- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Reading all your reports I feel even more gutted that I missed out. I'm determined to get to this next year!!
Manchester - Llandudno: Saturday May 13
- Thread starter nickyboy
- Start date
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I was idly wandering whether Press dat in golf course, which looked quite nice, would let a holiday hacker like me onto their nice looking greens. it seems they will if I hand over the readies, though the stumbling block would be the dress code. I think I'd struggle to look like a golfer which the dress code clearly indicates I should. Anyway, this is the bit which caught my eye
The prevailing south west winds are a feature of the course and the low punched shot is often a very useful addition to the player's repertoire.
Keep it down or your ball will end up in Talacre and nothing about farkin easterlies!
The prevailing south west winds are a feature of the course and the low punched shot is often a very useful addition to the player's repertoire.
Keep it down or your ball will end up in Talacre and nothing about farkin easterlies!
OP
OP
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
Anymore moaning about the wind and you'll be getting a low punched shot
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
So, what date for next year's wind-assisted Llandudno to Manchester ride ...? 
(Manchester on a Saturday night looked quite exciting in a 'drunks staggering across the road in front of cyclists' way!)
(Manchester on a Saturday night looked quite exciting in a 'drunks staggering across the road in front of cyclists' way!)
Haha. You keep bringing it up. If you just said "I'll give you 25 miles of soul destroying headwind, and I'll give you fish/scampi and chips, maybe" at least we'd know the score.
I for one look forward to next year's moaning and grumbling.
OP
OP
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
Reading all your reports I feel even more gutted that I missed out. I'm determined to get to this next year!!
Actually I enjoyed the ride the most of the three editions thus far. I don't know if it was because the weather was better this year, or I was more relaxed having done it twice before or because there were no serious problems this year. But I definitely enjoyed it immensely and the very supportive comments from everyone who took part make it almost certain I'll run it and the Scarborough ride again
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
I should have been sensible. When I discovered that my left shifter was, errr, refusing to shift I knew I wouldn't be going to Llandudno - the prospect of 100+ miles stuck in the big ring didn't appeal. Which displeased me mightily: so it was a very grumpy McWobble who turned up at Eureka, for which I apologise. As it happened, I turned up just after most of you did. In fact, it wasn't until the bloke in front of me in the queue turned round, and recognised me that I realised I'd been standing behind @ColinJ!
Upon finding that wanda2010 was planning on the train option at Shotton, but didn't know where it was, I volunteered to show the way - it's easy when you know, but that part of Shotton something of a byzantine warren of cycle paths that only Sustrans could have dreamt up. Anyway, that bit's all flat. So is the way to Flint, so why not at least enjoy the sunshine and get a few extra miles before going back home to wallow in disappointment? Of course, once we got to Flint:
TC It's decision time, which way are you going to go now?
Me: I should go home, but you know I'm not going to!
So, sod it. It was always going to be the hilly way, or no way. The A548 between Flint and Talacre might be flat but has little else to offer other than being relentlessly grim.. Anyway, if it proved to be too much I could always walk. That wasn't necessary: the usual Standard Operating Procedure of swearing my way up hills worked wonders. Much to my surprise, we came across Nickyboy at the top of the hill, who appears to have shot an compromising photo of me - I could have sworn I wasn't smiling, damn it!
It was all downhill to Prestatyn. And not just in terms of altitude. TC made her way to the station, which seemed a little unfair, leaving the rest of us to the head wind. And Rhyl. My considered strategy is to shut down all non-essential thinking and pedal - the rationale being the more you pedal, the sooner Rhyl is over. It seemed to work - this time I actually made it to the chippie when it was still open. Mission Accomplished! (On the third attempt, but we'll quietly gloss over that...)
It would be churlish of me to mention the abject failure of @MossCommuter to occupy us a table at the Malted Loaf - so naturally I will. (You had one job, Mossy, one job!
) I was most amused by the way that @Crackle's accent became stronger and stronger Scouse as the evening wore on.
Not much to say about the ride back except it was dark, and rained all the way through Prestatyn. I probably saw it at its best...
It was very pleasant to catch up with old faces, meet new people and enjoy a sunny and warm Wales. Oh... and watch Crackle's son lose the last shred of respect for his old man (you associate with these bizarre people??!?)
I should have been sensible. I'm glad I wasn't.
Upon finding that wanda2010 was planning on the train option at Shotton, but didn't know where it was, I volunteered to show the way - it's easy when you know, but that part of Shotton something of a byzantine warren of cycle paths that only Sustrans could have dreamt up. Anyway, that bit's all flat. So is the way to Flint, so why not at least enjoy the sunshine and get a few extra miles before going back home to wallow in disappointment? Of course, once we got to Flint:
TC It's decision time, which way are you going to go now?
Me: I should go home, but you know I'm not going to!
So, sod it. It was always going to be the hilly way, or no way. The A548 between Flint and Talacre might be flat but has little else to offer other than being relentlessly grim.. Anyway, if it proved to be too much I could always walk. That wasn't necessary: the usual Standard Operating Procedure of swearing my way up hills worked wonders. Much to my surprise, we came across Nickyboy at the top of the hill, who appears to have shot an compromising photo of me - I could have sworn I wasn't smiling, damn it!
It was all downhill to Prestatyn. And not just in terms of altitude. TC made her way to the station, which seemed a little unfair, leaving the rest of us to the head wind. And Rhyl. My considered strategy is to shut down all non-essential thinking and pedal - the rationale being the more you pedal, the sooner Rhyl is over. It seemed to work - this time I actually made it to the chippie when it was still open. Mission Accomplished! (On the third attempt, but we'll quietly gloss over that...)
