Gran Fondo Cymru
daowned
Posts: 414
I have the chance to do the Gran Fondo Cymru this weekend but know nothing about it other than its in Bala,Gwynedd Wales and it will take me 281.7 miles and 4 hr 56 min to get there in the car if I want to go.
I have no accommodation and funds are low, I also have no idea of the route!
I have no accommodation and funds are low, I also have no idea of the route!
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Comments
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And the point is?
I am going up to do it, going to take a tent and camp out.0 -
oh
my
god.
WHERE did that wind come from ? I honestly cant recall any rides like that in 25 years of cycling.0 -
If you like weather stats at Capel Curig midday average wind 33 mph gust to 50 (Met Office) - pretty well what it felt like when heading into it too
Yes wasn`t it just windy indeed and the rain across the Ranges added to the `fun`(not)...tough indeed; glad I`d already decided on Medio `only `and hats off to those who slogged out the whole 200km - brave & tough souls0 -
Getting over the Ranges was just a matter of survival, I've never been so wet and cold.
Job done though, would have had a half decent time if I had'nt had to walk, to save myself from getting blown backwards.0 -
It wasn't that bad...the wind on the ranges was v strong, and then it started to rain and kept raining, but it was never cold if you kept pedalling and the wind was fine for the last two climbs. I enjoyed it, was never miserable.
Etape du Dales 2006...now that was cold.0 -
I injured my knee on the run into Capel Curig and by the ranges was finding it nearly impossible to put any real load on it. As a result I had to walk up the long climb over the ranges.....that wind and rain was not welcome! I finished in a 7:12 in the end (Medio route obviously!). Hats off to all those doing the long route - and thanks to the marshals - especially the guy at the top of the ranges - he drew the short straw!0
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Well i really enjoyed my ride, until just after the second feed station. It must have been those sausages, becasue after 1 butty containing 3 of the buggers, and the lovely lady who cajoled me into two more, about two miles later up the road i bust a spoke on the back wheel thus ending my ride.
Must be sausage power! Certainly wasnt the brown sauce, coz that was missing!! Orgainisers please take note, red sauce is for burgers, brown sauce for bacon and sausages!
Anyway, it was cold and raining for me by this point, and i had to wait almost an hour to be picked up. Waiting in shorts and short sleeve top, bloody frezing i was.
To those guys who we passed on the last nasty horrible wind swept climbs into Bala....total respect guys and the two ladies.
OK i wasnt going to get even a bronze award, but was hoping to finish.
Oldwelshman good to meet you my friend, and super bike.
And to the couple i kept on passing on the descents, only to be caught on he hills, buy the C+ mag and keep up with the story!
I thought the organisation was good, the motorbike guys were good, and the hot food was far better for me than cake! (Brown sauce next time)
If the weather wasnt so foul, that was a great route, and great descents too, and the climbing was not sadisitic, but tough.
In the words of Fu Man Chu................."I will return"Just a fat bloke on a bike0 -
Tough day. I had to settle for the Medio . Would have loved to try the last two climbs, but the wind destroyed me and I'd probably be still out there now. Top respect to those that did.
Organisation excellent. On a good day that would be a really special route.0 -
great day out apart from the wind "gust up to 50mph" felt like it as well, cracking route liked the king of the mountain section as well, loads water and food at the feed stations
as above i will be back0 -
I had a bad day in the saddle
so I didn't enjoy the ride and the wind capped it off nicely.
I think I got angry with it (the wind) riding across the ranges so may have appeared to be a mad man to those who passed me. At 6ft 5in I catch my fair share and by that stage I just wanted it to end. The only warm kit I had was a pair of arm warmers.
Decided not to do the longer route and headed back to Bala at speed to heat , shelter and to regain the ability to use my left arm which had cease to repond to requests from the brain!Paul0 -
Route was gorgeous and I've done some of the GF loop that I missed out on in order to just do the medio yesterday.
Yeah the moors were just about survival, if you got a puncture or a mechanical on there - you'd have been in all sorts of trouble.
