Each year we have a weekend (UK summer) when activators are encouraged to cycle as part of their activating. You don’t have to cycle all the way and you can combine the cycling with other forms of transport. It’s a fun challenge to see how effective your activating can be using a bike.
Which weekend would suit people the best?
You might get more takers if you had a cycling week ?
David, G3RDQ
Good idea. Worth a try. Title amended.
Suggestions for the week please?
Bought a mountain bike last year. Haven’t been on a bike since a teenager, great fun! Just to narrow the date down, any week in July/August is good for me😃
I hope to be activating from one of the Clwydian hills.
I have a Hybrid Merrida bike ready to go! I managed about 750 miles on it last year, however have never used it for SOTA.
So seems a good idea! Part of me is tempted to activate G/WB-004, ride from Ludlow all the way to the top. However, I feel that catching the bus between Ludlow and Kidderminster might be the better scenario, can be dropped off in the village of Clee Hill and take a more leisurely ride to the summit.
Would do HF and 2m FM more than likely.
Nothing set in stone yet for holidays, so will go with the general consensus and work to that.
73
Matt G8XYJ
I’ve heard UK summer is more like just one day rather than an entire weekend!
Supposedly your not allowed to cycle up Moel Famu, but it doesn’t appear to be logical as there are routes away from the common path nor is it enforced by the “Wardens”. As you can tell from last year I did it without incident and it was great fun !
This year I am thinking either a mega-avalanche style activation of something up above 6 points. Moel Siabod would be good for the MTB’er or go very traditionally with a hill that already has a track such as the Gyrn Moelfre. Obviously talking form a GW/NW perspective now.
I would prefer it to be sooner before May then later, as I will be abroad SOTA’ering or MTB’ing in Morzine most likely !
Great event, great fun, and props to Richard for raising the concept every year !
Jonathan
For the US folks avoid July 4. Personal preference would be in June or September.
N6IZ
I like the idea of SOTA bicycle week but is there any reason why some of us could not just do it any time of the year that suits . I will be doing my 6 days on the bike including 3 SOTA summits tour some time in April because that is when I can fit it in to my working life.
Ian vk5cz …
Hello Ian
You can cycle any time of course (any why not). But the reason for having a special period is just to encourage people to have a go and having a shared event does that.
it’s a bit like running a marathon. You could go down to London any day and run a marathon. However it would not be quite the same as taking part in The London Marathon.
Are there any set dates for this event yet? I have friends that may be interested.
73 Chris M0RSF
Thanks for the reminder and various suggestions.
The 2016 SOTA Cycling Week will start on Monday 18 July and run through to Sunday 24 July. The idea is simple; use a bicycle for some or all of your journey to a SOTA summit (or summits). Additionally you may wish to share your planning and activation reports in this thread.
As an additional incentive to get on your bike, SOTABEAMS will give a small prize to the writer of the most interesting report…
73 Richard G3CWI
Thanks Richard I will spread the word. I had one eye on G/NP-014 Rogans Seat as it looks a nice ride with decent tracks, however I noticed Phil G4OBK posted something about the warden not been too keen on seeing a mountain bike up there.
G/LD-048 Top O,Selside is definitely on my to do list as I have cycled Grizedale Forest for many years and know most of the tracks like the back of my hand. I was cycling there before the Go Ape was built and it was nice & quiet. You could ride for a couple of hours and not see a soul.
73 Chris M0RSF
Time to start training!