UK and Europe · Public discussion

JOGLE Day 13

Richard Bates · 2004-05-30T21:20:25+00:00

www.artybee.net/jogle now works again Day 13 ~ Sunday 30th May 2004 ~ Moffat to Carlisle via Gretna Green After a chat last night about digital cameras with a chap who loved photography, I snuggled into my sleeping bag. The noise from the local country fetival kept me awake for a while hence I didn't wake until about 10am. By the time had got motivated, packed up, and found somewhere for breakfast, it was nearly midday. I headed down the B7076, following the A74(M) until I reached Gretna Green. There was a fete at the local church which sold me coffee and cake. From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and hypotenuse of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74. THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M), with the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two lanes. There is no token cyclepath, and it turned out to be an excellent exprience in interval training: Cycle slowly in a layby, waiting for a gap in the traffic; then sprint as fast as possible to the next layby or side road before the next lorry passes. This went on for two to three miles before an opportunity to divert onto a C road arose. This C road also happened to be NCN7 and NCN10. The NCN route is signposted to Carlisle but I chose to rejoin the road to the town centre. After food at a spanish cafe, sitting outside, I checked in my ultimate UK campsite guide and found a site at Dunstall just south of Carlisle. Tomorrow I need to return to Carlisle since I now require the map which was being brought to me when I meet my family next Thursday in Carlisle! WHSmith here I come ... -- Sent from the middle of nowhere using a Psion Series 5 palmtop and a Motorola mobile phone. -- Sent using an unregistered copy of RMRNews v1.00 Check out our website at http://www.rmrsoft.com/ for other high quality software for EPOC machines.

Started by Richard Bates · 30 May 2004 · Last activity 1 June 2004 · 5 posts · 406 views

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Original section: UK and Europe
Published: 30 May 2004
Last activity: 1 June 2004
Original author: Richard Bates
Posts: 5
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Original post
Richard Bates
Archived post

30 May 2004, 21:20 UTC #1

www.artybee.net/jogle now works again
Day 13 ~ Sunday 30th May 2004 ~ Moffat to Carlisle via Gretna Green
After a chat last night about digital cameras with a chap who loved photography, I snuggled into my sleeping bag. The noise from the local country fetival kept me awake for a while hence I didn't wake until about 10am. By the time had got motivated, packed up, and found somewhere for breakfast, it was nearly midday.
I headed down the B7076, following the A74(M) until I reached Gretna Green. There was a fete at the local church which sold me coffee and cake.
From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and hypotenuse of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74. THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M), with the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two lanes. There is no token cyclepath, and it turned out to be an excellent exprience in interval training: Cycle slowly in a layby, waiting for a gap in the traffic; then sprint as fast as possible to the next layby or side road before the next lorry passes.
This went on for two to three miles before an opportunity to divert onto a C road arose. This C road also happened to be NCN7 and NCN10. The NCN route is signposted to Carlisle but I chose to rejoin the road to the town centre.
After food at a spanish cafe, sitting outside, I checked in my ultimate UK campsite guide and found a site at Dunstall just south of Carlisle.
Tomorrow I need to return to Carlisle since I now require the map which was being brought to me when I meet my family next Thursday in Carlisle!
WHSmith here I come ...
--
Sent from the middle of nowhere using a Psion
Series 5 palmtop and a Motorola mobile phone.
--
Sent using an unregistered copy of RMRNews v1.00
Check out our website at http://www.rmrsoft.com/
for other high quality software for EPOC machines.

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Simon Brooke
Archived post

30 May 2004, 22:08 UTC #2

in message <[email hidden]>, Richard Bates
(') said:
From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and
hypotenuse of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74.
THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M),
with the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two lanes.
Oh God, isn't it? Scarey scarey scarey. The nastiest bit of road - from
a cyclists point of view - I can think of, and with practically no
viable alternatives (unless you go quite a way inland). The story is
that as it's in England the Scottish Office won't pay to upgrade it to
Motorway, and as it only leads to Scotland the Department of Transport
won't pay either. Whatever, it's been an utterly horrible piece of road
all my life - and hasn't really improved in that time either, although
the traffic has got much worse. *Much* worse.
I can remember the first time I cycled down it (many years ago but it
was bloody scarey even then) and discovered that policemen in England
wore helmets and everyone talked different.
--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Iraq war: it's time for regime change...
... go now, Tony, while you can still go with dignity.

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Ambrose Nankivell
Archived post

30 May 2004, 22:45 UTC #3

In news:[email hidden],
Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> typed:
Quoted message said:
in message <[email hidden]>, Richard Bates
(') said:
From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and
hypotenuse of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74.
THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M),
with the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two
lanes.
Oh God, isn't it? Scarey scarey scarey. The nastiest bit of road -
from a cyclists point of view - I can think of, and with practically
no viable alternatives (unless you go quite a way inland).
I've never cycled it, but it scares me half to death driving it. I'd be
absolutely terrified of cycling it.
A

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A Railman
Archived post

31 May 2004, 16:13 UTC #4

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In news:[email hidden],
Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> typed:
Quoted message said:
in message <[email hidden]>, Richard Bates
(') said:
From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and
hypotenuse of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74.
THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M),
with the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two
lanes.
Oh God, isn't it? Scarey scarey scarey. The nastiest bit of road -
from a cyclists point of view - I can think of, and with practically
no viable alternatives (unless you go quite a way inland).
I've never cycled it, but it scares me half to death driving it. I'd be
absolutely terrified of cycling it.
A

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/motorways/m6/carlisle_guardsmill/index.htm
A Railman

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tony R
Archived post

1 June 2004, 20:30 UTC #5

"Richard Bates" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
www.artybee.net/jogle now works again
From Gretna, unless I wanted to detour along the short side and hypotenuse

of a right angled triangle, I had to ride the A74.
THISISANASTYNASTYNASTYROAD. It is a continuation of the A74(M), with
the same volume of 70mph traffic but now squashed into two lanes. There is
no token cyclepath, and it turned out to be an excellent exprience in
interval training: Cycle slowly in a layby, waiting for a gap in the
traffic; then sprint as fast as possible to the next layby or side road
before the next lorry passes.
I cycled this road, but nothwards, last summer and it was easily the
scariest stretch of the whole trip. Although it was exhilerating also
(afterwards).I was very glad to reach the Gretna turn. And a day that
started on that road ended with me on a beautiful road in a fine part of
Scotland I'd not really been aware of previously, the Southern Uplands. On
balance another good day on the bike.
tony R.

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