It would be churlish of me to mention the abject failure of @MossCommuter to occupy us a table at the Malted Loaf - so naturally I will. (You had one job, Mossy, one job!
) I was most amused by the way that @Crackle's accent became stronger and stronger Scouse as the evening wore on.Not much to say about the ride back except it was dark, and rained all the way through Prestatyn. I probably saw it at its best...
It was very pleasant to catch up with old faces, meet new people and enjoy a sunny and warm Wales. Oh... and watch Crackle's son lose the last shred of respect for his old man (you associate with these bizarre people??!?)
I should have been sensible. I'm glad I wasn't.
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
@tommaguzzi and I descended from the hills above Prestatyn and set off into that headwind at about 15 mph in order to get to the finish in time for the fish and chips. It only took me about a minute, however, to realise that if I continued at that speed then I would not be in a fit state to actually eat fish and chips when we got there! 
We slowed down to about 13.5 mph and grovelled along at that kind of speed for about an hour and a half before tackling the 'last' climb. That would be the one before the actual last climb, which everybody had conveniently forgotten to tell me about! I managed to get up that only to discover that the chip shop wasn't where I expected. In fact there was a right turn up an even steeper road and I felt obliged to try and ride up that too. I failed first time and had a second go, before deciding that it was time to stop being silly and to hop off and say my farewells to the fish and chip munchers/beer drinkers.
Groveltastic!
We slowed down to about 13.5 mph and grovelled along at that kind of speed for about an hour and a half before tackling the 'last' climb. That would be the one before the actual last climb, which everybody had conveniently forgotten to tell me about! I managed to get up that only to discover that the chip shop wasn't where I expected. In fact there was a right turn up an even steeper road and I felt obliged to try and ride up that too. I failed first time and had a second go, before deciding that it was time to stop being silly and to hop off and say my farewells to the fish and chip munchers/beer drinkers.
Groveltastic!
Wobblers
Euthermic
- Location
- Minkowski Space
I still can't quite figure out why Wobble didn't disconnect his stuck front gear cable to allow his front mech to pull the chain down onto the little ring!
I'd have thought that the combination of the small ring a bit of cross-chaining to a smallish sprocket would still have been good for 20 mph. The only time we did much more than 20 mph was on the downhills when freewheeling would have been fine.
Then pull the mech over and reconnect the cable to hold the chain on the big ring for the wind-assisted ride home?
From bitter experience, I've found that retensioning the cable to get the chain back onto the big ring after slackening it off to be an exercise in sweary futility. I run a CX 46/36 on the London Road, and it usually spends over 90% of its time on the big ring (there's not a huge difference between chain rings anyway). Given the inevitability of chain rub - which would have very rapidly become wearing, I didn't think it was worth the hassle for three hills. Not to mention it'd have added the best part of an hour to my journey home. That'd have been an extra hour "enjoying" Prestatyn in the rain....
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Hi,
Looked like you all had a good ride.
Funnily enough I am planning a ride to Llandudno from Cheadle in a couple of weeks and was hoping for a bit of advice. Been looking at your route and wondered how the cycle paths are for riding at 20-22 mph? Also is it easy to keep on track not having cycled it before? Another option is sticking to the 548 and 547 but I would imagine that these roads will be fairly busy on a Friday early afternoon.
This another option I have found is https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20966728 and the route that I am leaning towards as it has a few lumps to keep things interesting. Having never cycled these roads does the route look ok?
Thanks.
Looked like you all had a good ride.
Funnily enough I am planning a ride to Llandudno from Cheadle in a couple of weeks and was hoping for a bit of advice. Been looking at your route and wondered how the cycle paths are for riding at 20-22 mph? Also is it easy to keep on track not having cycled it before? Another option is sticking to the 548 and 547 but I would imagine that these roads will be fairly busy on a Friday early afternoon.
This another option I have found is https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20966728 and the route that I am leaning towards as it has a few lumps to keep things interesting. Having never cycled these roads does the route look ok?
Thanks.
OP
OP
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
How were the post century munchies for everyone?
I did a longish ride Sunday and then Monday I was really busy and didn't get a lunch or proper dinner. I am bloody starving today. 2 boiled eggs and soldiers for breakfast. Just polished off a ham and cheese toastie, yoghurt and a large cookie for lunch
...or maybe it's just because I'm a greedy so and so
I did a longish ride Sunday and then Monday I was really busy and didn't get a lunch or proper dinner. I am bloody starving today. 2 boiled eggs and soldiers for breakfast. Just polished off a ham and cheese toastie, yoghurt and a large cookie for lunch
...or maybe it's just because I'm a greedy so and so
Fine for me. I had a roast dinner on Sunday, followed by some Rhubarb crumble, that seemed to put the munchies off till yesterday.
Despite having a full english for breakfast, I had a twix, wispa and crunchie for afternoon snacks, then had a bag of Minstrels and M&Ms in the evening. Plus dinner. Plus a bunch of fruit.
Today I'm just moderately peckish.
Despite having a full english for breakfast, I had a twix, wispa and crunchie for afternoon snacks, then had a bag of Minstrels and M&Ms in the evening. Plus dinner. Plus a bunch of fruit.
Today I'm just moderately peckish.
OP
OP
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
I got he munchies at closing time then on Sunday I was ravenous later on!
Mind you I am a greedy so and so!
I only got to LJ station about 3pm so I picked up all sorts of crap from the Asda...pack of fresh cookies, salted almonds, big bag of crisps...and a 2 litre bottle of diet cream soda. I was really dehydrated...previous night's beer, salty (read: delicious) breakfast and then a warm, hard 50 mile ride. I drank the lot by Manchester
