ROAD TONOWHERE
WORDS & PICTURES LUCY MCTAGGART
Lucy McTaggart reflects on a season in the Scottish Borders, plagued by the pandemic, but which still offered plenty to celebrate and enjoy
WE’REONTHE
Ettrick Valley in it’s Autumn Splendour
Arrivée151Spring2021
The elusive snow hare
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THIS TIME LAST YEAR we were just beginning what would turn out to be one of the most difficult years of most of our lives – on and off the bike – and now, a year later, we’re still fighting our way back to the things we love to do. Our Scottish Borders Randonneurs (SBR) group was formed five years ago with the aim of encouraging more local riders to have a go at Audax, while also supporting our regular riders to go onwards and upwards to the longer rides. We had good plans in place ready for 2020. Then came Covid-19, and our strategies for the year – as well as everything else – were
scuppered as lockdown began. It was just luck that the previous autumn we’d put together a year-long challenge within our SBR events. The “Super Rouleur”, based on AUK’s randonneur 1000 – so 100km, 150km, 200km and 300km rides, over any rolling 12 months from when the rider did their first counting event, all done within SBR events. We thought it would encourage newcomers, and give those not wanting to do an SR something to go for.
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… We had good plans in place ready for 2020. Then came Covid-19, and our strategies for the year – as well as everything else – were scuppered as lockdown began
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Dick McTaggart’s Century riders head out
