Bryan Chapman Memorial 2010

[Euan Uzami]

We seemed to spend ages on those little lanes - we missed a turning, and landed on an A-road where the sign-post read 2 miles to Weobley, and that seemed so much simpler and more civilised.

I suppose it was the contrast to the simplicity of the Welsh A-Roads.  The Herefordshire maze was a bit much for us to navigate...

The "RIGHT sp Brockaly" signpost was misaligned, probably clouted by a farm vehicle - previous years it was fine.

Another signpost pointing wrongly was the RIGHT in Bampton Bryan signed "Lingen 3 1/2", it was pointing SO.

The signpost just before the A44 near Weobley had been 'semi repaired', there were no directions to the left, but to the right had been reinstated

yep, here, that one confused me a bit as well, not sure if that very small black and white house on the right could be used as ref. point? possibly a bit verbose for the route sheet though.

a sign saying brockaly does appear to be there but appears to be round the corner, and a bit overgrown/hidden.

[αdαmsκι]

It certainly wasn't as difficult as a lot of the laney descending on the ride.

Steep laney descending (on fixed) is one of my least favourite parts of Audaxing, along with being bitten by dogs. So in an effort to avoid both I tried this diversion from Knighton to Weobley. Despite being labelled an A road, the A4110 heading south was a delight (e.g. this sort of road). The A44/A4112 not so pretty, but still fine for cycling. The whole diversion is almost exactly the same distance as the official route, but easier to navigate and no tricky descents.

Whereas Flatus and I took a different route again. Being my first BCM I cannot compare this route to any other option. I can say the lanes were in a pretty bad state and there were plenty of short step hills. It was very pretty too.

[Greenbank]

The grottiest lane is the one between Kinsham to Byton about 6 miles before Weobley.

If I do the BCM again I'll actively look to avoid it.

It did serve as a useful focus for frustrations in 2009 though...

[Exit Stage Left]

Four and a half minutes of video of riders at Barmouth. You could tell me who they are.

      YouTube
            - BCB 2.avi
   

[Phil21]

This ride looks stunning. Well done to all those who completed, seeing the pics motivates me to get fit enough to do it next year!

[border-rider]

Four and a half minutes of video of riders at Barmouth. You could tell me who they are.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/GS34oEg27lo&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/GS34oEg27lo&rel=1</a>

I'll try.

0:25 Lennie Adams ? Not 100%

0:49 Martin Lucas, and I'm embarrassed that I don't know the name of the chap on fixed he's with

0:58 is James Gumbrell & Adam Young

1:06 Anthony Wheatley & Bruce Taylor

1:13 Jo wood

1:27 Simon Proven

1:52 ** *****

2:05 Paul Whitehead

2:15 Peter Simon

2:20 Phil Chadwick

2:40 Dave Lawrenson

3:00 brainfade.  It'll come to me.

3:16 Jamie Andrews

3:24 Garry King

3:30 Louise Rigby

3:44 is Kcass but I'm not sure I know his full real name

3:45 John Morse

3:57 is Julian Weller & Deano (i think)

4:10 don't know

4:20 Mel Kirkland

4:32 Damon Peacock

Great video, as ever.


edit: fixed riders.  You seem to have captured most in that clip.  maybe we were all keeping to a similar schedule; perhaps it is about the bike after all

[Hot Flatus]

 

[BlackSheep]

......yep, that one confused me a bit as well, not sure if that very small black and white house on the right could be used as ref. point? possibly a bit verbose for the route sheet though......

Er ....it was on the route sheet  , "that very small black and white house on the right " is actually Dilwyn Dovecot, a grade 2 listed building.

The route sheet read, 534km, RIGHT, $ Brockaly (just after dovecot on R). 2004 route

For those interested. Dovecpte. Dated 1673, with some C20 alterations. Timber-frame with rendered infill on a rubble plinth with a felt roof. Gabled in all four directions. Square plan. Two storeys with small openings in gables. Main entrance in east wall has a shaped doorhead bearing the incised date."1673". The C17 boarded door has decorative strap hinges. The roof is capped by a glover, also gabled on all four sides. The framing is four square panels high with
straight tension braces. The trusses each have two collars with multiple struts and curved V-struts in the apex. The bargeboards are carved and have pendant finials. The projecting wall-plates each have carved brackets.

[αdαmsκι]

Good video.

The guy on fixed at 0.49 is Gary from Bristol, and 3.57 is defo Deano.

 

+1

[Chris S]

Lordy MV, you came up that slope like a bullet!

Everyone else was winching themselves up with a gurney look on, and you flew up there like it wasn't there.

