Bryan Chapman 2012

[STMS]

Just browsing through some random GPX file off the Electric Internet, I see there is a couple of K to be chopped in Monmouth, by ignoring the route-sheet's dog-leg up to the roundabout and back down the A40.  Just carry directly on through the town to the bridge.

You'll need to dismount for 100m or so, and become a pedestrian due to a one-way street at Wyebridge Street.

Unless you get lost on the short cut, off course. 

[Redlight]

Just browsing through some random GPX file off the Electric Internet, I see there is a couple of K to be chopped in Monmouth, by ignoring the route-sheet's dog-leg up to the roundabout and back down the A40.  Just carry directly on through the town to the bridge.

You'll need to dismount for 100m or so, and become a pedestrian due to a one-way street at Wyebridge Street.

IIRC, there is a quick route under the A40 via a pedestrian underpass - which Mr Blacksheep kindly mentions in his route notes

[STMS]

Just browsing through some random GPX file off the Electric Internet, I see there is a couple of K to be chopped in Monmouth, by ignoring the route-sheet's dog-leg up to the roundabout and back down the A40.  Just carry directly on through the town to the bridge.

You'll need to dismount for 100m or so, and become a pedestrian due to a one-way street at Wyebridge Street.

IIRC, there is a quick route under the A40 via a pedestrian underpass - which Mr Blacksheep kindly mentions in his route notes

Yup, that's the one i got lost on.

One thing i also learn't is don't enjoy the climb from Newtown too much that you miss the turn with the sign in the hedge
. I added a 15KM round trip. I managed 50 minutes off the bike on day 2, that included 5 mins sat in stinging nettles when i fell in a ditch and was trapped under the bike  .

[Euan Uzami]

Just browsing through some random GPX file off the Electric Internet, I see there is a couple of K to be chopped in Monmouth, by ignoring the route-sheet's dog-leg up to the roundabout and back down the A40.  Just carry directly on through the town to the bridge.

You'll need to dismount for 100m or so, and become a pedestrian due to a one-way street at Wyebridge Street.

I've also noticed that the A466 isn't the shortest route from monmouth to chepstow.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=monmouth&daddr=chepstow&hl=en&geocode=FcSmFgMde5TW_ynPYFtKKLZxSDG3SFhGG2DE2A%3B&aq=&sll=51.816132,-2.714501&sspn=0.057622,0.169086&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=11
Save at least 2 miles by going the lany route. Probably hillier, mind. And lanier.
N.B. disclaimer: the above is not a recommendation!

[NikW]

The HardBoiled used to have a Secret control at exactly 300K as, apparantly , someone passed 300K within BRM time but was out of time at the Arrivee (~310K).  So long as you got to the secret within time the organiser submitted your card for validation.  I have no idea how 'legal' this was but it clearly worked for some people - or the Organiser was making a point.  It could well be the latter

Probably not very "legal" , and apparently the same was true of the BCM - although this pre-dates my event running and the previous organiser.

I've been told by numerous cyclists that someone intercepted cyclists in the Wye Valley, stating that "Their ride was now over". A bit worrying for numerous reasons:-
1) I'm not all that convinced that the BCM actually went down the Wye Valley in the year in question. But probably went south from Hereford, and through the Forest of Dean (now there's a killer finish).
2) If it had, there would have been many pleasure cyclists 'ambushed', and given the news that "Their ride was now over" is a bit of a shock - a bit to 'Cosa Nostra' for most tastes.
3) There's not a lot of room on the road in question, to stop cyclists and start faffing-about, the aleged finish would have been between Redbrook and Bigsweir bridge.

In 1999 I seem to remember we returned from Ross via the St Briavels road and the 600k 'finish' was somewhere along there. It was only (wo)maned from around 21:00 Sunday so just served those who were likely to be outside the BRM time on the card when they reached Chepstow. It was a bit of a surprise even though it seemed to be understood that anyone completing the 600k within 40 hours could expect validation as a PBP qualifier. It was my first 600 and I wasn't riding it as a qualifier so all very puzzling to a knackered brain, it seemed perfectly safe though.

I don't think it was regarded as acceptable to take shortcuts from the routesheet then and anyway much harder without GPS on the bike. The field would have been half the size then and putting riders off by making qualifying unreasonably difficult might have made the Bryan Chapman uneconomic. What seems a bit arbitrary now made a lot sense at the time.

[Feanor]

IIRC, there is a quick route under the A40 via a pedestrian underpass - which Mr Blacksheep kindly mentions in his route notes

Hmm, not on my english-language version of the routesheet!
Is there a seperate sheet of notes I'm missing?

