Iron Mountain Abergavenny 20/21 June
BeanPole
Posts: 47
I'm doing the 100 miler on Saturday 20th June but have seen very little about it on this forum. Am I the only one doing it from here?
It looks like a good event with full support and a mass start with police escort out of Abergavenny town centre.
However, having looked at the last two years' results, it looks like only 90 entered the 100 mile event and only around 60 actually completed it! Should I be worried?
It looks like a good event with full support and a mass start with police escort out of Abergavenny town centre.
However, having looked at the last two years' results, it looks like only 90 entered the 100 mile event and only around 60 actually completed it! Should I be worried?
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Comments
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i'm doin' it too, just the saturday one though.
from the profile etc. i reckon it should be a fairly hard but enjoyable ride. the first 25 miles looks pretty flat, then a few tester climbs, then the biggie round the 50 mile mark. the last 15 miles looks to be completely downhill/flat. i'd be hoping for a fairly fast time.0 -
I'm doing the Saturday ride as well, so I'll see you there!
I think there's a few nasty little climbs at around the 30 mile mark as well. I was looking at the split times for last year and many people were doing the first 50 in under 3 hours and over 3.5 for the second 50.
It'll be interesting to see how many people turn up.0 -
looks good routes, be warned the maps they show are very loose (and in places just wrong!)
but poor mapping and name gathering aside, most of the land to west of abergavenny is flatter or rolling, as one gets to the east the hills rise up. looks a fun routes i might do them myself one day, my folks live nr by and grew up in the area.0 -
I am doing the Sunday one. Looks a peice of piss to me......not!0
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Hello peeps, I cycle 100 milers a bit but doing the Sunday Iron Mountin Sportif , it will be my 2nd sportive ever and expect it to be fairly hard work.
Any ideas on what the overall climbing is on the SUnday 100 miler ?0 -
pantsani wrote:Hello peeps, I cycle 100 milers a bit but doing the Sunday Iron Mountin Sportif , it will be my 2nd sportive ever and expect it to be fairly hard work.
Any ideas on what the overall climbing is on the SUnday 100 miler ?
probably not too bad, first loop should be rolling but once back to abergavenny, got a fair old climb up Gilwern hill (what they mistakenly call Pwll-du) passing though Pwll-du to keepers pond. a good 1000ft plus climb, the cattle grid is bit nasty and some of the bars are loose and the road once clear of the lanes can collect scree.
oh and keepers normally has a icecream van.... 0 -
I'm also doing this one. Just the Saturday.
Hope so. That would be great.mass start with police escort out of Abergavenny town centre.Rich0 -
I've ridden it the last 2 years - but can't make it this year unfortunately.
The first 25 are quick, previously been 1 big bunch riding together and doing this first 25 in not much over an hour. The next 25 are tougher, not super hard, but definitely challenging. Then at 50 there's the big climb which is long and steep. Next 35 rolling and last 15 pretty easy.
The front group actually got sent on a 10 mile detour last year so best times are not totally representative of course speed. A 5 hour target time isn't unrealistic on this route for a fit rider.
Start list has seemed light compared to other sportives, which has seemed sad to me as it's always been well organised and I've enjoyed it both times I've ridden and would have liked to do it again this year.0 -
cheers guys, looking forward to it, looks like we have the weather on Sunday too
Mass start sounds cracking , hope I can keep up with the bunch. Mainly using it as a training ride for the Tour Of The Black Mountains , Pwll Ddu sounds like it might be fun . . . .0 -
the grade up the old tramline up gilwern hill isnt too bad, my sister and i used to ride up it as kids to the icecream van. Pwll du is almost gone now it's the remains of a village so a farm and pub. that pic is the road up.0
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sorry roger just re-read your post , Gilwern it is
Lovely pic by the way0 -
I rode the 100 mile route yesterday (Sat) and found it a really cracking ride.
As mentioned above, the first hour or so was super fast with minimal effort due to the big group riding together. It all fractured after the first climbs appeared but many people were doing the first 50 in well under 3 hours.
It was all going really well for me until my rear tyre blew up on 65 miles.
There was a great big hole in the tyre and I thought that was the end of my event.
Massive thanks to Jonathan and Steve, two guys who helped me repair the tyre with inner tube patches and energy bar wrappers!
It worked and I was able to ride all the way back with them without further incident.
Really enjoyable day, except my arms are surprisingly sunburnt.
*have just found out that there is a defect notice for my Schwalbe tyre. I assumed it was a piece of glass or flint that wrecked it but it may have been a tyre defect.
Thanks again guys (and Esther!) - hope to see you all again at another event.0 -
I did the Saturday ride. Really great event, loved the motorbike escort out of the town and the police controlling traffic on the way back in.