T'aint natural.

[border-rider]

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.

[BlackSheep]

Four and a half minutes of video of riders at Barmouth. You could tell me who they are.

00.25 IS Lennie Adams. Gloucester

00.48 Gary Whiteland. Fixy from Bristol - lone "Hardly Athletic CC" member.

04.10 Bernie Hammond. Cheltenham, although with the North American accent originally from the colonies

That's my 5 second memory retention done for.

[RichForrest]

I came up Pen y pass and saw someone taking pic's there, it was only as I passed I twigged who it was  
Sorry for ignoring you, I felt rough coming up that section and just wanted it to end.

Rich

[Exit Stage Left]

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.

Deano grabbed the wall to steady himself, the video camera was on a small tripod on the wall and I was stood to one side taking stills. There were a lot of people walking across the viaduct, many of them were visitors from Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, who could scatter in any direction, few riders got a clean run. The main problem is to get sufficient momentum to be able to breast the last bit of the rise and pull out of the cleats to be able to stop in the limited space at the top. If they were out of the saddle and honking I tried to get them smiling for the still, as I think the set expression is more sportive territory. People should look happy on an Audax, especially in North Wales when it's not raining.

[Exit Stage Left]

I came up Pen y pass and saw someone taking pic's there, it was only as I passed I twigged who it was 
Sorry for ignoring you, I felt rough coming up that section and just wanted it to end.

Rich

I did get a picture of you, I've just been fiddling with it, it needed sorting as it was a bit dark by then, it's a bit noisy,

Rich Forrest BCM on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
 
the same with this shot.

Riders Pen Y Pass on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[αdαmsκι]

the same with this shot.

Riders Pen Y Pass on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

That be Toby and ChrisN.

[Simonb]

For those interested. Dovecpte. Dated 1673, with some C20 alterations. Timber-frame with rendered infill on a rubble plinth with a felt roof. Gabled in all four directions. Square plan. Two storeys with small openings in gables. Main entrance in east wall has a shaped doorhead bearing the incised date."1673". The C17 boarded door has decorative strap hinges. The roof is capped by a glover, also gabled on all four sides. The framing is four square panels high with
straight tension braces. The trusses each have two collars with multiple struts and curved V-struts in the apex. The bargeboards are carved and have pendant finials. The projecting wall-plates each have carved brackets.

Wot? No doves?

[mattc]

If they were out of the saddle and honking I tried to get them smiling for the still, as I think the set expression is more sportive territory. People should look happy on an Audax, especially in North Wales when it's not raining.

Quite right too!

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.

[Hot Flatus]

I positioned myself near the car park exit well in time this year,

 This time I'd start off near the front.

It was too large a gap to chase down,

The group fragmented a bit during the

(in fact, I set a PB for 20 minute power on the climb to Shirenewton, and a PB for 2h power over the whole section)

 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.

I was definitely down on 2008 now.  

so jwo got ahead of me again

I passed the 300km mark only 7 minutes down on 2008, and at Menai Bridge control I was 10 minutes ahead, arriving at 20.20.

Blimey!

I was just out on a nice ride with Adam. I had absolutely no idea any of this was going on behind me  

[3peaker]

Yes, there is no real difference between Audax and Sportif, in that you pedal the distance with an attitude of mind.  Where I find Audax different/better (?) is having raced, TT’d and followed wheels for (what appears to be) a lifetime, I do not mind being dropped and stopping to take a picky of some dramatic scenery.  I shall have a couple ‘Timed Attitude rides’ in the Summer on my CF framed speedy in the Alps.  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, so no chance of a new PB now, just beat the Broom Wagon?

SteveP

[Exit Stage Left]

Another 2 minutes of unseen video.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BZAE1N3BmaA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/BZAE1N3BmaA&rel=1</a>

[border-rider]

Great stuff Damon

[Salvatore]

urban_biker, LEE and chillmoister modelling their YACF jerseys as they home in on Chepstow.

urban_biker has his set to Stealth Mode

[Exit Stage Left]

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.

[simonp]

I positioned myself near the car park exit well in time this year,

 This time I'd start off near the front.

It was too large a gap to chase down,

The group fragmented a bit during the

(in fact, I set a PB for 20 minute power on the climb to Shirenewton, and a PB for 2h power over the whole section)

 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.

I was definitely down on 2008 now.  

so jwo got ahead of me again

I passed the 300km mark only 7 minutes down on 2008, and at Menai Bridge control I was 10 minutes ahead, arriving at 20.20.

Blimey!

I was just out on a nice ride with Adam. I had absolutely no idea any of this was going on behind me  

Just a minor edit.