Author Topic: Brevet Cymru 2019  (Read 14439 times)

simonp

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #25 on: 24 April, 2019, 03:12:21 pm »


That's for the Golden Valley route, isn't it?

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #26 on: 24 April, 2019, 04:33:27 pm »
Route from the issued gpx (short answer: 'yes')
Here is the routesheet profile:



from this RwGPS plot: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29804527?beta=false

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #27 on: 25 April, 2019, 09:10:54 am »
I prefer to divide longer rides into sections, and usually replot them in RWGPS so I get the TbT directions that it generates. If anyone's interested, I've got the Chepstow - Hay section, as per the GPX track, and as per the route sheet:

GPX route, 81.5km, 883m: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29804750?privacy_code=CgdfBG2tXqTML3aJ
Route sheet, 78.2km, 1028m: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29804840?privacy_code=jZi7K9iejpnhp2dp

S2L

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #28 on: 25 April, 2019, 09:42:59 am »
Looking at the profile, I don't see the route sheet version being particularly popular...  ::-)

Who uses route sheets as primary info for navigation these days?

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #29 on: 25 April, 2019, 10:00:27 am »
The Golden Valley is lovely if the sun's out.

I only did the high level route once, but regardless of the extra climbing I didn't much like the pot holes on the lively descent down to Hay (admittedly 2016, so maybe they've been repaired...yeah right).

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #30 on: 25 April, 2019, 10:38:40 am »
Looking at the profile, I don't see the route sheet version being particularly popular...  ::-)

Who uses route sheets as primary info for navigation these days?
Just a guess ... but I'd say that anyone without a GPS would?



[I can commend the higher level route, but I'm pretty sure it will cost you a little time. I don't remember the descent being too sketchy - but I'd avoid it on a wet day.]
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

S2L

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #31 on: 25 April, 2019, 10:53:54 am »


I can commend the higher level route, but I'm pretty sure it will cost you a little time.

Not much a problem of time, but that means losing the benefit of riding in a bunch at least to Hay, possible all the way to Llandovery... once you've lost the wheels, you've lost them and you're on your own for the rest of the day...

... although probably that's what randonnering should be about...  ::-)

simonp

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #32 on: 25 April, 2019, 10:59:46 am »
The higher level route was used for the first time due to subsidence damage to the road on the usual route after a bad winter. It seems to have stuck in the route sheet.

I've only done it that year. I was on fixed and I think it slowed me down quite a lot.

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #33 on: 25 April, 2019, 01:16:59 pm »
It's not only considerably slower but also has a leg sapping climb.

If energy levels and time are unimportant then it is the more scenic route, but at a cost.

S2L

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #34 on: 25 April, 2019, 02:05:43 pm »
It's not only considerably slower but also has a leg sapping climb.

If energy levels and time are unimportant then it is the more scenic route, but at a cost.

In short, nobody will use it...

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #35 on: 25 April, 2019, 05:32:52 pm »
On the contrary, many if not most will.

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #36 on: 25 April, 2019, 05:48:54 pm »
On the contrary, many if not most will.
That's been the experience these last few years, I think. And if riders want a gpx for the Michaelchurch (routesheet) route, they can export it from the RwGPS route I have drafted here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29804527?beta=false (caveat randonneur)
to go with Mark's excellent routesheet.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #37 on: 25 April, 2019, 08:18:48 pm »
Is the final control really not opening until 6am? I will finish about 4 hours before if I push on through and this is encouraging me to stay at the sleep stop as long as possible. I always travel to long Audax rides by train and will be catching the train at about 9am.

There could be a number of us huddling in the doorway of the Community Centre  :(
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #38 on: 25 April, 2019, 09:22:55 pm »
Is the final control really not opening until 6am? I will finish about 4 hours before if I push on through and this is encouraging me to stay at the sleep stop as long as possible. I always travel to long Audax rides by train and will be catching the train at about 9am.

There could be a number of us huddling in the doorway of the Community Centre  :(
"Is the final control really not opening until 6am?" I think the final control will be open well before you get there on Saturday evening and close at about 0530. Or do you mean the finish?
Did you receive Mark's e-mail?
Which part of the section about this was unclear?
"The arrivee will not be manned until about 06.00, If you finish your ride before then, please get [a PoP from Chepstow]. You are responsible for ensuring your card is suitable for validation, so make sure you sign the back of the brevet card once you finish the ride. Please put your arrivee proof of passage in the poly bag initially provided along with you brevet card, and post through the letter box at Bulwark community centre. For all other finishers, your brevet card will be collected once the hall is open."
I am in a similar boat to you and will sleep at the final control till 4ish.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #39 on: 26 April, 2019, 09:45:55 pm »
Is the final control really not opening until 6am? I will finish about 4 hours before if I push on through and this is encouraging me to stay at the sleep stop as long as possible. I always travel to long Audax rides by train and will be catching the train at about 9am.

