The Mysterious Midgie Masher Flypast
Saturday 26 August 2006
Desmodromic Fly-Swatting on Some of Scotland’s Finest Biking Roads
A run aimed at Ducatisti who want to sample a healthy dose of Up North biking. Following on from the tremendous Raid The Lakes in June and the Dalesman’s Dash in July, it’s now Scotland’s turn to show off some roads fit for Ducatis and so on Saturday 26 August it’s the Mysterious Marathon Midgie Masher Flypast. Not just any old run, it has grown in popularity over the last few years and this year it will be….
Mysterious like those old-fashioned mystery tours which keep you guessing, and you’ll find out where it’s going only when you turn up at the start/finish at Moffat (just off the M74, exit 15) for a 8.45 departure on Saturday morning (clue: we’re going to the seasides). We will need an early start because it is a marathon of a run – in fact a tad over 450 miles, which get better and better as the day goes on !. A bit of a challenge, although the mileage should be “water off a Duc’s back”, so we need to be away early and there will be plenty of rest breaks so it’s not like an endurance test. The scenery along the route will be pleasant and variable and the roads will be mostly quiet. To add a bit of fun we will split up into smallish groups, with some doing the route clockwise and some anti-clockwise, with meet-ups during the day to exchange notes, pleasantries and friendly insults. Avoid a long ride to/from home on the day by staying overnight in Moffat on the Friday and/or Saturday ?. A great opportunity to socialise with other UpNorth Ducati owners over a lemonade or three in the local pubs. Previous UpNorth gatherings have been a load of fun. That will allow you to ride home on the Sunday after a decent night’s rest or, if the weather dictates, the run can be done partly on Saturday and partly on Sunday. Common sense and safety will prevail.
If you are up for the challenge of this long-distance, high-velocity swatathon then add your name to the calendar event
And remember never use this
when you can use one of these
Wee beasties, be very afraid !.
Useful Information
How to get to Moffat
It’s in Dumfries and Galloway, just off the M74 junction 15. Coming from Edinburgh and the Borders direction, it’s a well-known stopping place on the A701 or A708. It’s about a couple of hours from Manchester and abut an hour from each of Glasgow and Edinburgh. A nice little town too.
Accommodation in Moffat and surrounds
There is a good campsite in Moffat (Moffat Camp Site tel 01683 220436) which caters for group gatherings. Advance bookings are encouraged in summer, and it would be good to be able to make a DUN group booking in advance so that they can allocate pitches together. If that campsite is full there is another one a mile away at Beattock (Craigielands Country Park 01683 300591).
For B&B and hotel accommodation look under Moffat at …
www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk/wheretostay/
There are several pubs and restaurants in the town which could serve as meeting places for some UpNorth socialising on the Friday evening before or the Saturday evening after a long day in the saddle mashing insects across Scotland.
Schedule (proposed)
Friday 25 August
Pre-Masher evening meet-ups in Moffat with fellow Ducati UpNortheners staying overnight in Moffat ready for an early start. Swat up your road maps on the fly even….
Saturday 26 August
08:30 Meet ready-fuelled at starting point in car park at Edinburgh Woollen Mill (at back of filling station at the Beattock end of Moffat). Route will be revealed (each stage as you set off) plus sorting into groups and leaders. The idea is to ride in groups of ten maximum, each with a leader and a sweeper, which will help those who are not familiar with the territory. Participants are encouraged to bring completed emergency contact forms (download from the website), which they should hand to their sweeper. Leaders and sweepers will have each other’s mobile phone numbers.
08:45 We’re off in our various groups in different directions and will rejoin for various stops during the day !. The 450-mile route will be broken down into about 9 manageable stages separated by rest breaks, so it does not become an endurance test. We do not want to spoil the day by risking accidents so the pace will be as steady as it is safe and sensible to go, but will take into account the varying abilities of the group. Please do not pass the leader unless you have previously agreed with him to do that. At junctions make sure the following rider has seen where you have gone and is following you. That way nobody should be left behind and you should not try to ride faster than you feel comfortable. The sweepers will come along and make sure nobody gets forgotten. It’s safety first (with fun following close behind). Therefore if you get tired and need a break, or if you have a problem with the bike, then just stop or slow down and wait for the sweeper.
Finally, back to base after an ectstatic day’s fly-swatting. We will have eaten en route and so liquid refreshments and rehydration will now be the priority, plus a decent amount of banter about the events of the day.
The route has been put together by Borderduc and KD (Duncan) Blamire as something a bit different from your normal run. Those of you who know the terrain it will enjoy it and those who do not know it will find an enjoyable surprise or two on the day. Here’s hoping for a good turnout, maybe even some from far “dan saff” who’ll find it well worth the long journey up here and will be most welcome to come and discover our UpNorth roads !.
More details can be posted as things progress. For now any questions, good suggestions or useful ideas are welcomed. Post them here.
Emergency contact details
Just in case of emergency please fill out a contact form and hand it to your group leader or sweeper before setting off on Saturday morning.
Liability
In this litiginous day and age it is important to understand that everyone takes part in this run voluntarily, at their own risk, and that everyone is responsible for their own actions.
