PTW

Or 631km for me as I went 12km off route !!

I'll try and post something a bit later but it all went well (despite hitting a big pothole that meant slackening off my front brake after just 20km and having two punctures) and the weather was, thankfully, better than the forecast especially on the Sunday.

That's the qualification for Paris-Brest-Paris done so I'd better get some forms filled .

Well done Alfie. Hell of a feat mate.

Reason for Edit: The website I'd linked to has gone tits up so I'm posting it here.

First off, a big thank you to Mark Rigby and the organising team. Over the years I’ve organised about two dozen road races and time-trials so have a fair idea about organising but the scale of this event is amazing and I consider it a privilege to have been on something so well organised.

Unfortunately I missed the ACF photo as I was getting my saddlebag reorganised and then without anyone formally announcing it we were under starters orders and away on the 72km Stage 1 to Bronllys. Oh, and well done to the guy who attended to the pigeon soon after the start. I presume it had flown into someone’s spokes. Poor little thing. I’d packed very early on in Dave Lewis’ 300km “Peacocks and Kites” the previous weekend so my legs felt quite fresh after just two 30km mid-week rides and I slowly made my way up to a position almost tete de’la course before hitting a massive pothole (that nobody called out!) at Chainbridge. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t puncture, or snap my forks, but one of my bottles flew right out of its cage and retrieving it and then finding that my front wheel had gone out of true saw me close to the back. Ho-hum.

I’d signed up for the ‘2004’ and rode with Poordax and Dai Harris for a while in a bit of a foul mood about the pothole incident and the first showers of the day did little to boost my spirits. At the first control at Bronllys I had my brevet card stamped but decided to forego a cup of tea due to the queue and whilst putting my brevet card back in the saddlebag I heard an almighty clatter and saw a rider gingerly picking himself up off the deck (I didn’t realise at the time but it was Daf Lloyd).

At 106km Stage 2 was the longest stage but it didn’t feel like it. I was feeling quite good and I was fortunate to hook up with the super strong Cardiff Byways ‘squadra’ just when the headwind was at its worse. Andrew Dade, Peter Lee, Andy McKay, Tony Pember and myself worked quite well and they got me through a very tough section into the headwind in very good time – thanks boys! Sadly, for me, the elastic snapped on a long climb on the approach to Aberystwyth and I rolled into the Clettwr Café at Tre’r-doll to find it almost full but the long wait for my beans on toast gave me time to rest up.

Whilst only 46.5km long Stage 3 to the Kings YHA near Dolgellau included two long climbs but Corris was a comfortable gradient and there was a nice tailwind up the Cader Idris climb (where Cader Idris is on the left). However, Stage 3 had a sting in its tail with a slow 4km grovel into the headwind on a dead road and a nasty little 1.5km approach to the Kings YHA. What can you say about the staff/helpers here? Bloody brilliant weren’t they?

Rice pudding and two strong coffees saw me setting off on the 89km Stage 4 towards Anglesey with a spring in my step and I felt great on the Barmouth and Harlech section before a navigational error saw me and a couple of guys add about 12km to our total. I stuck my rear LED light on in Beddgelert and was caught by Poordax on the approach to Llanberis, which was looking awesome in the twilight. On the hairpin onto the main part of the climb there was a strong headwind and I thought that I could be in trouble here but it was OK and at the top we put our jackets on for the long descent. I think we all saw that lovely crescent moon and very bright star pulling us towards Anglesey and it was a beautiful evening but quite cold and you could clearly see your breath. Over the Menai Bridge (a first for me) I missed the control but a shout from a fellow AUK had me double back to find the control full of riders and, more importantly, full of food! After two strong coffees and some rice pudding I got my leg-warmers back on and prepared to set off. Coming out of the control into the cool night air several AUK’s were also getting their bikes ready for the night section and I took off my map holder and stuck my lights on.

On the 83km Stage 5 from Anglesey back to the Kings YHA I teamed up with a guy called Richard for a while and the navigation was easy but, after Beddgelert, Richard’s jelly babies kicked in and he eventually dropped me on the long gradual climb past Trawsfynydd. These night sections are good for me. I cope with sleep deprivation quite well and the cool air and quiet roads seemed to give me a lift and I was a happy bunny coming backs to Kings YHA at about 04.00hrs with dawn breaking and the birds singing. With a full hour to go until breakfast I decided to have rice pudding, corn flakes and a couple of coffees before taking a 10-minute power nap with my head on the table (a few riders had their heads in their cornflakes at this stage) before waking myself up with a loud snort.

Setting off on the ‘short’ 65km Stage 6 to Aberhafesp I was feeling really good and it was a lovely sunny morning but those climbs on the A470 were tough. I was grinding away on one brute on 39x26 when someone came past and cheerfully announced that the worst was to come… and it did! I honked that steep but mercifully short climb and was close to unclipping and walking but just about limped over it and rolled up and down the rest of the stage to the really good control at Aberhafesp for breakfast. I had a good stop here. I kicked my shoes off, freshened up and stuffed my face full of food before setting off feeling really good and confident about finishing. Well, there was only two stages to go wasn’t there?

Leaving Aberhafesp for the 79km Stage 7 to Weobley the sun was shining, the birds were singing and I had fuel in my tank. What could go wrong? Well a puncture to start with and then a succession of short, steep, niggly climbs and an annoying navigational error that really drained me. Then I got the dreaded ‘hot foot’, which is difficult to explain. It’s not cramp but you can’t flex your toes and it’s as if the pedals are trying to work their way into the soles of your feet. It’s very painful and I met someone else with it later on. Entering England (without a passport) I met Jack Eason in the lanes and then saw a trike overshoot the turning marked up as ‘easily missed’ just after its rider asked me did I know where I was going! Entering a very narrow lane with a steep poorly surfaced climb a car came up behind us and the silly young girl decided to follow about two feet behind me and rev her engine whilst also burning her clutch out! Getting to Weobley I saw the welcome sight of riders stretched out on the grass in front of the control chilling out and taking on board their final nourishment. Profits were up at the ‘One Stop Shop’ on that particular day I believe! I’m always wary of eating/drinking sweet stuff on a long ride but decided to chance it and had two cokes and stuffed a bag of jelly babies into my pocket.

I started the 79km Stage 8 to Chepstow badly by puncturing on a descent but soon got into a rhythm with easy navigation and a rolling road to Monmouth at least until that long steep climb which was another out of the saddle grind and possibly a bit gratuitous? From Chepstow I teamed up with a fellow ‘hot foot’ sufferer and we rode past Tintern Abbey in all its early evening sunlit splendour before the steepness of the climb got to me and I dropped back to ride in alone to the Bulwark Community Centre at about 19.15hrs.

It was a cracking weekend of cycling, blessed by better weather than we could have possibly imagined when looking at the weather forecasts a few days before! Once again, thanks to Mark Rigby and his organising team and to everyone on the ride. Every little greeting, every little chat and every little word of encouragement helped me get through it.

Why I almost enjoyed doing it!

Well done Alf, Take the week off...
Good write-up. Did you take the road out if Beddgelert towards Betws-y-coed and a Big left up the Llanberis pass. The decent is amazing towards Caernarfon. But of course that is only half of it.

Yes, we went over the Llanberis Pass in the twilight which made the descent 'interesting' as I didn't want to stick my main lights on until the Menai bridge so just had a Petzl head torch. I need to get one of those accessory bar things so that I can have my map holder and lights at the same time.