Great route with some challenging hills. Managed a 6 hr 37 min which I was really chuffed with. I also enjoyed riding with some very friendly people who were happy to take turns in the chain gang!
The only disappointment was that only around 80 riders turned up for it. I think this event needs more advertising to get more entries next year. So if you're are looking for a really well organised event on a fantastic route - give it a go!0 -
Good effort Beanpole!
I agree, I was very surprised to see such a small turnout, especially as it is all part of the 'Festival of Cycling'. As you say, perhaps it could benefit from some better promotion because it is a cracking Sportive with a choice of two routes with enough climbing to keep it challenging but also is possible for fit riders to post a very good time for 100 miles.
On the other hand, low numbers mean no massive queues for toilets beforehand and certificates & food etc afterwards!
Swings and roundabouts I guess.
It will be fun to watch the pro's riding next weekend - see if they can do it as quickly as us eh!!!0 -
BeanPole wrote:I did the Saturday ride. Really great event, loved the motorbike escort out of the town and the police controlling traffic on the way back in.
Great route with some challenging hills. Managed a 6 hr 37 min which I was really chuffed with. I also enjoyed riding with some very friendly people who were happy to take turns in the chain gang!
The only disappointment was that only around 80 riders turned up for it. I think this event needs more advertising to get more entries next year. So if you're are looking for a really well organised event on a fantastic route - give it a go!
Glad to hear it is well organised event but looking at the directions, and the map. it doesn't give that impression places are misspelt, in the wrong place or are simply given the wrong name. and these would be very easy mistakes to solve.
the other issue i'd have with it, is the first half heads away from the hills on to the low flatter land to the west of Abergavenny.0 -
roger merriman wrote:BeanPole wrote:I did the Saturday ride. Really great event, loved the motorbike escort out of the town and the police controlling traffic on the way back in.
Great route with some challenging hills. Managed a 6 hr 37 min which I was really chuffed with. I also enjoyed riding with some very friendly people who were happy to take turns in the chain gang!
The only disappointment was that only around 80 riders turned up for it. I think this event needs more advertising to get more entries next year. So if you're are looking for a really well organised event on a fantastic route - give it a go!
Glad to hear it is well organised event but looking at the directions, and the map. it doesn't give that impression places are misspelt, in the wrong place or are simply given the wrong name. and these would be very easy mistakes to solve.
the other issue i'd have with it, is the first half heads away from the hills on to the low flatter land to the west of Abergavenny.
Fair points about the naming, but I actually enjoyed the variety of the route. The flat bits to the EAST were a good way to warm up and enjoy riding in a large peleton which I have not experienced to the same degree on other staggered start sportives. Also the hills around Grosmont are not to be sniffed at!0 -
+1.BeanPole wrote:The flat bits to the EAST were a good way to warm up and enjoy riding in a large peloton which I have not experienced to the same degree on other staggered start sportives.
The start to this event had the police stopping traffic at junctions/traffic lights & roundabouts and there was a motobike-escort also stopping traffic. The flattish start meant that peloton stayed together and moved at a rapid pace. The fastest & (for me) most enjoyable start to a UK sportive.Rich0 -
I couldn't make the Sunday ride on this in the end as I had to look after one of my daughters who wasn't feeling to great last night and today.
Disappointed to miss it, the group start sounded superb - a positive of having low entry numbers I guess.
I have to say I only came across this because I was looking for a training day in a sportive around this date close to home, think it needs a bit of advertising if it is going to attract more people. I agree the low entry numbers seems to be at odds with the activities round the 'Festival of Cycling' in which there is a couple of major races.
It seems everyone who has ridden it has had a good experience, see you there next year.0 -
BeanPole wrote:roger merriman wrote:BeanPole wrote:I did the Saturday ride. Really great event, loved the motorbike escort out of the town and the police controlling traffic on the way back in.
Great route with some challenging hills. Managed a 6 hr 37 min which I was really chuffed with. I also enjoyed riding with some very friendly people who were happy to take turns in the chain gang!
The only disappointment was that only around 80 riders turned up for it. I think this event needs more advertising to get more entries next year. So if you're are looking for a really well organised event on a fantastic route - give it a go!
Glad to hear it is well organised event but looking at the directions, and the map. it doesn't give that impression places are misspelt, in the wrong place or are simply given the wrong name. and these would be very easy mistakes to solve.
the other issue i'd have with it, is the first half heads away from the hills on to the low flatter land to the west of Abergavenny.