I slept for 12 hours last night !0 -
7.5hr for me and that's a lie in!Paul0
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Well done to all that rode yesterday, it was great to see you all (I was one of the time keepers or "dibbers" at the start and then at the KOM point on top of the Bwlch). There were some inspiring and brave riding. I'll send this thread link to Jonnie, the organiser and make sure, the note about brown and red source is taken on board :P
Another big well done to all.
Greg.0 -
One thing, and I know it's not a competition....however, the GFC describes itself as 'offering a challenge every bit as demanding as L’Etape du Tour and is one of the hardest yet devised in the UK. It is equal in length (200km) and vertical distance (4,100m) to the majority of the premier European events'.
It was exactly 120miles long, but I measured 3158m of ascent (3200m in 2006) and the harder continental routes are >= 5000m. So I think the above is stretching it a bit. A 1000m difference seems pretty large. Most events seem to overtstate the climbing for some reason, who measures them ?
Great route though, thanks to the marshalls who very very encouraging.0 -
I only did the sporting route as I had plans for the rest of Sunday; must confess I was really glad I did after hitting the winds; well done to all who managed either of the other routes - respect!0
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As planned, I did the Sporting course with my son and thoroughly enjoyed it - great scenery and I didn't mind the wind (not really such an issue if you are only riding 2-3 hours!), and best of all we got back totally dry
Hope to go back next year and do the Medio as the "nipper" will be fitter and stronger.
Thanks to Jonnie and the team.
Phil.
Autumn Epic/Devil Ride0 -
Le Patron - agree I haven't done a UK sportif yet which hasn't exaggerated the height gain. Etapes & Marmotte seemed to be pretty accurate though. Marmotte was 4,850 last year but that was probably affected by using Glandon instead of Croix de Fer. I measured 2040m for the medio yesterday and couldn't see how you would fit another 2000m into the GF loop without an Alpe D'Huez nearby.
Wind really is cyclists biggest enemy, the rain just topped it off for the last couple of hours. Tails between legs we took the easy option where the chap was offering 1/2 to finish for medio and 2 1/2 for GF. I rationalised it was better Marmotte training not to get pneumonia than stay out in that. Hats off to those that did the GF.
Hadn't used Red Bull on a ride before but got to say it provided quite a kick even overcoming any slow down from those great sausages butties.0 -
thanks to the marshals - especially the guy at the top of the ranges - he drew the short straw!
Hi all
That was Steve on top of the ranges - out there on his own, poor bloke! I don't know what he'd done to upset Johnnie to get that job.
I was one of the marshalls at timing point / split for the Medio or Grand Fondo. Sorry we had to stop you for the timing on the slope, but the road just wasn't wide enough on the flat.
Much respect to those who did the Grand Fondo, but everyone had to go through the worst of it on the ranges.0 -
If you plot out the route on digital mapping and take the heights (eg on Anquet) they do seem to overestimate the height gained - but if you plot the route and then using the route profile look at the `troughs and peaks` ,as I`ve done, you come up with about 2000m for the Medio, this will of course not take account of small undulations though.....
For the real purist you can always count the countour lines crossed, as an altimeter can be subject to errors as the weather changes!!!0 -
Results are up for those who are interested;
http://www.sportident.co.uk/full_story.php?id=107
A troublesome left knee meant that I had taken the decision to stick to the medio route at the most (the sporting route was an option if it flared up early). With the wind and the rain, (especially on the ranges) I would rate this as one of the hardest rides I have done.
In the end though, I was on a good day - 5h 42m official time. I measured 2018m of ascent. My knee played ball which is great news as I have another 3 sportives planned before the Etape and was beginning to worry....
A fantastic route with perfectly adequate sign posting and good facilities at the start / finish (a shower before the drive home ) and feed stops. I will definitely be back next year
Rich0 -
Very many thanks to Jonnie and everyone else involved, great organisation.
The ranges was unbelievable. When I eventually got to Shendy's "half hour that way - 2 and half hours that way" point it took me minutes to decide, sorry about the wait Shendy!
