Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: JamesBradbury on 08 May, 2019, 12:02:50 pm
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I think I've recovered enough from the Brevet Cymru to start to get excited, or at least nervous, about this one.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-668/ (http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-668/)
However, the outline route screenshot on the above page doesn't seem to match the list of controls - for example it looks like it includes Hay on Wye. I'd like to do some planning in good time before the event. All I can really be sure of is that much of it will be "benign". ;D Does anyone have a firmer idea of the route?
Also, do you think there will be a drop bag option?
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I think Mark is in a gradual process of re-defining certain common English terms.
The ride has 6850m of climb. So "benign" now means
"less than 8000m of climb, and all of it on-road" :P
Or "benign for a 8000m climb event that goes through Knighton, Devils Bridge etc etc ..."
As for the controls, it reads as if the route is in place, but maybe some controls have become Infos?
Bag-drops: hmm. It's not on the list of Facilities. Based on my riding/helping experience, I *think* mark's policy is about priorities, so if he has the staff/space/vehicles/time then he will do a Bag-Drop (they are much appreciated on any Welsh 600!) He will no doubt comment in due course ... :)
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Planning? What's planning?
As I'm riding this as well I thought I'd better have a look at the screeenshot - and it looks to me as if it goes through all the controls. Hay on Wye is probably going to be an info - at that stage in a 600 commercial controls really need to be 24 hour and I don't think there is anything like that around Hay. The control I'm not looking forward to is the Shepherd's Patch onel: it's a nice cafe but rather too close to home for comfort. I just hope the urge to pack will not become irresistible.
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Or "benign for a 8000m climb event that goes through Knighton, Devils Bridge etc etc ..."
;D
This will be the first 600 for my wife, so I'm hoping planning together might get her on board with the idea that another 45-minute cafe stop might not be compatible with getting to bed before 1am. I feel that she, as the stoker and navigator, ought to have the final say on pace and timing.
If there's no bag drop that's OK, we'll just need to put touring-like kit on the tandem. I appreciate that it adds quite a logistical hassle for organisers who might be short-staffed and very busy in a PBP year.
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The event info says 605km but I've plotted it based on the outline and route description and I make it 590km with almost 1000m less climbing than is stated. We'll see what Mark sends out in the course of the next few days.
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A rider was, at silly o'clock in the morning during the Brevet Cymru in the Llangattock Community Centre, trying to pin Mark down on whether there would or would not be a 'bag drop'. He did not commit either way (but I suspect there won't be and riders should plan accordingly). As Ritchie (who was in the kitchen serving up all kinds of goodies has said (a propos the BCM)):
" If anyone thinks they need a bag drop, let me know and I will explain how you can carry everything you need for 1,200km+ in a saddle bag!"
Will there be 'bag drops' on PBP? Not for most British riders, I think.
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I guess we'll find out soon. I'd agree that Hay looks like an info or open control.
"surprisingly benign" reminds me of "deceptively spacious " which I've never fully understood. I'm hoping it means nothing too steep although there's obviously a fair chunk of climbing....
But looking forward to some glorious scenery.
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A rider was, at silly o'clock in the morning during the Brevet Cymru in the Llangattock Community Centre, trying to pin Mark down on whether there would or would not be a 'bag drop'. He did not commit either way (but I suspect there won't be and riders should plan accordingly). As Ritchie (who was in the kitchen serving up all kinds of goodies has said (a propos the BCM)):
" If anyone thinks they need a bag drop, let me know and I will explain how you can carry everything you need for 1,200km+ in a saddle bag!"
Will there be 'bag drops' on PBP? Not for most British riders, I think.
So what?
People have ridden X-rated Welsh events without a brilliant night-stop such as that at Llangattock - does this mean the LL'k stop was a daft idea? Many many people ride PBP* with some form of support, and Mark has provided bag-drops on many (not all) of his events.
That's a ridiculous answer from Richie, and you should know it. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask.
*which I've ridden twice without bag-drops, for the record ;)
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Maybe Ritchie's hairshirt underpants were giving him a little discomfort after not changing them for 4 months because he didnt 'need' to.
