Manchester - Llandudno 25 April 2015 featuring the Inaugural Hill Climb Sausage Challenge

[Crackle]

Wonder how Nicky and Pale Rider are getting on and will we have to wait until he gets back to find out?

Couldn't have picked a better day. Absolutely windstill on the coast compared to the last few weeks.

 

[I like Skol]

Couldn't have picked a better day.

Yes he could! Tomorrow would have been good, then I could have tagged along.

 

[nickyboy]

It was certainly a very good day for a ride. Bit chilly in the morning but it warmed up. Wind was either a very light tailwind or, amazingly, no wind at all at the coast. Recce done but I have 3 questions that I need local help with before I can publish the route file:

Paging @Donger @Crackle @Ootini @gavroche
Q1

This is part of the route through Connah's Quay. But the road off to the right, which is the route, was blocked off. Any idea if we can get past the blockage and, if not, when is it likely to reopen? As it was blocked we went under the bridge and followed the blue NCN route signs but it wasn't a great route.

Q2

I saw this cyclepath which finished at Ffynnongroyw but I can't get ridewithgps to plot it, instead it keeps choosing the main road which isn't great. Any idea about this cyclepath route?

Q3

This is Rhyl. The coastal path you can see between the road and the sea was blocked at this point. It looked like pedestrians were getting though. Any idea if cyclists can get through and when it will be unblocked?

 

[theclaud]

It was certainly a very good day for a ride. Bit chilly in the morning but it warmed up. Wind was either a very light tailwind or, amazingly, no wind at all at the coast. Recce done but I have 3 questions that I need local help with before I can publish the route file:

Q1
View attachment 82828

This is part of the route through Connah's Quay. But the road off to the right, which is the route, was blocked off. Any idea if we can get past the blockage and, if not, when is it likely to reopen? As it was blocked we went under the bridge and followed the blue NCN route signs but it wasn't a great route.

Q2
View attachment 82829
I saw this cyclepath which finished at Ffynnongroyw but I can't get ridewithgps to plot it, instead it keeps choosing the main road which isn't great. Any idea about this cyclepath route?

Q3
View attachment 82830

This is Rhyl. The coastal path you can see between the road and the sea was blocked at this point. It looked like pedestrians were getting though. Any idea if cyclists can get through and when it will be unblocked?

I don't know the answer to any of this stuff, but are you in touch with Roy Spilsbury? He's the North Wales RTR rep and what he doesn't know probably isn't worth knowing. I can find an email address if it's useful...

 

[nickyboy]

I don't know the answer to any of this stuff, but are you in touch with Roy Spilsbury? He's the North Wales RTR rep and what he doesn't know probably isn't worth knowing. I can find an email address if it's useful...

Please

 

[theclaud]

YHPM...

 

[fossyant]

The A548 you've basically got the main road to Talacre or find some back roads further inland.

Rhyl it's down to the sea defences getting damaged. We rode through last year, but you can use the road and get back on near the sun centre.

 

[nickyboy]

The A548 you've basically got the main road to Talacre or find some back roads further inland.

Rhyl it's down to the sea defences getting damaged. We rode through last year, but you can use the road and get back on near the sun centre.

Thanks. Regarding Rhyl I'll mod the route slightly. Regarding the A548 here's a screenshot of the cyclepath I'm on about. It seems to go a fair way but the mapping seems to be missing so any ideas would be welcome. It looks like the local authority wants us to cycle on the pavement on the right and then duck off when a cyclepath is there. I'd like this idea as the A548 is probably the low point of the ride
@Ootini any ideas re this cyclepath? I also found this link about another cyclepath

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-27996512
It isn't mapped so I didn't use it but it would be great as it reduces the time on the A548 so any info on it would be of great help

 

[Pale Rider]

Well that was fun.

My recce report must begin with thanks to Nick for leading me on a very enjoyable ride.

With my modest level of fitness, it would have been irresponsible to use my Cannondale mountain bike, so I deployed my AVE/Bosch ebike in an attempt to level the playing field.

It's road legal, so no ball of fire, and the motor cuts out at 15mph, leaving me with 20kg+ of bicycle to propel on my own for some of the time.

Group riding is about compromise, and we managed well with Nick riding slower than he otherwise would, and me pushing as hard as I reasonably could.

We met at Manchester Piccadilly at 8.45am and set off a few minutes later.

Thanks at this point go to @400bhp who has donated his obviously well-honed commuter route to get the ride on the way to Altrincham.

