Mille Cymru - Welsh 1000 - 23-26/07/2010

[ian_oli]

Turning up to help at the end of a 1000km ride, I expected to enter the land of the zombies but was astonished at just how chipper most of the participants were: a sign of a great ride.

If John can ever be pursuaded to run this again, my entry will be in early.

[iddu]

COJONES!!! You all haz (even Emma "Honourary Bloke" D). 

Not my story; you'll all take your own highs & lows away and report, but:-

• a big UP (in all senses) to John & Linda for having the verve to run the event
• many many thanks to you all for having the nerve and audacity (audaxity?) to sign up and participate - it's a pleasure, and honour,  to be able to put back the same as has been received in the past.
• Despite the trials, tribulations & good crop of 1000-yard stares, you were all "excellent to each other"

Chapeau.

[eck]

... and Mattc for the loan of his pliers to cut my shoe off in Tregaron

 
Tall Tales to follow, no doubt.

Grand chapeau to Maverick and all riders and helpers. Sounds like we have an instant classic event here.   

[scottlington]

John - you are a star! What a superbly organised and executed event.  I really cannot put into words how well this was done. It's not just John either, but all the helpers and volunteers who made getting back to the sleep stop each night a real treat, and those helpers dotted around the other controls. Chapeau to all of those - you fully deserve all the praise you get.

Thanks too the Neil and Mattc for your company during the event. I hope Alex's knee heals quickly - Neil, not sure if he's on this parish, if not could you extend my best wishes to him?

I may write more later. 

[vorsprung]

Who is this?  I rode with him quite a bit.  He has an Australian accent, rides an old Dave Lloyd with clips and straps and wears trainers and tracksuit leggings



This photo is on the A4086 going up to the top of Llanberis/Pant-y pass

[JohnHamilton]

Back in the land of the living now, so a few quick words before I get back to finishing off the tidying everything away.

Congratulations to everyone who finished, and those who didn't for whatever reason. 53 in total out of the 73 starters. And everyone within BRM time. The crunch point seemed to be Saturday morning - there were a fair few who either never set off for leg 2 or did and returned in fairly short order. I was expecting a similar cull on Sunday morning but everyone who made it to the end of day 2 finished. We were fortunate with the weather, only on Saturday evening was there a taste of proper Welsh weather and if there had to be one day of overcast and drizzly then Saturday was undoubtedly the best day when the route was mainly low-level.

The one person who deserves a medal is UNdulates.

And all the helpers. It's been said but they were all absolutely fantastic. I was privileged to have such a dedicated and talented crew. It made my life so much easier and whilst it may have been my name on the top of the event; it would not have been possible without them. The whole event for once went as smoothly behind the scenes as it appeared to on the surface.

Despite the trials, tribulations & good crop of 1000-yard stares, you were all "excellent to each other"[/li][/list]

+1. I was amazed by the lack of general tetchiness that usually comes with the territory. Everyone behaved in an exemplary manner. The hall was left in a much cleaner state than we expected, and talking to the lady who lives in the houses next to the hall whilst buying sausages in the butchers on Saturday afternoon she'd been blissfully unaware of all the cyclists trailing in and out during the night.

If John can ever be pursuaded to run this again, my entry will be in early.

It's too soon to say for definite, I'll wait for the dust to settle. It's far too much work to do every year though. I have some ideas in mind for the next time, and it's likely there will be a permanent version available (I have a lot of left over medals to shift). Watch this space...

[mattc]

Who is this?  I rode with him quite a bit.  He has an Australian accent, rides an old Dave Lloyd with clips and straps and wears trainers and tracksuit leggings
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/4833251563_0bf6659cac_b_d.jpg

"Nick", I think. rode with him at various points. A kiwi, repatriated back to England, I believe. Very clean, very blue trainers!

[Ian H]

"Nick", I think.

Wells.

[Pete Mas]

On a post-ride high today, but with lots to catch up on, so only a brief message.This was definitely the most enjoyable and challenging ride that I have completed to date.

Thanks again are due to the organiser and all the volunteers, and all the riders I met along the way.

Must book a return visit for a sing-song at The Mason's Arms, Cilgerran, sometime!

