Ken Laidlaw Sportive - clean roads
Brian B
Posts: 2,071
I cycled down from Edinburgh over the Moorfoot hills yesterday and picked up the Ken Laidlaw route at St Mary Loch. Until I saw the sportive sign posts at the Gordon Arms Inn I did not know this sportive was taking place that day and made my way down to Hawick where the sportive starts.
At Hawick I was about 2 hours behind the sportive and the roads were empty of any riders and the only evidence of 500 riders in front of me was only a handful of gel wrappers. Hats off all to all that took part and kept their rubbish for binning later as some events I have done have been really bad with discarded litter.
I have done this sportive twice and its probably the best value and one of the most scenic sportive on the calendar. Its hard without being an absolute killer. Caught up with a few stragglers and met the guys in the broom wagon several times as I made my way back from Newcastleton to Edinburgh.
Hope all who took part had a good day. Due to virtually no wind the conditions were great for cycling and was wondering if there was a new fast time set for the route?
At Hawick I was about 2 hours behind the sportive and the roads were empty of any riders and the only evidence of 500 riders in front of me was only a handful of gel wrappers. Hats off all to all that took part and kept their rubbish for binning later as some events I have done have been really bad with discarded litter.
I have done this sportive twice and its probably the best value and one of the most scenic sportive on the calendar. Its hard without being an absolute killer. Caught up with a few stragglers and met the guys in the broom wagon several times as I made my way back from Newcastleton to Edinburgh.
Hope all who took part had a good day. Due to virtually no wind the conditions were great for cycling and was wondering if there was a new fast time set for the route?
Brian B.
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Comments
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I was there, absolutely superb day weather couldn't have been kinder. It's a hard 104 miles with over 2400m of climbing but the feed stations really helped to keep me going.
Will definitely be there next year, got the bug now as this was my first sportive. Definitely one to remember.0 -
I was there too. I did notice one rider in front of me at one stage take a gel and throw the wrapper on the ground. Would any of you have challenged him?
I had a nightmare, was in a real fast group near the front up to Langholm, only just holding their wheels, when I had a front wheel puncture. Sorted it nice and quick, and on my merry way, when my rear tyre exploded with an almighty bang, on a descent. Managed to hold it and when I stopped my tyre was shredded about a third of the way round, my rim had taken a hammering. I thought that was my ride over. Sat at the side of the road for 20 mins when a support van came along and the chap in the van straight away filed the rim down, and put a replacement tyre on and a new inner. Top marks to him. I finished the ride in 7 hours, which considering I had lost 50 mins with the puncture and then the ripped tyre, I was fairly pleased with.
As others have said, was a well run event. The rolling start through the town of Hawick with over 500 bikes was awesome!0 -
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