any chance you could send me on the final GPX files please? I am actually leaving on Monday and a lot of what I was planning to ride overlapped. Just hoping to pick up on any of your last minute changes :)

cheers

smcfarlane at gmail dot com

Hi Shaun, email sent, enjoy.

[ianfitz]

Long range weather forecast looking pretty good at the moment for the Borders.

Sat-Tue temps 9-16 °, light rain showers Sun and Tue, 50% cloud cover Sat and Mon with sunny spells, light winds all four days.

I'll take that

[Ray Young]

My basic plan is to cycle all the daylight hours I can which should be about 19 hours a day.

What planet am I on? Just noticed how soon it's getting dark now, more like 16 hours I think.

[pushbikemike]

My basic plan is to cycle all the daylight hours I can which should be about 19 hours a day.

What planet am I on? Just noticed how soon it's getting dark now, more like 16 hours I think.

Aye, the nights a fair drawin' in.

[Ray Young]

Just ordered a second battery for my night riding light, hope it turns up in time.

[fatbikephil]

Is there a pre start meet up point before we head along to the path to the official start point? ie somewhere providing coffe and cake / rolls??

[pushbikemike]

Is there a pre start meet up point before we head along to the path to the official start point? ie somewhere providing coffe and cake / rolls??

There are a few cafés / shops that do rolls and coffee but not sure of opening times. One that springs to mind is Tatlers. Next to a deli called Coltmans. Both at the south end of the high street near the church with the clock tower. Cyclists always stop there ( roadies usually). What time are you thinking?

[pushbikemike]

There is a little place on the high street called Food for Thought. That should be open before 8am. Saw it open this morning on my way to work. Food and coffee I think?
Mike

[Ray Young]

There are plenty of spaces left if your interested.

Entrants -

Me.
Pushbikemike (sorry Mike, don't know your surname).
Karl Booth.
Ian Fitz.
Mark Evans.
Phil Clarke.
Craig McGhee.
Robbie Lyall.

Down to eight proposing to start now.

[ianfitz]

Must say that the current forecast from my favourite Norwegians (which, unfortunately in this case, is usually very accurate) doesn't look so good for Sunday...

Theyr.com/wxpro.asp

[Ray Young]

Must say that the current forecast from my favourite Norwegians (which, unfortunately in this case, is usually very accurate) doesn't look so good for Sunday...

Theyr.com/wxpro.asp

See what you mean. Sunday for me will be Moffat area to the Cheviot Hills, nearly all gravel so shouldn't affect overall speed too much.

[ianfitz]

Must say that the current forecast from my favourite Norwegians (which, unfortunately in this case, is usually very accurate) doesn't look so good for Sunday...

Theyr.com/wxpro.asp

See what you mean. Sunday for me will be Moffat area to the Cheviot Hills, nearly all gravel so shouldn't affect overall speed too much.

thinking about it Ray (or mike, or anyone with local knowledge) could you give a quick breakdown of terrain on various bits of the route.

the out/back and loop section looks like it may be a bit rough in places, obliviously there's the hike-a-bike section to the beef tub (is it HaB all the way from fruid res?)

Having had a quick look on google earth many of the forest roads are very bright looking, presume they are in fairly good order and therefore pretty quick (aside from all the climbing!)

a basic heads up about sections which are likely to be slower going would be a big help in planning resupply points