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Dragon Ride 2013
What a fantastic way to spend a day!
TBH I had been worrying a bit about this ride as I really hadn't put the right amount of preparation in but so glad I entered and went for the Gran Fondo. I'm sitting sipping (well quaffing) a well deserved beer in the excellent hotel that Shaun & Jane recommended and feeling pretty pleased with myself despite the aching muscles (& sunburnt calves - doh forgot to put suncream there)
There's no question that the climbs are hard, it's been the toughest event I've done since I started cycling. That said, with the exception of Devils Elbow and a few little kicks they had a completely different character to the Chilterns last week. Much longer drags but just needed to pick the right pace and get a rhythm and they eventually got eaten up.
The pay off for the hard hills was the fantastic descents - amazing fun as the road surfaces were pretty good in the main and visibility was excellent - I learnt a lot about getting down hills fast today too.
Other good things about this ride - the scenery was awesome, locals were welcoming, organisation was good if a little bit over the top.
I think there were only three of us on the Gran Fondo in the end - I saw Jane briefly at the halfway foodstop then shortly afterwards Shaun & Jane passed me, Shaun giving me a welcome little push as he went past. I saw Geoff118 & I guess TomH as I was getting ready for the start but looking forward to hearing how the others got on.
TBH I had been worrying a bit about this ride as I really hadn't put the right amount of preparation in but so glad I entered and went for the Gran Fondo. I'm sitting sipping (well quaffing) a well deserved beer in the excellent hotel that Shaun & Jane recommended and feeling pretty pleased with myself despite the aching muscles (& sunburnt calves - doh forgot to put suncream there)
There's no question that the climbs are hard, it's been the toughest event I've done since I started cycling. That said, with the exception of Devils Elbow and a few little kicks they had a completely different character to the Chilterns last week. Much longer drags but just needed to pick the right pace and get a rhythm and they eventually got eaten up.
The pay off for the hard hills was the fantastic descents - amazing fun as the road surfaces were pretty good in the main and visibility was excellent - I learnt a lot about getting down hills fast today too.
Other good things about this ride - the scenery was awesome, locals were welcoming, organisation was good if a little bit over the top.
I think there were only three of us on the Gran Fondo in the end - I saw Jane briefly at the halfway foodstop then shortly afterwards Shaun & Jane passed me, Shaun giving me a welcome little push as he went past. I saw Geoff118 & I guess TomH as I was getting ready for the start but looking forward to hearing how the others got on.
Comments
Wiggle put on a first rate event and the route was truly spectacular, with great challenging climbs and some fast descents. I'm sure it would have been different on a typical Welsh day, but clear skies and 20 degrees was a stroke of luck that I would never have bet on.
There were a few nasty crashes that serve as a reminder to take the riding seriously; nothing casual about this one. That said, I would put this at the top of the list for anyone looking to make the 'step up' out of the rolling East Anglian hills.
Adam
As the others have all posted the ride was epic and nothing in east anglia can prepare you for the sheer scale of the climbs and descents. Having said that we all managed to do rather well on the climbs as we overtook most people on them. However on the downhills I have no shame in admitting that i was poor and everyone came past me again :-(
Highlight of the ride for me had to be the breathtaking view from the top of Rhigos mountain and feeling like we truly were in the Alps as we climbed the switchbacks.
We even had a quick picnic stop with David's parents on top of Rhigos.
Congrats to the rest of CCA that were there for slaying the mighty dragon :-)
Think I'm going to have to do this next year.
Adam
The Bwlch was my favourite, especially looking down into the Rhondda having spent 30mins climbing out of it and of course that 20-mile, grin-inducing, final descent back to sea level. The bit I most want to forget is 1/2 way up the Rhigos where I ran out of non-hurting body parts to favour. OMG
There were locals parked in random lay-bys and equipped with deck chairs, so they could sit and watch thousands of riders go by. Just about every pedestrian I saw cheered us loudly on. And most amazingly of all, I lost count of the number of car drivers who stopped to give up their right of way and wave us through. Yesterday, Wales felt like one of the most hospitable countries on the planet ... though of course, it could just be that freakishly hot weather does that to Welsh people!
Big thank you to Shaun for his expert support and the god of Welsh weather, both of whom did a fine job on Sunday