There are lots of turnings along the route, so Nick's advice to use a GPS device or stick with someone who has one is sound.

The tea van at Marbury is not there during the week, and Nick had taken the trouble to research a bakery/cafe nearby for our elevenses.

There are one or two climbs around this point, but nothing that should trouble a rider who has taken on a 100 mile ride.

Our only mechanical was a puncture for Nick somewhere near the appropriately named Flint, because that is probably what it was.

A couple of the cycle/pedestrian bridges are worth a mention.

One has a nasty, steep, cobbled ramp at the end, which would be easy to come across unawares.

The other bridge is very narrow, fine for a road bike, but anyone with wide mountain bike bars will have to hoik them above the handrail.

It became apparent that we (I) was not going to make Llandudno for a 5pm train.

A decision was taken to head for Rhyl and pick up the train there.

I refuse to use the term bail out because that makes it sound a failure - any 80+ mile ride in good company cannot fairly be described as that.

But if you all pile up on some unforeseen hazard between Rhyl and Llandudno, it will be my fault.

Lunch was to be at Eureka, but it was closed.

Even with the extra time afforded by not stopping there, I had to push as hard as I had all day to chalk off the miles to Rhyl.

I was helped by the near flat terrain and no wind.

Nick was kind enough to pronounce my pace for this stretch as 'pretty good'.

There is some main road/dual carriageway for a few miles, but it's all but unavoidable and I like variety in a ride.

We reached Rhyl with about 15 minutes to spare, which was enough to buy some comestibles for the train journey.

I clocked 84 miles for an elapsed time of about 8hrs 30mins.

My moving average was just over 10mph, which I was a bit underwhelmed by given I had been trying a bit.

Nick pointed out the stops in the town and city stretches were part of the reason.

I mention average speed and time taken for those who are not super fit and who have a train to catch at Llandudno.

There was still 16 miles to go from Rhyl, so the full ride would have taken me the best part of ten hours - and that's without a lunch stop and in favourable conditions.

It's a smashing ride and I don't want to put anyone off, but I know Nick is keen for everyone to be as fully informed as possible in advance so they can predict how their day will pan out.

There is nothing to be scared of, so I'm sticking with my original opinion of this being a time in the saddle challenge, rather than an aerobic one.

I hope you all have a great time - with Nick's research to guide you, you have every chance.

 

[Crackle]

Roy spilsbury does have a website which is useful

http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/index.html

 

[fossyant]

You are looking at mainly the A548 from Greenfield to Talacre. The cycle lane is a few hundred yards and I'd personally use the main road. There are a couple of 50mph dual carriageway sections but the rest is 40. My only comment is its a bit boring but in a group you'll not notice due to chatting. There isn't much of an alternative other than slightly further in land and it's very lumpy with lots of little lanes and steep climbs

 

[nickyboy]

You are looking at mainly the A548 from Greenfield to Talacre. The cycle lane is a few hundred yards and I'd personally use the main road. There are a couple of 50mph dual carriageway sections but the rest is 40. My only comment is its a bit boring but in a group you'll not notice due to chatting. There isn't much of an alternative other than slightly further in land and it's very lumpy with lots of little lanes and steep climbs

Thanks. I personally found the A548 OK. A bit boring but OK. I'm just trying to give alternatives if some participants feel a bit nervous on a busy-ish road. I guess people will have to keep their eyes peeled as there are cycleway options for quite a bit of it but they're not well signoposted and sometimes on the far side of the road.

 

[Kestevan]

I have a sneaking suspicion I'll not be making this ride (although I'm still hopeful).
I'm still recovering from knee surgery and to be honest I'm struggling to ride more than about 5 miles on the flat at the moment..... Suspect the chances of being able to ride a century in any sort of comfort in 4 weeks will be slim....... but we'll see.

 

[I like Skol]

I have a sneaking suspicion I'll not be making this ride (although I'm still hopeful).
I'm still recovering from knee surgery and to be honest I'm struggling to ride more than about 5 miles on the flat at the moment..... Suspect the chances of being able to ride a century in any sort of comfort in 4 weeks will be slim....... but we'll see.

Come on, man-up! Turns out I broke my knee 4 weeks ago and it won't stop me

 

[Kestevan]

Come on, man-up! Turns out I broke my knee 4 weeks ago and it won't stop me

Yeah..... but to be fair... you are bloody daft