Dragon Ride 2011
Comments
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Photos should appear here http://www.philoconnor.com/sportive/0
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I didnt ride but after reading all this am damn glad I didnt pay a load of cash and drive all the way there to be met with a farce like this, especially after the feedback last year.
They say no publicity is bad publicity, but I bet this thread will get churned up for a few years and there's no way in hell I'll part with cash to ride an event organsed by this lot... Have the organisers responded to the issues in any way? I looked at their website and cant see anything?
Makes me realise just how much value we got on the Tour of Wessex last weekend - 3 perfectly executed back to back century rides with THE best feedstops I've ever experienced and excellent routes and support.Your Past is Not Your Potential...0 -
Ive taken part in the past 3 Dragon's. In the past ive had no complaints at all about the event. I time myself on the Garmin so dont care about the timing chip. Although this year the 50min wait to start was a real pain in the shorts!
It was a real mix of riders which in a way is great to see and great for the sport right? But can be dangerous... your always going to get t**s who need to join a club!
I did the medium, which was easier this year with a lot less climbing! was a 'lush' route (couldnt help the Gavin and Stacy reference) all the same with sea views and big hills, but for me the Dragon was all about the savage climbs on the old medium route. shame...
I did the medium in 3.57 which i am over the moon with, but i must say a big thank you to:
Bicester2000cc cycling club who let me ride in their group for the first 3rd. thanks guys and girls, great work, great club! (i used to live in Bicester so i do know!)
And the guy dressed in full Astana kit who i rode with and shared the work for a good part of the middle, until he dropped my arse! hope you did well fella!
Will i take part for the 4th time next year, that is the question...0 -
Dombo6 wrote:bendertherobot wrote:Slightly OT, but, beat my best up the Bwlch today. In previous years have been averaging 6-7 mph. Today I was doing a minimum of 9 and between 9.5 and 10 most of the time. Was dead chuffed.
Well done. Was that Bwlch 1 or Bwlch 2? First climb of Bwlch I did in my 39/25 passing loads more riders than passed me. Second time around i crawled up in 30/25 like a dying thing crawling unwillingly to its grave. Haven't figured out the splits yet, but they won't be pretty.
That was my training last week. That said, on the route, I was not passed at all on Bwlch 1 (must have taken 100 odd riders) and was taken by, perhaps, 4-5 riders on Bwlch 2. So I was pretty happy with that as well. No splits for me, no recorded time at all.My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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This was my first ever sportive. Enjoyed it and was a great experience with all different weather elements and road conditions to test a first timer,but the start was terrible, waited in the queue from 7.30 and didn't start until 8.40, by which time I was turning blue. Did the media in 4.50, with a split of 44 mins for the blwch climb, is this a decent time? I have no idea.i am doing etape day1 and need to know if I need to raise my game.Well done to my wife and mother( and all other cheery spectators) who stood on top of the blwch for an hour waiting for me due to my poor time estimation .0
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I would like to give my oppinion on the day, being local I got there nice and early so carparking was no problem. As for the start that was a farce, I was about 400 from the front and it took 50 min for me to cross the line.But I didnt keep my mouth shut and told a group of lads that tried to push in in front of me to fcuk off! (no not a hero just bad tempered).
The feed stations were a joke, the bottles of so called carbo powder that I had tasted more like sterilising powder. On the plus side signs were brill marshalls excelent and I got to ride with some really nice people a the lads from the henlys club and bad tri to name a few. All in all enjoyed the day I am somewhat disappointed with no times would I do the Dragon again No.0 -
I was in a group for a while at the base of the Afan valley and there was a guy on a belt drive single speeder. Does anyone know how he got on ? (I did congratulate at the time for his courage)Trainee BC level 2 coach ... and that's offical (30th June 2013)
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Well I just checked results and I am not in it!!
I attached the number perfectly to bars ie flat using my own cableties as the ties providedwere too short.
My time on my garmin is 3:28 with av speed of 20.2 mph for medio which according to the site would have been 3rd fastes but I guess many more like me are missing, but given that I did nearly the whole ride ( I think I evebntually got off about 9:45) passing people and no bunch riding I am happy with the ride.
So what did I get for my entry fee?
A number and chip that did not work, I got to queue for almost 2 hours, rode route with nostops, (good job I had enough of my own food asstations were jam packedwith riders as I started late), I was pulled in at the bwlch togo over the timing mat, which never recored me, gotback in downpour to finish, with no recorded time, was given a goody bag, best part of which was the plastic bag so I could throw my used gel wrappers into, then no changing or shower facility.
Oh and to cap it all I had to call the AA to fix my car
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oldwelshman wrote:Well I just checked results and I am not in it!!
I attached the number perfectly to bars ie flat using my own cableties as the ties providedwere too short.
My time on my garmin is 3:28 with av speed of 20.2 mph for medio which according to the site would have been 3rd fastes but I guess many more like me are missing, but given that I did nearly the whole ride ( I think I evebntually got off about 9:45) passing people and no bunch riding I am happy with the ride.
So what did I get for my entry fee?
A number and chip that did not work, I got to queue for almost 2 hours, rode route with nostops, (good job I had enough of my own food asstations were jam packedwith riders as I started late), I was pulled in at the bwlch togo over the timing mat, which never recored me, gotback in downpour to finish, with no recorded time, was given a goody bag, best part of which was the plastic bag so I could throw my used gel wrappers into, then no changing or shower facility.
Oh and to cap it all I had to call the AA to fix my car
Phew. I reckon you were just too quick for the timing mats (like the urban myth about speed cameras not going off if you go through in a Lambo* at 180mph).
