Cwmcarn lap times ?

rhyko7

ive heard many stories and rumours about how fast people can get around the cwmcarn xc course.
ive heard all sorts of numbers been thrown around, the latest one i heard was 35 minutes which i personally dont believe. i think its possible for an elite xc racer to break 40 minutes, but not by much.

does anyone know what the lap record is or have any proof of anyone doing it in under 40 minutes?

personally on my 32 lbs full sus riding in flats, it takes me an hour, im sure i could knock 5 minutes off just by clipping in tho. doubt ide be much quicker on my HT, but dont use it around there anyway cos its too bone shakerish


how long does it take you guys/gals? dont be shy

warrerj

Until I get back to the car

Depends on weather and how long I stop to play at the plug hole so I've never bothered timeing my self.

Thewaylander

1hour9min no stops and pelting it. i just could never wrap my head around those times people report, i reckon they blast up the road for them

MilitantGraham

Last time I was there I did four laps.
I think they were between 1:12 and 1:22

1340jas

There used to be a bike shop just down the road. I think it was called Ryders. The guy that ran it said he knew of people who could do it in about 55mins.
My 1hr 20mins seems really slow, but then we do stop for a fag at the top.

Thewaylander

nic from Ryders was a fit lad too when he got round there, gutted his shop closed prob the only bike shop mech i trusted to touch my bike

1340jas

I've got to agree with your post Thewaylander.
Nic is a good mechanic. I think I've got his mobile number somewhere. If I can find it I will PM it to you.
I think he was going to carry on with some work but not from the shop. He lives around the Chepstow area I think.
It was really sad to see him shut up shop, but not enough passing trade I suppose.
They could do with a proper shop at Cwmcarm.

moggy82

59 mins, is the fastest i managed, there was a thing on STW i think a few years so had to get it under the hour, dont think i could manage it that fast these days.

kev90

Helllo,

Whilst waiting for some mates to arrive back in June, I did two laps of the red in 1:48:16, with lap splits of 54:26 Lap 1, and 53:50 Lap 2. I was pushing reasonably hard, but also mindful of the 25 mile ride I was doing with the guys once they arrived!!

Also managed two laps during an evening night-ride a couple of weeks ago, with a total riding time of 2:11:20, but we did start and finish at the chip shop whichs adds about 5 minutes on at each end, so I guess we were averaging about an hour per lap, which isn't bad in the dark!

Might hit Cwmcarn again in the day at some point and see what I can do, but don't think I am as fit now as in June. I reckon sub 50-minutes is feasible.

Kev

Thewaylander

If your riding it that fast when do you get to have fun in the park section at the top?

kev90

For me personally, I much prefer blasting along the red diversion route at the top, to going through the 'fun' park, is always so windy at the top.

If you hit the red section fast, it always seems more exhilertaing to me than the table-tops of the 'fun' park (apart from when the wind blows the wheels out from under your bike in the air - that is exhilerating, but not in a nice way!!)

I am sure a lot of people don't enjoy climbing either ... each to their own. All that matters is that people are having fun and challenging their own personal limits. If you are interested in improving your 'lap time', then I am sure shaving a minute off your time is as gratifying if reducing it from 1hr21 to 1hr20, as reducing it from 1hr to 59mins. Just get out and enjoy :-)

Kev

El Capitano

I did a 1 hr 15 min of the 'old' course, about 3 years ago. It was on the Coiler, not the NRS, so struggled with the climb. I need to have a serious crack at this on the NRS and see what I can do. I think I could do it in under an hour, in the dry.

njee20

There was a BUSA XC race there in 2008, the first lap we all went up the road climb to the top, but laps 2 and 3 were just full laps of the XC course, I forget the quickest times, but they were c40 minutes IIRC, and there were a number of elite riders there.

endurojcb

I now feel REALLY unfit with all these sub 1 hour times being mentioned!

I've ridden Cwmcarn twice and both times were between 1:15 and 1:20 to get round, and that's with both lungs flopped out over the handlebars!

I love the climbing (although I'm not all that fast at it (I think I need a lesson or two in climbing in order to get my cadence right etc)), I love the leg burn and if I'm pushing hard enough, that slight sick feeling you get when you know you're maxing out!

Fair play to all you sub 1 hour peeps! Something I can only dream of I think due to an annoying knee injury which really restricts the number of hours I can ride for. Any more than 3 hours of constant pedal mashing in a single session results in a lot of pain that lasts for a couple of days! Riding in Wales and France for 4 + hours is ok due to the downhill sections giving my knee a breather!

