Ride to the Sun

I wouldn’t call myself a new cyclist, I did Ride to the sun last year, a couple 100km Audaxs, and commute 18 miles to work by bike. I’ve been riding frequently for the past 4 years, and when I was at college I would ride the 5 miles there and back every day. So the rather basic mistakes that I made during Ride to the Sun 2022 may come as some surprise.

In 2021 I did Ride to the Sun, and it was the furthest I’d ever ridden, my first century. I had (accidentally) done 75 miles on my mountain bike many years before, and this gave me a false sense of confidence in my level of fitness, and how easy I thought it would be. But I made it, truly knackered, in pain from an uncomfortable saddle and poorly fitting bike, but full of so much happiness and joy that withing a few hours the lows of the ride were forgotten and I was looking forward to Ride to the Sun 2022.

Fast forward 6 months, and not everything has been forgotten, I’ve got a turbo trainer, and start a century riding training plan due to finish the day of Ride to the Sun. I’ve used an online fit fitting tool powered by AI, which is really cool, and along side my new saddle seems to be making my ride more comfortable. Everything is going to plan for this to be a faster more comfy and even more enjoyable ride…

3 months on, and a pay rise a work seems like the perfect opportunity to buy myself n+1 bike. I’d had my eye on a Bamboo Bike from the Bamboo Bicycle Club, so I brought a kit. At which point my partner (Clara) pointed out we have nowhere to store a 4th bike (1 hers, 3 mine), time to also build a bike shed. Now this occupied all of my spare time, and I had to stop my training.

I finished the shed, built the bike, and tested it over a few long rides, unfortunatly due entirely to my build the bike was a little too flexible for me to be comfortable on it, the frame wasn’t straight either which made the rear wheel point to the left. So plan B a new aluminium frame (second quality) from Sondar.

Clara had become a little jelouse of my new bike and brought one of her own, another Sondar frame, with similar components to mine, which meant I
already knew how to assemble it. And what better way to test it out then on a 100 mile bike ride from Carlisle to Edinburgh overnight. We had tested it out before but probably not gone further than 10 miles on it, maybe 20 in total.

Its now the day of Ride to the Sun, 25th June, and I’ve not done any training, but thats not a problem I’d not done any training the year before and I’d made it.

The forcast for the night was cloudy, a consistent tail wind, and the odd light shower. We were already taking water proofs to keep us warm, and the wind out overnight, so this didn’t alter our packing at all. There is no set start time, just turn up to the start when you like, and set off planning to reach Crammond for sun rise. With this being Clara’s first time doing 100 miles we decided to set off early, 5pm(ish) leaving us 11 hours until sun rise.

We arrived at the start in Bitts Park, and there was already a small crowd off cyclists there, either setting up bikes, waiting, or setting off. We live in Carlisle so for us it was a short ride to the start, requiring no disassemably of the bike to fit in the car. We didn’t hang around much, just long enough to survey other bike and see that our seemed to look the part.

And we were off, and almost immediately we were not following the route. The official route goes north out of Carlisle along the A6, across Junction 44 of the M6. Neither Clara nor I were confident with this junction, and we got ourselves into the wrong lane, and off to the west, instead of north east. We had a choice, we could go back to the official route at J44, go straight north to Gretna, but miss out on some miles, or we could take some back roads we knew which would get us back to the route at Longtown.

We chose the back roads to Longtown, Ride to the Sun is not a timed event, there are no prizes, and our detour was longer than the official route, so we didn’t feel guilty about the change. Our detour was more scenic, and involved a lovely bit of mud track long an old rail route, the flowers and in bloom along the verges, the nettles just out of reach of bear legs. Perfection. After a quick stop for Clara to dose up on hayfever meds, and we got to Longtown.

We sped through Gretna, no time for any shopping in the outlet or a quick wedding at the Blacksmiths. The route from Gretna north is along an A road which follows the A74M, so its relativly traffic free, with everyone prefering the faster motorway.

