Welcome to the forum
Audax: BCM 600km 19th/20th May
It was Friday evening, so inevitably I was in a Travelodge on the Welsh border preparing for another long bike ride.
This time it was the "big one", the Bryan Chapman Memorial (also known as the BCM600), a 621km / 387 mile audax classic from Chepstow to Anglesey and back! Even I'll admit this one was quite a long way and a bit of a challenge.
You're wondering how much suffering went on this time, aren't you?
This time it was the "big one", the Bryan Chapman Memorial (also known as the BCM600), a 621km / 387 mile audax classic from Chepstow to Anglesey and back! Even I'll admit this one was quite a long way and a bit of a challenge.
You're wondering how much suffering went on this time, aren't you?
Comments
Without Robbie to slow me down (ha ha), I latched on to the front group out of Chepstow and I was hoping to get a good fast tow to North Wales! Most of the peleton passengers were ejected on the massive hill straight out the door (Wales is hilly, have I mentioned that before?) and the resulting group of 8 of us made excellent progress on the super smooth A40 and A479. The long climb over the Black Mountains tested everyone but we stayed together to Bronllys (72km), the first cafe stop. No suffering yet.
I'm not quite sure why a group that has worked well together doesn't decide to stick together, but it never happens. Some people stop and some want to crack on. I sort of did both, bolting down toast and jam and put cake in my back pocket. I set off alone but then decided to roll along and wait for the next two riders to catch back up. One of these guys was from Cambridge CC (Nick Jackson, maybe you know him?).
We did a 3-up TT along a quiet main road as it tracked the River Wye, gradually ascending for over 40km virtually to the river's source on Plynlimon. We ran out of river valley here and our escape was a long alpine style climb. A swift descent followed straight away by a 4km brute out of Ponterwyd, got us to Nant Yr Aran (154km) for much needed food. I was suffering a tiny bit, as my two companions were both stronger than me.
We had been waiting for the day to warm up but that was never going to happen in the mountains and we decided to layer up temporarily, as the 11km fast descent from the control wasn't going to help matters. After Machynlleth we took on another long climb, this time a winding, forested affair to Corris before plunging back down to gaze up at the stunning spectacle of Cadair Idris, our first high mountain. One final climb over the mountain's shoulder and then down, down, down to Dolgellau and our next stop. They make you work for your food on this ride, though, as the control at Kings YH (225km) was up a 20% hill.
We'd done 140 miles in 8 hours and that was shifting it a bit given the terrain and two cafe stops. I'd suffered on the last climb and was mildly bonking. That was a tad worrying given there was still nearly 250 miles to go and Snowdonia lay ahead of me! Large quantities of food and a steadier pace would be required on the way to the Menai Bridge. As it turned out, I rode most of the next 200 miles on my own. I even had a plan to get back on terms with the fast guys...
The next leg was the "Queen" stage. From Dolgellau, the route went first to Barmouth via a quirky wooden toll bridge across the Afon Mawddach estuary, followed by a nice coastal ride along to Harlech and views of it's magnificent cresent shaped beach. This gentle interlude was brought to an end at Penrhydeudraeth. The steep climb out of town proved my refueling effort had been only partially successful. Rounding the bend at the top, I experienced both wonderment and mild fear when a jaw-dropping vista of Snowdonia appeared before me. I forced down another energy bar.
The gateway town was Beddgelert, a pleasant enough tourist trap. From there I climbed, gently at first, with Llyn Dinas and Llyn Gwynant on my right and views of Snowdon on my left. After Llyn Gwynant, my pace slowed as the gradient steepened and with very high mountains all around, I'm looking for my exit. Although I know Llanberis Pass, I still sucked my teeth when I saw the tiny cars climbing an impossible ledge high above me! I picked up another rider at this point. This seemed to rouse him out of his apparent lethargy and we had this funny slow-motion race all the way to the top. (He won. Just).
The descent down to Llanberis village is one of my favourites. It's twisty and technical with enclosing stone walls all the way down, but if you know it, there aren't any dangerous corners so it's a great descent to attack! I can descend this quicker than cars and I overtook a couple on the way down. You always get some funny looks when they catch you back up at the bottom!
As this is the 21st century and everything has to be easier, the route didn't go back over Llanberis Pass like it has done in the past. Instead it went around the low side of Snowdon alongside the picturesque Llyn Cwellyn. Although the day had been cloudy and the high mountains had been shrouded in mist, it was brighter now. A lovely red glow, provided by the setting sun, lit up the underside of the dark clouds. I had to keep looking behind me for this wonderful view of the mountains as I made my way back through Beddgelert and Penrhydeudraeth.
