Was just wondering if anyone on here has riden the Welsh Ride thing? After a bit of a challenge but also something a few of us can do and have some fun! Was it any good? What type of riding was it ,single track, fire road etc?

Also is it actually a race or is it more of a I’m just taking part to have fun type thing!?

Cheers

I did it this year, it was hard, but good fun. Deffinately not a race, more of an adventure.

As for type of riding, expect a bit of everything, including pushing 😀

What green said.

Hi Flatfish, I think it was you I tagged along with for some of the ride, were you paired up with a girl who wanted a riding partner? I was the first timer on the yellow cotic..

I did it this year, was a great laugh.

It is definitely not a competitive event.

Sweet talk a landlord and you too could bivi in a beer garden.

Sounds about right for me then! How far were you riding/ pushing each day!? I assume its definatly something you need to train for then?

Bivi in a beer garden sounds like plan!!

You don’t need to train. You can collect as many or as few of the checkpoints as you want… no one will give a s…

Welsh Walk Thing was probably more appropriate as a name, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself hurtling down some great trails on an overloaded bike.

TSY, was it not actually that hard work then? I’m aftersomething thats fun, but still feels like a bit of an accomplishment when you finish it

Cardiff – If you collect all the points, it’ll be hard!!

I did it with two mates this year: fantastic experience despite the bloody awful weather. You can take it as seriously (or not) as you like; be as competitive (or not) as you like. You can push on hard and be completely self-sufficient or *coughs* stop off in the chippy in Mach for lunch. It’s a great event with a really good atmosphere. Highly recommended. All being well I’ll be back next year.

With a more waterproof bivvy bag.

Your question about the amount of single track and fire road indicates that you need to better understand the nature of the event. If you can visualise 15 or so checkpoints scattered over a very wide area of North Wales (about the size of 11/2 OS 1:50,000 maps) you have about 48 hours to get to as many checkpoints as you can including sleeping, eating etc. To get them all involves route finding and optimising the amount of climbing down to about 23,000 feet and riding about 140 miles so it’s not easy.(I know i did just that) The question regarding singletrack etc is entirely dependant on your choice of route, if you wanted to do a lap of the Climaxx trail in Dyfi forest, you could but it wouldn’t get you any more checkpoints, if you want to ride 10 miles along tarmac lanes to avoid a climb up and over a big hill, you can. It’s a matter of deciding what you want out of the event. Think of it as the organiser giving you some hints as to where some good riding is, if you chose to go there.

T’was me Green.
You doing it again?

It’s as hard as you want to make it.

I know what you mean Yeti, but saying you dont need to train might be a bit missleading, if all you currently do is a 1 hour spin once a week it wont be much fun.

Plenty of folk at trail centres with six inch behemoths all suited up and blowing out there hoop on an hours loop will struggle.

Flatfish – Yep, I’ll be back next year. I was contemplating Mach n’Back…

Pistonbroke, that is awesome, had no idea it was like that, sounds like a lot of fun!!I am defiatly going to look in to doing this

I’m in for Mach ‘n’ back.

Cheers for the other advice guys, will definatly look to train a bit, sounds like the fitter you are the more your going to enjoy it. 140 miles over two days def sounds like a challenge to me!

I’m definetly planning on doing it next year for the first time. Have spent the last month since I first read about it looking at kit and getting a few bits together, thinking about how to carry stuff, etc

So far not managed to convince any mates it’s a good idea so looks like I will be solo.

It’s become a bit of an obsession already 🙂

Oh and I will definately be having to train and learning to map read 🙂

Restless Native would interested to know what kit etc you’ve been looking at and what you think is required! I have a bike and a sleeping bag and think things probably stop about there!!

I think Pistonbroke summed it up quite nicely there. It’s most certainly not a race … the BB 200 fills that space.

As for training, it will possibly be more enjoyable if you’ve got the fitness to ride a couple of biggish days back to back and don’t under estimate the effects of carrying your gear. However you don’t need to be super human to enjoy yourself. This years ‘WRT weigh in’ results brought home the different attitudes of people taking part 😉

Bivi bag, stove, pan, spork, sleeping mat, dry bags, water filter, sleeping bag…

Got a Revelate sling for attaching to my bars and had to recable my bike with more outer so I can use that. Sleeping bag, mat and pillow are going there in a dry bag.

