Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge 16 OCT 2011-Success! Thankyou

Details and discussion on the MOKBIKE 2015 to be held here in Kintyre on Saturday September 19th 2015 and Sunday September 20th 2015.

Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby elainemck » Mon May 30, 2011 6:21 pm

Fantastic idea, would go down a treat in Campbeltown, I'm sure everyone would support it and you would get 100 cyclists no problem. I'd be one for sure!

I would try to avoid last weekend in September as it's the Mid Argyll Tri Cycle Club's triathlon in Lochgilphead - a lot of town people and argyll people always take part in it.

I was at a meeting last week to look at organising a triathlon in Campbeltown, hope to have it started next year in August time.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby Katfer » Mon May 30, 2011 11:31 pm

Count me in also, great idea........new bike arriving this week :D
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby russanros » Mon May 30, 2011 11:32 pm

Isa wrote:I suppose it depends on numbers but if you are going to follow the same route and turning areas as the runners that would mean bicycles on both sides of roads with no pavements in a built up area where there are some sharp corners. Would you need to be be looking for the roads to be closed?.


We would need to advise the police of the routes, and they would in turn advise of anything completely out of order, I doubt there would need to be for any closures in fact in finding routes here I have been thinking carefully of any possible conflicts with traffic. Any turn-round points would be off road or marshalled, the Kilkerran one works fine with the run and by continuing to the Doirlinn or Killdalliog all turning rounds could be done in lay-bys or side roads as the bus does.

A good route would be out the west road and round the moss. No need for turning points and a good flat run in most places.

in principle yes, but traffic speeds are much higher and more large vehicles like HGV's, buses coaches etc on the West road, I wouldn't want my children riding bikes along it so i dont think its fair to ask anyone else to. Conflict between cyclists and large vehicles is very topical in the UK news just now, I would prefer to use a route narrow as it maybe which is lightly used and the traffic speed is low due to that.

I would try to avoid last weekend in September as it's the Mid Argyll Tri Cycle Club's triathlon in Lochgilphead - a lot of town people and argyll people always take part in it.

I wouldn't want to go head to head with an event in the town even though what I am proposing is a more 'fun' inspired event than serious athletics, I think that is the winning factor in the MOKRUN, its 'all things to everyone'.
- so the Sun 25th Sept date, do we go for it anyway on the grounds of Glasgow hols. - or look for another date.
- I think the 'Glasgow weekend' would be the most sustainable for future years, in expanding the event.

Having said that I wouldn't want anyone in the town to 'miss out' because they are already committed to the Lochgilphead event?
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby EileenH » Tue May 31, 2011 7:59 am

It doesn't matter what date you choose, there's always going to be something it will clash with. I think the end of September is a good time. Most people will have been their holidays and be free around then. Weathers usually not too bad in September. The killdaloig road is very popular with cyclists. Although the Lear side would be a real test with all the hills!
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby RMcC » Tue May 31, 2011 9:30 am

I think this is a brilliant idea and I would be up for taking part in it.
Think something like this would bring even more people to the area and be good for Kintyre.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby elainemck » Tue May 31, 2011 5:20 pm

This all sounds really good, looking forward to it. I do agree with Eileenh you never get a date that doesn't clash with something but it would be a shame to be at end of september when there is another cycling event in Argyll as there isn't many of them.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby Elvanim » Tue May 31, 2011 7:33 pm

Great idea. I would be willing to help and to participate.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby Wee Vix » Tue May 31, 2011 10:28 pm

Sounds good, I had just mentioned to one of the MOK run committee recently about adding in a cycling challenge in the future but would probably be too much on top of the 10k and half marathon. I'd definitely be up for it.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby russanros » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:24 am

EileenH wrote:It doesn't matter what date you choose, there's always going to be something it will clash with. I think the end of September is a good time. Most people will have been their holidays and be free around then. Weathers usually not too bad in September. The killdaloig road is very popular with cyclists. Although the Lear side would be a real test with all the hills!

