[Closed] Etape cymru.....your thoughts please

Too bloody expensive. 🙁

I'm not doing it, but some roadie colleagues are. There's a lot of climbing, and the weather could make it a horrible day if it goes against you. I guess at the end of the day it's all about how much you like suffering.

oh yeah and as the don says, HOW MUCH? 😯

I'm doing it. I'm not sure why.

I'm doing it.

I have a 12 speed and can do some of the big hills in Hampshire but Welsh hills are twice as hard! I can do 100miles here but struggle doing 50m back home. Just looked at how expensive it is!!! You can do 3 sportives for that price

Was tempted by the opportunity to ride on closed roads, but it seemed pretty expensive to me.

Thinking of doing the clwydian audax instead on the 22nd Oct (choice of 60, 130, or 200km), or do my own DIYroute either through the mountain passes of Snowdonia or a circuit of Anglesey.

Oh, and personally I need all the gears I can get riding round here!

I had considered doing it but the time of year put me off, long way to travel to get soaked 😀

Expensive for sure but if the Etape Caledonia and Hibernian is anything to go by the closed roads make it better value than most other sportives at £25-£35 which seems to be the going rate.

It goes near LLandegla, watch the race and then ride at llandegla,and youve saved the entry fee , simples.

How much is it then? don't you get a gash t-shirt included in the price, like you do with triathlons?

As it goes right past my house I will be wearing my STW fanboi mankini, El Diablo style

Well i was doing it but have had to pull out.
Anyone fancy my entry, £40 and its yours.
Email in profile.

It's £59 with the discount codes, you get British Cycling membership included (worth £24) and a gillet in your good bag (worth £20) so in reality it's £15 for the event or £35 if you discount the gillet.

Not bad for a closed road event 35 minutes from my door

What happens if you've already got the cheapest 13.50 GBP membership, do you get discount?

Yup an initial £10 I think, how did you get membership for £13.50?

Did 45 miles this evening using some of the route the etape....going to 'interesting' in company....especially if its a bit damp 😉
I'll be riding around a muddy field instead 😀

I looked [url= http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/compare-membership-packages ]here.[/url]
OK, what discount do you get if you've already paid 24.00GBP for Ride membership?

Nothing off for bronze membership as it doesnt offer the liability insurance IIRC.

OK, what discount do you get if you've already paid 24.00GBP for Ride membership?

Proper price is £53, whether you can use the 10% discount off that as well I don't know.

Did 45 miles this evening using some of the route the etape....going to 'interesting' in company....especially if its a bit damp

Did something similar this afternoon.

That's very nice doug, but not an answer to my question assuming you were trying to answer my question.

I'm in, we will be spending a week with the in-laws in Wales anyway. It's a small price to pay for a day off that.

That's very nice doug, but not an answer to my question assuming you were trying to answer my question.

The proper price if you already have ride membership is £53 or £65 without. There are also extra 10% off discount codes flying around which bring the £65 down to £59. Whether you can get 10% off the £53 already got ride membership price I don't know. You do the sums regarding how much you'll save as I [s]can't be arsed[/s] don't want to make it too easy for you.

Thought about it, but a bit late in the year, the weather could be horrible 😯 the price decided it in the end.

Weather will be grim. It's in North Wales! Got an entry myself as it goes past my front door. Mrs says she'll be there with tea and cakes..
To be honest, yes, it costs a packet, but if the entries are low it could be the last time they run the event. Lot to be said for a closed road event.

I live in Brymbo (wrexham) so the Etape is on my doorstep. Im doing it, Yes its expensive and seeing how the route is mainly roads i ride on a weekly basis anyhow i struggled to get my head round the price at 1st. But for closed roads is worth its wait in gold (granted some of the roads on the route you hardly see a car on anway, but it will be nice to charge round corners knowing for deffo nowt is coming the other way :D)

As stated you get 1 years ride membership/insurance plus a Gillet. So all in all not too bad really.