I decided on the full route in the end, it was just too early to go home. Near the top of the Bwlch my legs were burning. I got off and had a drink, and my legs felt a little better. One guy came past as I was contemplating going back down and said "keep going mate, it levels out in a minute". So, thanks to him I carried on and ended up being really glad I did.
I've done 2 sportives now - this one and Etape du Dales 2006! Guess I'm the jinx! Spent yesterday vowing never again, today I'm wondering if I can do one next week! I need the practice.0 -
Le Patron wrote:It was exactly 120miles long, but I measured 3158m of ascent (3200m in 2006) and the harder continental routes are >= 5000m. So I think the above is stretching it a bit. A 1000m difference seems pretty large. Most events seem to overtstate the climbing for some reason, who measures them ?
Great route though, thanks to the marshalls who very very encouraging.
The route was surveyed using GPS and barometric altitude recorded by Cyclosport UK - not trying to exaggerate - promise
Admit the 4100m is a tad ambitious :roll: That was an editing bish copied over from previous year, which was taken from Fugawi mapping software. Elsewhere the vertical was published at 3900m, which is nearer the mark, but guess you will get variations on the day and that front coming through probably explains it. There are of course variations in the way vertical distance is calculated and we need to find a common standard.
Thanks to all who entered and chapeau to those who got through on such a demanding day, It was great to receive so much positive feedback at the finish, but please have a moan at me if you can think of anything that we did wrong (apart form no brown sauce :oops: ) or anything that will improve the event for you for next year. We've plenty of ideas of our own, so watch this space and we hope to see you all back again for some decent weather in 2009 - the long range forecast is looking excellent, it's just the short range stuff we have a problem with
Jonnie0 -
Nice to meet you to Howardhowiejmidlands wrote:Well i really enjoyed my ride, until just after the second feed station. It must have been those sausages, becasue after 1 butty containing 3 of the buggers, and the lovely lady who cajoled me into two more, about two miles later up the road i bust a spoke on the back wheel thus ending my ride.
Must be sausage power! Certainly wasnt the brown sauce, coz that was missing!! Orgainisers please take note, red sauce is for burgers, brown sauce for bacon and sausages!
Anyway, it was cold and raining for me by this point, and i had to wait almost an hour to be picked up. Waiting in shorts and short sleeve top, bloody frezing i was.
To those guys who we passed on the last nasty horrible wind swept climbs into Bala....total respect guys and the two ladies.
OK i wasnt going to get even a bronze award, but was hoping to finish.
Oldwelshman good to meet you my friend, and super bike.
And to the couple i kept on passing on the descents, only to be caught on he hills, buy the C+ mag and keep up with the story!
I thought the organisation was good, the motorbike guys were good, and the hot food was far better for me than cake! (Brown sauce next time)
If the weather wasnt so foul, that was a great route, and great descents too, and the climbing was not sadisitic, but tough.
In the words of Fu Man Chu................."I will return"
I am sure I passed you a couple of times after I punctured, stopped to refit tyre etc Sorry I did not recognise you when riding past "alone again" as I was just trying to get to service car to get a tube would have had a chat otherwise. 0 -
Does anyone know how to paste the profile from edge 305 in here?
I took no notice of the official result
My result was 6:02 but does not take into account the fact I punctured on the decent after Betws y Coed, and my tube was shredded as I could not brake properly to stop as it was front puncture and took 200 yards to stop. What a place to stop!!!
My 2 spares were not long enough for my wheels and my valve adapter must have fallen out of tool kit on previous punctures so I was stcuk there trying to flag down some riders as they were decending ( I was on that bloody hill for 30 minutes )
Thanks to the two guys who stopped, one to lend me repair kit ( did not work, too many holes) and one who lent me a tube.
Pity as I was in group of 4 working well.
So off I went and did next 20 miles or so to station, alone.
From there saw two guys fly past so chased ( Reading CC guy, sorry can't remember name) after them and shared work to next station but this was for training really as official time was out of the window
Then the fun started, headed off from 2nd feed station, turned left, rain started, wind blowing, same as last year but windier over the moors !! I had to put glasses on to see where I was going!!
It was hell. Up to feed station my av speed was 19mph, by the time I finished, due to that awful strecth, it was down to 17.01 mph!!
