PTW

Anyone taking part?

Myself and I think Dai(fixie6) are doing it. Are you Kev?

I'll be there too.
Don't have a PTW Jersey though, haven't altered the gearing on my road bike yet and the energy bars I've ordered haven't come through yet eirther.
Oh Dear.

I'm down for the long course - you fellas?

Alright Chris? Yeah I'm down for the long one too.

Chris, have you signed up for Tuska? Think I saw your name on the entry list.

I'm doing it. No ptw kit, but should be a larf. riding with a friend who suffers froom cramp if he doesn't drink 1L per hour. His bike looks like a mobile drinks bottle. LOL. So far 4 bottles and a camel back. Hope fully weather will be kind.

I will be there for the long one.

Oh yeah, I don't have any kit either

Yep! me and Rufus are doing it. Are we meeting up and riding the first couple of miles as a club? If so we'll see you at the car park main entrance at 7.45, for an 8.00 start.

I'm signed up too. Shorter run. It's bad timing because I have a concert in the evening, and I doubt 180km is the best preparation for it.

Tony hi,

Tuska yes. You?
I did it last year as well.

Will try and be there at 7.45.

Have bought new tyres, tubes, brake blocks + a different rear cassette...........just haven't got round to fitting any of it yet.
Never mind at least I'll have a pocket full of spares.

I'm not aiming to be there for 8am in the morning, therefore please don't wait around. I'm too lazy and I'd rather enjoy breakfast. You can start any time up to 9:30am and I'm only on the shorter run.

ChrisLewis wrote

Tony hi,

Tuska yes. You?
I did it last year as well.

Yeah I've entered, should be good

How did you get on doing the dragon?

We had a great ride. The heat towards the end was a bit of a struggle but managed to finish the long route so quite pleased with that

I'm having a look at the Provisional Results now, but the site is less than friendly. All I want to know is what position people came out of N finishers. You'd think that wouldn't be too hard...

WIMPS (120km)

1951 Bill Gannon 02:18:30 05:11:10 (84th out of 814)

HARD MEN (180km)

94 Christopher Allen 02:15:24 07:10:06 (437th out of 1544)
2174 Chris Lewis 02:25:22 07:17:15 (524th)
810 Richard Gambling 02:43:32 09:01:16 (1399th)
1630 Tony Roach 02:41:42 09:04:57 (1413th)
2624 David Williams (fixie6) 02:41:41 09:04:57 (1413th)

Sadly no-one seems to be listed by club, so please tell us your race number and we can compile the official results.

There seems to be no sign of Kevin Rattenbury in either list (120km or 180km) not even as a DNF or a DQ, so these are obviously very provisional!

Some photos of the family HERE boys

Quote

1630 Tony Roach 02:41:42 09:04:57 (1413th)
2624 David Williams (fixie6) 02:41:41 09:04:57 (1413th)

So much for my sprint finish

I couldn't work out which Tony in the Wheelers had entered Tuska till i saw Tony Roach in Bill Gannons results listing.
Tuska event is a good laugh.
I hope the legendary Colin Price isn't going to be giving you all his secret tips though!

Dragon ride was very nice, long way though.......I was a little 'tender' Monday morning.
After eating my stock of Bananas from Cray Res I decided not to eat any more Bananas that day...........the large pile of sick someone had deposited on the floor at the entrance to the Cefn Saeson feeding put me off any food there too! (+ I haven't eaten any banas since either!)
Got home - pulled bike out of car.......and the front tyre was flat. Felt lucky.

Bill Gannon wrote

I'm having a look at the Provisional Results now, but the site is less than friendly. All I want to know is what position people came out of N finishers. You'd think that wouldn't be too hard...

Bill, they can't list in order of times because sportif rides skirt a fine line between leisure rides and the heavily regulated road races. A number of riders use sportif rides AS races and the authorities (police etc) are cottoning on to this so to avoid the appearance of a 'race' it is imperative that the results don't list you in a 'position' as you would get in a race.

