[LEL17] LEL - Training rides in the SW / Recommended rides near Bristol

[pangolin]

I relatively recently moved to Bristol, so I'm looking for some recommendations for good rides to do as prep for LEL in the area. Here's what I know of so far. I'm partly writing this down as a list to make a bit more sense of it.

01/10/16 - Tasty Cheddar 100k (Bristol)
05/11/16 - Mr. Pickwick's Cymraeg Cyrch 200k (Tewkesbury)
03/12/16 - Kings, Castles, Priests & Churches 200k (Tewkesbury)
21/01/17 - Dr. Foster's Winter Warmer 200k (Cardiff)

Late March - Barry's Bristol Ball Buster 200k (Bristol) date tbc?
08/04/17 - Yr Elenydd 300k (Shrewsbury)
Late April - Brevet Cymru 400k (Chepstow) date tbc?
May - Bryan Chapman 600k (Chepstow) date tbc?

Wessex SR - I'm a bit confused as to whether these are now calendar events or not, I think they are - can someone confirm?

Hard Boiled 300k (Poole)
Dorset Coast 200k (Wareham)
Porkers 400k (Poole)
Brimstone 600k (Poole)

March - Gospel Pass 150k (Chepstow) I understand the organiser Nik has sadly passed away. I'd like to ride this as a perm at some point though, unless someone decides to pick the ride up next year.

I won't do all of these but I'm going to try to do an audax every month plus other riding. Have I missed any great rides nearby? I could do with something in for February. Bryan Chapman is the only one I've ridden previously. Closer is better but I don't mind travelling a bit for something like Yr Elenydd.

[Somnolent]

January - Poor Student (Oxford) is good.
February is always a bit of desert - DIY or a perm, like the one in sig line below, but starting from Westbury [/shameless plug]

[JonB]

Hi Pangolin,

Audax Club Bristol are active here.  We usually have a group DIY by GPS each month, there are currently Thursday evening rides although not sure these will run through the winter. There are group meetings on the first Thursday evening of each month, through the winter these will usually be held at the Annexe in Horfield.

Lots of news and information on our Strava page https://www.strava.com/clubs/audaxclubbristol and also on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/?fref=ts but happy to respond on here if you don't use either of these.

The Wessex rides you have listed are usually run as calendar events but are available as perms, they may not be in the calendar yet.

[Whitedown Man]

Never tried the Exe-Buzzard but given how good The Buzzard is I'd add Exe-Buzzard to your list

[pangolin]

Thanks for the info guys. JonB, I may well be along to a Thursday ride in a couple of weeks.

[3peaker]

You might like to look up my Perms (Stephen Poulton). While many start from my Cheltenham base, They range through the Bath/Bristol belt and cross the R Severn. For AAAs look up the Cotswold & Mendips Grimpeur 200 (2.75AAA); for a Severn Br route look up the Severn High loop 200 (good for moderate climbing) or Severn & Estuary 200 (moderate climbing, Cotswolds & FoDean); for a Bristol start look up the Bristol Double Avon 200 (mainly flat with a few Cotswold climbs around Dursley for variety). Designing a 300 based on Cheddar Gorge (available soon). Also 400 & 500 using the Severn Br into serious Welsh country. Small stock of my Perm cards lodged with ACB.

For March my Calendar Cheltenham New Flyer from Andoversford is on Sat 18 March 17.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

The Cambrian Series permanents have several that can be started from Chepstow or Monmouth.  The 2B only has 2300m ascent but with a few long steady climbs that are similar to the northern part of LEL.  The 2A (Monmouth) is harder but a good test of fitness, and the 3A has a middle section which covers the tasty parts of the Elenydd - and if you get round that in good time you will have no problem with LEL.

[Ian H]

Also perms and calendar rides from East Devon. 

ukcyclist.co.uk

[vorsprung]

When I did LEL (this was in 2005) I did the K&SW 600 as a bit of a warm up

Sadly, this isn't running next year