Bryan Chapman Memorial 2017

[Frank9755]

Well that was fun. It was all going fairly well, but I was losing ground badly on the hills. By the time I got to Kings I desperately needed some sleep, which shouldn't have been the case at 5.30pm. After a snooze and some food I set off around 9pm, but Ritchie urged me to consider my options once I got past Harlech. Faced with a lonely cold ride, I realised that I probably wasn't as fit as I needed to be, so I set off back to Kings, via Trawsfynned. It was a wise move for me as by the time I got back I was desperately tired again. After a few more hours snooze I set off again and had a good ride to Aberhafesp. As I was about to leave I discovered I had had a visitation and my tyre had a massive tear by the bead, which luckily exploded the inner tube in the control, rather than when I was on the road.
Thanks very much to the volunteer who sold me a new tyre, I was back on the road, but I was now worried about my rim, as the blown tyre was fairly new. So I caught the train from Newtown to Abegavenny.
Although I gave up audaxing at 1am on Sunday morning, I'm of course planning to return next year leaner and fitter:)
I took some pics along the way. PM me if you want a hi res copy.
Thanks to the Essex massive who I rode with some of the way, it was nice to meet you

https://goo.gl/photos/dRxX3cFukPgfaxsg7

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Good pictures, Tim.
Are you not well? Doesn't sound like you to be running out of steam at 5:30.

[trickedem]

Good pictures, Tim.
Are you not well? Doesn't sound like you to be running out of steam at 5:30.

Really not sure why I was so sleepy. I didn't sleep so well the night before but that is nothing unusual. Although I have found that a little snooze/rest does wonders for my appetite problems. 
I hope to do better on the National 400 in July.

[Tomsk]

Yes, good pics, trickedem - the one you took of me on my camera turned out well too!

There really needs to be an ice-cream van in that layby overlooking the reservoir, a la Abbotsbury, on the Dorset Coast...

[P Walsh]

Well that was fun. It was all going fairly well, but I was losing ground badly on the hills. By the time I got to Kings I desperately needed some sleep, which shouldn't have been the case at 5.30pm. After a snooze and some food I set off around 9pm, but Ritchie urged me to consider my options once I got past Harlech. Faced with a lonely cold ride, I realised that I probably wasn't as fit as I needed to be, so I set off back to Kings, via Trawsfynned. It was a wise move for me as by the time I got back I was desperately tired again. After a few more hours snooze I set off again and had a good ride to Aberhafesp. As I was about to leave I discovered I had had a visitation and my tyre had a massive tear by the bead, which luckily exploded the inner tube in the control, rather than when I was on the road.
Thanks very much to the volunteer who sold me a new tyre, I was back on the road, but I was now worried about my rim, as the blown tyre was fairly new. So I caught the train from Newtown to Abegavenny.
Although I gave up audaxing at 1am on Sunday morning, I'm of course planning to return next year leaner and fitter:)
I took some pics along the way. PM me if you want a hi res copy.
Thanks to the Essex massive who I rode with some of the way, it was nice to meet you

https://goo.gl/photos/dRxX3cFukPgfaxsg7

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Some years ago I had to bail out of a BCM, but I used it as a learning experience and came back the next year to complete it. I'd also say that the route to Mach this year looks particularly tough. Imagine that bit in bad weather!

[fussballclub]

https://www.strava.com/segments/1067071

So who avoided the steep hill to YHA Dolgellau on the way out? Please enlighten me as I love a gravely road.

[Chris N]

https://www.strava.com/segments/1067071

So who avoided the steep hill to YHA Dolgellau on the way out? Please enlighten me as I love a gravely road.

I can't imagine that anyone rode that as part of the BCM.   That's a great road though - long steep climb from the SW then a fast-ish gravelly section across the top and a rough gravel descent towards Arthog.  If you really want to avoid the steep climb to the YH then head SW from Dolgellau on NCN 82 then approach the YH from the south - though there's still a single chevron on that end of the road.

[Chris S]

https://www.strava.com/segments/1067071

So who avoided the steep hill to YHA Dolgellau on the way out? Please enlighten me as I love a gravely road.

I can't imagine that anyone rode that as part of the BCM.   That's a great road though - long steep climb from the SW then a fast-ish gravelly section across the top and a rough gravel descent towards Arthog.  If you really want to avoid the steep climb to the YH then head SW from Dolgellau on NCN 82 then approach the YH from the south - though there's still a single chevron on that end of the road.

Pretty sure they did. There were two guys near the back of the ride on mountain bikes. I remember them riding up the path to the control and saying "I'm guessing they're not on our ride." but I was wrong - in they came with brevet cards in hand.

[Chris N]

Ah, Mike Hall and (possibly) vistaed. Nutters.

[jamesld8]

Ah, Mike Hall and (possibly) vistaed. Nutters.

fairly sure it will have been them, saw both together @ Kings and vistaed report above refers to some `diversions ` I get impression they were doing a grand BCM tour  

[vistaed]

Ah, Mike Hall and (possibly) vistaed. Nutters.

fairly sure it will have been them, saw both together @ Kings and vistaed report above refers to some `diversions ` I get impression they were doing a grand BCM tour

Yep, that was us. Mike had spotted that route a few weeks before and wanted to give it a try. I'm always up for an adventure but didn't expect the gravel which was a bonus. Rather glad I was on 38mm tires. But I didn't enjoy the climb on my single speed!

