Bryan Chapman Memorial 2010

[3peaker]

Thanks for the reminder of Snowdonia in day and sun light.

Dark descended on me by the Ffestiniog Railway and lifted as I left Beddgelert.  As a mountaineer, I know what to expect hereabouts, first visiting the Gwynant Valley in 1962 (yes 1962) but that road is bl***y lonely and miserable in the dark and rain.

SteveP

[border-rider]

Looking at the video, while editing, I wondered why miles are sometimes Milltir on signs and sometimes Filltir, apparently the word mutates to Filltir when the mileage is  1 or 2, for a distance of 3 miles or above or below 1 it is Milltir. Funny language Welsh.

It's to do with the gender of the word before it.  M to F is an example of the soft mutation.  You'll also see Mawr/Fawr (big)  and Cymru/Gymru etc

There are several other mutations too.  They're one of the trickiest aspects of the language.  One million and one billion are tricky; million goes to fillion and billion goes to...fillion. 

There's also two counting systems: a modern one and an older and rather difficult one used for time, age and money.

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

[Exit Stage Left]

There's also two counting systems: a modern one and an older and rather difficult one used for time, age and money.

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

Much like the counting system for sheep used in Northern England.
Yan Tan Tethera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
That tends to be used by those of Norse descent, to some extent the Norse filled the niche that Welsh speakers filled, upland farming and associated mining and quarrying activities. I meet quite a few Welsh and Cumbrian speakers, as we do hedging competitions in both areas. After 20 years or so they lose their suspicion of RP speakers like me, although they sometimes take the mickey out of some of the more ornate phrases.

[simonp]

I found a group of Vorsprung, Mal Volio, Kcass and another rider I didn't recognise.  I sprinted past, but Vorsprung reeled in my attack, and we rode together for a while until Vorsprung decided to try to break us all on a hill.

MV said something like "let's make simon do some work" and caught you up.

Catching me up was fine.  I was happy with being on the front.  However, when you nearly took my front wheel out when you decided to come to the front, that wasn't so nice.

No hill hammering was intended, as I said at the time I was just riding at a happy pace.  Maybe I should have looked back a bit more.  You can always shout "gap!" y'know. I could hear someone on my wheel but it turned out to just be kcass on his own.

Well, I'd been riding on my own so I was happy doing that.  When I had to go above 350W to stay on your wheel, I eased off.  That's a silly level of effort (I can maintain it for a minute or two at best) and not a game I was interested in.

I must say I was amused by your comments during the ride about being an hour up or whatever on last years time.    I don't remember my total time from last year, let alone when I got to the top of Llanberis or any other point!

Did that photo of near the top of Pant-y-Pass come out ok?  I'd like to see that, it was a loverly late afternoon

I was actually an hour down on 2008 by 200km, but by the time I caught you up and got to Llanberis I had made all of that time up.  In 2008 I was basically shot by 250km, but despite doing a lot more work on my own this time, and riding considerably harder I had plenty in the tank.

[mattc]

I wish you guys would stop the time-bragging; it really is not ‘the spirit of Audax’, though is it non-politic to report I did a 28hr 600 before my hair turned grey,

Did you start 20mins late that time?

But seriously, it is good to occasionally remind folks that time-bragging isn't really in the spirit.

However, in Simon's case it's pretty clear he knows he wasn't fastest, and there's no harm in seeking to improve ONE'S OWN performance, so you can hardly call him competitive. (It's also the case that many of us are concerned about beating the broom wagon on tougher rides to come, so "doing a good time" on the "warm-ups" is a morale boost on that road.)


Just IMHO ...

[Hot Flatus]

People can say what they want regardless of what any self-appointed guardian of the spirit of audax thinks.

If Simon is chuffed with setting personal bests, then great

[Simonb]

People can say what they want regardless of what any self-appointed guardian of the spirit of audax thinks.

If Simon is chuffed with setting personal bests, then great

Hear hear! What's all this 'spirit of Audax' nonsense? It's a bike ride, which can be many things.

[Tewdric]

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

How did your linguistic challenge at Tre'Ddol go?

[Tewdric]

People can say what they want regardless of what any self-appointed guardian of the spirit of audax thinks.

If Simon is chuffed with setting personal bests, then great

I refer you all to the old adage:  A Sportive is a long ride on which participants pretend that they are racing.  An Audax is a long ride on which participants pretend that they are not.

[mattc]

People can say what they want regardless of what any self-appointed guardian of the spirit of audax thinks.

If Simon is chuffed with setting personal bests, then great

Self-appointed guardian? Well I didn't create the spirit of audax, but I'm happy to stand up for it. It's pretty bloody obvious that non-competitiveness is a cornerstone.

Your 2nd statement is redundant - I made it pretty clear that I approve of Simon racing himself.

[Simonb]

It's pretty bloody obvious that non-competitiveness is a cornerstone.

People say this; but how do you explain the various points competitions?

[mattc]

Good point, can of worms, very OT, too little time here ...