I normaly pay £35 for a Sportive, plus ahotel/B&B the night before. Fuel in the car to get to Sheffeild/leeds/York etc etc (most sportives all in cost me circa of £100-150 as i have to travel). So as i live local i have no other costs than the entry fee for a change. Happy days for me, and as it also my Birthday on the 10th (day after) we just need as a bit of sun to make it a top day :lol:.

I really am doing it now, despite a manky forecast. In a strange way I hope the conditions are vile*

*reserves right to change view post-ride

*Interested*

Would love a closed road event. Plus I want to beat iDave 😉

EDIT: oh, it's THIS Sunday...

etape pennines now planned, 80 miles closed roads in England.

Interested to see how this pans out. It is a different organisation from the mob who do caledonia/hibernia so I expect teething problems.

You can't beat me Molgrips, it's not a 'race'

You can do 3 sportives for that price

or 30 audax's!

You can't beat me Molgrips, it's not a 'race'

Hehe.. who's up for a STW 100 mile time trial competition then?

Can someone find me a decent forecast for this weekend as the ones I'm seeing are a bit manky and don't fill me with joy as they relate to a hilly 100 miler. About 18c and no wind will be fine. Ta.

Dry until 9am, bit rainy until 12 o'clock then dry again, max temp is around 12 deg C and a bit if a wind with cloud cover, don't expect dry & sunny or even the free gillet as they're not included now!!

Quite a few roads shut around the horseshoe pass and other roads round llandegla village,

B5426 Minera – A525 Four Crosses
(including route through
Gwynfryn))
9.30 – 11.15
H
I
28 - 32
A525 Four Crosses – A525
Llandegla
9.45 – 11.30
I
J
32 - 45
A5104 / A525 Llandegla – A5104
Corwen (including routes up Rhydy-
Meudwy)
10.30 – 12.30
J
K
45 - 62
A5104 / B5437 Corwen – A542
Llangollen (including route through
Carrog, Bryn Eglwys and Rhewl)
11.30 – 2.00
K
L
62 - 69
A542 Horseshoe Pass
12.00 – 2.30
L
I
69 - 79
A542 / A525 – A525 Llandegla
(including route up Shelf)
Also Stop / Go to accommodate
A525 traffic
12.00 – 3.30
I
H
79 – 83
A525 Llandegla – A525 Four
crosses
12.30 – 3.45
H
G
83 - 85
A525 Four Crosses - B5426 Minera
(including B5430 Old Road
Bwlchgwyn)
12.40 – 4.00
G
M
85 - 88
B5426 Minera – B5426 Bronwylfa

More info on etape -cymru, road closures

Rolling Road block or closed for the whole day?
I'd like to go and get a few photos at the start then Horseshoe or World's End..

http://www.etape-cymru.co.uk/

click on local residents info, and a pdf will show all the road closures, horeshoe pass from 12.00 to 2.30 it says .
It may be a nightmare for motorists as there isnt any other way round unless you go via Corwen and LLangollen.

Best to arrive early, to get a spot.

Cheers project I popped over and spoke to the organisation earlier, I had a good look round the web site last night and couldn't find anything...

Well that was interesting. Piss poor route marking, which may have down to grumpy locals nicking signs - nice to ride with banjo music carried in the wind. Very very windy on up on the hills, one v bad looking crash, great route. All my legs hurt a lot now. Pleased with 5'50" given the conditions, route, 10 days notice, borrowed bike, and no training etc etc. (other excuses are available)

'Twas a bit blustery up Minera way, I've got a couple of photos here...
[url= http://simoncarter.zenfolio.com/p409184659/h16004341#h16004341 ]http://simoncarter.zenfolio.com/p409184659/h16004341#h16004341[/url]
I take my hat off to you sir, well done.

I spotted you there, you had that frustrated photographer look as you realised I was going far too fast for any camera outside CERN or NASA

🙂
A nice little climb there, no?
What was the route like, difficulty wise?

Route was quite lumpy, nice use of lanes and sheep tracks! The real challenge was the wind, esp the gusts on some exposed descents and the block headwind up a few of the hills.