Langers

I found the climbing on Cwmcarn really enjoyable! Will have to check our lap times from a few weeks ago. Probably go back there next march to give it a real effort.

rhyko7

Damn Cwmcarn is hard going in the wet
i did two laps today
1st lap took one hour & 11 mins
2nd lap i went a bit harder and did 1hour 5
if i put the same effort in on the dry i would have been at least 5 mins quicker per lap.

most of the decsents are just as much fun in the wet tho

Wololo

My riding style is "just get up the hill without busting a lung" and then "fast as I dare" on the downhills and the more level sections going through the woods with the epic view over the town.

I also end up doing the black and red runs a few times, as well as a bit of chilling at the top.

Therefore my times are pitifully slow

Dheorl

I've heard 37 or 35 mins a few times.

Keep in mind though that is after a good warmup. I've also heard of starting in different places so that your nice and limber for the climb etc.

njee20

It's possible. As I say I think the quickest lap at the BUSA XC in 2008 was just over 40 minutes, by Oli Holmes who's a mid-field Elite rider in the UK. I suspect Liam Killeen would be several minutes quicker if he wanted to be. Suspect Nino Schurter/Julian Absalon would be quicker still!

Shaggy_Dog

A couple of years ago (I had quit smoking for 4 months, previously I couldn't do it quicker than an hour twenty) I posted a 51:35 on my casio watch riding a 2008 Gary Fisher HiFi Pro. These days I'm smoking again, the course has changed, I have a HiFi Pro *CARBON* and my casio watch has broken, but I use my phone clock and still under an hour. I wonder how much quicker I'd be if I kicked the habit?

Thewaylander

Dheorl wrote:

I've heard 37 or 35 mins a few times.

Keep in mind though that is after a good warmup. I've also heard of starting in different places so that your nice and limber for the climb etc.

now this makes sense as my legs kill on the first 10 minutes of climb lol.

To be hoest aslong as I'm around the hour this year i don't care lol.

Splottboy

Not Cwmcarn, though I have ridden it, but The Marin Trail

Best time, from the Llanrwst cafe on stilts and back, 1hr 10 mins for 19k or so.

Was the older route, but just as tough. No crashes, amazingly for me.

( Airborne Lucky Strike, original Sid XC, XT/Sram, Thudbuster, XC Fire Pros...)

Mid week, totally empty trails, HOT weather, dusty trails.
One of those magical rides that you dream about when it's pissing it down !

Stuntman

Actually I've never timed it. I did a nightride there last year and we doddled round in 1 hour 25. I think under steam and in a race everyone would knock anything from a few minutes to 15 minutes off their casual time.

I'll have to go back there in June and give it a go and see how well my lungs arnd legs hold out.

And anyone who seems intimidated by fast times on here, don't be! If you ride it regularly and know the course then you'll be faster. Familiarisation is key to speed as the climb is technical and you can carry a lot of speed on the downs. But when it's the first few times there, you brake more than you should and sometimes blow out on the climb.

Shaggy_Dog, you'd be faster without tar in your lungs. but fair play on your time with it in there anyway!

flowpro

under 1 hour is possible for me but I'm constantly amazed buy what the big boys can do.

When I was up at the dalby dare the other week I was getting lap times of 31mins but the elite racers why doing the course in 18mins :shock: that's just crazy stuff.

So I guess 50/45mins is more than possible.

Stuntman

definately, when doing the Gorricks, the fast boys are doing the hills in their big ring and power climbing... this shocked me in my first open race as we watched the elite going round after we were finished.

Made me think... well at least I didn't use the granny.

Whens the next xc Race at Cwmcarn?

Anonymous

usually like and hour and half because i go with a friend and we takes so many unessasary breaks, and we do freeride 2 times

njee20

Aye, most Gorrick courses can be done entirely in the big ring, there's rarely any particularly big hills!

They don't normally do XC races at Cwmcarn, it's a crap place to race sadly, much too long a lap, with the gay motorbike gates and nowhere to overtake. I think the BUSAs were pretty much a one off. It wasn't even a good venue for them, no real arena, and nowhere to spectate, the only place anyone was stood was the final descent back to the arena.

I can't seem to find the lap times for the race anymore, dunno if they got lost when BUSA became BUCS, they were quick though.

sam_commencal

I've managed 1:56 for 2 laps, but since then I'm a bit fitter and I've had a new set of forks on my HT so reckon I could knock a minute or two off on the descent.
Would be quicker on a short travel full sus though. Cwmcarn seems like a nice benchmark for a tougher XC course (compared to a lot of race courses).

njee20

As above though, it's a rubbish course to race on, too long, no fireroad to pass on, those stupid motorcycle gates.

There are plenty of race courses more technical too!

Matt N

i hadn't done it till i saw this post so i rode over there from birmingham did and lap and rode back- easy only took twenty minutes even after a 150mile road ride