[Closed] The 2011 Welsh Ride Thing is GO!

Page 5, sweet 🙂

Footpaths - I'd have thought not - there's loads of forest trails, bridleways, rupp's and boat's to go at 😕

I'm likely to head clockwise too - seems to be the best way to pick up the ones from List B. Most of my route appears to be off road which is nice. Not looking to set any records, be first home or have the shortest possible route, but I've marked a few trails I rode back in 1993 (yes, really) which I'd like to do again and a few I've always wanted to do that I'm prepared to got a little out of my way for 🙂

Yes clockwise seems the ideal.

Can't confirm yet as my wingman is still navigating out of Dartmoor 😀

Think we've all had the same idea. Seems to be about which list B's you go for.

Clockwise for me as well, and i think i can pick up food as I go along, so should be able to save alot of weight on food and cooking equipment. Worked out my route north, just need to work on the route back south.

Found a nice river crossing to do as well, although its easy to avoid.

back now Pete - going to have a look at the GRs tomorrow

I've started anticlockwise, simply lured by the number of grid refs that can be collected early on.

back now Pete - going to have a look at the GRs tomorrow

Ok great I hope you and the family had a good trip?

speak soon 😀

OK, I've numbered Stuart's the grid references in the order sent, List A: 1-11 and List B: A-D to make them easy to refer to without giving the specific locations away.

Checkpoints 3 and D both seem somewhat out of the way... Whilst Stuart's "if you fancy doing all 15 then I take my hat off to you" statement is like red rag to a bull, I can't really find what looks like a rewarding route to collect these two up. What's everyone else doing?

I agree those two are a bit off route, the other 13 can make a nice route, point D is a detour, but point 3 is really out of the way!

'Tis a very nice ride to 3 though 😉

All 15 in 171km on memory map, I'm not revisiting the main route now, just going to come up with abort routes for bad weather or dead legs!

Plans have changed now, but initially I was thinking of ticking off all but 3 and D then had a 90% road route to get 'em both if I had time on Monday morning.

By plans changed, I mean I'm now investing more effort convincing my leadout man he wants to climb 630m through potential bog up from Macynlleth to grid ref A. 😉

By the way, we found it less confusing to have A1 - A11 and B1 - B4 nomenclature...

For 2 Wales novices would it be unwise to decide on a rough plan on the drive over? Should there be a little more research involved?

For 2 Wales novices would it be unwise to decide on a rough plan on the drive over? Should there be a little more research involved?

Maybe 😀

or you could follow someone? 😉

Been playing with the route on MM this afternoon (on a plane and some time to kill - not the best preparation for the legs at least)..... lots of (mentally) easy 10 - 20km legs so far. Not added them all up yet.

I'm broadly thinking clockwise and like IanB being west of Cadair on the first evening.... still working on the route over from Mach (with a lack of local knowledge). More time on Geograph and Google Maps/1:25000 should sort out Stuarts slightly criptic 'legal ridge ride' - access to this might be my issue... as far east as possible I think?

Might be missing the two most easterly points... I will definitely be knackered by Monday.

I've managed a couple of options, going clockwise I've got 95 miles and all but B2 and A10, does seem to mean a bit of road up the B4405.

Anti-clockwise I've managed a blistering 74 miles, just missing out A3, A7 & B4.

we found it less confusing to have A1 - A11 and B1 - B4 nomenclature...

@Anthony - I don't know this area especially well. Lots of info on good bits here though: http://www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk/

Glad everyone's 'enjoying' the GR 😉

The ridge route should see you setting off from a very high point and passing over another 2 named smaller summits on your descent ... if that helps. If those criptic clues still produce a blank, this link might be some use.

http://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2011/tarren-ridge-mtb-ride/

There's even video footage 😀

great link Stu that video is really good looks like those descents are a must!!

Plenty of places to test the drybags too 😆

Useful - that's pretty much what I had deduced 8)

I had assumed you'd have it covered already Ian 😉

Unlike the area around A1, A4, A5 and A11, and that's before I consider A3 and B4. Still scratching my head on these.

Local knowledge must be great for doing this event.. Driving down from Fife, Scotland with my mate to do this. Still to sit down and look over the maps and try to put it all together.. Might be back soon for some much needed advice 8O!! Really looking forward to it having never attempted anything like it before...

Even though I'm only a couple of hours away at most I don't know the area very well, sit down with a map and with Google Earth and it's fairly easy to plan a route, ask a few questions about bits that look a bit interesting and away you go.

