Bryan Chapman 2012

[BlackSheep]

Doors are now closed folks.

Obviously those in the system are OK.

Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.

Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

[Andy Corless]

Doors are now closed folks.

Obviously those in the system are OK.

Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.

Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

That's a shame I was just about to enter. I thought entry was closing on 07 May?

Andy Corless

[mattc]

Arrivee says "(4/5)"
AUKweb said "2 weeks before the event" (which is actually 5/5!)

But AIUI Mark has closed entries due to it being full.

[BlackSheep]

.................... There's one stinker not far before the control at Weobley (sp?) where you turn off a C road to go up a wall of a D or E road, but it's very short.

You can miss this one by not taking the left opp The Forge, Then Left at the T, and then second Right. (the second right equates to the next line on the route sheet - SO @ X ........

............................................  The section before Monmouth on the final leg is a bit lumpy in that it's a succession of roller coaster-style dips and climbs. They're not particularly hard or long but if you're tired - and most people are by then - they can take it out of you a bit.

Are those the ones that get bigger and bigger, steeper and steeper ?

[MattH]

Unfortunately, real life has got in the way for me. We've finally got a completion date, and are moving house a couple of days after this ride. I can't really justify spending a long weekend in Wales whilst my family are packing up the house.

So, my loss may be someone else's gain. I have family rooms booked at the Severn View Travelodge for the Friday and Sunday nights, and would like to pass them to someone who can make use of them for what I paid.

As I booked these back in December, I got them for a bargain £10 a night - so, for £20 in total you can have somewhere warm and dry to sleep and leave the car before and after the ride. IME they are quite happy at this Travelodge for you to leave your car there on the Saturday night, saving a £6 toll if you are happy to ride the 2 miles to the start over the bridge.

Being family rooms they will sleep three, so you can always share to bring the price down even further.

PM me if you are interested - I would prefer to pass on both rooms together, but will split if necessary. Payment by paypal gift (you pay the fees) or bank transfer.


EDIT: provisionally taken.
EDIT2: gone. Sorry!

[LEE]

Yes there's lots of altitude along the way but you gain it in a way that suits the heavier riders amongst us (I only remember Llancloudy as being a proper "Devon/Dorset grind").

LEE

I have never really got to grips with all the different types of hills we encounter, and what sorts of riders are suited to each type...

Experienced audaxers talk about hills in a sort of shorthand, e.g. grinds, power climbs, etc, but I never could grasp the differences...

I am guessing that the BC will be mainly relatively shallow inclines, rather than very steep all or nothing climbs (e.g. shall I walk it?), but I would love to have a proper glossary and understanding...

Could you perhaps explain further for all us newbies?

I heard Hummers once talking about "Pedalling Squares" (or similar) when referring to climbs on a Wessex ride.  It wasn't until I did a Wessex 400 (The Wu'ze, to date the hardest ride I've ever done) that I understood.  I think he refers to constantly trying to heave the pedals over top-dead-centre in a jerky, almost non-circular fashion, without coming to a dead stop.

You don't "pedal squares" on BC600 apart from the first 30 yards of the approach to the YHA if you forget to engage 1st gear before the turning. 

BC600 isn't about cranking 1st gear, out of the saddle, it's about sitting back and being prepared to turn over a lowish gear for 30-60 minutes at a time.  You can get into a nice rhythm on some because the gradient is so constant.  Climbing out of Newtown takes about 50 minutes for example.

The similar slog up to Pen-Y-Pass is no problem because you are totally distracted by the views and, if you arrive at sunset, like I generally did, you get to look back at your fellow Audaxers, their LED lights twinkling waaaaaay down below, with all that altitude gain ahead of them. (They'll be looking way up into the darkening sky, thinking "are those red lights aircraft or cyclists' rear lights?".

What a great ride...I appear to be talking myself into it so I'll stop right away.

Hope you all have great weather and you get to ride to Pen-Y-Pass in a warm setting sun.

