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somnambulant_sasquatch


Posts: 120
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31st Jul 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 12.39hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15
there's always dalnacardoch to tromie bridge through the gaick estate. nice little climb from the A9, some deep river crossings/transit, a bit of bike-pushing alongside loch an duin, and then gravel all the way down.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 12.43hrs Tue 20 Jan 15 by somnambulant_sasquatch.
HTH


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20th Feb 2018
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Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 12.40hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15

Yes, erosion might be a topic for planning..... perhaps a letter to TAC (The Angry Corrie)

Logistically, I think it's a challenge to assure safety for a large number of participants in big patches with no mobile coverage. Not necessarily a show stopper, but a challenge for the marshalling. There are yomps that do this safely.

I think if you can compromise to using well-made-up trails, then the erosion issue might be manageable.?

I know a few on here have covered yomp & MTB type events, and maybe they can add to this.

Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 14.27hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15
Great idea.... I'm interested.
Alan, I've been involved in organising and especially the safety, marshaling and medic side of numerous ultra-marathons over the years. If I can offer any assistance, please let me know.

I've biked over and through most of the terrain between Shee and Gorm but including the Lecht in a route between them would mean a lot of fairly uninspiring terrain.
The Ghru is the shortest way through but means a fair bit of carrying over tricky rock fields, so only the best technical riders will manage to ride better than 60% of the terrain from Derry Lodge to the descent beyond the Chalamain Gap. The Lairig an Lui from Glen Derry is almost as direct as the Ghru but rides far better north to south than it does S-N. Depending on how you got there from Shee, it might also be too easy!
Going over the tops would be a logistical nightmare and environmentally would be a bit 'iffy'. Again, rides better N-S too.

Personally, and to make it a fast, fun and sufficiently challenging route, I'd probably go west from Shee first, out over Gheoidh and on to Fealar Lodge, then up the Tilt gorge, Geldie, Feshie, Bothy trail to Rothiemurchus, Picadilly, south of Morlich on the wee trail and up the old trails to the ski area.

It's mostly open terrain so trackers will work but there'd still be a need for a lot of CPs with medic marshals.
AlanA


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24th Jan 2016
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 17.01hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15
Thanks everyone.

There has been a lot of chat about this today on Scottish cyclocross FAceBook. Also I have chatted with Mike the cycling guy from National Park, he's going to chat with access officers tomorrow.

Best options seem to be taking land rover tracks north from Braemar invercauld towards Lochbuilg / Inchrory then east to Cockbridge, up the Lecht by road and then onwards to Tomintoul. Ideally I'd like to go up Glen Avon back to Inchrory then west along GA to Fords of Avon then north to Ryvoan and finally up through Glen More to the resort at Natural Retreats. ;-) sadly Strath Nethy seems to be a no no becaus it is boggy, no info on East side of Bynack More.

Mike thinks it better to go past Glen Avon to Bridge of Brown then onto land rover tracks via Abernethy to Ryvoan. Probably it is, but it would be a sin to miss out Glen Avon.

I think another monster might have been created.

Thistle


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30th Nov 2015
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 17.46hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15
Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 22.53hrs on Tue 20 Jan 15
Alan, I've ridden the Lairig an Lui on the east side of Bynack Mor a few times as part of long rides and rate it for the MTB- but that means that it's well beyond rideable on a CX bike and would mean a significant carry for most of the ground from well below Loch Avon, for most of the way to the walkers' path on the N side of Bynack Mor. It's bouldery loveliness on a big bike, if you get my drift! Once onto that walkers' path, it's a red grit motorway down to Bynack stables, but with many large water bars to hop.
I love the whole idea. It's all about the compromises!
CX bike- make up time on the tar and on the tracks but lots of carrying.
XC mtb- good all rounder but still hard graft on the techy sections, slow on the raods.
Big mtb- blast the rocky stuff but lose time on the faster sectors.

crouch_potato


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22nd Feb 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 10.21hrs on Thu 22 Jan 15
Sounds ambitious (in a good way). Agree with a lot of what Hustler says, the cairngorm double "self supported" loop is a useful guide maybe. I wouldn’t fancy organising a bike event through Lairig Ghru or Strath Nethy, and I’m not sure detouring up the road/ track up Glen Avon is worth it (nice ride that it is).

I can’t think of a good way to get to or from Glenshee without using large parts of the A93, but the following route would seem the most obvious to me if you’re aiming for cx bikes to be an advantage (or at least mostly fun), and avoiding too much carrying or convoluted detours…

Glenshee – Braemar – Linn of Dee – Linn of Quoich – Invercauld – Loch Builg – Inchrory – Cock Bridge – Lecht – Tomintoul – Dorback – Abernethy – Ryvoan Bothy – Glenmore – Ski Road – Cairngorm

Not sure about all of this route as a “race” or suitability for large numbers of people on a sportive kind of event, but I’d say it offers a fair bit of good off road riding and uses the roads (more or less) only to get to the ski areas.

