Dragon Ride 2014

bendertherobot

305km super epic route then.

The question must be, why?

craker

:-| That's nearly £90. And just shy of £60 for the Gran Fondo. I did it for £40 a couple of years back and thought that was steep.

Still, imagine how super and epic you'd feel.

bendertherobot

Is it very super and very epic? I'd make sure I told everyone how epic I was. Unless they were an audaxer

markhewitt1978

189 miles? Mental.

craker

bendertherobot wrote:

Is it very super and very epic? I'd make sure I told everyone how epic I was. Unless they were an audaxer

I did pass on the link to my audaxing friend, who pointed out that she's entered some Scottish 300k lumpy audax on the same weekend. For £12. Still, imagine having to take your own cake?

nunowoolmez

Very tempted with the Devil, would be quite epic. Expensive though. Imagine entering the Devil route & then find it's hammering it down with rain all day! That would be miserable.

Grill

There's a 300k audax out of Cardiff with 1200ft more climbing for a tenner. Anyone who pays 90 quid for a sportive needs a good limp arm to the head.

ManOfKent

It looks like the Gran Fondo is a few miles longer than the last couple of years, significantly pricier, with less climbing and some new roads, approaching the Devil's Elbow from the other direction. I suspect I'll give it a miss and instead go to the area another weekend, taking in some of the same climbs but on a route of my choosing.

marcusjb

Before it turns into a complete sportive vs audax thing - look at what you get for your £90; food and signposts and stuff - you just turn up, pedal, don't think. It's the easier option for many people.

Audax needs you to look after yourself a bit more - you'll have to navigate, find food (and that can easily add £20-30 onto the £10 entry fee) and there's no broom wagon to pick up the pieces if things go wrong - so it's not as clear cut as people suggest.

That said, £90 is a whole lot of money for a day ride and I know what I'd rather do of a weekend. Audax is a very supportive, inclusive environment where there is mutual respect between riders of all abilities - the fast boys will never belittle the fuller-value riders and will often express more admiration for those who've struggled through adversity to overcome and crawl home with minutes to spare. Very different environment to my experiences of sportives (which I also enjoy - but in a different way).

But, yes, if you can deal with a bit of self-sufficiency, you can find some amazing 300s in the Audax calendar starting from late March onwards. They tend to be focussed on the earlier part of the year before the bigger distances get going in May onwards.

http://aukweb.net/events/?From=02%2F10% ... a=&Region=

Grill

I have never spent wore than a tenner on food/drink on any audax (up to 600k). But hey, a fool and his money...

marcusjb

Grill wrote:

I have never spent wore than a tenner on food/drink on any audax (up to 600k). But hey, a fool and his money...

Depends on the ride of course - something like the BCM, you are well catered for with food and rest stops (but the entry fee is £30)

Other rides - you're on your own in terms of sorting out food. It can soon add up. All those forecourt picnics of Ginsters and Frijj don't come cheap!

Just trying to be fair and create a little more parity in the Audax £10, Dragon Ride £90 debate to suggest we're talking more Audax £30, Dragon Ride £90 (still a massive hike up, but it's still not the same thing).

craker

Having been bothered about the price, I might sign up anyhow. £60 for a day out is peanuts if its the main event of the summer. I have fond memories of being served cold salted new potatoes at the last stop, with only a down and an up and a wheeee down again to get me to the end. mmmmmmm.

hatone

Let's be honest here, price aside, where's the fun in doing over 300km, especially if it's pissing down?

Grill

hatone wrote:

Let's be honest here, price aside, where's the fun in doing over 300km, especially if it's pissing down?

Different strokes bro. Some of my favourite rides have been long ones in terrible weather.

marcusjb

hatone wrote:

Let's be honest here, price aside, where's the fun in doing over 300km, especially if it's pissing down?

As per Grill's answer, some of my most memorable rides have been in constant rain for hours on end. Riding long distances, particularly in poor weather gives you time to think and consider what is important in life.

Why ride over 300km? Well, there are two days in a weekend, no point in wasting one of them is there? More scenery, more laughs with mates, more new roads.

Riding longer distances isn't going to be for everyone and it's rarely a physical limitation (whilst 300km is a long way, it's not out of the reach of someone with good fitness and a good fit on their bike), but those of lower mental fortitude will rarely be able to handle the challenges that distance riding involves.

Grifteruk

Reading the official website they say the Devil's Staircase is 15% gradient.

