Dragon Ride - Got out of jail

[Mike I]

Huw - fine by me. Just make sure you get your subs to iron out the typo.

[adrian]

Picture of you [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/27172428@N00/616113482/]here[/url], Mike. I myself was cruelly omitted

[huw williams]

Cheers, will do - although they're not welsh speaking, but I spotted the Cw(m) typo

The bit where you turned left at the bottom of the Bwlch and rode up to the bottom of the Rhigos - that's the top of the Rhondda Valley - if you'd turned left instead of going up the hill you'd have come to the top of the valley, Blaenrhondda, in about a mile and a half - and that's where I come from.

The temptation to turn off and go home yesterday was strong.

If it had been raining I think I might have succumbed.

[huw williams]

Pictures

Should be up on Phil O connors site on wednesday/thursday (he's got thousands to download)

He had a sidekick too so there should be a few different locations covered.

You'll all be glad to know that he WAS at the top hairpin second time up the Bwlch - its gonna be UGLY!

[Graham O]

Huw...On the subject of cramp...

I read last weeks article in Cycling Weekly. I think that its down to a slight change in my riding position. I was a little worried before the ride as I had quite bad cramp on the way to brighton last week. The discomfort in my legs didn't go away until about wednesday, so I may have done some damage somewhere.

Additionally, my seat height / position may be slightly wrong. I think that I am using the muscles which are cramping slighly differently. I need to work on it I think...

Any how - I felt a real sense of achievement at the end. Would love to do a few more and hopefully ride to my potential...

Ta,

Graham.

[huw williams]

That would make sense

With the kind of riding you've done over the past few months there's no way you should be cramping after 50k of the Dragon ride at the pace we were going. So I can only agree its probably a positional thing.

[Phil L]

Message for Marco: "Andy from the Archers" sends his regards. I was cycling with him for a while - he spotted my ACC jersey and was curious to whether you were still with us. "In spirit but not so much in body" I replied or something along those lines.

[Sylv]

A marshall at the start seeing my jersey said "Addiscombe - that's a name from the past!" - to which I replied it was also very much a name of the present

And message for Alex P - a guy from Medway Velo says hi.

[-Adam-]

Not being funny like but them degreaser sachet things have been around for a while now. And ive gotta say if you can read, and you still missed the bit that says 'do not eat', well, little sypathy. Sounds like an excuse to bail out of the ride to me

Anyhow, well done guys, sounds like i missed a good ride.

[adrian]

People only got given their goodie bag when they'd handed in their transponder chip thing, ie after the ride. Apart from anything else, what people are doing wolfing down (what they imagine to be) energy gels post-ride is beyond me.

[Toks]

Hey well done everyone! some seriously good times there. Mr Apples you're looking good for the big one Sir ...I told Jason that he was a Northernwus boy if he couldn't win the Dragon Ride. Here's his story

The de-greaser gel was an attempt at the ethnic cleansing of sportif riders. Nice irony - Came in a bag from a company called Lifeforce - Immune Bank Systems.

Weekend a roger nightmare, the evening before the ride I realised I'd left my helmet on the top of the car leaving London (yes, my lovely new Atmos RIP ) which is now either in bits under a truck on the M4 or being used as a dog muzzle in Enfield. Anyway, no helmet no ride. Then accidentally damaged another car in bridgend (I dont know how many ££££ to rectify that one), very black mind the night before.

Still went to the event in the morning and (thankfully) managed to borrow a helmet form the wife of a divorced ex-husbands adulterer who was the identical twin niece of the organiser (couldn't quite work it out) who lived across town from the event (enormously grateful). All this meant that I started from the very back after waiting and didn't get the chance to do any chaingang/draft riding to storm through it with the groups who would have started near the front. But just looked on site and I did the 200k in 6h01m, which I was pleased with for pretty much a solo ride (with the exception of being in a small group on the final descent of the Bwlch and a small group I left about 15 miles before). The last climb up the Bwlch was a bastard and the hill out of Neath completely unreasonable after that distance. No idea what the best time was, results seem unfiltered. I guess sportif times are odd anyway, for one I've no idea how much time I spent at traffic lights/avoiding sheep etc.

Oh, managed to go off course AGAIN this year, just near the end . If I hadnt done this I would have done sub 6hrs. I need a white stick.

In reply I wrote

Well done mate all that drama and you still managed to come 3rd The two ahead of you were obviously working together while you effectively did a 200k TT.

1st Micheal Briars 5.59.58
2nd Adrian Lee 5.59.59
3rd Jason Pidd (mosquito bikes) 6.01.42

[Mike I]

[quote]You'll all be glad to know that he WAS at the top hairpin second time up the Bwlch - its gonna be UGLY!

