The Welsh Coast 2 Coast extreme cycle challenge is now open to online registration.
The ride, which begins on July 12, will take riders from the start town of Caernarfon in the north, down to the finish in Laugharne – a distance of 222 miles which the riders must cover in the space of 24 hours.
Entry is not restricted to the online registration, visitors to the Welsh Cycle Show on April 5-6 at the Wales National Velodrome in Newport will be able to sign up to the ride there.
The 222-mile journey down the length of the country will be free to entrants who agree to raise £400 via a Just Giving page for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity. Otherwise, the cost of entry will be £250.
The entry fee will cover logistical support provided by cycling event support company Cycle-Tec, who will run two breakdown vehicles on the course; designated feed stops; a recovery service for retirees; and a return coach to get you and your bike back to the start town of Caernarfon.
The route, which can be viewed in widgit form below, will take riders from Caernarfon through the Snowdonia mountains via Pen y Pas and to the town of Bala where riders will tackle one of the UK’s toughest climbs up to Lake Vyrnwy.
Riders will then head down the country toward the English border, through the Radnorshire hills and the Elan Valley before turning back toward the coast.
The final challenge for the remaining riders are the Preseli hills in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park followed by a gentle descent toward the coast of Carmarthen Bay and the town of Laugharne where riders will find the finish line.
More information on the ride and the event organisers will be available at the Welsh Cycle Show or can be found at www.merlinsportive.co.uk/welsh-coast-2-coast/. For updates and news regarding the show and the Coast 2 Coast ride, follow the Cycle Show’s twitter feed @welshcycleshow.
13 thoughts on “Welsh Coast 2 Coast registration now open”
That is one evil route.
That is one evil route. Especially as the wind is more likely to be against you than not.
Vrynwy is actually at pretty much the same altitude as Bala, but there is a horrible pass in between. Otherwise Lakes Bala and Vrynwy would be one lake. So I don’t think you go up to it. Though it may feel like it.
Nice route. IIRC it’s pretty
Nice route. IIRC it’s pretty lumpy everywhere except a short section Tregaron (you can’t tell it’s not flat by how wiggly the red line is on the Garmin map). Not too many main roads, and the Elan Valley/Cwmystwyth road from Rhayader is particularly lovely.
Distance wise it’s a bit more than half a Bryan Chapman. Rapha made a video about this 600km+ audax.
I don’t know where you got that from. Lake Vyrnwy is higher up in the Berwyns while Llyn Tegid is beside Bala in the bottom of the Dee valley. The Hirnant and Cynllwyd passes between them are on my list of routes to ride this summer.
well, if you are going to be
well, if you are going to be precise, Vrynwy is at an altitude about 60m higher than Bala. But given that the pass to get from one to the other is 320 metres higher than Vrywy, I think it is safe to say that there is a pretty substantial element of down to the journey.
Hope house hospice in
Hope house hospice in Oswestry does a 70 mile cycle challenge in August that takes in Lakes Bala and Vrynwy costs buttons to enter and is for a fantastic cause so well worth a look if you want to ride a the lakes and the big bump inbetween them.
I emailed a week ago to ask
I emailed a week ago to ask for details. Start time, support level etc. No response. Not great. Really want to do this one.
tjeez 250 is too way to
tjeez 250 is too way to expensive. maybe if transport back and a hotel night is included but otherwise it’s ridiculous.
Then do the charity one!
250
Then do the charity one!
250 isn’t that bad really. Numbers are likely to be small so economics isn’t on their side. Full support isn’t cheap.
But, what’s missing, is what exactly is there provided? Where’s the start? How do we find our way? What food? What if we only take 12 hours? What’s the start time?
This is basic stuff. If the answer is not a lot then it’s a really expensive audax and, given we have to stay over the night before, we’re better choosing the sunniest day and setting off at 4:30 with the aim of Cardiff by sundown.
12 hours…hang on
12 hours…hang on
Ok, 13. I’ll let you have a
Ok, 13. I’ll let you have a longer lunch hour 😉
Llyn Tegid is a natural lake
Llyn Tegid is a natural lake at 160m altitude. The road over Cwm Hirnant tops out at 500m and Lake Vyrnwy, a reservoir in a steep-sided upland catchment, is at 255m.
The section from Vyrnwy to New Mills (north of Newtown) is a series of short, sharp hills, it’s up-and-down the whole time! This is definitely not an easy route through Wales.
….or enter the Brian
….or enter the Brian Chapman Memorial Audax on May 17th/18th which goes from Chepstow through Wales to Menai Bridge on Anglesey and then back again via a different route. 619km total in 40 hours with four meal stops provided plus an overnight bed, all for £30.
The Sooper wrote:….or enter
thirty quid? the 400km brevet cymru is only £9.50 😉
This looks like a nice route.
This looks like a nice route. With my navigational skills tho, i’d probably end up in Skegness.