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

[wanda2010]

Having had chance to mull over in my mind following the ride;

I'll probably run this ride again at some time. But I'll have an earlier start and/or shorter ride. I hadn't correctly calculated everyone's comfortable pace. The headwind of course made life much harder but it was too hard a ride

I don't think I will be organising another, different, ride in the future. Maybe someone else could pick up the ball and run with it? There seems to be appetite for these sort of rides. It's just that it took a lot of work to get it planned and I don't know if I can commit that sort of time again.

Cheers, Nick

Run that ride again but avoid grim Rhyl, although I shouldn't give it such a low mark as MaccyD did come in handy.

Overall, I had a good time though my sense of humour came close to departing entirely on that slog to MaccyD and then on the final few miles into Llandudno, even with that lovely coastal path.

Things I learned:
Llandudno is lovely. Rhy/Prestatyn are to be avoided. Never rubbish MacDonalds. Get a Garmin and learn to use it. CycleChatters are fab. Andrew Br is my brotherbyanothermother Guinness with breakfast is better than coffee/tea/water - FACT. Hills are the devils work, but I'll have to learn to tolerate them

 

[Crackle]

Poor old Rhyl. I used to go there every year for my holibobs up until I was eleven'ish. I even spotted the bridge from the campsite over the railway line to the beach, that brought a tear to my eye or that may have been the tearing wind and rain, I'm not sure.

Did anyone see that sign on the front? it said 8 out of 10 cyclists don't stop to..........I didn't see what the rest said.

 

[middleagecyclist]

...although I've no idea what to look for really. If I'd had the route on a device I wouldn't have needed to keep up with everyone after the puncture.

If you just want navigation for touring rather than all singing/dancing training stats I would suggest an Garmin eTrex 20 (the 10 is too basic and the 30 offers more than required). The eTrex takes 2 x AA batteries (alkaline, NiMH or Lithium) so easy to replace and a good set will last at least 10 hrs including using at night with the backlight on.

 

[I like Skol]

Did anyone see that sign on the front? it said 8 out of 10 cyclists don't stop to..........I didn't see what the rest said.

What, the big red sign about 4ft high and 8ft wide?

No, I didn't spot that

 

[Crackle]

What, the big red sign about 4ft high and 8ft wide?

No, I didn't spot that

yeah but what did it say?

 

[I like Skol]

yeah but what did it say?

Something about 8 out of 10 cyclists won't stop to read this.......

But I didn't have time to stop and read anymore

 

[Leaway2]

I'm thinking the same thing, although I've no idea what to look for really. If I'd had the route on a device I wouldn't have needed to keep up with everyone after the puncture.

The Garmin edge 200 worked really well (apart from the first part, which may have been a dodgy TCX file ).
I pointed quite few people in the right direction
£60 from Ebay, but I have seen that Aldi have had them for the same price. Battery lasts for ever.

 

[Crackle]

Something about 8 out of 10 cyclists won't stop to read this.......

But I didn't have time to stop and read anymore

Thanks, that was really useful....

 

[I like Skol]

Thanks, that was really useful....

You're the bl**dy local boy, why don't you pop down and take a picture then we can all read it?

 

[nickyboy]

Thanks, that was really useful....

It was selling caravan pitches. I was going slow enough to read it by that point, unlike you turbos

 

[Crackle]

You're the bl**dy local boy, why don't you pop down and take a picture then we can all read it?

It probably won't be worth it. They need to make the sign bigger.

It was selling caravan pitches. I was going slow enough to read it by that point, unlike you turbos

I knew it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[mike3121]

Once again I would like to thank everyone for a great day, BIG round of applause to @nickyboy for ALL his hard work

Sorry I couldn't stop at the pub any longer than the time it took me to have just the 1 pint. I had arranged for my g/f and my mum and dad to meet me there, that was my lift home. it was a bit late for my pensioner parents to stay out any longer.

As some of you know this ride was part of my training to get myself ready for a solo coast to coast ride, Skegness to Wallasey in September. I am doing this ride to raise money for the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, as my girlfriend was diagnosed bowl cancer last October. She has been through chemopharapy and only last week finished her course of radiopherapy. All done at Clatterbridge cancer hospital. She now has a 10 week wait to get a scan to see how the treatment went, fingers crossed. Now I don't have to take her to the hospital every day I can start getting a few more miles cycling under my belt.

I will be doing the last day of my coast to coast on Saturday 19th September from Chester train station to the ferry pub which is on the prom in Wallasey with lovely views over to Liverpool.
I would like to invite EVERYONE to join me on this day, it will only be about 30 odd miles but will be the end of a 200+ miles in 4 days for me and will probably need as much encouragement as I got on Saturday to get me to the end. I am also planning to stop off at Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital midway(ish) on this day.
As I previously said my finish line will be outside the Ferry Pub where we are planning on having a well deserved drink or 10.
So if anyone is up for this day it would be much appreciated. And it is all for a very good Charity,

 

[Cubist]

No it wasn't. If you look at the map you had to turn right at the Tigers Head pub. While you were about to turn right a car came the other way and turned left into the pub parking area. He was blocking you turning right and was a bit slow in parking up. So you shouted at him....a bit. I waved you off down the hill, then I waved Skol and TMN past. I waited a bit for Andred Br and Helen but they must have been well behind so I set off, only to find Skol and TMN tending to you in the middle of the road

You do remember the £20 I lent you to get the beers in at the pub though don't you?

In which case it's even hazier than I thought, the only car I remember grumbling at was a Volvo that didn't give us much room.... in fact TMN was right behind me, so it would only have been a gently screamed "Dickhead" . It'll have to remain a mystery until I get more of my memory back.

Skolly tells me you had two pints in the pub, whereas you only taunted me with one. So it can't have been me.

 

[Cubist]

I remember someone trying to poison me with whisky. I managed to slip some coke into it. I don't think anyone noticed and I really enjoyed it then

Here he is serving up my bacon butty and a lovely boutique coffee (service was slow but bearable!). Still wearing the same glasses he mangled when he jumped off his bike.....
View attachment 87063

It required a wide angle lens to get it all in but that is a lovely shade of aubergine....
View attachment 87064

This is where you fell. My jumper is in the road where your dried blood has stained the tarmac and the raised joint in the tarmac is just seen right at the foot of the picture although it is a smooth joint, a bit like an extremely mild sleeping policeman (which coincidentaly is what you were when we found you )
View attachment 87062

Having visited the scene again today I still cannot see anything that would cause you to fall and certainly nothing that would have an experienced mountain biker off. I think it was aliens, they also appear to have attacked @nickyboy during the night and probed his back passage. You are lucky we got to you so quickly or the same fate may have befell you

That doesn't do much to help solve the mystery does it?

(I don't think I have ever been described as mild before....)

 

[MossCommuter]

Well when I arrived at the Eureka and saw him there having set off after I'd left home from further away, I'd mentally marked him down as quite handy on a bike.

I had no idea Mossy was there. Did he ride there or was he on a pub crawl and is he still heading towards Holyhead?

Of course I rode there...

...on a train

Sorry I missed you too, Crax - Rich said you were there.