DUMB RUN II - 21st June 2008 - Scotland coast-to-coast!

AndyGates

DUMB RUN II

20:00, 21st June 2008

Dumbarton Castle, Dumbarton

This time it's personal...


Dumbarton to St Andrews. Overnight. By bicycle. From coast to shining coast, this far north the sun never truly sets.

Starting in the zombie-ridden wastelands that bank the River Clyde, we'll take you first through a relentless set of climbs accompanied by clouds of blood-sucking insects that will bring about significant weight loss if you have to fix a puncture. Then we head into Scotland's industrial heartland. Mile upon rolling mile of near deserted A-roads will see you skirt the Antonine wall and slip ninja-like past Falkirk's Great Wheel before descending towards Linlithgow, Queensferry and onto the Forth Road Bridge for dawn.

But it doesn't end there. Take possibly your last chance of respite at the Wild Bean Cafe at Dalgety, watched with deep and abiding suspicion by the man behind the bullet-proof glass, and steel yourself for the interminable crawl around Fife's sultry coast for a mid-morning finish in the grey North Sea.

There is no support. That's why the gods invented multitools and puncture repair kits. There is no mid-way feeding station. If you're lucky you will manage the navigational hazard that is Cumbernauld and find the all-night services. There is no transport to the start. How you get there is a matter of personal logistical planning. There are no return coaches. What do you think this is? Butlins?

This is SCOOOOOOTLAAAAAAAAND!

Only the strong survive!

Oh, all right. We might manage some disposable BBQs and a sausage on the beach. If it's not raining (stop laughing, class of '07). And we can probably stretch to a beer or three.

But only if you let us know you're coming.

The Dumb Run. So tough it makes the Dunwich Dynamo look like a pootle to (and from) the pub....

gavintc

You know, this sounds daft enough to have a go at. I will put it into my diary and try to keep the weekend free.

pneumatic

Bugga! I'm fixed up to do an Outer Hebrides end to end starting that day. Otherwise, I'd have loved to join your gentle little picnic outing.

Have fun.

Crapaud

Hmmm....[scratches chin]...So, what distance are we talking here? It must be around the imperial centuary.

AndyGates

About 115 miles. We improvised a bit last year (about the time that we found a pub, as it happens) and the incredible, torrential rain brought us to an early stop. This year it's a grudge match, riders versus Scotland. Sparta's for hairdressers!

pneumatic

AndyGates wrote:

the incredible, torrential rain brought us to an early stop. This year it's a grudge match, riders versus Scotland. Sparta's for hairdressers!

If it was the corresponding weekend last year, that would be the same one as the Edinburgh to St Andrews, perhaps? Going East, it was like riding through a carwash in a windtunnel. Really savage.

We had a lot of days like that up here last year, where the normally reliable prevailing westerly was reversed. An evil trick, probably connected to global warming so I've stopped buying bottled water to appease the climate gods. That should fix it.

AndyGates

That sounds like the same weekend, for sure. The sheer wetness will never leave my mind. There was brown water wringing out of my handlebar tape.

All the summer overnights had it soggy last year. Here's to a better one this time around!

rendo

i do fancy this, planned on doing last years but clashed with other things.

re; prevailing winds, i was surprised when discussing these with a colleague who did the LEJOG in Aug last year. he informed me that during the summer months the prevailing winds tend to be reversed. so are south/south easterly.

Anyway, stick my name on the list, could be an interesting final run before heading to france for the following week for the etape

AndyGates

Yay, another victim

aya604

I have now updated my event calendar

16 March Kingdom of Fife Audax (Dalmeny) 210 km
3 May Drumlanrig Tearfund Challenge (Dumfries) 82 miles
18 May Etape Caledonia (Pitlochry) 81 miles
15 June Cairngorm Mountain 100 (nr Aviemore) 100 miles
21 June Dumb Run 2 (Dumbarton to St Andrews) 115 miles

aya604

pneumatic wrote:

Bugga! I'm fixed up to do an Outer Hebrides end to end starting that day. Otherwise, I'd have loved to join your gentle little picnic outing.

Have fun.

Having cycled last summer from Stornaway to Barra (over 3 days) you better make sure you are fit.

But it will be absolutely brilliant - enjoy

Crapaud

As much as I'd like to do this (I've read the words 'sausage BBQ' 3 times now), I'm going to decline. The Katrine Kapers 200km is on on the 22nd and there's no way I'd make it back / be able to do it.

Maybe next year.