Amblers Medio Fondo 8th June 2014

[Paul Longthorn]

How  about  we ride some or all of the Medio Fondo Dragon Ride.
START TIMES:
07:00 - 07:16 - Devil Route
07:20 - 09:20 - Gran Fondo
09:20 - 10:12 - Medio Fondo
10:30 - 10:45 - Corto/Cycletta
If we leave Brackla 9am Sharp we should get to Margam in around 40 mins great timing for the Medio Fondo start. As some riders will be ahead and some riders yet to start.
I plan to ride until Glynneath then take the Rhigos Road over the Rhigos, Bwlch then home. We will stop in Glynneath to re group and see who wants to ride the whole Medio Fondo route and who wants to get home.
Short route should be around 65 miles longer one should be over 100 miles.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/embed/5611559
All welcome

[harpo]

Sounds good! You just saved me money, was going to buy place from mate who couldnt ride!

[Chris Reed]

There with bells on mate!

[Andy H]

Harpo, if you ride with Mark Ellis, he'll probably get you a medal at the end as well!!

[RichardB]

Paul doesn't the route go in the opposite direction? So Afan Valley up to the Bwlch first?

[Paul Longthorn]

Thanks Richard. Didn't know that. Researched route on an IPhone. Not the best. Garmin map kept crashing. Even so we can ride from Margam in the correct direction, what ever this maybe, and still have the option to take a shot cut to Glynneath as opposed from, at the bottom of the Rhigos. Thanks for pointing out. 

[Paul Longthorn]

OVW Hi Jacked the Dragon Ride. Most rode together up the top of the Bwlch. Some Turned off back down the Ogmore Valley then home. The rest pressed on until the top of the Rhigos. Where some shamefull club members took full advantage of the free feed station.  After doing more than 40miles to the top of the Rhigos I decided to turn back and so did everyone else. Hard to name everyone this week as so many options taken for different routes, and I wouldn't want to miss anyone.

Really enjoyed this morning and thanks for the good company. 62 miles for me.

[Tom]

Thanks Paul,I stuck with Lucy on her first Amblers ride after a few outings with the 25 ers.Although slightly slower(just for the time being)on the flat I was impressed to see Lucy ride over the Bwllch with very little discernible reduction in speed.No-one passed us on the climb itself-it felt like being on one of the busy climbs in Mallorca.
We turned right at the top-a relief to get away from all those bl***y cyclists!
I am away next Sunday but plan another Tuesday ride this week.

[Tom]

Oh and I meant to say ,whilst not wishing to denigrate the efforts of anyone who rode the Dragon ride in it's various formats I was a bit taken aback to see one guy riding up the Bwllch firmly gripping his tri-bars and refreshing himself via his camel-back

[Rob Jones]

Perhaps the camel-back makes sense given the ridiculous distance of the gran fondo, let alone the devil route this year! Or he could just stop at feed stations like everyone else!

[Tom]

True Rob but it was using the tri-bars at all for that event  let alone while climbing that threw me!

[Chris Reed]

Looking on Strava - looks like everyone who rode PT - Bwlch yesturday set a PB (me by 5mins) - the joys of a tailwind! (Can't say I enjoyed it as much second time round!)