Dave Lloyd Mega Challenge - 21st June 2009
snaffledog
Posts: 53
Hi everybody , I am doing the MIDI 100 miler (110 ?) a week on Sunday. Does anybody have some local knowledge on the climbs? ie. gradients/length/toughness,etc. There is a profile on the event website, but it difficult to establish gradient when the climbs are a bit shorter.
I did the 'Spud' full distance on Sunday (in the crazy weather), wouldn't mean if someone to give a comparison between the 2 rides?
Cheers.
I did the 'Spud' full distance on Sunday (in the crazy weather), wouldn't mean if someone to give a comparison between the 2 rides?
Cheers.
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snaffledog wrote:Hi everybody , I am doing the MIDI 100 miler (110 ?) a week on Sunday. Does anybody have some local knowledge on the climbs? ie. gradients/length/toughness,etc. There is a profile on the event website, but it difficult to establish gradient when the climbs are a bit shorter.
I did the 'Spud' full distance on Sunday (in the crazy weather), wouldn't mean if someone to give a comparison between the 2 rides?
Cheers.
I did the DLMC big route last year...but your doing the 100 miler which avoids the monstrous climb of Bwlch Y Groes the tough way (IMO equal toughest climb in UK with Hardknott)....but your still doing Shelf,Horseshoe,Worlds End,Moel Arthur, Road to Cerrig (awful), Stingers and finishing with penbarras...the climbs are upto 25% on some of these ones....
I did the Spud on Sunday....the DLMC 100 miler should be tougher*...it has much tougher climbs enroute...*but if you get good weather then it will be easier?....the Spud on Sunday had the toughest conditions imaginable and its a neverending procession of up/down and if you can do that then your already sorted....unless you are so unfortunate to get replicate conditons...which is nigh on impossible...
No point in trying to explain the Route of the DLMC...just read this:-
http://www.sportivecentral.com/index.ph ... 316&page=1
Its my take on things from last year with very much detail about the effort involved...the write up takes in ALL of the ride you will be doing....0 -
I'm in for the big one... oddly enough, and despite suffering like a dog to finish the Fred, I can't wait!
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Agree with Richyboy. I did Polka Dot last Sunday. None of the climbs in Polka Dot will compare with the Cerrig or Bwlch Pen Barras for steepness. Don't get me wrong the Polka Dot is not easy. The likes of the Shelf, Horseshoe, Worldsend and Moel Arthur are similar climbs to that on the Polka Dot, but the climb up the Cerrig is a tuffy. Then you will hit the stingers with about 90 miles in your legs, these will hurt and then Pen Barras. This climb was the first climb last year and people were walking up it. Make sure you've got something left in the tank when you get to this climb. The first part is the worst, try not to look up and just keep turning them pedals. I've done this climb loads of times, sometimes after doing about 20 - 30 miles and once after 147 miles and believe me it is not easy. Yes all the climbs are doable but to call them easy, they might be if your name is Contador. I'm doing the full route so might see you there.0
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Done em all over the years. Lovely part of the world, apart from the A roads and the F1 overtaking habits of the locals.
Low gears are your friend, especially if the local council have put down a layer new chippings recently, as happened one time. Most steep sections aren't too long, even if the overall climb goes on for a few miles. Often they are a series of false summits before the real top. Except the Bwlch y Groes from the west side, which is a relentless toil -- but you're not doing that one.0 -
DLMC is going up the hardest route, from the Dinas Mawddwy side, as you say endless toil.
Ok Reddragon I understand where you are coming from. But your interpretation of easy is a bit different to mine.0 -
Le Commentateur wrote:Lovely part of the world, apart from the A roads and the F1 overtaking habits of the locals.
You mustn't have cycled much in England then. Around Manchester/Cheshire there's normally about 4 or 5 kn0bhead incidents whenever I go for a ride - in North Wales I can go weeks or months between a kn0bhead incident.
The A roads are perfectly rideable too - rather quiet. They might be a bit rough, but they are largely full of potholes.
PS, thanks to the mod for cleaning up the mess this thread had become.0 -
The user and all related content has been deleted.0
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snaffledog wrote:Hi everybody , I am doing the MIDI 100 miler (110 ?) a week on Sunday. Does anybody have some local knowledge on the climbs? ie. gradients/length/toughness,etc. There is a profile on the event website, but it difficult to establish gradient when the climbs are a bit shorter.
I did the 'Spud' full distance on Sunday (in the crazy weather), wouldn't mean if someone to give a comparison between the 2 rides?
Cheers.