But I will say one thing - it's important that individual events don't become a race. At least not overtly. The reasons why have been discussed before at length.

Having competitions about how many rides you've done doesn't have the same downsides. (I'm not saying I support the idea, but it's a whole other issue ... )

[Hot Flatus]

It can never be a race because there is a relatively low maximum average speed.  

Anyway, changing the subject, why are you repeatedly posting on a thread about an event that you didn't even ride, mattc? 

[border-rider]

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

How did your linguistic challenge at Tre'Ddol go?

I passed on it - bounced the control I'm afraid

I tried at the Cei Newydd control on the Brevet Cymru, but the conversation rapidly span out of my understanding

[simonp]

I wish you guys would stop the time-bragging; it really is not ‘the spirit of Audax’, though is it non-politic to report I did a 28hr 600 before my hair turned grey,

Did you start 20mins late that time?

But seriously, it is good to occasionally remind folks that time-bragging isn't really in the spirit.

However, in Simon's case it's pretty clear he knows he wasn't fastest, and there's no harm in seeking to improve ONE'S OWN performance, so you can hardly call him competitive. (It's also the case that many of us are concerned about beating the broom wagon on tougher rides to come, so "doing a good time" on the "warm-ups" is a morale boost on that road.)


Just IMHO ...

Indeed - and I am well aware that a 36h+ time is miles from the best.  Matt is spot on - I'm trying to improve the point where the Mille Cymru won't be a sufferfest, and I make no apologies for measuring that improvement.

And I've been beaten on a 600 (first one I ever completed) by an 82yo.  So I know my place.

[BlackSheep]

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

Bydew 'n ddigon , a hawddamor.

I think           as Eric Morcombe would argue, The letters are correct, but not in the right order.

[simonp]

Funnily enough I thought of sportive riders when I read this:

 I tried to be reasonably quick as I knew I was on for a PB time.  So after a ginsters slice and a magnum, and a can of red bull, I was off.

It was still a 20 minute stop - I don't manage to do less than that on Audax rides generally.  I was moving for about 26h10 and stopped for 10h10 or so.  That's something I could do with improving on the Mille Cymru, though on the BCM there is no rush.

By comparison, both stops on the Fred Whitton were about 8-9 minutes last year.

[Deano]

it was that or fall over 

I was tiddling along, enjoying the day, and suddenly remembered that it goes very UP and then kicks up again even harder at the very end.  I wasn't going fast enough to make it so I just sprinted.  I only noticed Damon at the last minute, hence my grin and belated reply to his greeting

Deano had to grab Damon to avoid falling, I think.

Nearly!

As Damon says, he was taking still photos when I rode past: I suddenly saw the path rear up, realised I wasn't getting up it at that speed, so I tried to unclip and reached for the wall to catch myself.  I noticed in time that I was going to crush an expensive-looking camera, and grabbed a different bit of wall.

On a related topic, I did have a clipless moment leaving the hostel going north.  Thankfully there weren't many others around to see, and no-one to film it...

[Tewdric]

I'm in the second year of trying to learn it

Bydew 'n ddigon , a hawddamor.

I think 

I didn't realise you spoke Cornish Mark! 

[dkahn400]

Looking at the video, while editing, I wondered why miles are sometimes Milltir on signs and sometimes Filltir, apparently the word mutates to Filltir when the mileage is  1 or 2, for a distance of 3 miles or above or below 1 it is Milltir. Funny language Welsh.

It's to do with the gender of the word before it.  M to F is an example of the soft mutation.  You'll also see Mawr/Fawr (big)  and Cymru/Gymru etc

Until your explanation I thought it might be a similar thing to Russian where the cardinal number one governs the nominative singular, two to four the genitive singular, and other numbers the genitive plural. Ludicrously complex language.

[simonp]

Did that photo of near the top of Pant-y-Pass come out ok?  I'd like to see that, it was a loverly late afternoon

Not very: http://tweetphoto.com/23089248

The problem was it was inside its waterproof case, and I think it was a bit salt-stained.

Will have to remember to take the phone out (or buy a waterproof camera).

[Simonb]

Until your explanation I thought it might be a similar thing to Russian where the cardinal number one governs the nominative singular, two to four the genitive singular, and other numbers the genitive plural. Ludicrously complex language.

But not as ludicrous as Estonian where nouns and adjectives decline in fourteen cases.

[Jaded]

Looking at the video, while editing, I wondered why miles are sometimes Milltir on signs and sometimes Filltir, apparently the word mutates to Filltir when the mileage is  1 or 2, for a distance of 3 miles or above or below 1 it is Milltir. Funny language Welsh.

It's to do with the gender of the word before it.  M to F is an example of the soft mutation. 

So, Flatus miles would be Milltir and simonp miles Filltir 

[dkahn400]

But not as ludicrous as Estonian where nouns and adjectives decline in fourteen cases.

There should be a law.

[Redlight]

But not as ludicrous as Estonian where nouns and adjectives decline in fourteen cases.

There should be a law.

Or a lore