All I can say is that there must have been an earthquake that I've never heard of which has flattened it out a bit because on the two previous occasions I have been there it was way steeper than that. All my club members agree that it gets over 20% in a variety of places and depending which way you approach it is one of the hardest climbs I and many of our club members have ever done (and we are from the area). If people approach it expecting a 15% gradient they could well get a bit of a shock.

marcusjb

Blimey - yep, Devil's Staircase is well steeper than that in parts - the sign at the bottom gives it as peaking at 25%:



It is a very steep climb, but mercifully short. What no one tells you about are the next 2 or 3 lumps after the Staircase! They may not be as steep, but feel a little longer.

Beautiful part of the world for sure.

Grill

I've always found Caerphilly Mountain to be more difficult than Devil's Staircase...

Davey C

Grill wrote:

I've always found Caerphilly Mountain to be more difficult than Devil's Staircase...

Were your brakes rubbing?!

Grill

Davey C wrote:

Grill wrote:

I've always found Caerphilly Mountain to be more difficult than Devil's Staircase...

Were your brakes rubbing?!

They never rub. I find it easier to get into a tempo on the Staircase.

Pumpkin Positive

marcusjb wrote:

Before it turns into a complete sportive vs audax thing - look at what you get for your £90; food and signposts and stuff - you just turn up, pedal, don't think. It's the easier option for many people.

Audax needs you to look after yourself a bit more - you'll have to navigate, find food (and that can easily add £20-30 onto the £10 entry fee) and there's no broom wagon to pick up the pieces if things go wrong - so it's not as clear cut as people suggest.

That said, £90 is a whole lot of money for a day ride and I know what I'd rather do of a weekend. Audax is a very supportive, inclusive environment where there is mutual respect between riders of all abilities - the fast boys will never belittle the fuller-value riders and will often express more admiration for those who've struggled through adversity to overcome and crawl home with minutes to spare. Very different environment to my experiences of sportives (which I also enjoy - but in a different way).

But, yes, if you can deal with a bit of self-sufficiency, you can find some amazing 300s in the Audax calendar starting from late March onwards. They tend to be focussed on the earlier part of the year before the bigger distances get going in May onwards.

http://aukweb.net/events/?From=02%2F10% ... a=&Region=

Surly this is the final word in the audax / sportive discussion?

I wouldn't pay £90 to ride 300km but I'd take my hat off to anyone who did and lived to tell the tale. If you can afford it and want to ride with nothing to think about but turning the pedals why not?

mustgettaller

I've done the last 2 Dragons, and don't think I'll be doing it again.

I really enjoyed the first in 2012. This year's was also very well organised and still a great route, but just too busy. Even after 80 miles the roads were crowded with large groups (my experience is that riders spread out pretty well after a few miles on most events), and with numerous instances of largish groups hogging the road and showing little consideration for motorists.

Also partly on cost - £87? That's on top of accommodation (I live near Chichester).

I'm moving steadily over to doing more Audaxes these days...

ugo.santalucia

mustgettaller wrote:

I've done the last 2 Dragons, and don't think I'll be doing it again.

I really enjoyed the first in 2012. This year's was also very well organised and still a great route, but just too busy. Even after 80 miles the roads were crowded with large groups (my experience is that riders spread out pretty well after a few miles on most events), and with numerous instances of largish groups hogging the road and showing little consideration for motorists.

Also partly on cost - £87? That's on top of accommodation (I live near Chichester).

I'm moving steadily over to doing more Audaxes these days...

Is the all point of spending so much that of making sure you are riding with a few thousand others around you? If you want it quiet, then you can ride it any day free of charge

markyone

I wont be doing it this year,not paying that sort of money.
I can go over the bridge from Bristol and ride the route as much as I like free of charge.

DeVlaeminck

Grill wrote:

I have never spent wore than a tenner on food/drink on any audax (up to 600k). But hey, a fool and his money...

Ten bluddy pound! Eee lad yer won catch me spendin that kinda munney. What's wrong wi a bit o road kill and fillin yer bottles from t'puddles ?

mrc1

We ran a weekend just up the road from the Devil's Staircase last weekend I can confirm that it is STEEP! The road around Llyn Brianne is spectacular as well!



Some other pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ledomtours ... 329795436/

badgerbeaver

I've entered the Gran Fondo

Looking forward to it....

nunowoolmez

Yeah me too, Gran Fondo for me. Great course, fingers crossed for decent weather!

bernardmcdonald

BadgerBeaver wrote:

I've entered the Gran Fondo

Looking forward to it....

moi aussi :-) can't wait

RallyBiker

Just entered the Medio. June should be chocca! This on the 8th, Etape Eryri on the 15th and Flatout in the Fens the weekend after that? :P

giant63

Entered Gran Fondo and would like to know how 133 miles compares to 112 in etape du dales and Whitton , will I be in for a much harder day than I had in those two with those extra 20 miles also how many entries were they letting in the devil.