Dragon Ride 2008

bendertherobot

I have pre-warned McDonalds of the potential presence of 3000 riders.

BMCCbry

Make it 2999 only cos I was planning on going with the porridge oats soaked in apple juice idea... :?

bendertherobot

BMCCbry wrote:

Make it 2999 only cos I was planning on going with the porridge oats soaked in apple juice idea... :?

Not even a black coffee?

BMCCbry

Ooh no, don't like coffee :evil:

It's only recently that I've even started drinking tea, aged 27. And that was only because every time I got to the cafe on the club run in the winter I was freeeeeeeeezing!

vermooten

I've decided to save £60 in petrol and £60 in hotel cost and not doing the Dragon Ride. Bit of a conversation stopper I know. Got a trip to the Alps in a couple of weeks which is going to be pricey enough as it is. So instead I'll be doing an 80 mile loop round here, that works.

Will they want their transponder back?

Sfelt

vermooten wrote:

I've decided to save £60 in petrol and £60 in hotel cost and not doing the Dragon Ride. Bit of a conversation stopper I know. Got a trip to the Alps in a couple of weeks which is going to be pricey enough as it is. So instead I'll be doing an 80 mile loop round here, that works.

Will they want their transponder back?

They will charge you £45 for it :roll:

topcattim

Sfelt wrote:

vermooten wrote:

I've decided to save £60 in petrol and £60 in hotel cost and not doing the Dragon Ride. Bit of a conversation stopper I know. Got a trip to the Alps in a couple of weeks which is going to be pricey enough as it is. So instead I'll be doing an 80 mile loop round here, that works.

Will they want their transponder back?

They will charge you £45 for it :roll:

Yeah, I noticed that in the joining instructions. Not sure how they would manage to get the money out of you, though, although I suppose they might blacklist you for a future year.

Still, I guess the decent thing woudl be to send it back to them at
BreakAway Cycling
33 Highbury Crescent
Bridgend
South Wales
CF31 4RD
UK

SteveR_100Milers

well if you paid online, then your CC details are recorded. It would be easy to charge the £45 to your card, as I found out after last years cymru gran fondo... :roll:

shmo

Idiot question here. Does the timing chip go on the front wheel skewer or something? Between the screw cap and the fork? Cheers.

bendertherobot

Shmo wrote:

Idiot question here. Does the timing chip go on the front wheel skewer or something? Between the screw cap and the fork? Cheers.

Absolutely no idea. I'm sticking it in my jersey.

dodge1302

Shmo wrote:

Idiot question here. Does the timing chip go on the front wheel skewer or something? Between the screw cap and the fork? Cheers.

Yes Shmo, that is exactly where it goes. I spent ages last year trying to work it out...doh...but finally worked it out.

Mind, the number of riders I saw with the chip strapped to the fork using zip ties and the like..oh well...

shmo

Great thanks. Best of luck tomorrow guys let's hope it isn't too moist!

deal

bendertherobot wrote:

Shmo wrote:

Idiot question here. Does the timing chip go on the front wheel skewer or something? Between the screw cap and the fork? Cheers.

Absolutely no idea. I'm sticking it in my jersey.

im fairly sure it has to be fairly close to the ground to get picked up by the timing stations

shmo

Turned out to be a beautiful day. Only real problem was how long it took to get started, we were standing around for ages. Apart from that all was good, except my legs, which are now utterly spent.

SteveR_100Milers

I spent 2.5 hours standing around...waiting for the broom wagon...bl00dy crank fell off and that was that after 33 mles. Got back to the HQ at 6-30 woo hoo! What a waste of such a fantastic day. Well done to all of you that finished.

il_principe

Well did the 75 mile loop with a moving time of 4 hours, spent an extra 17 at feed stations. Perfect day and a great ride. Feeling much better about the Etape now!

dbg

Great day, well marshaled and great route, my only moan would be the poor feed stops, just bananas & fairy cakes at the first and bananas only at the next two, the worst I've come across and I've done a fair few sportives.

reaper2

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I spent 2.5 hours standing around...waiting for the broom wagon...bl00dy crank fell off and that was that after 33 mles. Got back to the HQ at 6-30 woo hoo! What a waste of such a fantastic day. Well done to all of you that finished.