Borderduc
KD Blamire
Download the attached pdf if you want to print this out
Saturday 26 August 2006
Desmodromic Fly-Swatting on Some of Scotland’s Finest Biking Roads
A run aimed at Ducatisti who want to sample a healthy dose of Up North biking. Following on from the tremendous Raid The Lakes in June and the Dalesman’s Dash in July, it’s now Scotland’s turn to show off some roads fit for Ducatis and so on Saturday 26 August it’s the Mysterious Marathon Midgie Masher Flypast. Not just any old run, it has grown in popularity over the last few years and this year it will be….
Mysterious like those old-fashioned mystery tours which keep you guessing, and you’ll find out where it’s going only when you turn up at the start/finish at Moffat (just off the M74, exit 15) for a 8.45 departure on Saturday morning (clue: we’re going to the seasides). We will need an early start because it is a marathon of a run – in fact a tad over 450 miles, which get better and better as the day goes on !. A bit of a challenge, although the mileage should be “water off a Duc’s back”, so we need to be away early and there will be plenty of rest breaks so it’s not like an endurance test. The scenery along the route will be pleasant and variable and the roads will be mostly quiet. To add a bit of fun we will split up into smallish groups, with some doing the route clockwise and some anti-clockwise, with meet-ups during the day to exchange notes, pleasantries and friendly insults. Avoid a long ride to/from home on the day by staying overnight in Moffat on the Friday and/or Saturday ?. A great opportunity to socialise with other UpNorth Ducati owners over a lemonade or three in the local pubs. Previous UpNorth gatherings have been a load of fun. That will allow you to ride home on the Sunday after a decent night’s rest or, if the weather dictates, the run can be done partly on Saturday and partly on Sunday. Common sense and safety will prevail.
If you are up for the challenge of this long-distance, high-velocity swatathon then add your name to the calendar event
And remember never use this
when you can use one of these
Wee beasties, be very afraid !.
Useful Information
How to get to Moffat
It’s in Dumfries and Galloway, just off the M74 junction 15. Coming from Edinburgh and the Borders direction, it’s a well-known stopping place on the A701 or A708. It’s about a couple of hours from Manchester and abut an hour from each of Glasgow and Edinburgh. A nice little town too.
Accommodation in Moffat and surrounds
There is a good campsite in Moffat (Moffat Camp Site tel 01683 220436) which caters for group gatherings. Advance bookings are encouraged in summer, and it would be good to be able to make a DUN group booking in advance so that they can allocate pitches together. If that campsite is full there is another one a mile away at Beattock (Craigielands Country Park 01683 300591).
For B&B and hotel accommodation look under Moffat at …
www.visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk/wheretostay/
There are several pubs and restaurants in the town which could serve as meeting places for some UpNorth socialising on the Friday evening before or the Saturday evening after a long day in the saddle mashing insects across Scotland.
Schedule (proposed)
Friday 25 August
Pre-Masher evening meet-ups in Moffat with fellow Ducati UpNortheners staying overnight in Moffat ready for an early start. Swat up your road maps on the fly even….
Saturday 26 August
08:30 Meet ready-fuelled at starting point in car park at Edinburgh Woollen Mill (at back of filling station at the Beattock end of Moffat). Route will be revealed (each stage as you set off) plus sorting into groups and leaders. The idea is to ride in groups of ten maximum, each with a leader and a sweeper, which will help those who are not familiar with the territory. Participants are encouraged to bring completed emergency contact forms (download from the website), which they should hand to their sweeper. Leaders and sweepers will have each other’s mobile phone numbers.
08:45 We’re off in our various groups in different directions and will rejoin for various stops during the day !. The 450-mile route will be broken down into about 9 manageable stages separated by rest breaks, so it does not become an endurance test. We do not want to spoil the day by risking accidents so the pace will be as steady as it is safe and sensible to go, but will take into account the varying abilities of the group. Please do not pass the leader unless you have previously agreed with him to do that. At junctions make sure the following rider has seen where you have gone and is following you. That way nobody should be left behind and you should not try to ride faster than you feel comfortable. The sweepers will come along and make sure nobody gets forgotten. It’s safety first (with fun following close behind). Therefore if you get tired and need a break, or if you have a problem with the bike, then just stop or slow down and wait for the sweeper.
Finally, back to base after an ectstatic day’s fly-swatting. We will have eaten en route and so liquid refreshments and rehydration will now be the priority, plus a decent amount of banter about the events of the day.
The route has been put together by Borderduc and KD (Duncan) Blamire as something a bit different from your normal run. Those of you who know the terrain it will enjoy it and those who do not know it will find an enjoyable surprise or two on the day. Here’s hoping for a good turnout, maybe even some from far “dan saff” who’ll find it well worth the long journey up here and will be most welcome to come and discover our UpNorth roads !.
More details can be posted as things progress. For now any questions, good suggestions or useful ideas are welcomed. Post them here.
Emergency contact details
Just in case of emergency please fill out a contact form and hand it to your group leader or sweeper before setting off on Saturday morning.
Liability
In this litiginous day and age it is important to understand that everyone takes part in this run voluntarily, at their own risk, and that everyone is responsible for their own actions.
Borderduc
KD Blamire
Download the attached pdf if you want to print this out
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your going to just love it