As dusk turned to night I climbed once more, this time a sapping and unrelenting 8km up to Trawsfynydd. I had a bar and gel and a short rest at the top, my breath floating away as mist. Then I switched on my main front lights for the 16km descent back down to Dolgellau. I've got good lights (I use a pair of Fenix PD32 torches) but it was still difficult gauging how fast it was safe to go. Time and again, I'd pick up great speed, before using my brakes, only to let go and chase another dose of adrenaline. Descending in the pitch dark is both exhilarating and frightening in equal measure.
I was soon back at the Kings YH (397km), the night time control point. (That 20% hill needed climbing for a 2nd time). It was only 10.55pm and I felt OK and I thought it too early to stop for sleep. I don't sleep much on these events, anyway. I only usually take a couple of hours, if that. The fast boys, there were about 5 of them I think, were tucked up in bunks for a couple of hours. I had always planned to carry on and sleep at the next control around dawn. I asked the controller when the others were being woken and then asked him how much money he wanted to wake them later than planned!
I set off again just before midnight. I was well aware there was a horrible climb out of Dolgellau on the A470 with a nasty 14% section tagged on the end of 9 kms of up. Soul destorying stuff in the middle of the night when you're at your lowest. I have my Garmin faintly glowing during the night for company, but the fact that it was recording me at 6km/h wasn't that helpful really. Thankfully, after another steep drop, the main road followed a couple of river valleys and the terrain became easier. Saying that, it still wasn't easy. Staying alert was now my problem. I resorted to singing loudly. My favourite tune for this occasion is the "Good Ship Venus" (the Sex Pistols version, better known as something else!). Crude, but effective and always hilarious when sung by a group of cyclists during the night in the middle of nowhere!
I finally made it to Aberhafesp (461km) just before 3am where I had to wake the controllers who were fast asleep. This was the official breakfast stop, so I had some excellent porridge and bacon sandwiches. Then I got my head down and dozed for about an hour. It was much quieter here than it would have been back at the YH where riders would be arriving throughout the night. When I awoke only a couple of the fast guys had arrived, so all was still quiet. I had some more food and waited for the first sign of dawn.
Eventually the dark lifted and I departed for Newtown and after that came the longest climb of the entire ride. 12km with numerous false summits. At 5 in the morning, just not what you need when you're still half-asleep and by now thoroughly wrecked. This was followed by a long cold descent (22km!) with animals strategically positioned on all the blind bends. Sheep, wild horses and at one point 3 large cows were just standing in the middle of the road. And no I wasn't hallucinating. Down in Knighton, I stopped at a shop for cake and drank a pint of milk.
I admit it, I was struggling now. Intense tiredness, sore backside, sore shoulder, numb feet, painful indigestion and now add very cold to the ever growing list of woes. Was this fun? No, but it does make you feel alive! I dug deep and carried on. I certainly wasn't riding fast anymore. Barely rolling along more like it. Every minor hill became a mountain, every poor section of road surface a huge personal affront. I was also riding here in filthy, muddy farm lanes. Actual lawn was growing up the middle of one of them! I was relieved to eventually reach Weobley (541km), the penultimate control, after what seemed like an interminable length of time.
It took quite a long time to escape the bench, but we did and we were on our way again with renewed hope that this would all end soon. Things were fine at first as we worked together on the flat and our speed picked up considerably. Heading for Monmouth on the A466, though, the road turned nasty and that was it for me. I blew big time on the steep climb to Llancloudy and nearly had to walk the final section it hurt so much. I got some recovery time down through Monmouth and along the gentle downhill into the beautiful Wye Valley to Tintern. One final climb remained of about 4km. I went for it, squeezing out a final energy burst. And after that it was just a small roll back to the finish at Chepstow.
Arriv
this is the warm up to the 100 col event to come.
(Don't know where you found the energy for it but great write up)
Shaun, this is incredible!!!
Martin, Mark, Peter; can you imagine doing L'Etape du Dales three times in a row?
Maybe in 2013?
Daniel
Incredible effort Shaun - are you made out of carbon fibre?
Good luck with the 100 cols!
PS loved the write up, dissapponited there's no mention of any farm animals and priates this time.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/180606289
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/180606249
Well done Sean - Epic stuff again and a great write-up too.
Cheers
Vic
Vicky
It doesn't seem to matter what ride you are on whether a simple easy club ride, a nasty boy ride or this extreme cycling. You always pitch your effort and pace it right. Simply the best. A true club rider in the best sense. CCA are lucky you chose to join.