Hello, Snaffledog
I'm doing the short (70miler) Sunday - my 1st ever Sportive. However, I am used to most of the route you're tackling. The hardest section out of Denbigh is roughly between where it says 'Lawnt' and 'Peniel' on the map on the Dave Lloyd website - its really steep (around 15-20% in places) and pretty relentless - I find it one of the hardest climbs around...although I'm no mountain goat! I dfeinatly go as easy as poss from the traffic lights in Denbigh to save something for this climb. The good news is that once you pass the crossroads with the B5435, you've done the worst. However, it is still a long old grind to the top. Once you're there is some VERY fast downhill sections towards Cerrig by Llyn Brenig and into Cerrig itself. 50mph+ easily attainable!!!
The road between Cerrig and Bala is a good one IMO, easy climb and nice decent. I can't help you past the Llanderfel section as I've only been that way a couple of times. There are definatly some nasty hills around Melin-Y-Wig and Betws GG though. However, once you're through Clawdd Newydd you get a 5-6miles drop that gives you time to catch your breath before the Bwlch to finish!
Hope this helps.
P.S. The first part of the route (the bit everyone does) has IMO two really dangerous sections that would be worth looking out for.
1 - The Ford before the climb at Worlds End. I've only done in Winter/Spring but it was like sheet ice there. I walked!
2 - The decent of Moel Arthur (from Cilcain to Llandyrnog/Denbigh) is narrow, steep and very bumpy. If its been raining it can be VERY difficult to stop and meeting cars/vans is a big problem. The road surface here is very poor too with tufty grass up the middle, potholes and loose stuff where you don't want it.
Apologies for long post!0 -
I'm starting to get excited.
Just went for a test ride to make sure my granny gear still works, it's been a while since I've had to use it It's the vibe of the thing.0 -
+1 on the ford at the bottom of Worlds End. I've only managed to stay upright once going over that! It's treacherous!
I won't be doing the DLMC, I'm up for a challenge, but to me this route is brutal and would not be an enjoyable experience for me. But for those taking part, good on you!
I'll be in the area on Sunday but will try to steer away from the route where possible.0 -
Thanks for all your posts everybody, gonna be a tough one on Sunday. I'm still sniffling and sneezing after the Spud's winter ride ! Not great prep for what will probably be the hardest ride of the year for me.
I'd agree that on the Spud there wasnt the super-steep gradients that there are going to be in the DLMC (Spud still had 16 cat climbs tho).
Concerned about making it up PenBarras climb at the end after 100 miles.
Plan to climb very defensivly with no silly efforts early doors, and the 34x27 is goin to get a lot of use.
Certain weather forecasts (MetOffice) are suggesting weather will be ok, then again its only a forecast. Cant be any worse than the Spud surely.
Respect to all doing the event, but particularly those going for the full 150 route (maybe next year for me), got to be of the country's toughest events ?0 -
i am doing the 100 m event
is the first feed at 30 then next at 60-70 cheers0 -
first one at Minera at 30 miles
WATER / ENERGY POWDERS / GELS / MALT LOAF / BANANAS
second one at 'Road To Hell' 65/70 miles
HOT PASTA DISH / ENERGY POWDERS / WATER
are you signing up on the day? Event guide should have been posted to you if you registered prior to event.
all the best0 -
no only got my ride sheet off a mate yesterday
looked like it was 30 but cause it only said minera wasnst sure if it was on my 100 route
weather forecast n sky just now didnt look great0 -
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Weather tomorrow is a westerly wind at approximately 6mph. A lot less windy than today and a good deal warmer.0
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Well I did the easy side of Pen Barass today with my nephew and I never saw any cyclists around - I though it was the finish? Suprised no one was around at 3pm - would have thought some of the 70mile and 100mile lot would have been coming in then.
At least the weather was pretty good today.0 -
I was up that way too. Should have been dry and sunny according to Metcheck but there was some very light rain at times and completely overcast.
According to Twitter there was some sign sabotage going on and some riders were abandoning.
But I agree with you, surely there should have been a lot of activity on the top of Penbarras?0 -
Yep. The finish was changed to Ruthin School, rather than Penbarras. I can confirm there was some sign shennanigans going on too that added a few extra miles.
I did the Midi route, might post a ride report if I can muster the energy. Congrats to all who did it and to Dave Lloyd and the team for a well-organised sportive.0 -
Hi , I did the MIDI today (108 miles? , I wish they would just say what the exact distance is instead of a vague 100 miler, surely we have the technonlogy? ). It was decided that the finish would just be at Ruthin school, something to do with concerns about safety about finishing at Pen Barras. It was on the information boards where we registered.