[Snoop Doug]

This is a fantastic effort - and these write ups are superb! I can almost smell the degreaser - y'all must be very proud (of doing the ride that is, not eating the degreaser).

Snoop

[Sylv]

Hey well done to Jason! We met on the start-line and when he asked how I was planning to ride I realised I hadn't actually been giving it a thought! But after a few minutes when I saw him shooting off to the front of our 100-riders group which was already far ahead, I realised this was the thing to do in order to be able to ride within a group at decent speed.

It was odd though because even at the front it wasn't that fast, and then soon after leaving them behind you'd come across the back of another starting group, a pattern that repeated itself time and time again (given that we'd started about 45" after the first wave). Often it would be tempting to sit in with them, but you had to just keep going overtaking.

A lot has been said already very accurately about the ride, places and weather - so just a few notes:

- I was staying in Porthcawl which was much nicer than Bridgend (the Italian restaurant there the evening before the ride was good though- I really didn’t need that desert though!)

- like many I had overdressed and was wearing 3/4 bibs, thick wool socks and overshoes, liner + ss jersey + armwarmers, and full-fingered gloves. I was really hot in times especially the feet and could also feel the added weight of the bulky overshoes.

- I didn't stop at the first feedstation, as had a full bag of jelly babies and not even finished the first of my two 750ml bottles. Sweated loads on the next two climbs though, and soon ran out of fluids, which meant I couldn't eat either. Big thanks to Chris who let me have 1/2l from one of his bottles, not sure in what state I'd've made it to the second stop there. I don't want to see another jelly baby until the next 200k ride now. Oh wait this might be next weekend.

- There was a queue for drinks there and when Chris realized he’d gotten some road rash through his shorts after his low-speed fall we waited for him to be patched in the ambulance.

- Also rode lots of it solo in the first half, but after mentioned food stop at about 103km, found myself within a good group of four, taking turns in the drops, great work. At some point one of us, a small, super light guy took his turn in a steep downhill – he was pedaling hard but everyone behind him were having to use their brakes . We kept overtaking people and at some point some must have latched onto our group, as there were still only four of us taking turns, but when I turned back we were towing at least 15 other riders A bit like in that certain TdF advert

- When we got to the steepest climb of the race though (after a village), all but the light guy and me fell behind. Stuck with him doing most of the work to the second time up Bwylch, where he slowly gained terrain not to be seen again.

- Lost about 5 minutes fiddling with my saddle bag twice having to stop, it would reverse itself around the strap and end up dangling from the saddle, held only be the safety pin I thankfully used for … safety. Last time was 5 miles from the finish and I couldn’t be bothered to stop again, as was having a good ride with another strong riders I met after stopping the second time. Out of the saddle it would act like a very annoying pendulum.

- Riding time was about 6h15 and average speed 31.6km/h – reflecting the fact that the course was not all that hilly in the end. But a great ride and well marshaled event. Didn't feel great at any point, but not too bad either, except when I was riding without drink.

- drove back early this morning with Hal, and the rain didn't stop for a second almost all the way to London. Lots of it

[Andy S]

What a great ride and well done to all who took part - and there were a few of us. I only did the Gentlemen’s route but still found it a challenge.

Like most I completely over dressed for the occasion expecting rain, rain and more rain. However, the weather couldn’t have been better – no rain, no wind, not too hot.

Was a bit late arriving at the start so couldn’t group up with the other guy’s. The start was gentle but I was starting to boil before we’d even gone five or six miles, fortunately a set of red lights gave me the opportunity to strip off my rain jacket before starting the Afan Valley. First run up the Bwlch was great, nice long drag and not too steep – was glad to see the top though where I waited for a pal to catch up only to lose him again on the descent.

Climb up the Rhigos was ok except I decided to take on some gell before starting the climb and the packet split covering me and the bike with sticky goo, rode the rest glued to my handlebars – literally!! With my pal no where in sight I rode like crazy to catch a useful looking group only to get stopped at a set of red lights just after I cought them – all that work for nothing. Stayed with this group through the feed station (where we all lost a load of time queuing for very diluted energy drink) and down to Neath picking up a load of riders on the way. There must have been fifteen to twenty of us until the climb back over to Afan which split us to pieces, easily the steepest climb of the ride.

Second time up the Bwlch was not quite the breeze of the first time round. Ended up working on my own (everyone else was either slower or tearing past me) or so I thought. When I finally got to the top I found I had dragged two other riders up, who graciously thanked me for getting them over the top. We worked together back down to Bridgend picking up a few on the way, stormed into the town as fast moving train towing each other along. 84 miles - 5:23 official, 5:09 ride time.

Was really pleased with my performance and with the ride – definitely one for next year, maybe even the long route.

Andy S