[Paul D]

Here's how my weekend touring Wales accompanied by Toby went (I might edit this later into time order):

- Started at 6.30am so we could have a second breakfast and chat with Tony Davis (Drone)
- Re-christened Matt C 'Wiggo' circa 2009 for his new-found climbing skils on day 1
- Leisurely ice cream (strawberry and mad-about-choclate) at Bench Bar at St Davids after my mate recommended it (not as good as the one in Sidmouth)
- Marcus' brilliantly sincere reaction to the Barmouth bridge toll of 'A pound??!!'
- Bacon rolls at a cafe before Pen-Y-Pass. We double-controlled pretty much every stage all weekend.
- Arriving 4 minutes after the Lake Vwnwy control official opened
- Having a lie in on Sunday morning
- Amazing Tywi Forest road, my favourtie bit I reckon
- Mental descents on day 1 in particular. Toby and I just seem to leave everyone for dead on the downs. It's a gift and a skill
- Toby taking a break from describing how much he needed to use the Elan Valley dam toilets in order to free a sheep which we had scared and got stuck in the fence
- Enjoying our chinese takeaway in Dolgellau in the sunshine sitting on a bridge so we could wave at other riders on the way out
- Particularly enjoying another chinese takeaway in Fishguard with Vorsprung (although he had vegetables and rice instead of taking our advice and joining us in msg heaven)
- Garry Broad doing a fine job of truing my rear wheel at 350k and again at 900k (that's 2 beers I owe you)
- The showers in Llanwrted Wells Victoria Hall...so good I had another on Sunday evening before leaving for the final night stage
- Arriving at the final overnight hall stage to find a collection of bikes, in particular Jo Wood's, which cheered me up no end (I've already apologised to Jo at the finish!)
- Finding a bucket load of energy from somewhere and monstering the Sugar Loaf climb back to Llanwrted on Saturday night
- Word of the weekend 'Benign', as in 'it's fairly benign until Pendine', or 'conpared with him, talking to X is fairly benign'
- Donating a spoke to Brian (bloodyhills on here possibly?) at St Davids to get his rear wheel back to true. Glad to see he finished.
- The view and Kite going over to Devil's Bridge
- First time I've been through the Elan Valley in great weather
- The whole 232k leg 3 route. I asked John at the finish to run it as a stand alone 200 it was so good.
- The banter with Nuncio at the numerous controls andtimes on the road we saw him. He was stung on his right arm before the ride and had a massive reaction, but there was never any question about quitting, just banter about him growing new body parts as the ride progressed (be worried if a photo appears on here)
- Watching Peter Simon in the Llanwrted Hall put his glasses on so he could focus on his 1000yrd stare (232k ahead of us 2am sunday morning)

And the most important ingredient - Toby's company the whole way round. Banter, bitching about other people, laffing so hard on climbs we can't pedal, eating takeaways, laffing at me about my disintegrating bike, me laffing at him as he'd forgotten to bring the gps tracks for stages 12 and 13 (why would you check something unimportant like that anyway?!) and towing me along when I'm feeling a bit average.

Oh, and we both still think the Hellfire 600 perm was the hardest thing we've done this year, possibly ever. The fine hospitality by John et al just made this too easy.

[Hummers]

<snip>
And the most important ingredient - Toby's company the whole way round. Banter, bitching about other people, laffing so hard on climbs we can't pedal, eating takeaways, laffing at me about my disintegrating bike, me laffing at him as he'd forgotten to bring the gps tracks for stages 12 and 13 (why would you check something unimportant like that anyway?!) and towing me along when I'm feeling a bit average.
</snip>

Margaret is right: you do make a lovely couple!

 

H

[simonp]

There should be at least one new entry into the AUK hall of fame, probably several others:

Brevet 5000. This is a major challenge which is achieved only by very experienced randonneurs. In a four-year period, ride an End-to-End OR a Paris-Brest-Paris, a 200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000, a 24 hour team event, plus other rides to top up to 5000km.

Well done jo (and others)!

[Weirdy Biker]

Margaret is right: you do make a lovely couple!

 

H

Threesome

- Toby taking a break from describing how much he needed to use the Elan Valley dam toilets in order to free a sheep which we had scared and got stuck in the fence

Avoids temptation to say "gone native"

[Paul D]

Threesome

- Toby taking a break from describing how much he needed to use the Elan Valley dam toilets in order to free a sheep which we had scared and got stuck in the fence

Avoids temptation to say "gone native"

The truth is Toby was looking for a sheep that hadn't been sheared as in case the toilets weren't open; he hadn't got any paper with him. No joke this was pretty much the entire conversation from Cymystwyth onwards.