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Just received the email from Mark.
Controls are:
1, Village Cafe - Talybont-on-Usk.
2, The West End Cafe - Llandovery.
3, Devils Bridge - Hafod PH.
4, Wigmore Village Hall.
5, Lock's Services - Allensmore.
6, The Black Shed - Shepherd's Patch.
Wigmore is the sleep stop with airbeds and blankets provided. No mention of a bag drop.
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Controls are:
1, Village Cafe - Talybont-on-Usk.
2, The West End Cafe - Llandovery.
3, Devils Bridge - Hafod PH.
4, Wigmore Village Hall.
5, Lock's Services - Allensmore.
6, The Black Shed - Shepherd's Patch.
Also a somewhat poorly worded sentence alluding to a secret control...
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Controls are:
1, Village Cafe - Talybont-on-Usk.
2, The West End Cafe - Llandovery.
3, Devils Bridge - Hafod PH.
4, Wigmore Village Hall.
5, Lock's Services - Allensmore.
6, The Black Shed - Shepherd's Patch.
Also a somewhat poorly worded sentence alluding to a secret control...
It's also mentioned on the route sheet, on stage 4 "307.3 41.9 SECRET CONTROL along this road"
I would imagine it will be quite obvious when it comes to it
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A rider was, at silly o'clock in the morning during the Brevet Cymru in the Llangattock Community Centre, trying to pin Mark down on whether there would or would not be a 'bag drop'. He did not commit either way (but I suspect there won't be and riders should plan accordingly). As Ritchie (who was in the kitchen serving up all kinds of goodies has said (a propos the BCM)):
" If anyone thinks they need a bag drop, let me know and I will explain how you can carry everything you need for 1,200km+ in a saddle bag!"
Will there be 'bag drops' on PBP? Not for most British riders, I think.
So what?
People have ridden X-rated Welsh events without a brilliant night-stop such as that at Llangattock - does this mean the LL'k stop was a daft idea? Many many people ride PBP* with some form of support, and Mark has provided bag-drops on many (not all) of his events.
That's a ridiculous answer from Richie, and you should know it. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask.
*which I've ridden twice without bag-drops, for the record ;)
"So what?" Just trying to pass on the distinct impression that there would not be a bag drop, Matt, and I'm not saying that bag drops are daft.
The excellent night stop at Llangattock was much appreciated - of course it wasn't "daft" - not able to follow your chain of logic/relevance there, unless you're suggesting that bag drops and arranging a place to control indoors on a 400 or longer are in the same bracket.
I don't know what proportion of riders on PBP ride with "some sort of [external] support". Do you? Can you agree that (rephrasing what I said) "most riders from the UK will not use bag drops (or other external support) on PBP2019". If so a reasonable inference might be that they might be well advised to ride their qualifiers without relying on a bag drop.
Ritchie did not say this at Llangattock: it is a footnote to his Bryan Chapman Memorial 600 Event Notes (Jan-15) link in the BCM calendar page: http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-195/
He may have resiled from this as volunteers have come forward to drive a hired van with bags (optional - £3 per bag - which funds the van) to King's these last few years, and this is the arrangement this year.
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I'm afraid your intentions are now very unclear. It's Mark's event, so why is Richie's view of relevance?
It seems reasonable to infer that you are supporting Richie's view - if not, why mention it? [EDIT: it's clear from flatus' response that I'm not the only one interpreting your post as I did.]
As to the logic:
....not able to follow your chain of logic/relevance there, unless you're suggesting that bag drops and arranging a place to control indoors on a 400 or longer are in the same bracket.
I don't know what proportion of riders on PBP ride with "some sort of [external] support". Do you? Can you agree that (rephrasing what I said) "most riders from the UK will not use bag drops (or other external support) on PBP2019". If so a reasonable inference might be that they might be well advised to ride their qualifiers without relying on a bag drop.
well clearly there is a link between only providing "essential" services, whatever the event. Comprendez?
[Incidentally, conditions are entirely different on a May night-ride through Snowdownia vs August in Britanny - that might be worth factoring into your advice to riders. ]