[BlackSheep]

..............BC600 isn't about cranking 1st gear, out of the saddle, it's about sitting back and being prepared to turn over a lowish gear for 30-60 minutes at a time.  You can get into a nice rhythm on some because the gradient is so constant.  Climbing out of Newtown takes about 50 minutes for example. ..............

You're spot-on there LEE 

For the big clibs - such as the one mentioned above, the rise up Pen-y-Pass, and the climb out of Dolgellau. Just pick a nice low twiddle gear and sit back. I always set myself about an hour to climb them, if I'm at the top earlier - fantastic (but unlikely), if I'm on time - great.  if I'm 15 mins slower it's not the end of the world as there are l-o-n-g downs the otherside to really push-on. In the case of the Newtown climb, the descent's over 15 miles and providing the wind's not really blasting in the face, you'll be able to average nearly 20mph along there.
Generally speaking, folk remeber the ups because they're having to do some work whilst marvelling at the scenery, whilst on the downs they're still marvelling at the scenery but at a much faster rate.

[trumpet]

..............BC600 isn't about cranking 1st gear, out of the saddle, it's about sitting back and being prepared to turn over a lowish gear for 30-60 minutes at a time.  You can get into a nice rhythm on some because the gradient is so constant.  Climbing out of Newtown takes about 50 minutes for example. ..............

You're spot-on there LEE 

For the big clibs - such as the one mentioned above, the rise up Pen-y-Pass, and the climb out of Dolgellau. Just pick a nice low twiddle gear and sit back. I always set myself about an hour to climb them, if I'm at the top earlier - fantastic (but unlikely), if I'm on time - great.  if I'm 15 mins slower it's not the end of the world as there are l-o-n-g downs the otherside to really push-on. In the case of the Newtown climb, the descent's over 15 miles and providing the wind's not really blasting in the face, you'll be able to average nearly 20mph along there.
Generally speaking, folk remeber the ups because they're having to do some work whilst marvelling at the scenery, whilst on the downs they're still marvelling at the scenery but at a much faster rate.

And if we're on fixed?? 

[Paul D]

And if we're on fixed?? 

Buy a screw-on freewheel.

[simonp]

..............BC600 isn't about cranking 1st gear, out of the saddle, it's about sitting back and being prepared to turn over a lowish gear for 30-60 minutes at a time.  You can get into a nice rhythm on some because the gradient is so constant.  Climbing out of Newtown takes about 50 minutes for example. ..............

You're spot-on there LEE 

For the big clibs - such as the one mentioned above, the rise up Pen-y-Pass, and the climb out of Dolgellau. Just pick a nice low twiddle gear and sit back. I always set myself about an hour to climb them, if I'm at the top earlier - fantastic (but unlikely), if I'm on time - great.  if I'm 15 mins slower it's not the end of the world as there are l-o-n-g downs the otherside to really push-on. In the case of the Newtown climb, the descent's over 15 miles and providing the wind's not really blasting in the face, you'll be able to average nearly 20mph along there.
Generally speaking, folk remeber the ups because they're having to do some work whilst marvelling at the scenery, whilst on the downs they're still marvelling at the scenery but at a much faster rate.

And if we're on fixed?? 

Some would say use a bigger gear.

[iddu]

And if we're on fixed?? 

Some would say use a bigger gear.

Naw, just unclip and see where life takes you. It'll be fun. Short. But fun.

[BlackSheep]

Doors are now closed folks.
Obviously those in the system are OK.
Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.
Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

Doors are now closed folks.
Obviously those in the system are OK.
Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.
Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

Closing the event seems to be a pointless task , modified forms from other open events are being submitted at an increasing rate.

Some folk even telling me there's a fault with the AUK site, and gloating over their way around things.

So business as usual - entry's open for another week.

[Andy Corless]

Doors are now closed folks.
Obviously those in the system are OK.
Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.
Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

Doors are now closed folks.
Obviously those in the system are OK.
Queries to whether you're in or not will be answered after Monday.
Once again, please check your in-boxes before asking.

