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Winter Single Arran Sat 17th


P McDonald
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I just happened to notice the weather is possible for a WSA on Saturday. Anyone up for 0945 ferry, return on 1355. The way the winter timetable works you actually get an extra 5 mins. 

Robbie, Galeb ? unfortunately Jan and Cedric not available, any others? Michael from Ivy up for it I think.

:)

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Hello Rachid

Great to have another person up for the hall of fame!

Pace required to do the challenge is 20mph average for 56 lumpy miles. As a reference this would be a bit higher than main bunch pace or same as Renfrew bunch riding up the coast in winter.  If it was a first time I would probably suggest a summer run with a bunch of 5 or 6. I may do Renfrew bunch instead if not too much interest, it might be an idea to try that one week if you can make it for some or all the run.

cheers

 

 

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Rachid - 3 of us doing this tomorrow.  As mentioned above, it is a 'challenge' ride without any stops or regroups, so if you get dropped you get dropped and most of those who have tried it have experienced this at some point! 

Andy, cheers mate, DA for you this summer. Michael, Galeb and I heading over tomorrow.

Ohyadancer!

 

 

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10 hours ago, P McDonald said:

Rachid - 3 of us doing this tomorrow.  As mentioned above, it is a 'challenge' ride without any stops or regroups, so if you get dropped you get dropped and most of those who have tried it have experienced this at some point! 

Andy, cheers mate, DA for you this summer. Michael, Galeb and I heading over tomorrow.

Ohyadancer!

 

 

Sorry for the late reply. I will give it a miss this time but will definitely be up for it in the future, after some more group riding. 

 

Enjoy!!!!

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The myth of the Arran challenge grows ! Destiny plays its hand again.

ToDAy did not quite go to plan but that is what makes the challenge the challenge. Set off fine and DAndy and rolled through first 10 miles at a good pace. Then the shenanigans started. Michael got an impact puncture, turned out sidewall ripped. Repaired it and set off in the knowledge that if Michael punctured again, as was likely, then we other two would continue. In the course of this repair I somehow knackered the zip on my jacket and so could not close it at all. Galeb mADe and excellent improvised suggestion and I tied the knackered tube round my midriff like a dressing gown to try and get some chest coverage from my jacket. So we set off with Michael on front planning to bury himself until the tube inevitably poked out through the hole and punctured. He duly punctured again about 2 miles on and Galeb and I continued. I had some discomfort from the tied tube and cold chest but not compared to the discomfort of trying to hold Galebs wheel. So I shouted to Galeb to continue and turned back to see if Michael ok with second puncture. I met up with Michael and we returned to Brodick for tea and scones.  Then headed up the east coast to hopefully meet Galeb and assist him at the end. As we rode out of Brodick we saw that the road to Lochranza was closed and had a diversion ! We continued on thinking Galeb might have ignored the diversion and rode around whatever works were taking place. When we did not see him we rode back to ferry. Unbelievably Michael punctured again within 500m of ferry so walked the last bit. Guy at ferry said a cyclist had gone on boat so we thought maybe Galeb went over the String when he saw diversion signs somewhere on other side of island. However he was not on boat it was another guy.

Have spoke to Galeb and he did indeed continue past the diversion signs and missed the ferry by minutes riding round the bay as the ferry floated off the pier. A fine effort indeed. And of course that means a 3 hour wait during the winter timetable for next ferry.

Michael now very motivated to do this challenge. Me too. Now that Galeb has scoped it out I'm sure he will crack it if he wants to, had he carried on at the puncture incident he woukd have made it.

Ohyadancer!

 

 

 

 

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7 minutes ago, P McDonald said:

yip Robbie, was gutted for Galeb as he was flying. Was also gutted for him as he wanted to get home sharpish!

hey ho that's Arran for you. I have to say I admire your mental fortitude trying a WSA on your tod. Or maybe your just mental :)

 

 

 

You're all mental! Still good effort all round. Strikes me as a particularly tough version.

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That was some experience. After puncture, jacket zipping issues and road work closures and having to dodge diggers and holes in the road I managed to just miss the ferry (I know how you felt Robbie!). Having said that there is something addicting about it and I dont think this is the end 8-). I must say, one thing that kept me going is the amazing views that I managed to take in every now and then in the head down tt mode position.

Thanks Paul and Michael for trying to get back to me, but seems like it wasn't meant to be this time...

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Stopping for punctures makes the task too hard. We need a rule:  puncturees fall on their sword for the greater good. We should honour them however on a sacrificial failures spreadsheet.

I need to meet Galeb btw. Virtual high 5 for failing so admirably.

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Good point Ian but single puncture on SA is salvageable as proven by Charlie’s 3 minute tube change on top of Lochranza climb on the first successful SA.

But I agree that on the DA any puncturees must be left behind to grovel home alone. (Actually they can usually nip across the string for tea and cake while awaiting the rest of the group).

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Interesting debate as always. It is a matter of record when the utterly sensational DA was achieved in 2016, one of the immortals hAD a puncture on lap 1 which was fixed by the fastest tube changer this side of the Mississippi river. There were 2 independent witnesses to this event which ranks up there with Lemonds 8 sec victory on the Champs Elysee, Sagan's 3 in a row, Charlie completing a ride without a mechanical etc.  Ohyadancer!

Just sayin

 

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15 minutes ago, Alan McLean said:

Good point Ian but single puncture on SA is salvageable as proven by Charlie’s 3 minute tube change on top of Lochranza climb on the first successful SA.

But I agree that on the DA any puncturees must be left behind to grovel home alone. (Actually they can usually nip across the string for tea and cake while awaiting the rest of the group).

Top of Lochranza? I put it to you m’lord, the defendant faked it for a breather. It’s 6 months Zwift (hard labour) or DA for the boy. 

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