[* Lamborghini, not Lambretta!]0 -
Max speed was only 44mph which was done on the lower part of bwlch but was in rain 0
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For any non-Strava initiates out there, check out strava.com. You can get a free account and upload your GPS data and then compare your times up the climbs with others. It's very addictive. Here is my data http://app.strava.com/rides/681097.
(No I don't work for Strava)0 -
Here is my garmin data, I dont use it often glad I did sunday
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90764416
Not bad for a crinkly 50 year old track rider
I met Ben Simmonds at the start and was going to ride with him and hang on until the bwlch but I lost him at the start, did not see his time though.
I dont think he is on this forum, will ask him how he did when I see him next.0 -
Ben Simmons (no d) got a 5:54 as has been mentioned several times before0
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Swansea_Dave wrote:Phew. I reckon you were just too quick for the timing mats (like the urban myth about speed cameras not going off if you go through in a Lambo* at 180mph).
[* Lamborghini, not Lambretta!]
Not a myth - speed camera needs to take two time-stamped pictures, hence the lines on the road. At 180 mph you will trigger the camera but the car will only show in the first picture.0 -
That seems a bit slow for Ben I would have expected about 5:30 or under for him.Surfr wrote:Ben Simmons (no d) got a 5:54 as has been mentioned several times before0 -
oldwelshman wrote:
That seems a bit slow for Ben I would have expected about 5:30 or under for him.Surfr wrote:Ben Simmons (no d) got a 5:54 as has been mentioned several times before
Perhaps the apple pies slowed him down. Non Mr Kimpling ones are a bit heavy0 -
EdFrancis wrote:For any non-Strava initiates out there, check out strava.com. You can get a free account and upload your GPS data and then compare your times up the climbs with others. It's very addictive. Here is my data http://app.strava.com/rides/681097.
(No I don't work for Strava)
Bad link, but I've just uploaded mine to see how I got on. Target was under 30 min, which I just managed
Also - you are just showing off because you are first 0 -
oldwelshman wrote:That seems a bit slow for Ben I would have expected about 5:30 or under for him.
The full route was considerably hillier than the medio route and 10km longer than last year with worse weather, so I think it is pretty damn quick myself.
5.30 would have been possible, but only with a fast, good sized group to keep the speed up on the flatter sections.0 -
I know what you mean but he was fastest last year and he is a good climber and currently going well. There are a few infront of himI would not have expected thats all.mattpage wrote:oldwelshman wrote:That seems a bit slow for Ben I would have expected about 5:30 or under for him.
The full route was considerably hillier than the medio route and 10km longer than last year with worse weather, so I think it is pretty damn quick myself.
5.30 would have been possible, but only with a fast, good sized group to keep the speed up on the flatter sections.
The medio rout is not challenging having taken the rhigos out, which is what I said in other post.
I think the one I did 3years or so ago was better organised although it finished in Bridgend.
The car park at pencoed is ok but thats it. The field with the tents inwas awful, very tatty, the finish are too short and narrow also.
If this even wants to be compared to UCI events they need to visit some Italian fondos or french ones tosee how it should be done.
With te value it brings to the area I am sure it could be organised to close small route off into a town centre finish like bridgend liesure centre,or why not Cardiff? That would give easy start and finish and still be able to get loads of big climbs in.0 -
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oldwelshman wrote:
I know what you mean but he was fastest last year and he is a good climber and currently going well. There are a few infront of himI would not have expected thats all.mattpage wrote:oldwelshman wrote:That seems a bit slow for Ben I would have expected about 5:30 or under for him.
The full route was considerably hillier than the medio route and 10km longer than last year with worse weather, so I think it is pretty damn quick myself.
5.30 would have been possible, but only with a fast, good sized group to keep the speed up on the flatter sections.
Pretty sure he was the fastest. Unless you mean in front on the road?0 -
I looked at the results sheet and there are a few ahead on time, but there are some weird times on the site 0
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Yeh a mate paced Ben over the first 90 miles or so then Ben droppped him for the final time over the Bwlch but he's been given a time 10 minutes faster than Simmo. It's all to cock basically but the word is that Simmo was fastest on the day.0
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Was that Tank who paced him? When I spoke to him he said Tank was meeting him further on, probably near port talbot.Surfr wrote:Yeh a mate paced Ben over the first 90 miles or so then Ben droppped him for the final time over the Bwlch but he's been given a time 10 minutes faster than Simmo. It's all to fool basically but the word is that Simmo was fastest on the day.
I think Ben jumped queue lol as he was in wiggle tent until 8:450 -
The organisers have now posted on the homepage
http://www.wiggledragonride.com/
The company responsible for the timing
http://www.raceahead.net/
"We are rebuilding the raceahead website right now. Until this is complete we thought we would let some of our clients speak for us! Click on any event logo to read what they have to say."
Wonder why the link on the Dragon Ride Logo isn't working, all the other are
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Shot this while on the ride. No appearance fees will be paid if you spot yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3qa3PElK48
I didnt really get much video after the first climb of Bwlch as the battery started to die, but it may bring back some memories (good and bad). 0 -
Thanks for that BruceyboyNotts.
I did see a motor bike with a female on the back taking a video. They overtook us several times, and I thought that it might be a Dragon Ride promo being shot. It'll be interesting to see if that ever sees the light of day!0 -
BruceyboyNotts wrote:Shot this while on the ride. No appearance fees will be paid if you spot yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3qa3PElK48
I didnt really get much video after the first climb of Bwlch as the battery started to die, but it may bring back some memories (good and bad).
@220 you got a white car being followed by 2 paramedics,car pulled over by us and had a right bollocking of the paras,driving like a tw@t and nearly took out a shed load of cyclists :x
car parked up by us 'clappy guys' @ 240,just finishing a cooked breakfast now sharing my plods on
http://www.strava.com/athletes/cwm0
