2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 9, 2013 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Anyone fancy the Etape Cymru on Sunday 8th September? I am thinking about driving down on the Saturday and stopping Saturday night and possibly Sunday at a nearby campsite. I hope to have the campervan set up for 4-people plus bikes by then. http://www.etape-cymru.co.uk/ Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2024 Subscriptions Darryl Gunson Posted April 9, 2013 2024 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Hmm. Sounds great Tom. Could ne tempted. How's the shoulder? Are you back in the saddle yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Fox Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Pencil me in for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 10, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Getting there Darryl. 3rd week appointment on the 16th. Should be knitted together by then and the next few weeks are for regaining mobility and rebuilding strength. I've been on the turbo every second or third day and it no longer hurts when holding the hoods. I'll leave the drops to next week. All will be well for Majorca! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al yuille Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 I believe there is a post about this ! Looks good to me. Alternative was do it as club run ( see Fixed Date Runs) but not much interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 10, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Al It is the closed roads and the descents that appeal to me. Shame that I'll have to climb the hills to reach them! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GEORGE DONNELLY Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Wife's birthday. So it's a maybe..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 11, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 11, 2013 George It is Wales - hills aplenty. How many birthdays per year does your wife have? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GEORGE DONNELLY Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 George It is Wales - hills aplenty. How many birthdays per year does your wife have? Tom Tom, being married to a big hunk like me means every day is like her birthday. I'm a great cook, handy with a trowel, an attentive listener, my ironing skills have to be seen to believed and I'm a great winch. She's truly blessed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreigS Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 Ohohohoh George I love Ye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 18, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 Ok guys I have entered this now. Room for 1-3 others. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted May 7, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted May 7, 2013 Ok guys campervan now setup. It takes four people including bikes. Van sleeps one below and one in roof. Awning sleeps two. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted September 9, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Billed as the toughest sportive in Britain and I am not going to argue. Departing from Bangor on Dee racecourse the weather was very cold with a watery sun promising its best but delivering very little by way of heat. Started off with the usual frantic pace as the first 2.5km was somewhere between flat and downhill. It was then that the course began to live up to its name. What followed was as close to an alpine climb as can be found in Britain measuring about 22km with a few very short and very fast downhill sections in between. The descent from the peak was brilliant. 2km of fairly narrow roads, several corners but good sight lines and good tarmac and closed roads. This is where I hit my maximum speed for the day of 65kph. Could have gone a bit faster but it became quite busy near the bottom. Next came the (in)famous horseshoe pass. 6km climb measuring 10-12% in places. Geraint Thomas's time of 14mins and 22secs was never in any doubt; although I did match the 22 seconds by reaching the top in 25 mins and 22 seconds. It was tough in places but overall only marginally tougher that Crow Road. I thought well if that's the famed horseshoe pass over and done then I should be okay. Of course this was only twenty five miles in so perhaps I should have realised that I was getting ahead of myself. And I was because then came the C11s cousin which was very tough into an icy head wind. Another quick descent and then the C11's big cousin; I sure mine wasn't the only voice calling out for my mum! It was only 5km with an average gradient of 5% but there were several 12% and above sections which had my legs screaming at me and wondering why they had been forced to drive 300 miles south then get up at 5:30 in the morning to do this cycling malarkey instead of lying in bed. This brought me tiredly to the third feed stop. Not much point in hanging around as it was still only 8C with a chilly wind to boot. Cheese toasties were a brilliant idea and made a welcome change to sweet gels and energy drink. Another tiring 6km drag and I am wondering if I will make it to the end, still 50 km to go. At the top of this climb some kind soul had put the inspiring message "cheer up, the worst is still to come". He wasn't lying. After another fast descent the next climb seemed to be never ending with the first 2km of 10-12% with little 5-6% respites. It never fails to amaze me how 6% suddenly become easy after a prolonged effort at 10%. Eventually things levelled off to a more manageable 3-4% which seemed to continue to the top of what was now a very dark and very cloudy world. Oh deep joy, freezing rain for the next 3 miles was just about enough to make me throw my bike off the mountain. It was only the realisation that, without it, I would have to walk that prevented me from doing so. From here I finally found a group that I could keep up with, probably because the final 10 miles only involved some short climbs and flat to rolling, which we covered in just under 30 minutes. There was the obligatory sprint to the line where I only just made the podium, stealing third by a tyre width. An epic ride, tougher than Flanders. I made it 2900m of climbing which is still 1000m short of the Nove Colli but the compressed distance and the fact that you were either climbing or descending with little in between did make it a tough ride. Richard, Gummers, chung and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions thejanullrichdietplan Posted September 9, 2013 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Sounds great (although absolutely horrible at the same time!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al yuille Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Nice one Tom. Sounds like a nice route for summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Elaine Muirhead Posted September 9, 2013 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Well done Tom. Sounds like a tough weekend. E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EPCC Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 What you never got lost Sorry don't believe it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted September 10, 2013 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Signposted and lots of other riders to follow ........ and of course the post Flanders Garmin to keep me right!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest George Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 Well done, Tom. Cycling is a rewarding sport, as it's horrible at the time but you attain great satisfaction after the event Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul C Posted September 11, 2013 Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 Tom, Great report! Reading it while I am languishing in the Carmargue (on business) just south of Arles. 25 C, clear blue sky and very, very flat - just wish I had my bike here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2024 Subscriptions Darryl Gunson Posted September 11, 2013 2024 Subscriptions Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 Nice one Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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