I've not got a route that takes in all the sights, all the WPs, has a pub at 35 miles on Saturday and Sunday and is 113 miles long and 21000ft of climbing, just need to check out a couple of bits and it's looking pretty good really.

Ok, think I have it now. 161 km (100 miles) and 5400m ascent with all the check points.

I think the aspiration to be west of Cader by Saturday evening is very much weather dependent. If my experience of riding a loaded bike in the Beacons is anything to go by, then B1 is going to take longer than it looks.

has a pub at 35 miles on Saturday and Sunday

This is what I like to hear 😀 I guess your planning not to move from there 😉

Depends on how good the pub is (last year's pub was great), but I should point out that the pubs are at 35 miles and 70 miles respectively, so if we can make it to the first one on Saturday, the second should be 'easy' on the Sunday, given we'll have more time to get to it 🙂

Stu - cheers for that link - I had been on satellite images and had a similar climb up to the ridge line (not easy to make that work through the maze of forest tracks) but wasn't too sure how far along the ridge to go before dropping off north.... All the way basically!

Looks like a great descent - let's hope it's not into a westerly gale!

All change for us.

Everybody's talking about clockwise routes. Looks like the woods near Dolgellau will be full of bikers in bivvy bags on Saturday night.

CBA with a big pack ride to Machynlleth on Saturday afternoon, so were going to do our route backwards, anticlockwise, to get away from the crowds.

The route to B4 and on to A3 looks great going the other way. Then it'll be a full roast for sunday lunch at Dolgellau whilst you're all in the middle of nowhere eating cous cous. Ace. 😀

The best bit of all is that Monday morning will be [i]insanely tough[/i]. Yay!

My route will be planned around a pint & some lunch in the Railway at Abergynolwyn, that is all.

Is this going to be the real ale wobble with bivi thrown in???

Is this going to be the real ale wobble with bivi thrown in???

And without having to queue in a dogshit strewen flooded rugby pitch for the 2 toilets, one of which is overflowing....

After some playing around and deliberations I think I have a plan now... likely to be 13 check points that take in 136km and 5040m of climbing around sunny* North Wales. As IanB says B1 might take a bit longer and we might even use that as our first night out if the weather is good - should be some good views of the sunset over the Irish Sea and a good down hill to get going on Sunday a.m.

Working on the short cuts and bale out options if weather and conditions dictate.... roll on the next May Bank Holiday!

* Stu - you have arranged this haven't you?

It would seem we're having the rain now, rather than the end of May 😉

But what tyres should I take? 😯

If it were me, I'd sacrifice a bit of grip for a fast rolling, lightish tyre ... swampthings possibly not the best option 😀

I've been on Furious Freds for weeks 😀 I'm actually thinking Racing Ralphs with a Nobby Nic maybe on front if the rain comes.

yes fast rolling tyres for me I need all the help to roll my rig on this epic 😀

Steve and I had a good planning night on Friday, added in some sweet looking descents for good measure. 😯

Going to sort out saddle bag later as my home made dry bag effort probably wont survive a 2 day mission - or would it 😉

My Maxxis Avantage/Ardent pair are starting to resemble slicks. Does this count as 'fast rolling tyres' 😉

200!
Losers 😀

Page 6

I do believe that is a hat-trick 😀

I switched from my Ardents to my Race Kings the other day. Huge difference in rolling resistance, and most likely grip, but I'm sure they'll be fine.

congratulations to you page/post hunters 😉

With a heavy heart I 1x9'd my slot-dropout Inbred the other night, in anticipation of some loaded welsh climbs.

28lb without luggage. 😥

I am sure Stu will be along to say it's character building 😆

I haven't weighed my 456 but I know it's got to do 😉

Sorted out a rough plan for a route at the weekend, now to spend this week doing a bit more investigation and 'google earthing' to fine tune it. Not being local, we had a couple of questions that hopefully someone can answer for us please!
- are there any free water taps anywhere in Machynlleth or Dolgellau where we can fill up?
- we're assuming that the forest tracks going directly west from the start are fair game. Is that right?

I'm sure Stu will let you fill up with water before you leave the start, plus plenty of streams etc to get all you need 😉

Forest tracks directly west of the start are fair game but keep to the north of the valley bottom as they're felling at present on the south side ... Forest Freeride soon to be Deforested Freeride 😉

Like Pete says, you shouldn't have trouble finding water wherever you are. Be sensible about where you collect it and you won't die*

*I take no responsibility for any deaths.

