Today was the "Round Stra'ven 50". I decided at the last minute to enter,
It's a 50 mile route, starting and finishing in Strathaven, and looping round the various villages around the town. All for charity - from the entry fees and donations they raise about 10k a year, which gets distributed to local charities. So the charities were out in force, with the round table and rotary people on points duty at all the main junctions, the Guides manning the feed stations, the motorbike club acting as Marshalls etc.
Normally about 500 people do the ride, with a "Mass Start" outside Strathaven Academy. This year, we started in"waves" - 150 people at 9am, 10am, 11am. There was also a 15 mile shorter course, with starts at 12 and 1.
I was on the 11.00 start. As I drove through, the heavens opened. I thought "this is madness".... but pushed on, there was a tiny blue chink in the sky.
Arrived in Strathaven just after 10, parked in the long stay car park at the other side of the town, and the rain was off! Things might be OK after all. I don't mind if the rain comes on when I'm riding, but I hate starting out in the rain.
Got to the school, checked in, and about 10 to 11 we were called out to the road behind the school to assemble for the start. And it started raining....
Underway at 11, slow start as the road was busy with bikes, and it's an uphill climb out of the town. Lots of people passing others for the first 2 miles until people reach their "natural pace", after that there was very little overtaking.
Still raining. About 5 miles out of the town, there's a road joins from the right, which would be our eventual route back home; just as we passed it the leaders from the 9.00 start were passing, nearly home.
Soaked through, to be honest it was pretty miserable riding, but a good spirit among the riders. We're heading west towards Darvel, and then turn left, South past Loudon Hill.
Cross the main road near Loudon Hill, then farm roads towards Drumclog. Heading East now, and there's a lightness in the sky. Maybe the rain will stop.
20 miles, come down the hill into Sandford, to the first feed stop.
The Strathaven ride advertises itself as something like "the friendliest bike ride in Scotland, with the best cakes". And the cakes were good. Covid restrictions meant that we couldn't go inside the village hall (other than to use the toilets), but they were set up outside with sausage rolls, sausages, sandwiches and more cakes than you could imagine.
And the rain stopped! I kept the wet-weather jacket on, just in case.
Fuelled up with sausage rolls and chocolate brownies, back on the road. Uphill, farm roads, eventually ending up in Stonehouse. From there, it was a gentle uphill then a steep descent to Larkhall, tight left turn at the bottom of the hill then a steep climb. Quite a few people turned right, went along for a few hundred yards, then turned to "take a run at the hill".
It was a slog uphill, but soon we're at mile 32 - the second cake stop in Glassford. Same setup - juice, water, sausgages and sausage rolls, and still a great selection of cakes.
And the sun had come out, the roads were dry. The wet weather jacket came off.
Back on the road, Chapelton, with a few long flat roads and some gently undulating. Then a bit that I'd forgotten about - a fairly sharp climb up to the wind farm. There was an extra feed station (just water, juice and Caramel Logs!) just before that climb. After that it was a great descent, and mostly downhill all the way back to Strathaven.
For the last few miles, the route was shared with the 15 mile course, so lots of young kids and families out. Great to see their enthusiasm,
Finally, back to Strathaven Academy for the finish. And Coffee. And More Cakes.
.
It was just as well I pulled in anyhow as it was a long stream of vehicles that came past.
; about two miles of a surface that made it feel like everything on the bike was rattling. I was glad to cross the A53 and get onto the "unimproved" road to Shawbury. I was getting some very pleasing cruising speeds along this section and that continued on the way to Roden then Rodington Heath. I was slightly unimpressed when preparing to overtake a couple of horses to have the driver behind shoot past me and them at speed.
