Scotland : Kingdom of Fife May Weekend Saturday 2nd/Sunday 3rd May - potential rides

[Fubar]

Hi good people of CC Ecosseland

I was discussing with @Edwardoka potential rides, looking at my diary I have limited weekends but the May Bank Holiday weekend conveniently looks free for me and is just one week before Etape Caledonia so I will be looking to do something either a)hilly or b)long or a combination of the two as a prep ride. Suggestions include:

• Drawing the Dugs Heid - round the Fife coast road (180k), 2/3 cafe stops
  
• 5 Hills of Fife - 70-ish miles, hilly (ok and not all in Fife), 2 cafe options
  
• Etape Caledonia route - 81 miles, not many options for cafe stops and starts/ends in Pitlochry
• Loch Earn Loop - 100 miles, Options to dip in and out, 1/2 x cafe and 1 x garage!
  
• A Tour of East Lothian??? (route unknown, cafes unknown)

(EDIT: added a Poll so you can vote for your favourite!)

NOTES: There will be hills and it will be long(ish), and whilst I'm no speed merchant this probably would not suit as a beginners ride or a gentle pootle.

Thoughts?

 

[ShooglyDougie]

Any/all. Mmmm hills.

 

[Col5632]

I'm sadly most likely out as i'll be taking the 18th and 25th april off work and can't really afford more holidays Routes look good though

 

[Edwardoka]

Thoughts:

I'm totally up for it, there's a gap in my calendar between Etape Loch Ness and Three Pistes that I was considering filling in with a extended re-run of my Braemar ride but riding is better with company

- Drawing the Dugs Heid looks awesome!
- Five hills of Fife, not sure
- The Etape Caledonia is one I've always wanted to do but without the event buzz (and rest and food stops!), not sure about it
- Loch Earn loop seems as though it's on the A84 for much of the route
- Tour of East Lothian... moar infos needed!

 

[Fubar]

Thoughts:

I'm totally up for it, there's a gap in my calendar between Etape Loch Ness and Three Pistes that I was considering filling in with a extended re-run of my Braemar ride but riding is better with company

- Drawing the Dugs Heid looks awesome!
- Five hills of Fife, not sure
- The Etape Caledonia is one I've always wanted to do but without the event buzz (and rest and food stops!), not sure about it
- Loch Earn loop seems as though it's on the A84 for much of the route
- Tour of East Lothian... moar infos needed!

Have you voted...?!?

Drawing the Dugs Heid is a good ride (with the exception of the Kirkcaldy-Methil part), and gives you the option to divert off at the Tay Bridge or towards Perth - I would urge an early start for that one, nice cafe stops at Elie, St Andrews and Newburgh;

Five Hills is mainly quiet roads, with 2 good cafe stops outside Falkland and at Dollar ;

The Etape route lacks cafe stops and means travel to/from start, so probably will be less favoured;

The Loch Earn Loop is a standard DCC TTT and only on the A84 from Lochearnhead to Callander - from memory it is only busy between Callander and Doune, I've done it twice with no issues;

Tour of East Lothian - calling @edindave and/or @Telemark !!!

 

[Edwardoka]

Have you voted...?!?

Obviously I've voted! What a scurrilous accusation!

...standard DCC TTT...

I'm not sure that a Team Time Trial is suitable for CC Ecosse - have you ever tried to maintain a paceline with this lot?!

 

[Fubar]

Obviously I've voted! What a scurrilous accusation!

I'm not sure that a Tourist Time Trial is suitable for CC Ecosse - have you ever tried to maintain a paceline with this lot?!

FTFY

 

[Telemark]

Tour of East Lothian - calling @edindave and/or @Telemark !!!

You called
I can definitely help with ideas for East Lothian - how hilly do you want?
Redstone Rig, down to Longformacus over the wee roads, back via Hungry Snout & Garvald?
Or Dunbar - up the wee roads via Spott & over to the Whiteadder reservoir, back via Longformacus and/or the Rig?

Could do some draft maps, but work/Belles/EdFoC are currently conspiring to take up all my waking hours, so can't promise to have time until maybe Sunday or mid-next week at the earliest. Maybe @edindave will be able to oblige sooner?

Not sure about my availability for the dates at this stage

 

[Fubar]

You called
I can definitely help with ideas for East Lothian - how hilly do you want?
Redstone Rig, down to Longformacus over the wee roads, back via Hungry Snout & Garvald?
Or Dunbar - up the wee roads via Spott & over to the Whiteadder reservoir, back via Longformacus and/or the Rig?

Could do some draft maps, but work/Belles/EdFoC are currently conspiring to take up all my waking hours, so can't promise to have time until maybe Sunday or mid-next week at the earliest. Maybe @edindave will be able to oblige sooner?

Not sure about my availability for the dates at this stage

One consideration with this route would be availability of a guide - makes it much easier if someone knows where they are going! Don't worry too much just now, it was only a musing on my part - thanks though!

 

[Mr_Grieve]

I'd love to go but I'm not sure I'd get permission to go out for a long ride a week before disappearing for the day to the Etape.If I can I'd quite fancy Drawing the Dug's Heid. I previously stole and modified your 5 Hills route (to 4 Hills ) and I don't really want to be driving any distance. I could also potentially join and/or leave earlier if I'm given time limits.

 

[Fubar]

I'd love to go but I'm not sure I'd get permission to go out for a long ride a week before disappearing for the day to the Etape.If I can I'd quite fancy Drawing the Dug's Heid. I previously stole and modified your 5 Hills route (to 4 Hills ) and I don't really want to be driving any distance. I could also potentially join and/or leave earlier if I'm given time limits.

Be good to have you along and as you say you could dip in/out - dugs heid looking favorite so far! Justify it by saying you need the miles in your legs

 

[edindave]

Hi guys, looks like I can't make that weekend but I'll dig out some routes for you. Here's one I did a couple of weekends ago - including a loop of Redstone Rigg-Longformacus-Duns-Redstone Rigg.

 

[Fubar]

Hi guys, looks like I can't make that weekend but I'll dig out some routes for you. Here's one I did a couple of weekends ago - including a loop of Redstone Rigg-Longformacus-Duns-Redstone Rigg.

That looks a great route and I'd be keen to do it at some point - as stated above my only concern would be finding my way with a group, if I'm putting the ride up I should really know where I'm going...

One for the future?

 

[Fubar]

In terms of availability and votes then it looks like Drawing the Dugs Heid is favourite so far - any more for any more??