We will have to call you steve-33milers from now on then.

magliaceleste

dbg wrote:

Great day, well marshaled and great route, my only moan would be the poor feed stops, just bananas & fairy cakes at the first and bananas only at the next two, the worst I've come across and I've done a fair few sportives.

Totally agree. You'd have thought the organisers would have cottoned on to this, it was the same problem last year (in fact they even ran out of food completely at the third station). All they have to do is look at other sportives (which often charge less) to see how it should be done.

Apart from that, top route and a great day. Got to love those climbs. Much better start venue this year too.

Ken Night

magliaceleste wrote:

, top route and a great day. Got to love those climbs. Much better start venue this year too.

repeat post from cyclosport...
Great day out and totally different to the three events (EdD, WRC and Dartmoor) I've done this year-and all the better for the change of emphasis

Very well organised with brilliant staff. Thank you all

What a great route, lovely climbs, flowing descents and the chance to get good groups working together

There was a really great atmosphere at the start, and with so many cyclists there, was just the affirmation cycling needs

It's close in atmosphere to a continental sportive-imho that's a good thing

Improvements? A family area-with Go Ride, or stunt riding, a meal provided in the price (compare to the Dauphine in the Vercours for example where for a smaller fee, there are better stocked feed stations, and a two course meal-with wine natch, in with the price) Savoury food on the feed stations, something savoury in the gift pack at the end...small things really, but the sum of which would improve the event

Some good times-first man in took 5h 11mins
Nice to meet bahzob, and a few others.

It was nice to see all the serious bike kit on display.

I've never seen so much Rapha gear. I can't help feeling they have really got the sportive market sussed as it seems to be aspirational kit

I'll start the ball rolling-what times did you all do?

I aimed for 6 15 and was very pleased with around 5 57

SteveR_100Milers

reaper2 wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

I spent 2.5 hours standing around...waiting for the broom wagon...bl00dy crank fell off and that was that after 33 mles. Got back to the HQ at 6-30 woo hoo! What a waste of such a fantastic day. Well done to all of you that finished.

We will have to call you steve-33milers from now on then.

though that would involve changing the name of Cardiff's oldest club...

oldwelshman

Great day. I almost withdres due to being on antibiotics for chest infection but felt better friday so headed down.
Loads of traffic from m4 to get into park so I went straigh on and into Pencoed tha back way and straight into car park Local knowledge!

I would have been happy just to finish !
Rode the Bwlch and Rhigos at own pace alone and on decent from Storeys arms, met an Ajax rider I knew so we worked together, then caught another guy I know, Graham from Reading and we did rest of route together.
My computer says 5:47 but suspect real time with stops will be 6 hours.
Having a nice curry to replenish my stocks !!

oldwelshman

Great day. I almost withdres due to being on antibiotics for chest infection but felt better friday so headed down.
Loads of traffic from m4 to get into park so I went straigh on and into Pencoed tha back way and straight into car park Local knowledge!

I would have been happy just to finish !
Rode the Bwlch and Rhigos at own pace alone and on decent from Storeys arms, met an Ajax rider I knew so we worked together, then caught another guy I know, Graham from Reading and we did rest of route together.
My computer says 5:47 but suspect real time with stops will be 6 hours.
Having a nice curry to replenish my stocks !!

Browneaves

I would agree with that.

A really good route (at least the short one, I couldnt comment on the other) - much more interesting than last year with going up the Bwlch twice in diffrent directions, and the short climb at the end by Llangeinor.

The only bit to look at maybe is the start - perhaps stagger it a bit more, allowing the longer route to start say between 7.30 - 8.30 and the shorter route afterwards ? This would cut down the waiting about.

But a brilliant day - thank you

Mingsta

Fantastic ride! The weather held and was perfect all told. Sunny but reasonable cool. The route was brilliant, and the new start point is better than bridgend, though it did take about an hour to get through the start...fortunately there were plenty of bushes to duck behind for an allez-pee-pee as we waited.

However, one semi-sinister thing that I've noticed, which seems to be particular to the Dragon Ride, is the number of blokes with worn out see-though shorts. I spotted at least 3 during the course of the ride, same the previous 2 years as well. Whats all that about eh?