There could be a number of us huddling in the doorway of the Community Centre  :(
"Is the final control really not opening until 6am?" I think the final control will be open well before you get there on Saturday evening and close at about 0530. Or do you mean the finish?
Did you receive Mark's e-mail?
Which part of the section about this was unclear?
"The arrivee will not be manned until about 06.00, If you finish your ride before then, please get [a PoP from Chepstow]. You are responsible for ensuring your card is suitable for validation, so make sure you sign the back of the brevet card once you finish the ride. Please put your arrivee proof of passage in the poly bag initially provided along with you brevet card, and post through the letter box at Bulwark community centre. For all other finishers, your brevet card will be collected once the hall is open."
I am in a similar boat to you and will sleep at the final control till 4ish.
I will ride at a lower pace and arive at about 6am.
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #40 on: 26 April, 2019, 11:21:02 pm »
I really must get around to doing this ride again...it’s been too long and I’m missing it!
DJR (Dave Russell) now retired. Carbon Beone parts bin special retired to turbo trainer, Brompton broken, as was I, Whyte Suffolk dismantled and sold. Now have Mason Definition and Orbea M20i.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #41 on: 27 April, 2019, 01:17:52 am »
Is the final control really not opening until 6am? I will finish about 4 hours before if I push on through and this is encouraging me to stay at the sleep stop as long as possible. I always travel to long Audax rides by train and will be catching the train at about 9am.

There could be a number of us huddling in the doorway of the Community Centre  :(
"Is the final control really not opening until 6am?" I think the final control will be open well before you get there on Saturday evening and close at about 0530. Or do you mean the finish?
Did you receive Mark's e-mail?
Which part of the section about this was unclear?
"The arrivee will not be manned until about 06.00, If you finish your ride before then, please get [a PoP from Chepstow]. You are responsible for ensuring your card is suitable for validation, so make sure you sign the back of the brevet card once you finish the ride. Please put your arrivee proof of passage in the poly bag initially provided along with you brevet card, and post through the letter box at Bulwark community centre. For all other finishers, your brevet card will be collected once the hall is open."
I am in a similar boat to you and will sleep at the final control till 4ish.
I got back at about 02:30 last year, missed the instruction about getting PoP in chepstow, filled the card in and signed before posting, and was given a finish time of 6am or whenever the controller got there, no big deal, a finish is a finish. I guess it depends on whether you have somewhere to stay in Chepstow. no sense rushing back to a closed hall if you have nowhere to go, but if a bed awaits somewhere it doesn't matter too much if the control is open.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #42 on: 27 April, 2019, 11:14:03 am »
Checked my brevet card to confirm my memory. I slept a while at the sleep stop last year and arrived at 4:30. The control was opening and functioning with many people sitting or sleeping.

So it must have opened some time between 2:30 and 4:30am.

The only time I have arrived and the control was shut was when I was much faster and finished at about 11pm. Will be much slower this year  :thumbsup:

BB
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Jeff E

  • Formerly JRe
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #43 on: 27 April, 2019, 11:20:34 am »
Ditto similar to Bianchi Boy, but THIS year Mark has stated that he won't be at the Arrivee until 6am. So DONT expect him there any earlier

Re: Brevet Cymru night control
« Reply #44 on: 27 April, 2019, 11:57:40 am »
Last year arriving at about 11pm at Llangattock, I had planned to cycle through and finish in Bulwark around 1am.
But we learned that the Bulwark Community Centre (Chepstow) would be unmanned till 2am at the earliest.
So I paused there and had a lie down doze for 90 minutes before cracking on to finish about 2:30. The centre wasn't open so we posted our brevet (+) timed and signed, through the letter box.
The upside of waiting (or riding at a lower pace) is that, weather permitting (and it's looking good at this forecasting distance) leaving Llangattock after 4am riding east offers the dawn chorus and a lovely view of the sunrise.
https://www.ventusky.com/?p=50.92;-2.61;7&l=wind-10m&t=20190504/2100
https://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Wales/Brecon/long.html
Sunset at Llandovery is 20:44.
Sunrise at Llangattock: 05:36.
https://app.photoephemeris.com/?ll=51.859920,-3.137710&dt=20190505000700%2B0100&z=15&spn=0.01,0.04&center=51.8599,-3.1377
New moon (which means a full one for BCM).



hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #45 on: 27 April, 2019, 12:56:45 pm »
I will be in the Llandovery area next weekend.

I might pop in to the West End around lunchtime, depending on transport and friends' plans.

S2L

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #46 on: 28 April, 2019, 03:10:26 pm »
Cause of front derailleur grief identified... not cable tension as initially thought, but basically a semi-seized mechanism... now cleaned, oiled and functioning again... it will be nice to be able to use the small ring on Saturday again  :thumbsup:

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #47 on: 28 April, 2019, 04:24:15 pm »
I will be in the Llandovery area next weekend.

I might pop in to the West End around lunchtime, depending on transport and friends' plans.

If you are there from 11.30 you'll probably see the first riders (except Nik if he's riding)

I'm entered but coming back after a virus and a month off the bike so still not certain to ride. If I do and you are there I'll come and say hello.

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #48 on: 28 April, 2019, 06:06:49 pm »
I got back at about 02:30 last year, missed the instruction about getting PoP in chepstow, filled the card in and signed before posting, and was given a finish time of 6am.
No instruction missed last year. Though if you'd written in a 'finish time' on your brevet before posting, that's what would have been recorded (well it was for me). Last year Mark was content that riders who arrived before he'd opened up just posted their cards through the letter box - no PoP in Chepstow required. He implied in his recent e-mail that it had to be a bit 'tighter' this year because of BRM(PBP), hence the need for PoP for Chepstow if before 6am.

Re: Brevet Cymru 2019
« Reply #49 on: 28 April, 2019, 10:17:51 pm »
Don't eat too many chips at the seaside there is a bugger of a climb straight after!

Edit: Climb not Limb! But you may have buggered limbs after the climb.

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