Mille Cymru 2018

[Zed43]

So far I've always followed the official route, although I was tempted to skip the Howardian Hills on the return leg of LEL. I don't care for short cuts (the ultimate short cut is not to start...) and I assume the organiser knows best which roads are best for cycling. Dutch brevets have implicit mandatory routes, with the occasional secret controls (which are always welcomed, because they tend to have some free food )

[edit: disregard the following, wrong thread )
But I'm curious, is this really the route as intended: Chepstow, Pontypridd, Barry, Tonypandy, Llandovery, Neath, Barry, Chepstow. Going from Pontypridd to Barry to Tonypandy seems rather odd.

[Ajax Bay]

From the Audax UK calendar - event number 18-1000 ( ) page:
Mille Cymru 3
1020km cycling event starting from Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury. Controls at Hay-on-Wye, Tintern, Llanwrtyd Wells, Aberteifi, St Davids, Pembroke, Laugharne, Llanwrtyd Wells, Aberystwyth, Rhayader, Barmouth, Llanberis, Betws y Coed and Lake Vyrnwy.

[whosatthewheel]

But I'm curious, is this really the route as intended: Chepstow, Pontypridd, Barry, Tonypandy, Llandovery, Neath, Barry, Chepstow. Going from Pontypridd to Barry to Tonypandy seems rather odd.

List of controls seems to be

 Controls at Hay-on-Wye, Tintern, Llanwrtyd Wells, Aberteifi, St Davids, Pembroke, Laugharne, Llanwrtyd Wells, Aberystwyth, Rhayader, Barmouth, Llanberis, Betws y Coed and Lake Vyrnwy.

[Arry-R]

Dishonest riders will follow the route because there might be a secret control just around the next corner.


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Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

[Martin]

Dishonest riders will follow the route because there might be a secret control just around the next corner.


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Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

there are no such things as secret controls in AUK anymore;
FOBTSBS(T)

[Hot Flatus]

Ah crap. That means it'll be during school holidays and I won't have any excuse not to enter.

I could be tempted out of hibernation for this one...

Whether it be riding or turning up  en route offering caaake

[jsabine]

Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

With a mandatory route, surely there's an implicit statement that any stage may have a secret control ...

there are no such things as secret controls in AUK anymore;
FOBTSBS(T)

FOBTSBS(T)?

I don't think there's anything prohibiting secret controls ...

[Laid Back Rich]

Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

wouldn't that rather defeat the point of secret controls?

[Wycombewheeler]

Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

wouldn't that rather defeat the point of secret controls?

Probably, but practicalities make secret controls in later stages difficult.

[U.N.Dulates]

To get things back on track regarding the actual event, a bit of info on the 3rd edition of the Mille Cymru...

The date is set - Thurs 26th - Sun 29th July. Starting and finishing at our usual venue of Upton Magna village hall, just outside Shrewsbury. Camping facilities will be available for the duration of the event for a small fee.

The route is currently being worked on, but will be an evolution of the 2014 edition. So Day 1 through the borders and SE Wales to overnight stop in Llanwrtyd Wells. Day 2 out to westest Wales and back to Llanwrtyd. Day 3 up through mid Wales to Snowdonia and an overnight sleep stop (location tbc) before a final run back to the Shire. It's more or less settled (considering whether to take you up the dark side of the Bwlch y Groes this time the first 2 editions have gone up the other 2 sides so I reckon we should complete the set) pending confirmation of the location of the final night control.

The entry fee will include all food & drink at the Start, Finish and the 3 overnight sleep controls (dinner & breakfast). It's likely there'll be some additional manned controls each day too with food included, plus roadside feed stations. Bag drop to Llanwrtyd where you'll spend 2 nights (with shower facilities available). Plus a range of goodies to commemorate the event (jersey will be extra though). If I can do it for a sensible cost I'd really like to offer live GPS tracking.

