My BB200 2020 (may contain spoilers).

[whitestone]

Forgot to add that i got my first ever farmer bollockIng for straying off a trail before builth i'd cued as difficult nav that didn't exist, he came up on a quad but ididn't let on what i doing, he just thought i was a general tw@t! Came down to road with him 0.5m early, was worried about a DQ for that!

Where was this bit?

[redefined_cycles]

Well done for getting to where you did

I believe FP completed it.. Or did I misread his report

[Bearlegged]

The exposure wouldnt turn back on so thought the 2nd light only (needed to use both) wouldn't cut it given the difficulties i faced navigating the open moorland sections between beacons visitor centre and builth together with the very hard going since the rain started forced me into DNF.

[redefined_cycles]

[flyingpig]

Forgot to add that i got my first ever farmer bollockIng for straying off a trail before builth i'd cued as difficult nav that didn't exist, he came up on a quad but ididn't let on what i doing, he just thought i was a general tw@t! Came down to road with him 0.5m early, was worried about a DQ for that!

Where was this bit?

Mile 92-93

Farmer was ok after i confirmed all gates 100% shut (couldn't even open the effers so lifted over! ) and profuse apologies!

[flyingpig]

Superb effort there. The weather really was against you, so even better.

Thank you, I feel honoured!

Thank you for your efforts this year especially, i did actually enjoy this route!

[stevewaters]

Forgot to add that i got my first ever farmer bollockIng for straying off a trail before builth i'd cued as difficult nav that didn't exist, he came up on a quad but ididn't let on what i doing, he just thought i was a general tw@t! Came down to road with him 0.5m early, was worried about a DQ for that!

Well done and thanks for sharing !

That section on the ground looks a bit vague on the satellite photos - The GPX seems to closely follow the mapped bridleway. - What exactly was the farmer complaining about ?

[Richard G]

Where was this bit?

Mile 92-93

Farmer was ok after i confirmed all gates 100% shut (couldn't even open the effers so lifted over! ) and profuse apologies!

Is that 92 miles after your start from Hay, or after the official GPX route start?

With all this talk about that first river crossing, I'm half tempted to drive up and find the damn footbridge that's supposed to be there!

[flyingpig]

92 on original route

[flyingpig]

Forgot to add that i got my first ever farmer bollockIng for straying off a trail before builth i'd cued as difficult nav that didn't exist, he came up on a quad but ididn't let on what i doing, he just thought i was a general tw@t! Came down to road with him 0.5m early, was worried about a DQ for that!

Well done and thanks for sharing !

That section on the ground looks a bit vague on the satellite photos - The GPX seems to closely follow the mapped bridleway. - What exactly was the farmer complaining about ?

I tried to head back up to the line as i had checked it all, had a modified file one one computer and Stu's on another and they were both saying the same line but theres lots of new fencing across route and i couldn't see a gap in it within the range of my lights on full so stayed parallel to another fence. He just moaned about gates and being off bridleway, started aggeesively but soon mellowed with a proper explanation and promise of gates being as they were.

[Mike]

sounds like he will be doing a fair bit of growling then in the next few weeks what with all spread out the month.

[flyingpig]

sounds like he will be doing a fair bit of growling then in the next few weeks what with all spread out the month.

All different times of day and night too

[whitestone]

Sounds like there are gates but perhaps not obvious/easy to spot in the dark. Not that I've had any problems finding gates on previous BB200s

[slarge]

Forgot to add that i got my first ever farmer bollockIng for straying off a trail before builth i'd cued as difficult nav that didn't exist, he came up on a quad but ididn't let on what i doing, he just thought i was a general tw@t! Came down to road with him 0.5m early, was worried about a DQ for that!

Well done and thanks for sharing !

That section on the ground looks a bit vague on the satellite photos - The GPX seems to closely follow the mapped bridleway. - What exactly was the farmer complaining about ?

I tried to head back up to the line as i had checked it all, had a modified file one one computer and Stu's on another and they were both saying the same line but theres lots of new fencing across route and i couldn't see a gap in it within the range of my lights on full so stayed parallel to another fence. He just moaned about gates and being off bridleway, started aggeesively but soon mellowed with a proper explanation and promise of gates being as they were.