So it turned out to be a good training run for me having ridden in small group for 2 sections for about 60 miles and about 30 miles alone.
Av speed of 17.1 works out at 5:20 so it was a pity I punctured and had to adjust gears twice and lost our little group as that would have been a decent time.
Worked well
Never mind as they say its not a race :-)
Respect to the lady I also passed 3 times after my earlier stops, she was alone every time I saw her, so we had a liitle chat and she said she was catching riders going up hill, but kept falling behind on the decents :-)
respect to everyone who got over the moors also, and thanks to the guy at the top giving out encouragement.Oh, and if someone found a lone santini knee warmer on the route, it is mine!!0 -
Sledder wrote:Le Patron wrote:It was exactly 120miles long, but I measured 3158m of ascent (3200m in 2006) and the harder continental routes are >= 5000m. So I think the above is stretching it a bit. A 1000m difference seems pretty large. Most events seem to overtstate the climbing for some reason, who measures them ?
Great route though, thanks to the marshalls who very very encouraging.
The route was surveyed using GPS and barometric altitude recorded by Cyclosport UK - not trying to exaggerate - promise
Admit the 4100m is a tad ambitious :roll: That was an editing bish copied over from previous year, which was taken from Fugawi mapping software. Elsewhere the vertical was published at 3900m, which is nearer the mark, but guess you will get variations on the day and that front coming through probably explains it. There are of course variations in the way vertical distance is calculated and we need to find a common standard.
Jonnie
I used a Garmin GPS to measure it. It has always been very accurate when measuring rides abroad. It's only in this country it seems to under-read massively.
For example, the Marmotte was recorded as 4939, very similar to other measurements (via Glandon too, so make that 5000 for the Croix de Fer). So an almost 2000m shortfall compared to a 'harder continental sportive' is huge, so let's not pretend they are comparable.
Seriously...I don't buy the variations and the 'front coming in' line , there are minimal variables to take into account when using a GPS (overhead trees being one) and will still read total ascent correctly as long as there are no dips within the trees. And other people had just over 2000m for the medio, which is consistent.
It sounds like I'm moaning - sorry, it's just this has been happening for years now, the cynical would conclude it is over-stated to look better. The participants don't benefit, more casual riders would feel out of their depth before signing up and the mountain goats will feel short-changed afterwards.
Moan over, let me once again state that I really enjoyed it.0 -
Well my Garmin registered 8195' or 2499m in new money.
I cannot find last years profile for super GF as my TC software "lost" all old data!!!
This route has to be one of the most stuuning routes for a sportive. Maybe someone upstairs can give it the weather the organisers and us deserve next year
You should have seen the shape on me trying to pack my tent this morning !!! I almost went paragliding across Bala Lake !!0 -
oldwelshman wrote:Respect to the lady I also passed 3 times after my earlier stops, she was alone every time I saw her, so we had a liitle chat and she said she was catching riders going up hill, but kept falling behind on the decents :-)
Oh what fun .... that was me !!!!!!
I don't mind doing the miles alone - generally talk to myself :roll:
It's much harder when you need moral support like those miles over the ranges in that weather !!!
Everything was going so well until the ranges !! I estimate my finish time would have been under 8 hours if it hadn't been for the wind and rain ... With about 25km left I had had enough, felt like I was going backwards the whole way across the ranges ... to cut a long story short I managed to get a minimal signal on my phone and arranged pick up !!! Pretty disappointed to be honest but it was that or suffer exposure.
oldwelshman - glad you didn't have any more malfunctions - well done to all those that finished. Will, maybe, give it a go next year :?0 -
I did, my gear cable stretched as it was new bike so had to adjust gears as they were in automatic mode
Sorry to hear you had to pack in, good job you managed to get a signal !!
You were not alone in struggling over the ranges, there were many walking over there.
It probably made it more difficult for you the amount of lone riding you did but over the ranges, alone or a group made no difference in that weather !!
See you next year
Oh I posted one or two scenic pics taken before the rain closed in and I could not hold the camera any more in the wind !!
They are mixed with some from last year in link below.0
