Tour of The Black Mountains Sportive

Pendragon

1 month to go..........A couple of changes to the route taking out the main road section from Brecon to Sennybridge....but it does include another small climb!!!!....and 1km longer total distance.

200 places left

bprice

Is it full? The reason I ask is because I entered about two weeks ago; but the entries to date doesnt seem to have been updated to include me! :? So I would assume Im not the only one.

Mark Alexander

I'm not on the list either but have received a confirmation email.

Mark Alexander

the weather's not looking too great for Saturday

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/day ... econ&day=2

MartinJ

The entry list has been updated. Mark you're now on the list.

Weather looks warm and showery - much better than cold and raining all day (like the Etape!). Let's hope its more sun and less showers.

Looks a good ride. See you there!

howiejmidlands

The dilemma is, take a rain coat, or use the space for food???

As it will be very warm, food more important me thinks.

MartinJ

howiejmidlands wrote:

The dilemma is, take a rain coat, or use the space for food???

As it will be very warm, food more important me thinks.

I'll probably carry a gillet - keeps some of the rain off and still leaves room in the pockets for food!

Though this morning the forecast is looking better - no mention of showers.

howiejmidlands

First of all, i must thank with sincerity the organisers and support crew of the event. I got to the finish line, and with a combination of heat, climbs, more heat and sheer bloody weariness, and i colapsed.

Within a minute or so i was back in the refreshment tent, with three very burly biker guys in leather, and one holding my hand whilst giving me oxygen.

What a hard ride, the heat i think was the killer, and for those guys and ladies, that rode the short route, the killer for me was the eternal 3 to 6% climb from the 1st feed stop. It went on and on and on, but it looked dead flat. I really did question my Garmin, but it was a long slow drag, a bloody killer.

The big climb after the 2nd feed killed me, had to walk nearly all of it, just brutal.

The descent to Abergeveny was wonderful.

Then the pain set in, and the climb out of Abergeveny just robbed my legs of any sense, and my brain also.
The final 2 miles i was cold, shivering, and feeling sick, so i knew i was rough.
I only just managed to climb the timimg mat, unclipped and couldnt support my weight. Down i went, i dont remember too many things after this, mind a bit of a blur, but sitting in the tent trying to get oxygen down me was a distinct memory.
The the ambulance arrived for ECG test, more oxygen and a trip back to Abergeveny hospital. I was only there 45 minutes or so, and one of the Pendraggon team came to collect me.
I can honestly say, Pendreaggon, support crew, ambulance staff, nurses and the doctor (in his shorts and flip flops - wouldnt happen on Holby City) were brilliant.

To the riders in the tent that passed on their kind wishes, i thank you also.

So next year, not so much sun please, and i promise to be a good boy.

GeorgeShaw

Glad to hear you're OK, howiejmidlands. Sounds a bit like heatstroke. I almost had it once, I started panting uncontrollably and felt awful - downing a whole 750ml bidon in one got me through it after a few minutes easing off, but a couple over the head would have been a good idea as well. Did you drink enough?

Mark Alexander

Well, that was stupid :shock: I should have stayed in bed.
Not enough sleep for 2 days, sweating buckets on Friday night then up at 4.30 am and felt fine. :?
So I left for Abergavenny.

I was going fine in the group all ok. hit the top of the first hill and then imploded not even 15 bloody miles! :evil: :evil:
The last time I did that was 4 years ago just after starting cycling. At this point I should have turned round but didn't It was torture. the heat got hotter but I had shivers I spent most of it with gillet and arm warmers on :shock:
at the split I had a decision short or long....
the brain kicked in and I took the short route up gospel pass. I came alive and considered that I'd taken the wrong option.... no. The second i started going up I just blew and it carried on until the last feed station. i barely climbed off and had to wait 45 mins before I could go again!!