I'm with you with all this, as you say there is usually clashing events, I think this holiday weekend has been capitalised on for the Lochgilphead event, and for good reason. The 'Challenge' route will definitely be a challenge the one we organised in Yorkshire involved 4'000 feet of ascent as it crossed the pennines, I think going out by the Lear side to the Mull will be tough but we need to offer a 'nutjob' route, an intermediate and a family-friendly option..
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Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - (more on dates?)

Postby russanros » Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:50 pm

Dates:

I have been trying with help of 'bonnylass' (thanks! ) to work out whether the October half term holidays were the same here as Glasgow, for the same reasons as the 'September weekend'

:idea: The holidays are not the same but there is one Sunday which overlaps, if I am correct, could anyone confirm I have worked it out correctly :@ .

That would be the 16th of October,
- that might be an idea. It'll prob clash with something else ? :roll: - but if it doesn't

-shorter daylight shouldn't be a problem as would expect everyone back before dark even at that time of year its before the end of BST.
- weather might not be as good, but can you really guarantee weather at any time of year?

Thanks all for the messages of support. I'm thinking the next step is to try contact community fundraisers for MacMillan and see how the land lies with them, as they may have other events & commitments and may prefer a certain date. The next stop then would be http://www.cyclingscotland.org/ to see what support and publicity could be got from them.

Meet up:
Would any parties who would like to help with the organising like to have a 'meet up' at any point? - probably informally at a pub early on when its quiet (7-ish) to say hello & exchange ideas, available all eves this weekend at moment but it may not stay that way - reply welcome on list or pm.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - (more about date?)

Postby Ileach B » Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:32 pm

Not sure if anyone has said this, but I don't think the school in Argyll & Bute take September weekend as a holiday?

But really super idea, we would certainly cycle one of the routes!

Only thinking of October, the weather has changed by then and with families if the weather was inclement I would be less likely to take my youngest out. But earlier can clash with other things like cowal games and Music Festival here. So there is no solusion to a date,and those who can make it will!
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - (more about date?)

Postby saddlesores » Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:45 am

Having a bike challenge in Kintyre is a great idea and I would definitely be interested.I have done the Etape Caledonia for the last three years and that is a super bike ride.
I have a feeling though that to attract cyclists from around Scotland that the distance for the Ultimate Route would need to be longer. Why not have a round Kintyre challenge--from Campbeltown to Kennacraig to Claonaig to Carradale and back to Campbeltown a distance of approx 65 miles.Part of this route has been designated as Route 78 under the Sustrans National Cycle Network so it would be good to incorporate it in to the cycle challenge.The entry fee could be in the region of £25 for this event.The MOK challenge route could also take in the Macharioch circuit.The Family route is fine.
Also on at the September weekend is the Lochgilphead Triathlon and there is a Cycling weekend in Rothesay which attracts many cyclists from all over.Maybe a date in July/August or even at the October school holidays would be better.
For instance the start of the Glasgow Fair as an example.
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - (more about date?)

Postby russanros » Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:07 am

Ta for the futher input:
:)

Not sure if anyone has said this, but I don't think the school in Argyll & Bute take September weekend as a holiday?
No, they don't- but the people who would have furthest to travel would be those from Glasgow, and its a long w/e for them.

Having a bike challenge in Kintyre is a great idea and I would definitely be interested.I have done the Etape Caledonia for the last three years and that is a super bike ride.
I have a feeling though that to attract cyclists from around Scotland that the distance for the Ultimate Route would need to be longer. Why not have a round Kintyre challenge--from Campbeltown to Kennacraig to Claonaig to Carradale and back to Campbeltown a distance of approx 65 miles.Part of this route has been designated as Route 78 under the Sustrans National Cycle Network so it would be good to incorporate it in to the cycle challenge.The entry fee could be in the region of £25 for this event.The MOK challenge route could also take in the Macharioch circuit.The Family route is fine.
.....


