Home › Forums › Upcoming Events › Mid Wales Challenge Two Day Sportive Begins on March 31st 2012
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January 31, 2012 at 2:01 pm #21627
Morganite
MemberNot to get to disappointed about the change of the Sarn Helen Sportif their is this one the week after.
Anyone up for it.
See link
January 31, 2012 at 6:54 pm #24537MatG
MemberLink to actual site http://www.redkite-events.co.uk/page13.html
Would be interested – but need to check a few things first – if loads are doing 2* 100 miles – could be good
What would the plan be – stay up night between? night before?
March 7, 2012 at 5:00 pm #24568butcherboy
MemberJust enterted the 100 miler on the Saturday. Anyone else fancy draging me around.
March 7, 2012 at 6:11 pm #24569Roger
MemberDiscovered that that’s a weekend I’m not working…now entering into a lengthy negotiation with Vicki…I’ll keep you posted
Man flu has taken me down since the Daffodil..in fact…I may not survive the day…will have to skip tonight’s turbo session…have a good one everybody!
March 7, 2012 at 8:49 pm #24570mark_b
MemberI have entered , any chance in sharing a car up there can split fuel then. see you sunday
March 8, 2012 at 9:44 pm #24573Morganite
MemberJust entered 😆
March 14, 2012 at 11:09 am #24583Roger
MemberHave now entered but chest far from right-home tubo yesterday was pathetic… so not much point in flogging the dead horse tonight
March 14, 2012 at 4:35 pm #24584Morganite
MemberHi
All here is the long route for the 31st March on Map my ride
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/75007354
It is 83 miles long, 1 cat 3 climb,3 cat 4 climbs, 7 cat 5 climbs. 4442 ft of climbing.
It goes from LLanwtyd south to Trecastle, head East to Llangadog,llandovery,Lampeter, Tregaron, and back. all the big climbs are from 65 miles by the way
March 16, 2012 at 2:19 pm #24585mark_b
Memberi went to fossa sports to get a jersey but they only have large in stock so i wont have one in time for mid wales ill have to be odd 1 out,
March 16, 2012 at 10:26 pm #24586Roger
MemberDon’t worry mate..I’ll be the odd one out…I’ll be the only one to literally cough a lung up on route
March 17, 2012 at 12:50 am #24587ValleyMan
MemberCan we have it for our cats?
March 19, 2012 at 4:21 pm #24589Roger
MemberOut of the question…I’m not carrying the extra weight of a non functional lung around with me…I’ll leave it for the vulchers…
March 21, 2012 at 11:17 am #24590ValleyMan
MemberThat is no way to talk about the Chairman
April 1, 2012 at 10:09 am #24610butcherboy
MemberGreat days cycling. Roger,Huw,Mark and i met at the Little chef in St clears at 6am. Got to Llanwtyd a little early. There was no one around at all. Reminded me of last years merlin ride Ian! But after only half an hours wait we were registerd and ready to go at 8.
It was a very quiet start with only 2 others setting off with us. And within the first mile one of them broke a spoke. He carried on but after another mile or so another spoke went and his day had finished. The other young cyclist who we got chatting to comes from Haverfordwest and rides for the velos. He hung onto us all the way around and told us at the end that was the furthest he had rode. Well done Callum.
The first 70 miles was some of the best roads and scenery we have ever ridden. It was amazing. Apart from the odd climb and sharp hill it wasn`t too bad and we made good progress.
Then it all changed. I foolishly said to Roger just before that i can`t help feeling this route had a sting in its tail. And boy what a sting! For the next 6 miles we hit hill after hill and most of them must have been 15 to 20%.
We had a feed station in the valley at 77 miles and it was much needed. Talking to the volunteer he told us that the worst was still to come! He wasn`t joking.
For the next 4 miles we were still doing alot of climbing. And then we saw it. A 25% hill going straight up as far as the eye could see. You must have heard the cursing in Narberth, it was brutal. It was the devils staircase. Roger, Mark and i had climbed this last year in the Llandovery sportive. But this was climbing it from the other way and with 80 miles in your legs it somehow felt harder. I had to offload a couple of lambs i had picked up earlier from my saddle bag to lighten the load just to get up!
But we all managed to get to the top on our bikes and i don`t think anyone got off half way up and walked!! Or did they????
