[Closed] Dragon Ride - anyone doing it?

I think stoopid MTBers who don't train for events deserve everything they get 😉

*awaits flaming for non-'useful' reply*

I'll be there, doing the long 180k loop hopefully.

Furthest I've ever rode on a bike was 100 miles back in march. Since then I've done a few 70-80 milers so hopefully will be ok on the day 😕

At least they haven't got the 1km walk down a muddy farm track to the start this year. Done it twice, not overly impressed with the organisation, Nove Colli next year instead I think.

wasn't the sportive up in scotland ruined by carpet tacks or some such shinangans? i hope the locals arn't so 'freindly' in Wales.

did it last year and while it does have some good bits, to many traffic lights and too much town riding. Then there is the minor issue of too many londoners jumping traffic lights, and too many londoners not looking where the **** they are going as they crash into someone (me) waiting at one set of lights!

mrmo - were they wearing blue jerseys?
Last year I just chilled with the de Ver boys once I'd caught them (at least they had a better time than in 2006 when the locals turned up at their campsite during the night and dropped cast iron railings on their tents).

I am, furthest I've done in training is 80 miles so my target is to finish and not get picked up by the broom wagon.

If (when) you pass a very slow tricross sport say hello! 🙂

at least they had a better time than in 2006 when the locals turned up at their campsite during the night and dropped cast iron railings on their tents

no way!!! i didn't here that story - glad i'm staying in a b&b!!! that's aweful!

Yep I am in for the 120k, never actually ridden that far in one go 😯 yet!

I have been "sort of" training the last few weeks.It seemed like months away then all of a sudden its under a week!
My first stab at at this sort of event, so not really sure what to expect?
Metcheck shows an Okish forecast for Sunday today, not too high a wind either so its looking promising

Contemplating shaving my legs for that hardcore roadie look 😆

I am no 221 riding a Scott CR1, say hi if you pass me 😀

My first sportive - not sure whether I've done enough training, but have a good base fitness and did a hilly 80 miler a couple of weeks ago.

Agree with rustydub - seemed ages away and now its in 5 days time ;-(

Is there any etiquette to be aware of in this roadie sportive lark?

I'll be on a white Bianchi C2C Nirone - number 2344 - wave as you ride past!

I did it! Back and not feeling too bad now, roll on tuesday when it all goes wrong. Was my first Sportive, quite enjoyed it!
Manage the 189km in 7.15, actual riding was 6.45ish.
Organisation was crap tho, missed the 1km start as the marsahals sent us out the car park onto the course!
How did you all get on?

Did the 117 miler (189 km)in 7.24 - again my first sportive and feel a major sense of relief and satisfaction now I've completed it, especially after only 5 hours sleep on Saturday night. Spent a little too much time riding on my own rather than in a group.

Thought the organisation was pretty good - though getting from the M4 into the car park could have been improved. Oh and the lack of loos in the car park was poor.

Hope the guy who was being attended to by the ambulance medics (about 3/4 of the way round at the end of the Brecon Beacons bit) was OK - was lying on the ground on the wrong side of the road at the bottom of a long hill.

I thought the organisation was good, plenty of food etc at the feedstations and proper signage everywhere. I couldn't believe how many energy gel wrappers people were discarding though (even saw no.218 throw his onto the pavement about 30km from the end). No excuse for that.

And I thought I was miserable - in all the groups I rode in, I didn't hear a single conversation going, and it wasn't as though they were all elite riders training to be pros, they were 7 hour riders (for the 190km route).

Having said that, the route was excellent, the climbs tough (especially the Bwlch climb the 2nd time round), and riding past the entrance to Afan Argoed on the wrong kind of bike took special willpower. The weather was fantastic, and the scenery breathtaking.

I was well chuffed with my time for the shorter distance of 5hrs and 6 mins, considering my first Dragon....also the longest distance I have ever ridden in one go, and the hot weather which I never function well in.

No complaints about the organisation, well marshalled and signposted etc.

