Borders Run. Route and attendees

[JamesMio]

Date is Saturday 22nd May

Meeting Point - Moffat High Street (by the Ram) at 10:30am - (click here for a Street View)

Route is roughly 150 miles (start at Moffat, end at Elvanfoot - next to Abington Services for those heading back up North)

It'll be a one day job this time, with a view to maybe making it a regular occurrence tied in with a stop over for those wishing to come from further afield.

One key factor in finalising the route is a meeting point - as it looks like most of the interest is coming from the Central belt area, I'm thinking somewhere like Moffat could be an easy & obvious choice.

The route I've got in mind is something like this:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&so...81&ie=UTF8&z=9

Which takes in the delights of (in no particular order here):

Twisties:
- Dalveen Pass between Carronbridge & Elvanfoot
- Clone Road between Moniave & Thornhill
- Queens Road between Minnigaff & New Galloway (Visitors centre for Coffees etc on this road)
- 702 between St John's Town of Dalry & Moniave
- Dalbeattie to Kirkcudbright (as good a place as any to stop for lunch/coffee/bacon rolls etc)

Sweeping roads:
- A701 from Moffat to Dumfries (**1 x Regular Scamera Van site**)
- A711 from Dumfries to Dalbeattie (** **1 x Regular Scamera Van site**)
- The only picturesque section of the A75 from Gatehouse of Fleet to Minnigaff (Speed Camera / Coppers with Hairdryers Heaven - DO NOT SPEED ON THIS BIT!!)

This route, whilst 150+ miles would allow a starting point at Moffat, and an end at Elvanfoot, which isn't far at all from Abington Services & the motorway North.

Moffat has cafes and coffee shops galore for a quick cuppa before we set off, Kirkcudbright for lunch/rolls then an optional stop off at the visitors centre in Galloway Forest Park for a cuppa.

A quick word in advance, and the point where I sounds like a tosser (despite I know it not being needed!)

Many of the road surfaces down here are a bit, Agricultural at best - there's potholes, gravel, mud and cow shat all over the place - ride to expect it and you won't be suprised by it.

Following on from that, due to my previous meet & greet with D&G's finest, I'm on somewhat thin ice - i.e. if I get caught speeding again so soon after the last time, I'll be bent over a barrel and buggered with a marrow.

Assuming I'll be lumped up at the front (and I've got another couple of bods in mind that might take this on instead), please bear that in mind if you're behind me!

Now, any questions?

Some pics taken on part of the route today:








Was a bit of a glum night but if it is sunny, the views there are amazing!

Name:...............................Leaving From
Gerbrox .............................Glasgow
RamJam .............................Glasgow
JamesMio............................Dumfries
TheShadow.........................Glasgow
Stramasher.........................Glasgow
Combatfred.........................East Kilbride
Jimmy................................Hamilton

I'm in..

[TheRamJam]

Originally Posted by jimmy4237

Name:...............................Leaving From
Gerbrox .............................Glasgow
RamJam .............................Glasgow
JamesMio............................Dumfries
TheShadow.........................Glasgow
Stramasher.........................Glasgow
Combatfred.........................East Kilbride
Jimmy................................Hamilton

I'm in..

Sweet. The folk heading south should arrange a place to meet. I should hopefully be on my GSXR Thou if all goes well on Sat

Originally Posted by TheRamJam

Anyone from Glasgowish are heading down??

ramjam as things stand i'm up for this mate. i'll be leaving from newmains but can meet up around the m74 maybe the holiday inn at strathy park that way combat fred can fly down the express way from EK and meet there too.
its a bit boring on the motorway heading down to moffat so alternatively we could head too biggar then along the broughton rd [b7106] then the a701 to moffat.check it out on google map as it might make a good appetiser for the main run.

Originally Posted by gedt5

its a bit boring on the motorway heading down to moffat so alternatively we could head too biggar then along the broughton rd [b7106] then the a701 to moffat.check it out on google map as it might make a good appetiser for the main run.

i've had a wee think and it would take about 1hr 30 min to do this run so its maybe a bit to much if we've to be in moffat for 1030hrs.
any thoughts give me a shout.

[TheRamJam]

Originally Posted by gedt5

i've had a wee think and it would take about 1hr 30 min to do this run so its maybe a bit to much if we've to be in moffat for 1030hrs.
any thoughts give me a shout.

The Biggar route would be ideal although i think we'd be pushed for time unless were up really early. May just have to blast down the M74 and save our energy for what James has put together, which should be a good wee rideout

[JamesMio]

This is the first time I've tried to organise one of these so please bear with me...

The plan is to finish off at Elvanfoot, so it's nearer to the M74 for you guys heading home. The M74's torture, but there is the wee service road that runs alongside it from Abington to Moffat (and beyond actually) which isn't much slower and might be a bit more interesting for you on the way down?

A quick recap, with some more details thrown in for effect:

The planned stopping points are in bold (I'm going to do a proper scout of the route this weekend, so these might change):

Moffat - meeting point, coffee/bacon roll etc before we set off.
Dumfries for a quick regroup (it's only 20 miles or so from Moffat to Dumfries).
Kirkcudbright - Regroup (maybe grab some lunch here, depending on the time).
Minnigaff (Newton Stewart) for fuel & pick up MBK if she's coming.

There's a pretty long stretch between Minnigaff & Moniave, which might be a bit much, but there's a visitors centre half way through the forest where we could stop for a cuppa and stretch of the legs etc.

From there a quick regroup at New Galloway / St John's Town of Dalry, then up the twisties to Moniave / Thornhill where we'll definitely be ready for a stop (there's a wee cafe at Moniave which is quite good).

From there, up the Dalveen pass and back to Elvanfoot / Abington services for you guys to head back up the road.

I know this has the potential to be a long run, Google maps has it as 155 mile, but most of this is on twisty, country roads so it'll not be a quick 155 miles!). So, for that reason (or bad weather etc) I've got a bail out diversion route planned which would take us from Kirkcudbright, up the side of Loch Ken (A713 I think) to St John's Town of Dalry, then pick up the route again from there. It misses out a fair chunk of good roads, so I'd rather not have to do this, but it's there should we need it at least.

Looking forward to it now, see you all at Moffat!

Mobile Numbers:
It might be an idea for folks to PM me a number, so I know who we're waiting for at Moffat? (I'll reply with mine)

Leave at 8:30 from Hamilton McDonalds, head down the Mway for Stonehouse/ Larkhall, then take the old B road to the truckstop going through Lesmahagow to Douglas, then take a left onto the old A74 (now a B road, but what a beauty of a fast twisty road all the way down to Moffat...... same travel time as using the mway squaring off your tyres when you don't have to..

I hate using the mway on a bike all the way to Moffat from Hamilton - its waaaay too boring....in the car, van or truck then fair enough, but if I can go the fun back roads on a bike all the better...

Happy to meet up when ever, where ever.