Closing the event seems to be a pointless task , modified forms from other open events are being submitted at an increasing rate.

Some folk even telling me there's a fault with the AUK site, and gloating over their way around things.

So business as usual - entry's open for another week.

Thanks Mark - my entry is in the post today!

Andy Corless

[GrahamG]

I'll try and help procedings by chalking myself down as another DNS. Just not strong enough to do anything but struggle around - all goes back to a lack of winter riding. Lesson learned.

[BlackSheep]

............................................... - all goes back to a lack of winter riding. Lesson learned.

Obviously another candidate for the BlackSheep Mallorcan spring training camp

[MattH]

A BlackSheep training camp for getting up to speed on BCM? Does it include sitting in big cold store on a turbo trainer, with all the lights out, and someone gradually cranking up the resistance and randomly throwing buckets of cold water over you? Then leading you off the bike into a nice warm room, feeding you, taking care of you, making you feel loved, then pushing you back out and onto the turbo again?

 

[BlackSheep]

A BlackSheep training camp for getting up to speed on BCM? .........................

A couple of weeks based at Puerta Pollenca, Mountain riding to get at least 11 AAA, and a total distance of anything upto 900 to 1000km.

[simonp]

Looking at the met office outlook for next week, MattH seems to be spot on!

[Chris S]

Looking at the met office outlook for next week, MattH seems to be spot on!

Is that the same forecast team who were predicting snow last weekend for the BC?

[simonp]

Looking at the met office outlook for next week, MattH seems to be spot on!

Is that the same forecast team who were predicting snow last weekend for the BC?

One rider reckoned it was 'trying' to snow on them.

The weather here yesterday (thunder storms, and heavy showers) suggests that it was very lucky we had decent weather on the ride. It was still rather cold, I wore winter top, merino base layer, winter leggings and winter gloves for the entire ride. There was maybe one 15 minute period on a steep climb in the late afternoon where I was too warm.

[Chris S]

Yes, it was pretty chilly on the tops of the Cheviots on Sunday, too; the showers were definitely sleety up there. Of course, it's also much nearer to the Arctic Circle than Wales  .

I rode round wearing both winter tops, and wasn't warm by any means.

Come on summer - it's your turn now ffs.

[Paul D]

Keep up: in 2012, cold is the new warm.

[Jasmine]

Looking at the met office outlook for next week, MattH seems to be spot on!

Is that the same forecast team who were predicting snow last weekend for the BC?

They may not have had snow in South Wales, but here in the land of dragons it did snow this weekend.  And sleet, and hail.  We've also had the characteristic 40 mph wind (circular, based on traveling direction).  The good news is that it is usually a tailwind up the Gwynant pass.  The bad news is that we've had easterly winds fr the last 2 weeks, so it's been a headwind up the Gwynant forevery one of the 7 miles from Beddgelert.

[alter-ego]

Fast enough for the BCM ?

Asking this on behalf of another lurker on here with:

6 x 200s this year in a fairly consistent 11 hours elapsed (10 hours riding) - of which 2 solo DIYxGPS, 1 group perm, 3 x calendar

1 x calendar 200 DNF due to seriously crap weather

1 x calendar 300 in 17 hours elapsed

No 400s.  Some experience of endurance/sleep deprivation events up to 40 hours (not bike related), so has the ability to “keep it together” albeit at a reduced pace in the latter stages of the second day.

Rider has an entry already in for BCM but confidence has been dented by being Lanterne Rouge on their latest 200 (in a very small field).. and found the Arrivée being packed away some two hours before the time limit !

[simonp]

I think, do-able, but won't be easy. 20kph rolling average means 31h on the bike, leaving 10h for stops. This sort of schedule will mean less sleep overnight than a faster rider might get. I note your friend seems to keep time stopped down well - 1h stopped on a 200 is far less than I use, normally. This will make up some time.