BCM 600

After a manic 2 weeks at work doing 12hr night shifts (6-6) and going to bed at 9am on Friday morning I was up again at 2pm to go back in to work for an afternoon shift.
I would have liked to have the day off but as another colleague was already off on that day, It wasn't allowed.
I eventually finished and got out of work at 23.00, and as I'd already put the bike and all I needed in the car I was ready to head for Wales.
Trouble was I'd forgot my pedals!! I'd been using them on my trike for the last week so I had to go home and get them.

I eventually got to Chepstow at 01.45 and managed to get about 3hrs sleep in the car before my alarm awoke me at 05.00 to wind and rain battering the windscreen! at least it was coming from the south and would help push me towards Anglesey.
That was the idea anyway.

There must have been about 80 riders at the start of the ride and we were all away heading northwards at 06.00.
A few fast downhills and some slow slogging up hills saw me near to the back of the field by about the 50km mark.
It was at this point I decided that the lack of sleep and the poorly adjusted seat was not going to get me along the rest of the 570kms left on the ride.
I turned round and headed back to the car.

All was not lost though, as I had to go and get my bag from Dolgellau I decided to help out at the control at the youth hostel.
It was good to see how the other side of events work as I'm usually riding them.
I was the kitchen help, waiter, onion chopper, microwave operator, and whatever else needed doing. Actually there was 10 of us there and the whole team did everything and anything that needed doing to help the riders get food and whatever sleep was needed.

A lull in between the last riders leaving and the first coming back on the top 100km loop of the ride, meant there was just enough time for a couple of pints at the local before going back ready for the fast ones that were expected to get back at 22.00.
I managed to get in bed at about 02.00 and was up again at 06.00 to help out with the last breakfasts for the few riders that were still coming in and wanting food and sleep.
After the clear-up and packing of cars I got away at about 9.30 for the 180mile drive home.
There were still riders battling the headwind up and over the first hill as I drove past. I hope they all got round in the time allowed.

As I write this at 19.30 there will still be some out on the road, trying their hardest to get back before the 23.16 cut-off to complete the ride and some of the later riders may be pushing it to get back on time.
Out of the 80 or so that started about 30 packed and went home at some point in the ride due to the bad weather.


What was learnt from the weekend?

1. You need to bank sleep time before attempting long rides. It's not possible to do it when you are tired.

2. Try and get your bike set properly before you start on long rides. It WILL make you ache and hurt if not set up correctly.

3. The unpaid organisers and helpers do a lot of work to make the events and controls run as smooth as possible for the riders going through them.

A BIG THANKS to them all for the rides I've done in the past and for the ones I'm still planning to do.


Rich.