I've also noticed that the A466 isn't the shortest route from monmouth to chepstow.

Is there perhaps a SEEKRIT routesheet encrypted in Welsh containing the proper route, and outsiders get the english-language version which takes us on odd little detours just for teh lolz 

I can see right through this little ploy.  Oh, yes.
No-one can pull the (black) wool over my eyes. Oh no.

[BlackSheep]

IIRC, there is a quick route under the A40 via a pedestrian underpass - which Mr Blacksheep kindly mentions in his route notes

Hmm, not on my english-language version of the routesheet!
Is there a seperate sheet of notes I'm missing?

I've also noticed that the A466 isn't the shortest route from monmouth to chepstow.

Is there perhaps a SEEKRIT routesheet encrypted in Welsh containing the proper route, and outsiders get the english-language version which takes us on odd little detours just for teh lolz 

I can see right through this little ploy.  Oh, yes.
No-one can pull the (black) wool over my eyes. Oh no.

I'm in th eprocess of drafting a post to entrants, which will show the 1km short cut, as to the other shorter bit through Trellech - I can assure you, it'll be the last thing on you mind when you get to Monmouth.

[Chris N]

There are loads of opportunities to shorten the route if you look for them.  Here, here, here and here would be good places to start.

[mattc]

There are loads of opportunities to shorten the route if you look for them.  Here, here, here and here would be good places to start.

"here and "
Doesn't look too bad heading North (well, NW - whaddeva). The chevrons are at least pointing in the helpful direction! Looks pretty. Anyone care to comment?

[vorsprung]

I've also noticed that the A466 isn't the shortest route from monmouth to chepstow.

Is there perhaps a SEEKRIT routesheet encrypted in Welsh containing the proper route, and outsiders get the english-language version which takes us on odd little detours just for teh lolz 

I can see right through this little ploy.  Oh, yes.
No-one can pull the (black) wool over my eyes. Oh no.

As ChrisN points out there are places where you can take a shorter or different route.
But is it the best route?

I tend to do the "classic" route except at Llyswen on the way to Builth, where the back road is nicer

And on the way back do the straight on at Old Forge, L@T, 1st R to avoid the mud bath 25% gravel fest

And the underpass "short cut"

[simonp]

There is no way that is 25%, I got up it on 71".

[Euan Uzami]

There are loads of opportunities to shorten the route if you look for them.  Here, here, here and here would be good places to start.

"here and "
Doesn't look too bad heading North (well, NW - whaddeva). The chevrons are at least pointing in the helpful direction! Looks pretty. Anyone care to comment?

iirc it's part of the scenic route. It is pretty, but since it's narrow/worse surface/more technical you're on the brakes pretty much most of the way down whereas down the 470 you can just scream down at max speed. In other words, since you've got lots of altitude to lose in that section the extra distance of the official route hardly slows you down at all.

here also part of the scenic and iirc from 2010 a very nice road. Rolling and very pretty.

[Chris S]

There's nothing quite like the irony of a bunch of long distance cyclists discussing how to shave a kilometer off here, a few hundred meters off there... 

[mattc]

here also part of the scenic and iirc from 2010 a very nice road. Rolling and very pretty.

It may be pretty, but has at least 2 chevrons in either direction!

There's nothing quite like the irony of a bunch of long distance cyclists discussing how to shave a kilometer off here, a few hundred meters off there... 

I think riders moaning about 'over-distance' must be on the list ... 

As ChrisN points out there are places where you can take a shorter or different route.
But is it the best route?

I tend to do the "classic" route except at  ...

With these well-tested and widely praised events I always stick to the routesheet as PlanA. The organiser is very likely to know better than me (unless I have local knowledge). If I've already done the ride once I'm more keen to try out a few new roads, new views, new ways of getting lost ...

[vorsprung]

There is no way that is 25%, I got up it on 71".

Yeah you are right, bikehike says less than 15%
It's still covered in mud and loose stuff and seems like a sharp hill

[simonp]

There's nothing quite like the irony of a bunch of long distance cyclists discussing how to shave a kilometer off here, a few hundred meters off there... 

The inverse of a Larrington Maneuver (less distance, more climbing). As if there wasn't enough.

[Euan Uzami]

I've just discovered you can shave a whole 11km off by going through presteigne. Tough climb out of knighton though

[mattc]

I've just discovered you can shave a whole 11km off by going through presteigne. Tough climb out of knighton though

Must admit I had actually considered that! It's not too steep (just long), with great views as you top Offa's Dyke. [It was on our 400 - we did it around dusk, so would be nice to see earlier in the day.]  Is it as much as 11km? Certainly a few.