[Nuncio]

- The banter with Nuncio at the numerous controls and times on the road we saw him. He was stung on his right arm before the ride and had a massive reaction, but there was never any question about quitting, just banter about him growing new body parts as the ride progressed (be worried if a photo appears on here)

Why me? I had another sting, on my bottom, on that horrible gravelly road between the Elan reservoirs and Llanwrthwl on Sunday.  If it develops in the same as the sting on the arm (and it has started that way) by tonight my right buttock will be itchy and by tomorrow it will be as hard as rock and twice the size of my left buttock.  I may have trouble pulling my pants on - I couldn't fasten my right mitt on my right hand. Then some time early Thursday it will have developed several pus-filled blistery sub-buttocks or pustules or bubos - I am not a medical man.  I am also no Damarell - there will be no photos.

Margaret is right: you do make a lovely couple!

Yes, like a couple of kids, with the Welsh roads their playgrounds, the Welsh mountains their picnic areas, and the Welsh sheep their toilet paper.  And, at one point - the descent to Tregaron -I thought it could well be the scene of their demises.

I don't think I'll bother with a ride report - it would be too hard.  It all seems a bit surreal looking back - I have no memory of the Dolgellau/Dinas Mawddy ascent for example, but the route sheet shows we did it.  I can't believe that on Sunday at about 17:30 we were setting off from Aberystwyth, about to do Ystwyth and Elan, and the Newbridge/Beulah roller-coaster twice and then up-and-over to Newtown and on to Upton Magna by 9 next morning.  But we managed, with an hour's sleep and nearly and hour-and-a-half to spare.

I rode all the way round with miniog, as usual, and Brian Croft and maverick.  A tidy group.

John - you and your team should be very proud.

By the way everyone, it's not hard:  L-l-a-n-w-r-t-y-d Wells.  Next lesson: pronunciation.

[vorsprung]

- Toby taking a break from describing how much he needed to use the Elan Valley dam toilets in order to free a sheep which we had scared and got stuck in the fence

Avoids temptation to say "gone native"

The truth is Toby was looking for a sheep that hadn't been sheared as in case the toilets weren't open; he hadn't got any paper with him. No joke this was pretty much the entire conversation from Cymystwyth onwards.

btw i did ride along with these two from st davids for quite a while
The conversation wasn't entirely scatological at that point and they are pretty good company imho
I did lose them on a descent but this wasn't due to madness on their part

When I caught them many miles later they split up soon after, they aren't joined at the hip

[Hummers]

- Toby taking a break from describing how much he needed to use the Elan Valley dam toilets in order to free a sheep which we had scared and got stuck in the fence

Avoids temptation to say "gone native"

The truth is Toby was looking for a sheep that hadn't been sheared as in case the toilets weren't open; he hadn't got any paper with him. No joke this was pretty much the entire conversation from Cymystwyth onwards.

btw i did ride along with these two from st davids for quite a while
The conversation wasn't entirely scatological at that point and they are pretty good company imho
I did lose them on a descent but this wasn't due to madness on their part

When I caught them many miles later they split up soon after, they aren't joined at the hip

They were just trying to throw you off the scent Vorspers.

H

[jogler]

Not only did I meet many new folk,put forum names to real faces,re-acquaint myself with previously known yacfers & thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the four days of my audax-as-a-helper experience,I lost 1.5kg of weight.
A fine result for me all round

RESPECT to all the riders:if the route sheet had an ISBN status it would be in your library on the Horror Stories shelf.

[marcus]

I had another sting, on my bottom, on that horrible gravelly road between the Elan reservoirs and Llanwrthwl on Sunday. 

That road was obviously the place for animals to lurk, ready to pounce on unsuspecting audaxers. I was attacked by a vicious pack of 6 rat-sized dogs (pekinese, I think) who surrounded me, yapping away and occasionally darting in to nip at my ankles. The owner explained it away by saying "they don't like cyclists - it's the sound of the brakes".

[simonp]

I had another sting, on my bottom, on that horrible gravelly road between the Elan reservoirs and Llanwrthwl on Sunday. 

That road was obviously the place for animals to lurk, ready to pounce on unsuspecting audaxers. I was attacked by a vicious pack of 6 rat-sized dogs (pekinese, I think) who surrounded me, yapping away and occasionally darting in to nip at my ankles. The owner explained it away by saying "they don't like cyclists - it's the sound of the brakes".

How many of them did you run over?

[marcus]

I had another sting, on my bottom, on that horrible gravelly road between the Elan reservoirs and Llanwrthwl on Sunday. 