Doesn't make it easy if you want to compare yourself to others, but, that's why we have TTs and road races I guess!

Davey C wrote

Bill Gannon wrote

I'm having a look at the Provisional Results now, but the site is less than friendly. All I want to know is what position people came out of N finishers. You'd think that wouldn't be too hard...

Bill, they can't list in order of times because sportif rides skirt a fine line between leisure rides and the heavily regulated road races. A number of riders use sportif rides AS races and the authorities (police etc) are cottoning on to this so to avoid the appearance of a 'race' it is imperative that the results don't list you in a 'position' as you would get in a race.

Doesn't make it easy if you want to compare yourself to others, but, that's why we have TTs and road races I guess!

And of course for you testosterone loaded cyclists , there are loads of road races of varying distances ( local ), 50 mile TTs ( local too ! ) , several 100 mile TTs (local again )
AND even a 12 hour race !!

Blimey, I had no idea people were racing each other, honest. I am so naïve. I don't think I followed anybody's wheel once after the first few miles.

I guess these people must start prompt at 8am, not roll up at nearly 9am like I did. I was in a sort of speeding bunch until time came for me to eat my first slice of cake. I can't eat and breathe, and cake does take a bit of munching, so I watched all the people I had just overtaken go past.

Never mind, I had my own back on the other side of the Rhigos as my extra weight and motorbiking savvy made me a demon descender, or at least I would have been if people didn't descend right in the middle of the road, randomly swerving about about as if seemingly trying to occupy it from kerb to kerb. Oh, and car drivers who have great difficulty grasping they are not the fastest vehicles round corners.

After Glynneath my (by then) half a Genoa cake had given me bionic legs. I swept down the valley sitting bolt upright into a headwind, full of energy and with a train of riders clinging to my wheel (one of which told me later that I had saved his life). It was good timing, because this was where I passed Chippo, John Davis and the boys stocking up at the Burger van.

Then I made a big mistake. For some reason I convinced myself not to stop at the Cimla feed station, and that I had enough food and drink to get to the finish. I was wildly wrong, and thus ran out of water just above Cymmer. The sun was at its highest, the shade was non-existent, and the wind had disappeared. Each mile was taking 9 solid minutes grinding up the (rather gentle) slope at 7mph. It was at this point I admitted that sub 5 hours was no longer going to happen. Goodness knows how many miles it takes to the actual summit. It felt like forever.

Sadly no water at the top of the Bwlch either, but it was downhill from there, apart from a mere blip. Legs were starting to hurt by then, and the contact points were shot. However, it was notable how amazingly empty the roads were - most people on the Grand Fondo had yet to arrive. Got passed by a few of the real elites, who would have been setting sub 6 hour times. It's always fun to watch them go.

And then the hardest ride of all. The 8 miles back to my sister's house with my goody bag stuffed up my jersey. Next time can we order cooler weather? 7 hours in that sun is more than my pallid Celtic skin can take.

Quote

I couldn't work out which Tony in the Wheelers had entered Tuska till i saw Tony Roach in Bill Gannons results listing.
Tuska event is a good laugh.
I hope the legendary Colin Price isn't going to be giving you all his secret tips though!

Think I'd still be crap even if he did

My neighbour did the Dragon ride to help in his preparation for the Ironman he's doing, he brought his bike round to me to repair after he collided head on with a car near the end, OUCH! He is fine though.

Steel is real...

Alfie wrote

Steel is real...

Lol, guess what I replaced them with!!!

A pair of forks suitable for 16" wheels? . We saw the rest of those forks and the wheel leaning against a bin at the finish, wondered what had happened.

Brand new wheels I'd just transfered from his new Quintana Roo after I'd sorted him out some carbon Cosmics! Aparently he swerved to avoid a rider who swerved into him, hit a car head on and ended up on the windscreen, crossed the finish line in an ambulance