After that the last 5 miles to the finish was flat and fast and apart from Huw who was just a couple of minutes behind we all came in together.
It was one of the best sportives i have done. Great route, well sign posted and wonderful views. Just a shame it wasn`t well attended. There was only 30 riders out of 100 who entered taking part. They missed a great ride.
April 1, 2012 at 10:11 am #24611Morganite
MemberHere goes,it was an early start we set off from St Clears at 6AM that was me, Roger, Andrew and Mark, arrived at LLanwrtyd Well at 7AM no one else to be seen. the organisers arrived at 7.30,there was much discussion regarding how many layers to be worn.The plan was to ride together you could see this was going to be a lonely day if you got dropped as there was only about 15 other riders at the start, we spoke to the organisers who now said the route was 100miles and not the file they had sent by e-mail earlier saying 83 miles, also we had to ask for emergency numbers as they did not have any to hand out, did not sound like there was a broom wagon or any back up.
At 8am we set off there was 2 other riders with is, one from Glyn Neath who snapped a spoke after about 2 miles he continued for a while not sure what happened to him, also Alan from Haverfordwest who rode around with us.
All went well first feed station we averaged 17.5 MPH probably some of the best roads we have been on no traffic to be seen tramac was very good, one issue at the feed station no energy drinks,then we came to LLandovery heading to Lampeter, Weather was cold on the down hills, thats all that could be seen was big mountains and we where in the valley floor thinking we have to climb out of here, but some relief for me anyway the roads kept climbing but nothing to worry about and then we skirted Lampeter no major climbing so far, 60 miles in elevation gain 4000 ft then we headed towards Tragaron past LLanddewi-Brefi all going well Tragaron arrived.
We leave Tragaron 70 miles in to the ride, then we find the hills and it all turns to Rat-poo they where terrible, over the next 4 miles we climbed 1000ft the roads where getting worse. Once at the top at this stage i was way behind the decent sign said 25% this was horrible as much to do to hold the brakes on the decent, if it was wet i am not sure you could have rode down it as the back wheel was locking up in the dry, i was thinking how Ian handlebars would have survived this descent,at the bottom i managed to catch everyone up at the feed station 77 miles in plenty of food but again no energy drink, to date we had not seen any other riders
Their was plenty of talk at the feed station from the marshall saying their was 1 more big climb and it was 25%, i thought oh B-ll-ks and he was right after 4 miles i turned left i had been dropped again by this stage and thats all i could see was this road that looked like a wall in front of me, i could the rest of the mountain goats climbing away so here goes got to the first plateau and had to get off i have never been up something so steep. managed to climb back on and start off again, made me feel better i could see Roger pushing his bike, later came to light he had fallen off with his back wheel spinning on the stones and not being able to start off again, there was blood to prove it, later found out ths was the Devil staircase it was 0.5 miles long ans the elevation climb was 345ft at the top 82 miles in no one else to be seen not that i was bothered as i was just pacing myself back, on the descent there was potholes everywhere some had been filled but all the tarmac was loose loose clippings all over the place, i crossed a bridge there was no barriers on the bridge thinking this is real bandit country. then the signs started coming for LLanwrtyd 5 miles i know the end was in sight and it was all flat back. Thank the Lord it was 90 miles and there was the end.
i would like to thank everyone for dragging me around it was a great day would not have liked to do this in the wet.
Here are my states Andrew Roger and Mark finished 8 minutes faster than me this is moving time my overall time was 6hrs 2min 7000ft climbing
Distance: 90.53 mi
Time: 5:50:23
Avg Speed: 15.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 6,960 ft
Calories: 2,834 C
Avg Temperature: 44.9 °F
Details
Timing
Time: 5:50:23
Avg Speed: 15.5 mph
Max Speed: 34.3 mph
SpeedPace
Elevation
Elevation Gain: 6,960 ft
Elevation Loss: 6,960 ft
MinElevation: 152 ft
MaxElevation: 1,584 ft
Heart Rate
Avg HR: 145 bpm
Max HR: 180 bpm
Zones% of Maxbpm
Cadence
Avg Bike Cadence: 68 rpm
Max Bike Cadence: 113 rpm
Temperature
Avg Temperature: 44.9 °F
Min Temperature: 37.4 °F
Max Temperature: 50.0 °F
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