We were seeing more riders now, we were not the fastest so they were all going past us, we could also see some dark clouds over the Lake District behind us. Like the other riders, these too, looked like they were going to over take us. And sure enough 30 minutes later the sky opened up and the heavy rain started.

“Bridge!!” came the call from Clara and we dived off down a side road to a bridge under the A74M to wait out the rain, a small group joined us in our shelter. The rain didn’t last long and we weren’t out in it long either but we were soaked.

Back out and onwards to Moffat, the weather was brightening up, and the peddling was drying us off. We got to Moffat, with no further detours, or rain showers, just as the sun was setting, and the queque for the Best Pizza and Kabab House was snaking down the road.

Whilst refueling on fish and chips, I must have been getting tired the sky seemed to be flashing. 5 Minutes latter and I could tell I was tired but also the sky was flashing, a Thunder storm was moving in from the west, and would be over us in the next 5 to 10 minutes. Other riders had sense to check the weather and said it would last only 30 mintues.

A group of us sheltered from the rain under the Esso forecourt and someone started playing Riders of the Storm by the Doors, the atmosphere was electric. Clara got chatting to a chap who was doing the ride for a charity and was going to follow it up with a ride home to Newcastle, topping the total distance up to over 200 miles. Unfortunatly neither Clara nor I can remember his name or the charity he was raising money.

Once the rain had stopped we started out again, it was now 23:30 and our prospects or reaching Crammond for the sun rise were not looking good. We had about 50 miles left to go, the first 6 of which were up the Devils Beef tub, at an average of 2.8%, and there was still rain in the air. But we attached our lights and set out.

An hour later, nearing the top of the climb, and my front light winks out, water must have got into it and stopped it. Clara and I each had a small “Be Seen” style light, so I took both of those, I could see a grand total of 1m in front. Better than nothing, but I rode close to Clara so I could share her front light.

30 minutes latter, on the decent Clara’s light also winked out. 1 light going wrong is bad luck but 2 is a stretch. Then the face palm moment, we had both turned our lights on an throught nothing of it, but they were both running at full power. At full power mine had a battery life of an hour and Clara’s 1.5 hours.

It looked like we were done, I could survive off Clara’s light, but no lights at all was a no go. We would have to phone our good friend with a big car to pick us up. However we were only about 5 miles from the Crook Inn, and the CycloRave which would be as good as any place to wait for a ride. Just as we were debating if we should try cycling there with next to no front lighting Fraiser, one of the organisers pulled up in his car and offered us a ride to the Crook Inn, which we gladly jumped at.

Fraiser had been driving up and down the Devils Beeftub rescuing people who had been caught in the storm, and might be at risk of hyperthermia (and fools who run their lights at full power). At the Crook Inn Fraiser kindly offered us a spare front light, so we could continue, and after a quick banana and a lesson in how to turn the front light on to not full power we were off again.

After the Devils Beeftub things become hazier, it was now morning, and we were both tired, at one point Clara had lay down in a field and I could tell if were to join her, we would both be asleep. But no we could not, we now had a purpose, a mission to complete, we must get to Crammond to return Fraisers light. Ok not the most important, daring, or movie style mission but it was enough.

Clara had some issues with her rear mudguard, the screws for the rear stay fell out, and the stay was swaying dangerously close to her wheel and spokes. We quickly pulled it off, stowed it in my saddle bag and were going again.

As were sped through Penicruik, we could see the horizon to the east lightening, it was 4:15, we would miss the sun rise, but the views over and through Edinburgh, made up for it. The previous year I had been going through Edinburgh in the dark and it was magical zooming through the empty streets, desperatly trying to keep pace with people who knew where they were going. But in the light it was more beautiful to take in the sights whilst the city was still deserted.

We arrived at Crommond at 5:30, still in time for the important Bacon Bap, and to return the light. In total, with our 4 miles of detour at the start, and our 5 miles of being rescued to the Crook Inn, we had done 99 miles. But not to worry, we still had an additional 10 miles to get to the train station.

As a first 100 miles, I could not think of a better ride. The atmosphere, the route, the organisation, and the scenery.