To take a break from organising for next week's sportive event (the Autumn Epic) I decided to ride the new 80km course - last recce'd back in January - to check it out -
Strava route. You can also "fly" around the whole route via the amazing
www.relive.cc application.
The new 80km route follows the first 45km of the Classic 150km Autumn Epic route - that means you get the same reasonable warm up ride, gently climbing (with a few stiffer inclines) for the first 20km. Then you hit the first climb - longish and not too difficult that gets you high up on the mid-Wales moorland -
see separate posting.
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| Like zooming down a black hole - good brakes are needed at 29km! |
You drop off this down a treacherous descent - narrow, steep, and twisty/unsighted - you're going to need good brakes for this one. It finishes abruptly at a main road too, so this is one to take carefully (we'll have a marshal on the event day to flag this one up).
After a short bit of main road riding you turn left and up the David's Well climb - this is more a series of reasonable hills that can be deceptive - it goes on and on but eventually leads to a long descent and ride through a valley.
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| The Philipp's Hall, Abbey cwm Hir |
This ends in an abrupt left turn by farm buildings on the left - almost a T-junction and this is the split (it'll be well signed on the day) with 150/130km riders going right and on up the famous Abbey cwn Hir climb, and 80kmers going left and into the village of the same name.
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| We've got signs for all the big climbs |
The one and only food stop for the 80km is just before the abbey, on the left in a village hall set back from the road. After this there's a good (i.e. gently downhill) ride to the main road (A488) for a 2km stretch up to Llanddewi where you turn right and start the toughest climb of the route - straight up and progressing from 8% through 10 then 12% for good lengths. An 18% ramp is next before a lessening of the gradient and then a final 17% ramp before it all levels out.
On tired legs (its at 55km) this is going to be a
challenge for the 80km rider. It leads to 20km of up and down culminating in the Fron-Goch climb - you get a warning of this in an unwelcome 18% ramp before the main climb of consistent 10 to 12%
going straight up the side of the hill. It lessens after a long distance, and then builds back up towards 12% again - very long.
Just a little bit more climbing after this leads to a final 5km of down hill all the way into Knighton - you hardly need to pedal at all as you whiz down, join a main road and re-enter Knighton.
Overall, its a tough route with a series of stings in the tail - if you haven't held something back for the final 25km then you're going to regret it...
Stop press - just had the final entry for the 80km route - 7pm Sun 25th