The entry fee currently listed in the calendar of £75 is provisional (set to what it cost in 2014 atm) and will depend on exactly how many controls we can offer as above. Entries will open on 1st March 2018.  The intention is to squeeze a few more in than last time, but I'll initially be limiting general entries to 100 riders, plus a few guaranteed spots for anyone who has: ridden both previous editions and is going for the triple; a spouse or significant other helping; volunteered on a previous edition; riding a tandem, trike or recumbent (sorry but fixed doesn't count - it's been done before) or other criteria I've yet to decide.

Of course it goes without saying that this won't be happening with just me & Linda, so any and all volunteers are welcome.

This will be the last running of the Mille Cymru. There won't be a #4 in another 4 years time.

[Bagman]

Might be up for some volunteering, will let you know.

[D.A.L.E.]

Hyyyyped

[whosatthewheel]

It's more or less settled (considering whether to take you up the dark side of the Bwlch y Groes this time the first 2 editions have gone up the other 2 sides so I reckon we should complete the set) pending confirmation of the location of the final night control.

Don't see why not... of the three sides it is by far the most... ehmmm "scenic" 

I've decided MC1K is too big for me, but I am keen to help... just need to find out the Mrs holiday plans for next year... I always tell here there's nowhere like Wales... 

[αdαmsκι]

Ah crap. That means it'll be during school holidays and I won't have any excuse not to enter.

I could be tempted out of hibernation for this one...

I've found an excuse not to enter - the Alpi 4000, with an extra 400 km of cycling & a few Alpine passes.

[vorsprung]

Dishonest riders will follow the route because there might be a secret control just around the next corner.


=      =      =      =      =       =      =       =       =       =       =       =       =

Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

there are no such things as secret controls in AUK anymore;
FOBTSBS(T)

http://www.aukweb.net/official/aukregs/

see regulation 9.8.2c

"Events with Mandatory routes may include unannounced controls and/or other measures to ensure riders follow the registered route."

call 'em what you like that's a secret control

[Spinderella]

 "riding a tandem, trike or recumbent (sorry but fixed doesn't count - it's been done before) or other criteria I've yet to be decided"

Does that mean a tandem hasnt done it before?  ...

[RichForrest]

No, I'm not doing it on the tandem recumbent 

[Thing2]

"riding a tandem, trike or recumbent (sorry but fixed doesn't count - it's been done before) or other criteria I've yet to be decided"

Does that mean a tandem hasnt done it before?  ...

We dnf'd due to a medical issue in 2010. I don't think any tandems entered in 2014, so to the best of my knowledge no tandem has completed it.

[thing1]

Guaranteed entry for tandems - ideal! We'll be there.

If you can't work out providing a full service GPS tracking, then next best option is to setup a SpotWalla location page. This allows each rider to use their own Spot, DeLorme or mobile phone (Andorid, iPhone) to upload location as they ride.

https://spotwalla.com/help/devices.php

I set this up for the SF Randonneurs 1000k earlier this year and it generally worked well.

[Andy Corless]

"Dishonest riders will follow the route because there might be a secret control just around the next corner.
Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls
there are no such things as secret controls in AUK anymore;"
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Tell me to MMOB if you wish; but text in the AUK Organiser's Handbook (last updated March 2017) states:

SECRET CONTROLS: Are like checkpoints but their location/distance is not listed on the brevet card. These
may be used on mandatory route events to ensure riders are following the prescribed route. The number of
secret controls and their location is entirely up to the organiser but you should not tell the riders before the
event. Stating that there may or may not be secret controls on the event will persuade most riders to follow
the entire mandated route. Telling riders a false number of secret controls may cause them to backtrack
looking for a non-existent control and should not be done.

Hope this clarifies AUKs position on secret controls!

Andy Corless

[Arry-R]

Pretty sure you're still required to state which stages have or might have secret controls

wouldn't that rather defeat the point of secret controls?

Probably, but practicalities make secret controls in later stages difficult.