Somehow experience of Llangenydir proved invaluable and managed to get home in a truly MASSIVE.... 7h 48 :oops: :oops: If anyone can beat 9mph ave for 85 miles.. I challenge you!! Come on if you think you're soft enough.


To say that I was angry just doesn't cover it.
That has to be the most lonely, depressing, demoralizing and degrading day that I have ever had on a bike.
Will I be back next year... probably

clanton

Glad you're ok Howie. Saw you there in the tent!
We had a very good day out. Hard ride with some very tough climbs and some great descents. Enjoyed the remoteness too. Well organised, good feed stops.
We'll definitely be doing it again!

howiejmidlands

Hi George

In the car before the start i had 1 x 750ml bottle, then during the day i drank another 6 x 750 ml. I knew i had to keep the fluids going in, but when i weighed myself this morning, i had lost 4 kilos!!

Sad thing is, i will put most of it back on whilst drinking water again.

Feel fine now, just a sore ankle, a throw back to a war wound and lots of walking!! My medal now has its own little place of honour in my growing collection.

Great event, i did enjoy most of it, and will be back for more. May take an extra 750 ml bottle in the pocket in future hot rides. You cant drink what you dont carry.

Are the results up yet, looking forward to see if i was last or not.

Pendragon

Well done to all of you that finished the ride yesterday......what a lovely day, I wish I had been riding.....

I will get round to it one of these years!

The results are up and photos will be online tomorrow lunch time.

http://www.touroftheblackmountains.com/results.html

All the best from the Pendragon Team

howiejmidlands

9:19 and dead last, what a result !!

And to Geral McDermott who finished in under 5 hours, respect my man.

Oh well, must get bak and do more training.

Mark Alexander

I can't open the the link for the results,

bprice

As it was my first sportive decided to do the short one. Just as well considering the conditions and those climbs. Llangynider mountain was like hell on Earth! And the one out of Crickhowell was totally unexpected. Still, Im pleased with 6.36. A puncture at Capel y Fin, I believe, robbed me of gold in my category. :x
Looking forward to next years now.

bprice

Mark Alexander wrote:

I can't open the the link for the results,

Nor I.Its an excel worksheet document. So I downloaded a free trial version from Microsoft. Happy days!

Mark Alexander

bprice wrote:

As it was my first sportive decided to do the short one. Just as well considering the conditions and those climbs. Llangynider mountain was like hell on Earth! And the one out of Crickhowell was totally unexpected. Still, Im pleased with 6.36. A puncture at Capel y Fin, I believe, robbed me of gold in my category. :x
Looking forward to next years now.

It's the only hill anywhere including the alps, that i've had to get off the bike, but not on Saturday
I did find some hills that I didn't know existed though

MartinJ

I thought it was a great route and a perfect day for cycling - dry and light winds. I did the long route and was going really well to Crickhowell. The last 10 miles really did for me - how I wished for a nice easy downhill run to the finish! I think I used up all that was left in my legs going up Llangynidr mountain!!

Despite my struggle to the finish I really enjoyed the ride. There were some great ascents, stunning views and exciting descents. The route was mainly traffic free (apart from tractors with trailers in the first 5 miles that only just managed to squeeze past stationary cyclists, and waiting for sheep to be driven down the lane before the hill with no name!).

Mark Alexander

Hey Martin, that's Wales for you Sheep and tractors. The girl at the final feed station didn't mention the hills in the last 10!

bahzob

Great event. My favourite sportive last year and even better this.

Route gets my vote as best in UK. Something for everybody, great challenges and views from start to finish (now I know they are there I like the last couple of "hidden climbs").

Certainly brings out the best in me as best ride of year to date, 6:37, despite late start meaning I rode solo throughout.

sudholz

It gets my vote as one of the top, top sportives in this country.

This one was brilliantly organised and marshalled and the route was fantastic. They even managed to sort out the warm weather (p'raps they did a bit too well at that - and I'm glad that HowieJ is OK). So thanks to Nick and the Pendragon gang from me.