Excellent, the Bronte challenge was approx half off-road and over the Pennines twice so 30-odd miles was deemed plenty, but I am well aware it is on the short side for serious road cyclists. I think there is scope for an 'off road' route too but will pick up on that in the future (we could use 'bridleways' freely in England but the 'rights of access' are different here, and whilst you can get away with using forestry roads here on an individual basis I think further thought would be needed for an off-road route.)

- So we put in the 'round kintyre' route in as the 'ultimate' for the serious cylists, it'd be a good advert fro the Sustrans route as well as something for people to come 'do the whole of' on holidays?

- the MOK ride with options to go or not to the Learside and/or the actual Mull - a kind of mix & match thing, with options to do the coast/B842 road and/or the Mull car park - I think this can be more clearly explained better in detail later as a route which will appeal to the recreational cylists as an intermediate with harder/easier options.

Then the family ride as already explained.

....Also on at the September weekend is the Lochgilphead Triathlon and there is a Cycling weekend in Rothesay which attracts many cyclists from all over.Maybe a date in July/August or even at the October school holidays would be better. For instance the start of the Glasgow Fair as an example....


This is what we have largely been debating so far, I think given 2 clashing events we go for the October date this year, as Glasgow fair week is a bit too imminent for this yr I think.


the weather has changed by then and with families if the weather was inclement I would be less likely to take my youngest out. But earlier can clash with other things like cowal games and Music Festival here. So there is no solusion to a date,and those who can make it will!


Much as I'd like to be able to 'book' nice weather for the event, I think this is really in the lap of the gods! One of the things we did with the Yorkshire event was to always issue a 'feedback form' to the participants and read the ones that could come back, we could feed in targeted questions into this. So for now I think go for the Oct date this yr. We can if the weather is looking bleak put a question on the lines of: would you be any more or less likely to come back next year if the event was held on Glasgow fair weeks instead of October?

We did do the Yorkshire event in October one year, and it was dry but windy, so was the MOK run this yr, I really do think that you have to take the weather as it comes :?:

Excepting the weather does anyone have ideas of any problems with the October date?

Cheers, Russ
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - Cycling Event

Postby russanros » Sun Jun 05, 2011 12:25 am

Wee Vix wrote:Sounds good, I had just mentioned to one of the MOK run committee recently about adding in a cycling challenge in the future but would probably be too much on top of the 10k and half marathon. I'd definitely be up for it.

Sorry I didn't reply to this one earlier :oops: :
I did think of mentioning the idea whilst at the run, but as you say I think they probably had enough on their plate at this particular time, that said any ideas or offers of help are most welcome. The Yorkshire event which I started goes on despite me leaving because of the fact that more people came on board and helped, if it had just been me, my wife and the fundraisers like it was at the start it might have folded when we moved away!
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Re: Mull of Kintyre Bike Challenge - (more about date?)

Postby russanros » Mon Jun 06, 2011 12:34 am

Excepting the weather does anyone have ideas of any problems with the October date?


in the interest of moving this on to being an event rather than postulation I think we now fix the date as the October one it is at the end of our school hols and the start of the Glasgow one.

I think as one of our correspondants is riding for the lifeboat this year :

http://www.kintyreforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=12078 we should too, I have had quite a bit trouble in contacting the 'west of scotland' branch of macmillan, email returned twice and I couldn't get them by phone either, so for this year at least I think we should be riding for RNLI Campeltown. I would hope this is an equally worthy cause?

-we could look at supporting a cancer cause as well next time, its a thing that's very poignant to me as both my parents have had cancer. I think most people are related to or know someone who has cancer.

- but for 2011 I think we just get it going & see how it goes, if 'kintyre forum' agrees I think its time to turn this into event not chat, we set the date for October which will hopefully bring some folks into the town outside the usual summer, and a local cause for the fundraising.
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