Forest Freeride soon to be Deforested Freeride

[IMG] [/IMG]

😯

To be fair, it does look a bit better than that!

Yes, it's a tidy job and in the long run it'll give me more things to ride 😀

phew that's good to hear.

Perhaps some North shore sections over the stumps Stu?

Plenty of Shore type stuff in the fields already Pete 😉

may have a play before/after WRT then 😉

I've a nice gap jump with your name on 😯

Loaded or unloaded?

Is it re-enforced with girders?

Can I have a go? 😉

All welcome but come up short and it'll happily remove your teeth 😀

Good to hear that the tracks to the west are fair game - I was going to ask the same question!
Sorry to hear of your loss of tree cover Stu - is the sunlight a bit frightening 😕

Thanks for the replies - looking forward to this weekend, particularly having only walked around parts of this area before. We seem to have plotted a route with around 5600m of climbing, which could be, hmm, interesting.

You'll climb nearly that just to get out of the forest 😉

Excellent - so after that it'll all be flat then. 😉

Having lost my routes due to a software glitch, the new route is 114km with 4700m up.

If weather is good the gear is weighing in circa 4kg complete with tent & food 😀 The Lomo bags recommended on here, the 12l can easily hold a tent, sleeping bag and mat.

Is the campsite at Cringoed any good, need somewhere to sleep on Friday night and potentially Monday night?

Campsite at Cringoed is fine, although they only have limited camping pitches.

I've just ordered some mosquito net so I can [get Beth to] retro-fit something to my Hunka to give me some protection from midges once under the shelter of my tarp.

What are other people doing about avoid the winged teeth, particularly the tarpists?

Still to be decieded on what i'm taking due to the weather but my bivi bag has built in bug net.
But you knew that already.

Built in net is the ideal solution, yes. I did have a good look at one of those bivi bags in Cotswold the other day, but price puts me off a bit.

I've just ordered 2 metres of net for about £10 and was thinking of trying to make something like a Gossamer Gear midge net. Pics to follow, of course.

I shall just have my lifeventure head net. The bonus being if it's bad during the day I can put it on under my helmet and ride in it. (I've never tried this, although May last year on the west coast of Scotland I was anticipating needing to but the midgies never appeared.)

You shouldn't find the midges too bad during the day ... 8pm seems to be their time at the moment.

My Rab bag with net is great but there is a pretty big weight penalty but that's perhaps more to do with the eVent fabric rather than the netting 😉

My Bearpaw mesh tent is also great for under a tarp, nice and light at around 200g.

Remember the midges are attracted to dark colours, so 90's euro lycra could be the thing to be seen in 😯

Midges arent going to be a problem for me as Ive still not sorted my route yet, or tested my stuff or done any training!!!!! note to self:- sort your act out 😯

You're probably still ok for the first two...what's training?

It's what your missus doesn't let you do, Dyffers. Well, one of the things anyway. 😀

My Bearpaw mesh tent is also great for under a tarp, nice and light at around 200g.

@Ian, no I'm afraid 200g was a lie. I've just weighed it and it's 230g inc stuff sack but mine has got a 12" extension of the groundsheet on 3 sides which will make it slightly heavier than a standard one.

@Bigface ... well done sir, you're taking the meaning of adventure to new heights 😀

What are other people doing about avoid the winged teeth, particularly the tarpists?

I think I'm just going to....... MTFU!

I don't put netting over my head during the day and I can't see any reason to put some over my head at night.

Eat loads of Marmite the week before and cover your head in DEET

Just how bad are the Welsh midges? I might have to pray for two nights of wind & rain and kip out on the tops of mountains then.

If the weather stays like this sod the tarp also.

Eat loads of Marmite the week before

Does that actually work? I've heard it before but not seen any hard evidence.

If it does I shan't need the net; I've got 20 years of Marmite addiction behind me already.

While the Welsh midges perhaps aren't as bad as their Scotish cousins ... it has to be said that over the last few years they've got plenty of practice in 😉

I did the Microsoft Challenge a couple of years ago, first evening we did a night time biking stage in the forest east of Devils Bridge, while setting up bikes the bastard midges were biting my eyelids, was ok once moving but stand still for 10 seconds and they were up your nose, in your hair, had bites in my crotch, hell. 🙁