I did the Dartmoor ride last year and thought that was tough...doh! This one has been renamed 'Tour of the Hilly B*st*rd' for me forever more. In bits (I was!) it felt as hard as anything I've ridden.

Usual mix of friendly folk and miserable cycling gits (where would we be without them eh?). Big hello to Pete and Army Sean who rode with me for the run to Sennybridge. Cheers for the company guys.

Deffo going back for more next year and this time I'm going to make sure that I've sorted out the footburn that has been plaguing me on long rides since April this year.

Liam

cakewalk

My first sportive. Great Day. Didn't get swept. And the winner beat last years time by an hour!. In hot weather! And judging by his pictures totally fuelled by pies! 5.09. Respect?

MartinJ

cakewalk wrote:

And the winner beat last years time by an hour!. In hot weather! And judging by his pictures totally fuelled by pies! 5.09. Respect?

I'm not convinced the two fastest times were done on the long route - their times times are way faster than anyone elses - and there are no pictures of them on the Bryn Melyn climb. That would make the fastest time 6:08 - still very impressive.

If you were number 42 or 207 and you did do the long route please correct me and I will be seriously impressed!!!!

Mark Alexander

I was at the final feed station when the 1st of the 115 milers went through a good few mins ahead of the others. I can't remember her name but apparently she's going to the olympics.
She obviously took a wrong turn at Cardiff Airport then

bahzob

Fastest mens time was actually 6:08.

Sharon Laws was the lady, finished in 6:13 (just before heading off to do the Olympic road race)

cakewalk

bahzob wrote:

Fastest mens time was actually 6:08.

Sharon Laws was the lady, finished in 6:13 (just before heading off to do the Olympic road race)

I guess a significant number of people flipped to the 86 route - given the heat. I assume that Pendragon have no way of sorting this out after completion. I picked a few 115 finnisers at random and check out the photo record - quite a number seemed to have completed the short route.

God I'm getting anal in my old age ...

sudholz

Good on ya cakewalk!

Persecute'm 'til they come clean...

There was opportunity aplenty to shorten the route if you were that way inclined.

I had my Garmin wrongly pre-programmed with a nice little shortener off the top off Gospel Pass* which may have saved me 20 minutes on the day. Point is, why even bother turning up if you were going to do that?

Hopefully the short routers will fess up and the record will be set straight by Pendragon. Having set off with the Sharon Laws group to the top of the first climb and been told that she was the first of the 115 milers through the last feed by the folks at the feed I was suprised to see that she hadn't recorded the fastest overall time. Ho hum.

Liam

* Note to self: must edit bikely route.

Mark Alexander

cakewalk wrote:

bahzob wrote:

Fastest mens time was actually 6:08.

Sharon Laws was the lady, finished in 6:13 (just before heading off to do the Olympic road race)

I guess a significant number of people flipped to the 86 route - given the heat. I assume that Pendragon have no way of sorting this out after completion. I picked a few 115 finnisers at random and check out the photo record - quite a number seemed to have completed the short route.

God I'm getting anal in my old age ...

I was one of them but I made my inadequacies known :oops:
Wasn't there a timing mat just after the roundabout to register those who did it?

nolf

Reading this I'm kind of glad I was camping that weekend. I actually came across a feed station while walking to Brecon, it was near the river taff and the taff trail?
Popped over and said Hi briefly.

Congrats to all finishers!

Triharder

Hi Guys,

I really enjoyed it - easy to say when you've finished.
Great feed stations,fantastic views and not too many silly gradients (25%+).
I thought the Elbow was the most difficult climb.

Just shows you how good Sharon Laws and Jess allen are. Makes you wonder what times pro men would do. Respect to them all.

Definitely thinking of tackling it next year, just hope it doesn't rain.
I need to improve my descending skillswhich were pitiful, too worried about tractors and Range Rovers.