We all need to ask him whether the finger posts and signs are/went (in a nice way obviously). And that fencing across bridleway (if that is what has happened) is an offence (geddit?)

[Richard G]

Ahh, just after the "Road to the Three Graves".

Yeah, that's one of the bits it looks most difficult to get a path on. Heatmap wasn't particularly helpful either.

Good to know it's going to be even worse than I expected.

[Alexinthepeaks]

Bollocks bollocks bollocks!

Set off from the Fforest Inn at 6 this morning.

Was making great progress for 120km at 15km/h average.

It was tough but very enjoyable. On the descent just before the Gap i got a log caught in my rear wheel and it bent the mech. But it was just too bad.

I had to bail and plan a route back on the roads. The stinger being i only had 40 11 gearing for 65k and i had to push up so many hills! Still back the the Fforest pub for a pint and pie now. Good luck all, its a cracking route, but bloody tough. I think harder than last year as more off road. Even the road sections were tough going. Top tip....take waterproofs its soaking out there. There were puddles deeper than the stream crossing.

[Richard G]

Was that the 200 Alex?

[flyingpig]

Bollocks bollocks bollocks!

Set off from the Fforest Inn at 6 this morning.

Was making great progress for 120km at 15km/h average.

It was tough but very enjoyable. On the descent just before the Gap i got a log caught in my rear wheel and it bent the mech. But it was just too bad.

I had to bail and plan a route back on the roads. The stinger being i only had 40 11 gearing for 65k and i had to push up so many hills! Still back the the Fforest pub for a pint and pie now. Good luck all, its a cracking route, but bloody tough. I think harder than last year as more off road. Even the road sections were tough going. Top tip....take waterproofs its soaking out there. There were puddles deeper than the stream crossing.

Hard luck, a great effort and speed over that section.

Was that the very rocky descent in the treeline? That was pretty tricky

[Alexinthepeaks]

Bollocks bollocks bollocks!

Set off from the Fforest Inn at 6 this morning.

Was making great progress for 120km at 15km/h average.

It was tough but very enjoyable. On the descent just before the Gap i got a log caught in my rear wheel and it bent the mech. But it was just too bad.

I had to bail and plan a route back on the roads. The stinger being i only had 40 11 gearing for 65k and i had to push up so many hills! Still back the the Fforest pub for a pint and pie now. Good luck all, its a cracking route, but bloody tough. I think harder than last year as more off road. Even the road sections were tough going. Top tip....take waterproofs its soaking out there. There were puddles deeper than the stream crossing.

Hard luck, a great effort and speed over that section.

Was that the very rocky descent in the treeline? That was pretty tricky

Yeah the Switchback descent above Talybont. I was just unlucky and got a branch caught in my wheel. Wheel survived but my mech did not!

[redefined_cycles]

Yeah... branches is something I noticed aswell. Regularly either getting caught in drivetrain or trying to take my eye out. That was over 20 miles, so multiply that by 5 and could be a potential nightmare.

Twas so bad (maybe too strong a term) that usually due to my specs being a bit 'sun-tinted' (to keep everything looking bright and sunny Avi), I have to remove em once the sun goes down. Or else the trails not very clear... I kept em on, on this occassion...

[Richard G]

I know that section well. Proper bobbly.

Normally I'd fly down it, but with my very nervy post accident style I suspect I'll just jump off, suck up the couple of minutes lost and get on with it body & bike intact.

[In Reverse]

Just got back to the car at the Fforest. Pretty ruined

28:01. My sixth BB200 and it might have been the toughest of the lot.

[Richard G]

Just got back to the car at the Fforest. Pretty ruined

28:01. My sixth BB200 and it might have been the toughest of the lot.

Congrats.

Out of interest, how does that compare (time wise) vs your previous runs?

[Alexinthepeaks]

Just got back to the car at the Fforest. Pretty ruined

28:01. My sixth BB200 and it might have been the toughest of the lot.

Good effort!!

[redefined_cycles]

Just got back to the car at the Fforest. Pretty ruined

28:01. My sixth BB200 and it might have been the toughest of the lot.

Quite impressee with myself (edit: goes without saying, impressed with you... that's why I chose you as my mentor remember ). I've not ridden the last 9 or whatever and I deduced from the first 20 miles that it was tough as the 2014 route