Iron Mountain 9th July + Tour Of Black Mountains 10th July

vs

The final ascent (is that what everyone is calling The Tumble?)

We descended The Tumble at the end. That final climb is very hard after 100 miles, I think the first long stretch of main road after the turn off and up until the left hand hairpin is one of the most demorilising stretches of road I've ever had the pleasure to ride. Strangely after the corner it seems to get steeper but easier.

pantsani

The last big ToBM climb at 100 miles out of Llangynidr is a beauty, think it evens off a bit after 1st hair pin but who knows I was hardly that clear headed at that point.

Think the 2 day format could build on this one, they are both brilliant events in their own right though.

itboffin

I dont usually buy sportive photos but I might consider these, I think they show the pain of the day pretty well.

attica

I did the 120 with ITB on Sunday, bloody hell that hurt.

Stunning scenery though and the descents were most enjoyable. (That said what was with the two "sharp bend ahead" signs on one of the descents before two tight-ish bends but not before the tightest bend on that descent shortly after?)

Incidentally, chapeau to the chap who had just finished the 120 Mile route as we returned to our cars after a curry, that must have been one seriously long day in the saddle.

itboffin

Here you go matey I think this pic speaks a thousand words.

How's that for steep ...

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/vie ... d=16100178

craker

itboffin wrote:

How's that for steep ...

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/vie ... d=16100178

Crikey whereabouts was that?

Here's me and some other chap in an advert for Planet X
http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?gsearchid=1310472437&pictureid=16095048 (I'm on the black one).

I'm not too bothered about the gold / silver / bronze finishing times but I did notice for the short event that we mostly got bronze with a smattering of silvers and one gold. is that about right? I'm so far off getting a silver that it's not much of an incentive to go faster.

attica

mr_si wrote:

itboffin wrote:

How's that for steep ...

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/vie ... d=16100178

Crikey whereabouts was that?

Here's me and some other chap in an advert for Planet X
http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?gsearchid=1310472437&pictureid=16095048 (I'm on the black one).

I'm not too bothered about the gold / silver / bronze finishing times but I did notice for the short event that we mostly got bronze with a smattering of silvers and one gold. is that about right? I'm so far off getting a silver that it's not much of an incentive to go faster.

that's me in the photo that itb posted, I think it was on the hairpin on the horseshoe pass, just before the armco started. Much pain.

Incidentally, the guy you're riding with appears to be wearing pac-tri kit, I used to belong to that club before giving up triathlon. Was it just me or were there an abnormally large number of triathletes on the road on Sunday?

nferrar

Yeah I was surprised the really tight hairpin on the final descent didn't have a warning (given that some others did), luckily I caught up with a car a bit before it which slowed me down enough (would have been entirely my fault if I had overshot ofc but I'd rather no warnings on any corners if it's not consistent as it gives you a false sense of security).

itboffin

Would that be the hairpin with the water running across the road just before?

I had two guys just in front of me slow to an almost stop causing me to almost exit the road :?