That road was obviously the place for animals to lurk, ready to pounce on unsuspecting audaxers. I was attacked by a vicious pack of 6 rat-sized dogs (pekinese, I think) who surrounded me, yapping away and occasionally darting in to nip at my ankles. The owner explained it away by saying "they don't like cyclists - it's the sound of the brakes".

How many of them did you run over?

None - but not through lack of trying.

[Paul D]

Toby and I were of the opinion we'd had a pretty large amount of time off the bike during this ride, although the amount of genuine sleep we had was small.

Does 48 1/2 hours moving time in 73 hours but only 8 hours sleep sound a bit like we had too many bacon rolls and ice creams?  

[simonp]

Toby and I were of the opinion we'd had a pretty large amount of time off the bike during this ride, although the amount of genuine sleep we had was small.

Does 48 1/2 hours moving time in 73 hours but only 8 hours sleep sound a bit like we had too many bacon rolls and ice creams?  

Yep.  You guys often rode off ahead of me then appeared after me at the next control.

[rottenhat]

But it sounded like you were having more fun than anyone else so I think you win both ways.

My (very long, probably very dull) ride report is over on the Irish forum.  Includes a certain amount of detail for the local audience that you all know already.

[PloddinPedro]

Not long back home. Essex has never seemed so flat!

I knew when I rashly entered this madness I would be biting off an awful lot to chew, but of course I'd be a stone lighter and a whole lot fitter by the time of the event wouldn't I. Which of course never happened.

I didn't study the route much in advance because every time I opened the files they scared me to death so I stopped looking. I remember it being unusually quiet in the bunch at the village hall gate at 6.00 a.m. so I guess I wasn't the only one feeling a degree of apprehension!

My recollections of the ride are more blurred and confused than usual, mainly due to the Welsh language - I always seemed to be in "Llan....." something. I recall that every time I dragged my gaze up off the tarmac all I could see was looming mountains.

I'd not really expected to get through the first day within the time limit and had already steeled myself to accepting I'd have to pack but that it would be good to be able to say that I'd given it a go. But I did manage to get around in time to get an hour’s kip and consequently I felt I couldn't quit until I was genuinely out of time and although I was always more or less on the limit it wasn't until after Aberystwyth that I realised just how hard it was going to be to hold the necessary pace. Somewhere on the road after turning into the valley after Devil's Bridge I meet up with NeilB and another rider (sorry, didn't get a name) and their companionship and pace making helped me to raise my game sufficiently. I got detached from them during a mad episode in the gravel strewn lanes after Elan Village, when we'd got caught and were being chased by two locals driving fire-breathing tractors!

I grovelled into Llanwrtyd Wells and prepared for the final leg knowing I had no time to spare for any sleep. Setting off in the night as Lanterne Rouge or so I thought, I was making steady progress north when I spied bobbing lights astern. These didn't get any closer and then I had a Garmin moment and stupidly followed its recommendation to shortcut the official route after Llanblister, on the approach to Llanbadarn Fynydd. This of course was a huge mistake, as it took me down a narrow, steep lane which to compound things, turned out to be wholly blocked by road works! By the time I'd retraced and made it to the Llanbadarn Fynydd control, I was definitely the last on the road as they packed up and shut the hall around me, although not before supplying very welcome beans on toast. The bobbing lights turned out to be Mattc and NeilB who had made it to the control before me and who then accompanied me on the last 60+km.

When we left the control, I calculated we'd need three hours of 20kph overall average to get in by 9 a.m. and I knew that in my state, over that terrain, that was going to be a push. And so it turned out to be. At some time along the way, I realised I was the only one of the three of us who'd started at 6 a.m. on Friday. So I had to give it all I could and go off the front in a mad dash for the line.

Upton Magna seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, it took so long coming, but finally those lovely words came up on the local signposts and I rolled into the finish with a bare seven minutes in hand, the closest I've been to finishing out of time on an Audax! You can imagine how it felt getting the lovely medal from John and I dread to think how I'd have felt if I'd finished ten minutes later!

I can only endorse the general views expressed by others and say that this was a fantastic event, over brilliant country, with exemplary organisation and I know I shall count it at the top of my personal palmares list, above even PBP and LEL, for a very long time. Many, many thanks  to John and his great team. However, I did say to John at the finish that if he ever runs it again and by some strange chance he receives an entry from me, he is to bin the entry form and spend the fee on beer!