I have to agree about the general lack of sence of humour in a lot of the riders. There was something satisfying about overtaking a group of roadies in full team replica kit on the second climb to the Bwlch, and picking a few off on the downhills.Just wish I had worn my MTB kit!

A big up to the guy riding the unicycle, anyone know if he finished?

Overall a superb day!

Yeah I was impressed by the organisation, OK it took a while for the car parking but that's a lot of cars to deal with. The route was well sign posted and lots of marshals about, the feed stations were good to. I thought the number of banana skins on the road for the few miles out of the feed station was quite comical but the number of discarded energy gel wrappers was disappointing to say the least. I also can't believe the number of people DQ'd for jumping red lights (with police visibly there), I guess some people are just retarded :p

Yes - the number of empty energy gel wrappers on the road was appalling 🙁

Also agree about the lack of communication / humour - one t*at from a Surrey road club overtook me at the bottom of a long hill and asked in a very condescending manner "Why were you pedalling going downhill?". Unless I am being dangerous to other riders "Why don't you mind your own ****ing business!"

Big thanks to the marshals, and people running the feedstations - and also great support from the locals who were cheering and clapping everyone going past 🙂

Can't understand the mentality of running red traffic lights to save a few seconds - it was quite clear in the instructions that sanctions would be imposed on those who did. Spoke to the Policeman at the first main set of lights and he was saying that people who ran the lights would be banned from next years event!

Was that the long hill down to the cattle grid at the bottom? The last 2 years I've ridden that in a group spinning out 50/11. Were the light jumpers wearing blue jerseys?

aP, to be honest i am not one hundred percent sure now, i am fairly certain it was dark coloured. I can remember a thread on bikeradar sometime last year and the same club got some stick on there. I would remember the name if it was said to me and i can remember seeing lots of the same club about.

Wooop results are in and it put me in the top 250riders.
Some very odd people doing it, there was one chap who got me up the Bwlch tho, we'd been passing each other from just over the half way point.
We got up with each other and had a chat all the way up the Bwlch 2, nice chap. Wasnt so happy when i sprinted off the last hairpin tho, saw him at the finish about 15mins later.
Other than that, they were all idiots! Completely misserable, and i think i beat a large amount of them!

I did it. Nice day, 7.15 for the longer version, trying hard not to draught on the flatter bits for training effect. People were a bit glum, but that's roadies for you and I had several nice chats along the way. I was astonished to pass two unicyclists - on fat tyres too - and a mountain biker apparently with knobblies. Not sure if those count as madness or inspiration... Just glad none of them were me.

I did the Fred Whitton a month or so back and to be honest, enjoyed that more. Bigger or maybe steeper climbs and a more epic feel. Both events class for southern roadies bowling along on the flatter bits then blowing to bits on the climbs. Sometimes living in the Peak where everything is either uphill or down has its advantages.

Next stop 12-hour solo at 24/12 🙂

I rode the 130km route last year (my SO did the long route) and I was really surprised at the number of people riding the short route with support vehicles - can people really not ride 130km without support? Especially since there were three official feed stops on-route.

I started getting stabbing pains in my left knee at 50 miles in so I only managed 100 miles sadly. Getting on the wagon at the top of Blch2 was disappointing.

I also seemed to end up riding on my own quite a lot, especially after the 1st feed stop when everyone seemed to disappear. People were generally chatty if you spoke to them, but I think a lot of people (myself included) were just putting their heads down and getting on with it at times.

I think that on these sportives there are so few people who actually know how to ride in a group that you can't talk as you have to watch out for the idiot weaving in and out of the group, braking constantly!, pedalling/freewheeling manically and halfwheeling (more !!).
Once you get into a group of proper club riders then you can talk.

I did it and ended up riding in a group for a while but didn't like the extra concentration required to not catch someone's back wheel, and watching their rear brake whilst keeping a look out for potholes. So I kept mostly on my own.

I don't train in a group so am not used to that behaviour. It wasn't them, it was me.

You just need to practise 😛

Tom, if you didn't ride so fast on training rides we could practice group riding! 😉

(That's if you are who I think you are)