And, if you think about expanding it to all ski centres in the future, I reckon you could do a good (24 hour ?) course from Glencoe – Kinlochleven – Fort William – Nevis Range – Leanachan – S. side of Loch Laggan – (bit of road probably unavoidable here – correct me if there’s anything better than over Ben Alder otherwise) – Inshriach - Feshie – Loch an Eilein – Cairngorm Club Bridge – Loch Morlich – Ski road – Cairngorm – Glenmore – Ryvoan - Abernethy – Dorback – Tomintoul – Lecht – Cock Bridge – Inchrory – Loch Builg – Linn of Quoich – Linn of Dee – Braemar – Glenshee

AlanA


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24th Jan 2016
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 14.51hrs on Fri 23 Jan 15
Thanks for all your feedback, I have had lots of emails and Facebook chat with many knowledgeable folk this week.

Getting landowners on side is going to be the big challenge, but insurmountable.

A proper race similar to Yorkshire's 3 peaks looks feasible.

It would most likely be Coire Na Ciste, Glen More, Ryvoan, Bynack More, Falls of Avon, Inchrory, Cock Bridge, Lecht, Tomintoul, Glen Avon, Loch Builg, Invercauld, Glenshee.

There would be a wee bit of hike a bike, but my contacts say 95% of the course is easily rideable.

So, watch this space.
Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 23.14hrs on Fri 23 Jan 15
9km of hard techy trail, all at one go behind Bynack Mor. Even then, some riders will manage some of that sector. After that, the rest is ok for a light xc hardtail.


I'm very up for this so please keep us in touch Alan; if /when you get as far as sorting a date, please let us know asap so I can fit this in between other events!
Freeheel


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22nd Dec 2016
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Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 14.19hrs on Tue 27 Jan 15
When is the closing date and are there any plans to get a wee slide on Cairngorm to round off the day or is it more a case of the ride being so damn hard that entrants are more likely to want to crawl off and die in a ditch somewhere instead? eye popping smiley

A quick slide just for the hell of it appeals in putting some snow factor into the three pistes event even if its likely to be off piste on Ciste Mhearad and only one run at that.

A couple more questions, what was last years finish % age rate and average time?

Thanks

Freeheel
Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 13.51hrs on Thu 29 Jan 15
Freeheel, remembering how I felt after finishing in 2014, I'm not sure many folk would be all that interested in climbing up to put a few turns in. You could always ask Hilly to do it for you!
It is a fairly hard ride, with various estimates of the total climbing being around 9+ thousand feet and I've seen one GPS log showing quite a bit more than that. Three (of the many) climbs have 20% sections.
Having said all that, the vast majority of riders will finish and the finishing times are there to be seen on the website. If you train with a road club, you'll already know what to expect and for everyone else, getting inside 7 hours would be an excellent time.
There's been a lot of interest this year and quite a rush for places.
I think Laura & I will be doing it on the tandem. Which may hurt a bit...

Freeheel


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22nd Dec 2016
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Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 22.18hrs on Thu 29 Jan 15
Thanks Hustler useful info and looks like good craic skiing or not so I've signed up.

Tandem - stylish and a bit more torque for the climbs maybe thumbs up

Presume there will be suitable cake stops along the way smiling smiley

Hustler


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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 23.03hrs on Thu 29 Jan 15
Best cake stop on the route is probably the cafe on Strathdon, just before Corgarff Castle. So just before the Lecht. I can vouch for their cakes.
Alan provides decent feed stops but these are functional, rather than classy!
Tandem is slow at climbing, very heavy, despite the torque. It's at its best on the flat or on gentle downhills, when it motors...
AlanA


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24th Jan 2016
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 09.24hrs on Thu 19 Mar 15
Hustler you need to faster if you want to classy food.

I must remember to buy more pretzels this year.

How's everyone's training coming along? Only 10 weeks to go.
Hustler


Posts: 760
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19th Aug 2019
Re: 3 pistes cycle sportive
Date Posted: 13.58hrs on Thu 19 Mar 15
Training..? Wassat?
It's still the ski season!

Another very good cake stop that has opened up since last year's event is the new Bothy cafe at Braemar Mountain Sports. I can confirm the high quality of their cakes. Lots of them... It's quite early on of course, so with careful planning, you could manage to visit both.
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