This Is Not A Tour - new Audax events in memory of Mike Hall

[Taylor]

What about the northern end of town near the police station?
Looks like plenty of on street parking around there.

[Asposium]

Find it remarkable that parking hasn’t been sorted.

How to pi55 off the locals.

[Blackhound]

There is a campsite / field so you should (?) be able to park there. We are leaving our 'van in the hotel carpark. Don't know the details as Herself has sorted that out for us.

[j.c.gillies]

There is very limited parking at Highland Moors Hotel. Don't park there unless you are staying there. The parking plan kind off went tits up at the last minute. We are exploring options including schools. Keep an eye on the Facebook thread.

[chris n]

Would anyone like a spot on the 300 slow?

Not normally transferable like that, Stu. At this point the brevet cards will probably be printed/stickered with your details and you can't just rock up and take someone else's slot. Email Mark and let him know you're not riding and hopefully your place can be made available if there's a waiting list (though I don't believe there is - some degree of natural wastage is expected on events like this).

[chris n]

Just find a quiet street somewhere Dave and you should be fine.

Wot 'e sed. You won't be able to park in the middle of town, but anywhere else will (probably) be fine.

[Dave Barter]

Keep an eye on the Facebook thread.

Dammit.

[Wilkyboy]

Looks like this at the moment, Dave: (scrollable)

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[j.c.gillies]

[quote="Wilkyboy
That's very nifty @wilkyboy.Thanks!

[j.c.gillies]

Also, if you want a little more off road on the 300, and 400 routes you could divert over the Hergest Ridge on the offas path directly to the West out of Kington. It was on our very first draft route but we removed it through fear of being a bit 'to much' for an audax.

[Wilkyboy]

Also, if you want a little more off road on the 300, and 400 routes you could divert over the Hergest Ridge on the offas path directly to the West out of Kington. It was on our very first draft route but we removed it through fear of being a bit 'to much' for an audax.

And possibly a bit too "family friendly" to share with 200+ tired road cyclists climbing and descending? Although on the 400A(BR) we'd be tackling that in the early dawn.

I'm going to see how my legs feel when we get to Kington, because it would make a brilliant last-hurrah followed by 30km of "fairly flat" to arrivée

[Wilkyboy]

An update for you, Dave — again, scrollable:

Screen Shot 2018-06-01 at 10.28.17.png

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[Dave Barter]

Thanks sadly I'm looking unlikely all down to my "wonderful" clients and their return from bank holiday demands

[ZeroDarkBivi]

New wheels (despatched by courier yesterday) still not here, M5 northbound already stationary, and van parking paranoia all making me re-think this too!

[techno]

I'm in llandrindod now. Weather fine at the moment but rain heading this way. Whats a good pub to shelter in?

[RIP]

"Any"

https://whatpub.com/pubs/RAD/75/arvon-a ... ndod-wells - a micro-pub for a m1cro-adventure

[techno]

"Any"

https://whatpub.com/pubs/RAD/75/arvon-a ... ndod-wells - a micro-pub for a m1cro-adventure

Thanks reg, knew that would be someone's answer!!
Rain has held off anyway.

[slarge]

So completed the fast 400 this morning, what a route, it was truly fantastic. 22 hours of up and down, some flat. A truly magnificant route. I must sa y though that I don't know how anyone could do the 600km route. At 300km, I was looking forward to the finish. Knowing I was only halfway would be tough....

[chris n]

How did everyone else get on? Spent the Saturday stamping cards in the Elan Valley and you all seemed to be having a good time. Met Burty and spotted one other BB jersey, though there may have been more.

[Dyffers]

400 fast completed, later than hoped (comfortably my latest 400k audax finish) but I paced it well and didn't blow up on the never ending climbing. The bacon roll at 11pm at Lake Vnwry shop was immense (eaten whilst walking around to stop the clouds of midges landing), and I particularly enjoyed the last off road section between Tywyn and Dolgellau and descent to James and team at the Dolgellau checkpoint; he gave me his beer which washed down the Chinese takeaway eaten at Tywyn nicely!

Between naps in the shade on Sunday I spoke to a few people at the arrivee that said this was their first 300/400k ride. I cannot think of any other road-biased route as tough to pick for your first at that sort of distance. There was also apparently a 50%+ DNS rate, so perhaps people wanted to #bemoremike in their head but not in their legs when the full sadism of James' routes were released?

I agree with Steve that the 600 would have been a difficult psychological as well as physical challenge; chapeau to the finishers of that. I believe Liam who won the HT550 the other year finished first in about 30 hours good effort.

Maybe Steve could point out the very short section I must've missed that could be called 'flat'. Suprisingly my knees don't hate me today, so 7300m ascent on the Garmin notwithstanding, it can't have been that hard.

Photo of me (on the right) by Jo Page at ChrisN's checkpoint:
DSC_0346 by Jo Page, on Flickr

[chris n]

That shop at Lake Vyrnwy (actually Abertridwr?) doesn't look like much, but served flatland Al and I great fish and chips on the WRT this year.

Jo Page

littlegirlbunny on here

[techno]

I got back from the slow 300 in a leisurely 34hrs. Really enjoyed the ride and the social. Slow time was partially down to my leisurely 8hr bivi with a beer at a scenic spot above Tywyn.
Loved it!

[Taylor]

Didn't come in the end due to the wife having a meltdown about everything I did and the kids did. The kids kindly joined in on the meltdown too so you can imagine how many eggshells I've been walking on.
Gutted to have not come as the weather looked vaguely exciting, just like WRT.

[jameso]

l'm on a very scenic but slightly cramped train through mid Wales now, wondering if my legs will allow me to get off in a couple of hrs time!
Really great event, good crowd from all walks of bike life. And a beer at the finish, perfect. Met a few people there I knew of on here too.

The 600 was a beast and a beauty. My first of that distance and ridden through without more than food stops. I rode the last 350km with Matt, an experienced audaxer, good company and dead-on pace match helped hugely as I'd have found it tough going towards the end if riding solo.
The route had a double crux for me, I think James G knew I was headed for the main one when I mentioned a loose plan during a brief chat at the start. To his credit he didn't spoil any element of adventure for me... and I did end up with peanuts, a mars and a coffee at a pub as a back up dinner plan but that coffee and another soon after in Llanberis (drunk locals and coffee-ordering cyclists, classic Sat night entertainment) set us up for riding through to the end in one go, felt fitting for Mike's event. First proper ride through the night in that style for me. That my only bivi option was a foil emergency bag helped, chosen after reading something recently about 'not giving a tired man choices'. Wise words. I know how that comfy bivi kit of mine whispers cosy things in my ear at 2am

Next year, 400 with a bivi maybe, also fitting and a great way to experience an incredible route. Thanks to all involved with putting it on.

[JackT]

Immense ride James, I can't believe you came in so early. You looked about as empty here as your pint glass.

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A brilliant event, great to see people riding from 100km up t0o 600km all enjoying Wales, cycling, the paths less travelled and remembering Mike.

If it happens again I think the 400km is the route to do - whether fast or slow - as the 600 is a longer version with more main roads thrown in and the 300 is a shorter version with more main roads thrown in. The 400 would make an excellent multi-day cycle camping itinerary too. Some outstanding lanes and tracks.