And yes we were victims of sign sabotage. It was after the decent of Moel Arthur, right arrow turned upside down, so i went left. the road then climbed again, but I remember the profile distinctly indicating nothing but descending until we got to Denbigh. Got to a junction and no signs, oh dear, then about 20 of us were going in different directions. 2 local lads said that we had to re-trace out route to get back on track (bleedin pain in the ar$e)
Some good/hard climbs mind, World's End went on for ever as did 'The Cerrig', really hard steep section.Quads were really starting to cramp up.Really nasty sting in the tail on , well , The Stingers
Would have been nice if the sun had made an apperance, but weather weren't to bad (at least compared with the Spud a fortnight ago).0 -
I spoke to some lads who started at 8 on the midi and they said that someone had interfered with the signs just after the start so they missed out the Horseshoe loop!!! They put 20 miles of their own extra loop in to make up for it.
I assume that the locals don't want the event then??
On the subject of the event itself some were complaining the signage was not clear enough, tho I thought it was OK (easier probably when you know the roads).
V disappointed with food at Dinas - we were rationed to 1 sandwich per rider. Not what you expect for a £40 event entry is it?0 -
It's crazy to think that someone got up extra early just to fiddle with the signs :roll:0
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My first ever sportive. Did the short route, came out at 62miles on my computer which was a little disappointing.
The fact we finished in the school rather than up the Bwlch was another disappointment but knowing that hill it was never going to work. Cyclists who've finished decending back to HQ down a slippery hill with people who haven't finished weaving their way up a 25% incline was always gonna end in tears so was probably the right decision.
I was also annoyed that after finishing at 1pm-ish there was no food available. When I asked "the van will be back soon". Waited an hour and twenty minutes and nothing turned up so I gave up and went home. Alright for me, I'm 10mins down the road, I'd have been seriously annoyed if I had a long drive home.
Having said that I DID enjoy it and would do it again , maybe the 100miler next year (if I'm feeling brave). Not sure it scores that highly for VFM though and I don't know if they will send us out certificates or if the 'cash machine receipt' we we're given at the end is it?0 -
Hard work today especially the last Stinger climb by the photographer! and the steep part of Road to Hell...what happened to the standards....108miles in 7.50 [40 + age bracket] and got a bronze!! on my till reciept and a certificate to write myself.
Food van arrived and was serving around 3.15pm
Guppy0 -
Not a good day for me, Set of at 0700 with my mate. 33 miles in and
going well. Then had a mix up, i turned left, mate whent straight on, i cliped his back wheel.
Hit the tarmac hard 15 20 mph.
hit head (cracked helmet ) Knee, hip, elbow,and shoulder all lost skin!!
So rode down into Mold then limped back to HQ. to get cut cleaned.
Back at HQ NO FIRST AID ! :shock: Thanks to James of sportident who made sure i was OK with bump on head, not left etc.
So had shower.
Found out that FIRST AID was booked for the afternoon. Note to self, Fall off in afternoon next year Packed tent up slowly, getting abit stiff now.
back up to HQ at 1300hrs were two nice ladies from the British RedCross fixid me up
Cup of tea and some food ready for a 3 1/2 hour drive home.
NO FOOD VAN, not good, Lads coming back from the 70 ride must of been p---ed off!!
i know i was and i only done 50 odd.
My mate jacked in after getting lost twice.
I will be writing to Mr Lloyd about a couple off points.
Hope others had a better day.0 -
I was also a victim of sign sabotage, along with a few others I was riding with. After getting lost a second time, I abandoned and made the trek back to Ruthin on the main road. I know this was beyond the control of the organisers, but I can't help but think that route cards and maps, as promised on the event website, would have helped prevent us going so far off route in the first place.
Considering the £35 entry fee, I also was very disappointed that there was no food available to those of us who got back into HQ before 1500. I also think that £20 for camping was not value for money either. I ended us having to scrub all my cooking gear in the changing rooms as poeple were using the sink next to me to wash in.
All-in-all, not the best £55 I've ever spent.0 -
Lesson learned here for me is to ride these sportives in my own time and date of choosing.0
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+1 on the sign sabotage :evil:
I knew the route reasonably well from last year but still managed to go left at the bottom of Moel Arthur. Despite the Garmin and my instincts telling me to go the other way. But I figured it out after a mile or so and turned around, indicating to others to do the same.
I was talking to a guy afterwards who went through there well before me and he said that the sign was turned back the right way after they messed up. But obviously that didn't last long. I think a marshal needs to be posted there next year (a few marshals would help actually)
Apart from that and not having the right gearing for Bwlch y Groes (34x25 didn't cut it and I walked the top bit), I enjoyed it. Riding back to Wrexham to get the train with a full backpack on was not fun though!
Congrats to everyone who finished, whatever the distance. It's a supremely tough event.
Look out for a feature on it in an upcoming issue of Cycling Plus.Jeff Jones
Product manager, Sports0
:? :shock: 