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Secret controls must be mentioned on which stage otherwise because riders can choose their own routes between controls but if mention is made of the secret they'll know to follow that stages route.  Actually if it's difficult to actually provide secret check it doesn't matter as you've made sure they will follow that section in full

[Ajax Bay]

Secret controls must be mentioned on which stage otherwise because riders can choose their own routes between controls but if mention is made of the secret they'll know to follow that stages route.  Actually if it's difficult to actually provide secret check it doesn't matter as you've made sure they will follow that section in full

Please could you quote the rule which says that stages which may/will have 'secret' controls must be specified?
If the route is specified as mandatory, then riders are NOT at liberty to "choose their own routes between controls".  They'll "know to follow" the route in its entirety, honestly.
Mandatory: follow the route (specified by the routesheet and any gpx provided (I'm assuming that these are synonymous with 'the registered route')). If you go wrong, get back on route asap. Is retracing your erroneous route 'mandatory'? The AUK rules seem vague, probably deliberately.
Advisory: Visit the controls in order by whatever route the rider chooses, most appreciating the help and advice provided by the organiser (ie routesheet).

9.8.2 The controls are placed to ensure that the rider completes the validated distance.

(a) Controls are placed at intervals of approximately 50 - 80 km at the discretion of AUK.
(b) Event routes set by the organiser are categorised as ‘advisory’ (riders may take any route between controls) or ‘mandatory’ (riders must follow the registered route).
(c) Events with Mandatory routes may include unannounced controls and/or other measures to ensure riders follow the registered route.

[Phil W]

The Wild Atlantic Way Audax last year was a mandatory route.  Audax Ireland rather than Audax UK but the way it was policed might be of interest.

Secret controls

I remember a couple of times Eamon and Seamus jumped out of a van or car with glee to announce a secret control.  One was about a km after a turn where if you took the shortcut you would be knocking off about 20km.  There was no advance notice of where they would be. At other times and days they would just drive by and say hello. You knew they or other volunteers were out and about on the route somewhere.

Campervan

A camper van roamed about each day and you would find it either at a designated control or somewhere else to serve up sandwiches and a hot drink.   So sometimes you'd be expecting to complete an info control  and be pleasantly surprised to find the camper van there marking cards. 

There was one point when tired I'd made a mistake on Achill Island loop just over 1200km into the ride.  So had to go back out and complete the bit I'd missed. This put me further back in the field.  I heard the camper van was at the info control. So when I got there I spent a good 20 - 30 mins looking for the campervan.  That was a mistake as the camper van had already moved on by then.  So I'm very much of the don't announce where secret controls are or even if not secret don't say whether a volunteer will be at a control (unless they will definitely be there for the entire period that control is open).

Live tracking

We all had live trackers handed to us.   There was a live satellite tracking screen that showed the route as well as where everyone was. These were monitored during the event but also checked after the event as it retained your tracking history. The starting field size was 56 riders from memory.

Penalties

There were some riders who missed a turn or misread route sheets and took shortcuts.  First offence given a time penalty or go back and ride the correct route with a warning they would be out the event if it was repeatedly done.  The time penalty was such that any time gained from a short cut would be more than wiped out.

Other Riders

I was sat in a pub when two riders came in ahead of another rider who had left the last place ahead of them.  It was noted, and on discussion, they realised they had taken a shortcut. They rang the organiser on what to do.

Summary

So it all worked really well and no one was trying to shortcut the route deliberately but we all get tired at points on these long events and sometimes do not pay as close attention to the route as we should be doing. Not knowing where the organisers / volunteers may pop up at any point was all part of the fun.   

[Ajax Bay]

The Wild Atlantic Way Audax last year was a mandatory route. 
 Not knowing where the organisers / volunteers may pop up at any point was all part of the fun.   

[Smeth]

Just had a minor panic...the web link given above
http://www.mille.cymru/
 leads to the (as yet) empty site with the date given as 26-29 June. Clash with the Acme Grand. As the AUK calendar says July as above it's clearly an error. Phew.