I'm going to do something I'd normally frown upon and claim an unofficial time of 6.35. My official time was about 6.54 but my front derailleur cable snapped after the 10 miles so I was stuck with a 39/12-27. Then even worse, my friend's rear cable snapped on the 45 mile mark. We spent 20 minutes bodging his rear derailleur so that it was fixed on a middlish sprocket to give him 3 usable gears ( fortunately he had a triple at the front), Sturmy Archer style!

It was a bit of a bummer as he was spinning out on the faster sections for the rest of the ride which lost us more time. Definitely some unfinished business for next year, I hope they keep the same route so i can make ammends! Probably should have fitted those new cables that have been sitting in my parts bin untouched for the past 2 weeks. Ho hum!

oldwelshman

Also good to meet a few riders of here if only briefly.
RichH I think, and a couple of others who read posts but dont post One of those was in a small gorup with me for a few miles. Good to ride in a goup once or twice for a change.
Did any one else almost over shoot the descent off the last climb? Could have put a "cyclist slow" sign on that one though I guess it was my own fault for going to fast down there

urrrrrrrrrs

well that was only my 2nd sportive ever,i would of thoroughly enjoyed it if it wasnt for the fact that my right foot/cleat/shoe was giving me grief and had got the starts of one of those head colds ,i intended to do the 180k ride but when i got to the split i turned left instead rode the 120k in 5hr 19mins (unofficially)

anyway roll on next saturday and the Ardechoise 2008 ,providing the cold/foot/shoe/cleat dilemma disappears :roll:

we were lucky and missed the heavy shower that hit the finish earlier in the day,did anyone notice the huge puddles on the return/

deal

was my first ever sportive so i did the shorter route since i knew i was under prepared never attempted a climb anything like as long before but i did better than i expected - i actually finished under my own power

The only trouble i had was a puncture half way up the second acsent of the Bwlch after i stopped to repair i couldnt seem to get a rhythm going again so started going and had to stop 200m up the road think it took me two or three attempts to get going again.

I agree the start location was good despite the waiting around but i didnt mind that so much as there was some good banter in the queue and a fantastic atmosphere, also thought the marsalling was pretty good.

ps. anyone else see the bmw driver who couldnt be bother waiting for a few cyclists to pass a narrow spot so tried to squeeze past hitting a big camper van in the process, the owner appeared and wasnt very happy esspiecially when the driver kept trying to drive forward with his front end half buried into the side of the camper van!

bendertherobot

oldwelshman wrote:

Also good to meet a few riders of here if only briefly.
RichH I think, and a couple of others who read posts but dont post One of those was in a small gorup with me for a few miles. Good to ride in a goup once or twice for a change.
Did any one else almost over shoot the descent off the last climb? Could have put a "cyclist slow" sign on that one though I guess it was my own fault for going to fast down there

I was cycling with a very nice gentleman from North Wales who assisted my cramp.

As I descended Llangeinor I heard a bang about 200 yards behind me and am hoping he did not overshoot that turning.

RedGreenBaron

oldwelshman wrote:

Did any one else almost over shoot the descent off the last climb? Could have put a "cyclist slow" sign on that one though I guess it was my own fault for going to fast down there

Yup, Old Welshman - hands up for my first ever descent cockup. The hairpin part the way down the Llangeinor descent caught me out and I had to go straight on into some gravel and soft green stuff. Thankfully my heart was no longer capable of tachycardia, otherwise it'd gone off scale.

I spoke to some who suggested it would have been martialled on a Euro-sportive, but at least a 'slow' sign as you say, as it was the only invisible hairpin on the course (I think). Agree it was my fault, though!

Otherwise...
As mentioned above, the starting address was half an hour late and almost inaudible, so I think room for improvement, and I agree the 7:30 start a good idea (less traffic first section also a benefit), with gran fondos first. There would also be less of a speed differential between long and short coursers when they join up again (a problem with the cars up Cimla).
Quite a lot of traffic lights compared to most sportives, I think, though a couple were temporary.

Other than that - brilliantly signed, very well marshalled, thanks so much to all the volunteers, loved the route, esp the long steady climbs, and thanks to all the friendly riders I met!

Ride time 5h52 so total time should sneak under 6 hours (feed stations 2 mins, traffic lights 4ish). Hardest (and longest) thing I've done on a bike, though I'm still a newbie and not done Euros, FW etc.

Nick