Fair points about the naming, but I actually enjoyed the variety of the route. The flat bits to the EAST were a good way to warm up and enjoy riding in a large peloton which I have not experienced to the same degree on other staggered start sportives. Also the hills around Grosmont are not to be sniffed at!
yup i can see the riding as a group is a real selling point, as to hills around Grosmont, in many areas they'd be impressive around there they aren't and for me personally if i'm going to go to a sportive on land i know so well, that's unlikely to tempt me.0 -
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RichA wrote:
thats not grosmont thats fiddlers elbow up the Blorenge from llanfoist (note one i....) to the keepers pond passing though the tumble.
um you do know that profile is um well wrong? from Llanfoist to Goviilon the road tracks the old railway at the 2 K distance at which point one would of reached the turn, 268 meters? try 87.0 -
I think the route shows the profile for the back road up to the keepers from the the Llanfoist to Llanover road. There are three profiles in climbbybike for the Tumble. The ascent that we are talking about is from govilon.
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=75730 -
daveecp wrote:I think the route shows the profile for the back road up to the keepers from the the Llanfoist to Llanover road. There are three profiles in climbbybike for the Tumble. The ascent that we are talking about is from govilon.
http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=7573
that would make sense though why title it the Tumble when it misses that part of the Blorenge out? it's at best misleading0 -
just got back from this today.
i did the saturday ride only. i did it in 5hrs 51 mins, which i'm pleased with. i could have done it quicker as well as i took a couple of wrong turns due to some signs missing round bryn mawr.
the organisation was first rate and the police escort out of the town and the peleton group riding for the first 20 miles or so was fantastic.
however there were a number of riders in the group who either did not have the group riding skills or were nervous about riding in such a group. a few were unwilling to follow wheels directly and lots of half-wheeling going on. in addition to that i witnessed what must be one of THE DUMBEST pieces of riding by one rider in the group which i have ever seen and which directly led to a crash.
picture the scene - a group of 50 riders going through a town centre at about 20 mph. we come to a zebra crossing, about 10 of the riders in the group go through the crossing when a pedestrian arrives at the crossing edge to our left. he has no intention to stepping out. when some complete muppet in the group suddenly and without any warning at all slams on his brakes and comes to a complete stop in order to let the pedestrian cross. what happens next? yup - a crash. guys behind in the group can't see what's happening and can't stop in time and plough intop the back of him. i missed it as it happened to my left thank god, but i could see what was just going to happen as soon as he pulled up, and then i heard the crash behind me.
now the pedestrian has right of way and ordinarily you would stop to let them cross. but the safest option in such a big group and knowing that you've got 40 guys behind you pelting along is surely just to engage the brain and keep going? part of the group had already gone across and we would all have been across the zebra in just a few more seconds and the pedestrian was not going to step out and in fact was probably enjoying the spectacle.
i'm sorry mate but whoever you are and if you're reading this you should be banned from all future sportives full stop. or at least until you get some common sense and group riding awareness and skills.0 -
I saw this incident as well and at the time I would have agreed with you. However, having thought about it since I think we all acted like idiots by trying to ride at that speed ina huge peleton through an obviously busy little town. Like drivers we should ride in accordance with the conditions. ..
I know it was a great start and we were all enjoying the euphoria of zipping along in a big group, but by that stage we really should have taken a leaf out of our own books when we complain about car drivers - slow down, watch our braking distances and expect the unexpected - it was not a race and therefore there is no excuse.
I also saw some crazy cutting up of cars in that town and there will be some drivers left with a very poor impression of us.
If the cap fits....0 -
agreed in hindsight, but the fact is we WERE riding in a big group at the time. given that the last thing you do if you are at the front in the knowledge that riders are coming behind you at speed is slam on the brakes. only asking for trouble doing that.
in addition to that we weren't riding hell for leather and breaking all the rules and from memory the traffic was fairly light. i along with most other riders in the group stopped at a red light about 30 secs before then (although some dic*head riders in the group did jump the lights) and i didn't see any "crazy cutting up of cars" either.0 -
I'm the one who ended up on my butt with a bent front wheel and knackered gears. Had to wobble back to Abgvny up and down 15 miles of hills on a screwed machine. Whats worse is that I borrowed the bike off someone at work cos the mechanic found cracks in my frame when he serviced it on the Thursday previous. Had to explain the damage, apologise loads, and fork out for the repairs. Add on the fuel, bridge costs, nutrition, and all the hard training I put in to get a good time, its a pretty expensive mistake.All because of a muppet in the group. Do the 50 or stay at the back next time.
Pedestrians at Zebra crossings have to wait for traffic to allow them to cross so the person waiting would have carried on waiting.
If you were the muppet you can send me a cheque!!!0