[Euan Uzami]

I've just discovered you can shave a whole 11km off by going through presteigne. Tough climb out of knighton though

Must admit I had actually considered that! It's not too steep (just long), with great views as you top Offa's Dyke. [It was on our 400 - we did it around dusk, so would be nice to see earlier in the day.]  Is it as much as 11km? Certainly a few.

shame that the delightful looking farrington lane turns to moonscape about half way.

official route 73km
alternative 68km. ok then not quite 11, sorry maybe 5km. The 11km came from drag-editing the whole route to reroute that section dropped from 623 to 612, which means the other 6km must have come from somewhere else.

edit: oh, sorry i've got that wrong, the official route's more like this isn't it... so more like 77km - a lot of the savings are before knighton but which probably involve a lot of laney descending so again maybe no faster. but it depends if saving time is your only goal...

[Chris N]

"here and "
Doesn't look too bad heading North (well, NW - whaddeva). The chevrons are at least pointing in the helpful direction! Looks pretty. Anyone care to comment?

It's a lovely way to warm up on Sunday morning.

[BlackSheep]

Honestly guys, I'd concenrate on the route, the alternatives are either next to impossible (considering you maybe in the dark) - in which case they're down-right dangerous; alternatives that were on the Scenic (and thse riders invariably took the long cut), the road maybe no more than alane and this probably means poor condition - grit, grass-up-the-middle & wash-off. Or were on a 604 route - that was offered in 2005, only 6 riders took that event - and I saw all of them on the Classic route where the going got tough.

Should the need arise, I'm not sure how I'd fill out an accident report sheet for riders knowingly off-piste.

There are lots of other places to save a few metres, but all are invariably slower, the "Classic" route is the fastest of all the BCMs. And as I seem to recall - it was only a couple of days ago folk were commenting on the possiblity of DNFing due to the lack of time  .

A couple of years ago (following his Scenic completion) I was talking to Chrisn at arrivee, and was toying with a 'Chris Narborough' version,  but it was rather a difficult route - in terms of terrain and navigation. And some of the surfaces less than satisfactory, even the CR that drops you down to the back of Dolgellau is not really FFP.

On Saturday, keep an eye out for those riders joining and leaving the A470 between Machynlleth and Corris. There's a lane that must save a whole 1km  . Thats 1.5km saved in distance  , but and extra 500m in altitude 

What I do find rather amusing is, the most batant short-cut hasn't been mentioned - perhaps because it puts a good hour onto the ride, and if the weather changes for the worse - game over. What's that telling?

[Chris N]

A couple of years ago (following his Scenic completion) I was talking to Chrisn at arrivee, and was toying with a 'Chris Narborough' version,  but it was rather a difficult route - in terms of terrain and navigation. And some of the surfaces less than satisfactory, even the CR that drops you down to the back of Dolgellau is not really FFP.

I might ride it anyway, just for fun.

[arvid]

Firstly, for me to supply you with some GPX files, there are four. 201105014c1, 20110514c2, 20110514c3 & 20110514cc. The 1, 2, 3 subscripts denote the part of the ride. The C file is the complete ride on one file, the last file maybe too much for many units.
 
I will try to create track files for each stage of the ride - and will do my best to get them to you asap.
 
No doubt some of you will be busying yourselves, creating your own - great. And (no doubt) there will be some of you using files supplied by others or downloaded from the WWW. For obvious reasons, you use these at your own risk, and I do not accept responsibility for these files.

I created tracks by drawing over the routes in the GPX files, and added the controls as Waypoints: GPX GDB
All the original routes are included.
The tracks are a bit rough since I need to use as few tracks as possible because my GPS also needs to contain the rest of my cycling holiday. The tracks are divided so that it is possible to use different colors for out and back.

I noticed an oddity in the routes supplied near Deiniolen, between km 301 and 306 in the routesheet. It goes off from the A4244. First I thought it was a control, but it's only about 10km before the Menai Bridge control.
I left this oddity out my tracks.

[Feline]

I plan to follow the same route as Simon. Things tend to go badly when I don't.
This is assuming I can shake this damn cough I got from the BC400!

[simonp]

I plan to follow the same route as Simon. Things tend to go badly when I don't.
This is assuming I can shake this damn cough I got from the BC400!

I've never deviated on this route and have no plans to start now! GWS!