Bottle cages on rigid forks, TravelTap filter one side, tools + spares the other. And 1 bottle of water on the bike frame.

At the moment bivi bag (tarp if I have one),clothes, food and cookset will have to go in a backpack. Thought I am looking at seatpacks as I would rather just have as little as possible on my back. Though I don’t think I really need it for a 2 day event.

I thought it was ace fun, apart from riding with TSY 😉

Am looking forward to the opening of entries to 2012, and am contemplating Mach ‘n’ Back too.

I think this type of event is going to become more and more popular as people like me decide they want a change from MM or SITS.I am defo going to give it a go and the more mates I can rope in the better the craic will be.

I’ve now entered the Mach ‘n’ Back to fill the void between now and the next WRT 🙂

I thought it was ace fun, apart from riding with TSY

Looks like he was just as equally enthralled by your company…

(Yeti in centre)

If you guys promise to learn how to read a map in time for next years WRT then I’ll promise not to follow you, thinking that you know exactly where you’re going 😉

Yep did it.

Sat next to that Yeti chap in the pub

Apart from that it was good

I’ve done two WRTs, both brilliant fun, the pub in Corris was ace.

This is what I took on the BB200 in October (everything inc spares, tools, gps etc, didn’t use my tarp.)

BB200 kit

Signed up for Mach n’ Back, same kit but an extra sleeping bag (one inside the other) to keep me warm!

Stuart I can’t believe it’s changed to June 3-4 for 2012, its the only weekend of the whole year I can’t do. 🙁

Best organised event I have done for years.

Anthony … no real choice. The bank holiday at the end of May is the traditional wrt weekend but next year the powers that be have decided to change the holiday dates due to the jubilee. We need 3 days so it has to be a bank holiday.

As long as the holidays return to normal then we’ll be back in May for 2013 😉

It’s my wife’s birthday. Maybe ill try and convince her on a family entry, our lad will be 3 1/2 so with 2yrs riding experience by then I’m sure he’ll be fine. He loves a muddy puddle even more than me after all 😀

I love you all.

Yeti- pull yourself together man 😉

I thought it might be a good way of getting someone to share bodyheat in January?

I’m up for doing it this year, but none of my riding buddies are, anyone fancy doing it with me? I don’t fancy doing it solo…

I’ll warn you now I am slow and ride a single speed, but I will stay good humoured and bring enough sloe gin to keep us merry.

I think these sum up my WRT 2011 experience. Brilliant fun, I’ll definitely be back in 2012. (All pictures taken by my long-suffering mate chrisn + a few more here)

Tempted, I should probably do it since I seem to remember contributing ideas on the original thread. Timing didn’t work out this year though.

tommid – Member
I’m up for doing it this year, but none of my riding buddies are, anyone fancy doing it with me? I don’t fancy doing it solo…

I’ll warn you now I am slow and ride a single speed, but I will stay good humoured and bring enough sloe gin to keep us merry.

I might be on for this, SS, old and fat therefore slow,can map read which may be a bonus 😉 will be bringing decent single malt

afterall when I explain to the wife I’m going for a long weekend’s ride camping in the woods with someone off the t’internet she will not be worried 😉

Manhood Camping

@Nick … The only thing I can be certain of reading that is that HE’S NOT GAY 😉

@Tommid … you’ll find someone to ride with pretty easily once entries open and the WRT machine lurches into action.

@Molgrips

Timing didn’t work out this year though.

What about 2009 and 2010? 😉

big_n_daft – Member

tommid – Member
I’m up for doing it this year, but none of my riding buddies are, anyone fancy doing it with me? I don’t fancy doing it solo…

I’ll warn you now I am slow and ride a single speed, but I will stay good humoured and bring enough sloe gin to keep us merry.

I might be on for this, SS, old and fat therefore slow,can map read which may be a bonus will be bringing decent single malt

afterall when I explain to the wife I’m going for a long weekend’s ride camping in the woods with someone off the t’internet she will not be worried

Big- You sound like my perfect partner. Although when you put it like that telling the mother of my children that I am going to sleep in the woods with a large man off the interweb may raise an eyebrow…

I am also fat and slow, I can read a map, I own a map case and compass and I got a distinction in my Instructor level survival training, so i make a good bivi.