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

[mike3121]

I've only done about 25 miles training on new road bike, done a lot more on my hybrid. Planning on doing 30+ miles tomorrow to see if I've set bike up properly and get more used to cleats

 

[pubrunner]

Here on the Shropshire/Wales border, we are having a great day weather-wise - i hope it's the same next week ! . . . . . . . though I guess, when we hit the pub(s) afterwards, it won't really matter what the weather's like.

 

[mybike]

The only bit of Rhyl we will see is the shared use cycleway right next to the sea. It's perfectly nice. I dare say if you go a couple of streets inland it may be a bit tatty like a lot of faded seaside resorts. The fancy new bridge we'll take to the Bike Hub café is pretty swish

I was in Rhyl this week. They just started digging up the prom from Splash Point to the Suncentre. (I rode from Prestatyn to Splashpoint no probs.) That may be finished by the time you get there, I think it was supposed to take 2 weeks. However the section from just before Marine Drive to the river is undergoing some work as well. I rode along the pavement but there is reduced width. The new bridge is accessible as is Bike Hub.

When I was there, the section of coast path beyond Bike Hub (I only went as far as Asda) had a great deal of sand on it. OK, I'm pretty inexperienced and on a Tesco Special but I had to walk most of that.

Here's my fave:

and I have now learned what a "revetement" is too

Yeah, I rode along there, between the sand at the top & the slope + the wind blowing sand into my face. I'd love to ride parts of it with you guys, sadly I'm now back dahn souf.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm going to reissue the GPS files next week with a slight Rhyl modification to take into account the above. Bit of a moveable feast it seems so we'll need to make sure we don't blindly follow the route and disappear down a hole in the prom or whatever.

The NCN5 is always a bit sandy as it's right next to the beach. You've just got to watch out for thicker coverings that might catch your bike's wheel. The Prestatyn-Rhyl section is OK so long as you're sensible on the revetment and when I rode Rhyl-Llandudno it was OK too but it changes day by day so let's see. Shouldn't be too bad as it tends to be the stormy weather that deposits most of the sand off the beach

 

[fossyant]

I won't be there next week - wife has booked a night out with friends and we are at a Diabetes event with my lad first thing Sunday morning (wife is regretting this decision as she is at a Greek restraunt until about 2am the night before).

Brief update on the seafront at Rhyl. We rode on it today - there were signs up 'cyclists dismount' but the surface is 95% complete with just a small rough tarmac section - I would expect this to be finished by next week. I went through on the road bike. The storms earlier this week deposited loads of sand on the promenade between Prestatyn and Rhyl - fortunately, it's mostly been cleared this week by JCB's onto the steps for the sea to wash it away. Was clear enough today for a road bike on 23mm tyres. You just have to watch the odd section, and there may be a few bits after Rhyl that may be sandy.

Stopped at The Hub Cafe in Rhyl today - nice stop off point !

 

[nickyboy]

I won't be there next week - wife has booked a night out with friends and we are at a Diabetes event with my lad first thing Sunday morning (wife is regretting this decision as she is at a Greek restraunt until about 2am the night before).

Brief update on the seafront at Rhyl. We rode on it today - there were signs up 'cyclists dismount' but the surface is 95% complete with just a small rough tarmac section - I would expect this to be finished by next week. I went through on the road bike. The storms earlier this week deposited loads of sand on the promenade between Prestatyn and Rhyl - fortunately, it's mostly been cleared this week by JCB's onto the steps for the sea to wash it away. Was clear enough today for a road bike on 23mm tyres. You just have to watch the odd section, and there may be a few bits after Rhyl that may be sandy.

Stopped at The Hub Cafe in Rhyl today - nice stop off point !

What a pity you can't make it. I had you down as one of the fast men designated to keep the wind off the rest of us. I've still got my eye on a few others mind you.
Thanks for the route update. As mentioned I'm going to send out a new gpx with a slight route mod for rhyl. Regarding sand hopefully it'll add to the atmosphere of a seaside ride

 

[BRounsley]

You're my hero, as is anyone else with a CC name vaguely reminiscent of their real name on this ride

b(rian)rounsley ….the pictures is also me …. working in IT you’d think I’d be a bit more security minded with my online data!

 

[Crackle]

I can't actually divulge my identity for reasons of national security. In fact, I'm sending some odd looking unfit guy in my place.

 

[Cubist]

the surface is 95% complete with just a small rough tarmac section

Bit like Huddersfield Rd Ravensthorpe then, except there's more tarmac......

 

[Cubist]

b(rian)rounsley ….the pictures is also me …. working in IT you’d think I’d be a bit more security minded with my online data!

My Avatar is not me, and I'm round rather than cube shaped.....

 

[nickyboy]

b(rian)rounsley ….the pictures is also me …. working in IT you’d think I’d be a bit more security minded with my online data!

Hence me finding you on Strava. I've seen your times......you're definitely at the front if we get a headwind

 

[pubrunner]

. . . I'm sending some odd looking unfit guy in my place.

Ha ! That's my strategy too ! . . . And I don't have to work too hard on it !

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Due to several reasons I've hardly done any training for Saturday, at the weekend I went out on my road bike only to do 5 miles before the creaking from the back wheel turned into spinning legs as the free wheel hub gave up the ghost, so it was a 5 mile push/walk back home to swap to the mountain bike, only to get 3 miles before the back tyre exploded.
So should a brisk 8 mile walk be required on Sat I am well in there, regards riding the first 50miles hopefully that's in the legs from last month, after that it will be down to how many times I can say "are we there yet", as well as how much I can eat in the name of energy for the remaining 50 miles.

 

[Crackle]

Ha ! That's my strategy too ! . . . And I don't have to work too hard on it !

You rode up devils staircase and did the Welsh 100 miler with Guinness in your water bottle and ancient drag inducing shorts. No one actually believes what you say any more.

 

[nickyboy]

Due to several reasons I've hardly done any training for Saturday, at the weekend I went out on my road bike only to get 5 miles in and the creaking from the back wheel turned into spinning legs as the free wheel hub gave up the ghost, so after a 5 mile push/walk back home to swap to the mountain bike, I got 3 miles before the back tyre exploded.
So should a brisk 8 mile walk be required on Sat I am well in there, regards the riding the first 50miles will be in the legs from last month, after that it will be down to how many times I can say "are we there yet", as well as how much I can eat in the name of energy for the remaining 50 miles.

You're officially a Hard Man of the Hills. It's that flat it'll feel like 98 downhill miles to you