[rabbit]

Ah, Mike Hall and (possibly) vistaed. Nutters.

fairly sure it will have been them, saw both together @ Kings and vistaed report above refers to some `diversions ` I get impression they were doing a grand BCM tour

Yep, that was us. Mike had spotted that route a few weeks before and wanted to give it a try. I'm always up for an adventure but didn't expect the gravel which was a bonus. Rather glad I was on 38mm tires. Bit I didn't enjoy the climb on my single speed!

Sounds awesome!   

[vistaed]

Ah, Mike Hall and (possibly) vistaed. Nutters.

fairly sure it will have been them, saw both together @ Kings and vistaed report above refers to some `diversions ` I get impression they were doing a grand BCM tour

Yep, that was us. Mike had spotted that route a few weeks before and wanted to give it a try. I'm always up for an adventure but didn't expect the gravel which was a bonus. Rather glad I was on 38mm tires. Bit I didn't enjoy the climb on my single speed!

Sounds awesome!   

It was. There is something to be said for adding in a few gravel detours to the BCM to break up the tarmac. I like the idea of a 'grand BCM Tour' to suite bikes fitted out with wider rubber.

[Oscar's dad]

Sounds like the "tourdax" idea I've been incubating. 

[rabbit]

Yeah, a bit of off-roading is always welcome 

[BlackSheep]

Yeah, a bit of off-roading is always welcome 

I'm trying to tempt Cambrian (OTP) to run an event from Leominster that would take-in plenty of that sort of thing. It's just too far from Tewkesbury to be practical.

Hats off the Vistaed and Mike Hall - true audaciousness in the middle of an already audacious event.

I spoke with them at Kings and Aberhafesp - they seemed to be having an absolute blast. The pics taken of Barmouth from the track were stunning. Impressive too that Vistaed was only on single speed. They didn't appear to be in any great hurry to leave Aberhafesp, but got to arrivee for about 19.00hrs?

[vistaed]

Yeah, a bit of off-roading is always welcome 

I'm trying to tempt Cambrian (OTP) to run an event from Leominster that would take-in plenty of that sort of thing. It's just too far from Tewkesbury to be practical.

Hats off the Vistaed and Mike Hall - true audaciousness in the middle of an already audacious event.

I spoke with them at Kings and Aberhafesp - they seemed to be having an absolute blast. The pics taken of Barmouth from the track were stunning. Impressive too that Vistaed was only on single speed. They didn't appear to be in any great hurry to leave Aberhafesp, but got to arrivee for about 19.00hrs?

This picture. It was a stunning view. I'd quite like to return one day and bivi up there. And yes, we kept a good pace back to Chepstow. Got back just before 7pm. Not bad as we were very much the last to leave Kings. Mike did make my legs hurt!
DSC_0985 by james gillies, on Flickr

[fussballclub]

Brilliant. Here is another gravel I did two years ago. The descends are more demanding then the climbing actually on a road bike.

https://www.strava.com/segments/4683842

[Hot Flatus]

Yeah, a bit of off-roading is always welcome 

I'm trying to tempt Cambrian (OTP) to run an event from Leominster that would take-in plenty of that sort of thing. It's just too far from Tewkesbury to be practical.

Hats off the Vistaed and Mike Hall - true audaciousness in the middle of an already audacious event.

I spoke with them at Kings and Aberhafesp - they seemed to be having an absolute blast. The pics taken of Barmouth from the track were stunning. Impressive too that Vistaed was only on single speed. They didn't appear to be in any great hurry to leave Aberhafesp, but got to arrivee for about 19.00hrs?

This picture. It was a stunning view. I'd quite like to return one day and bivi up there. And yes, we kept a good pace back to Chepstow. Got back just before 7pm. Not bad as we were very much the last to leave Kings. Mike did make my legs hurt!
DSC_0985 by james gillies, on Flickr

Just a little further to the east of there are some old quarries with a stunning blue lake.

[Greenbank]

The BCM strikes again! Someone else (not me) has joined the VonBroad BCM welding club:-

http://www.lfgss.com/comments/12993112/

Spookily it happened just outside Rhayader but fixed at a different place in the town.

[Hot Flatus]

To be honest I'm amazed Peter Simon hasn't yet joined the club.

[BlackSheep]

To be honest I'm amazed Peter Simon hasn't yet joined the club.

I think it's just a matter of time,  although he has been using a bright shiney bike quite a bit over the last couple of years

[Hot Flatus]

Yes, sort of bronze shiny.  From a distance 

[Gadget]

At the end of BCM I thought I'd lost my cash card, train ticket and cash- I was amazed to find it was handed in and posted back to me via the organisers. I never got to know who handed it in- so in the hope you know who it was, or it was you, then a massive thank you- I owe you a pint and an energy gel.

[Bianchi Boy]

At the end of BCM I thought I'd lost my cash card, train ticket and cash- I was amazed to find it was handed in and posted back to me via the organisers. I never got to know who handed it in- so in the hope you know who it was, or it was you, then a massive thank you- I owe you a pint and an energy gel.

That's just the company you keep on Audax. Good, decent and helpful. I wish the whole world behaved like people on a long Audax - except for the applying a**e cream in clear view.

BB

[Von Broad]

The BCM strikes again! Someone else (not me) has joined the VonBroad BCM welding club:-

http://www.lfgss.com/comments/12993112/

Spookily it happened just outside Rhayader but fixed at a different place in the town.

Dunno, not so sure.
Is this the same guy using the same welder in the same garage?