WRT / LHC

[middleagedmadness]

Middle aged madness - are you and your lad going to join the LHC ?

How are ya mate , my lads pace is even slower than what we were last year , So it'll be us plodding along ,if you want to meet up in that little pub where we went on the Sunday last year I'll see if I can work a shortish route to meet up with yous and then either the village green or the scout camp we sneaked on last year ,when you've planned a route send it me mate and I'll see where we can meet up

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'm a little confused as to why we aren't waiting to see where the GR might lead us before plotting / planning?

[middleagedmadness]

I'm a little confused as to why we aren't waiting to see where the GR might lead us before plotting / planning?

For me and the boy I've just been mouching about on a couple of maps seeing what's possible to get to in the time what we'll have available ( yes he's even slower than me ) but will also look at the reference to see whats available to us

[JohnClimber]

I'm a little confused as to why we aren't waiting to see where the GR might lead us before plotting / planning?

Because I love map reading and planning.
It's dead easy to do other routes, I just thought I'd do one to give those thinking about joining the LHC the knowledge if they joined me what they'd expect.
Happy to go N, S, E, W or just around in a circle.

[Taylor]

I'm a little confused as to why we aren't waiting to see where the GR might lead us before plotting / planning?

Because I love map reading and planning.
It's dead easy to do other routes, I just thought I'd do one to give those thinking about joining the LHC the knowledge if they joined me what they'd expect.
Happy to go N, S, E, W or just around in a circle.

I love map reading too but I always wait for the GR's to be given out.
Bumping into other boners on the trails is half the fun. Listening to other people's tales of woe or finding out which pub floor the Shropshire boys slept on is part of the fun of welsh ride thing.
Plotting a route in potentially the opposite direction takes away some of the uniqueness of the event.

[RIP]

'bumping into other boners' (ooer missus) - wise words and very true, point well made, that is a big attraction of the whole caper and a couple of my most enjoyable moments have occurred for just that reason. I'll be a peacemaker too though and can see that John and MaM have good reasons for considering doing their own thing . 'No rules' .

[Bearbonesnorm]

Uhm, I think this is a slightly odd one. No right or wrong answer, so more of a balancing act really.

As Taylor says, there are certain aspects of the WRT that add something too it, it goes beyond the actual riding and is more about the people - shared experience an' all that maybe? While there is nothing to say you have to head for any of the GR, not doing so removes just about any possibility of sampling this shared experience. When you're leading a LHC group (I will use the term 'leading' quite loosly), you obviously have a number of roles to play but one is to try and bring about the opportunity to experience the WRT fully ... all those little things that keep us doing it.

Order is required but so is disorder and a degree of 'freestyle' .... setting things in stone, gives no room for movement

Not sure if that makes any sense but it is Monday morning.

[RIP]

"makes any sense" - an over-rated aspiration in my book

[JohnClimber]

Plotting a route in potentially the opposite direction takes away some of the uniqueness of the event.

Sorry Taylor that you didn't understand, I plotted a route to show the typical profile and the typical distance of the LHC ride that I'll be leading so people can
1) make up their mind early as to their plans on who they ride with.
2) increase their fitness before the event
3) slow down from racing and join in on this ride with others.

And who knows there's a 1 in 4 chance that it may go the route way which I've thought of, it's not as though any of you know which way my route is going anyway.
I've only shown a profile with rough stop and refuel points.

[sillybigfella]

Steve, +1 for me on the LHC please.

[Wotsits]

Steve, +1 for me on the LHC please.

Yay!

[sillybigfella]

Have I missed anything?

[burty]

Have I missed anything?

yes I think you have missed the last 5 years

[sillybigfella]

Splendid. Who am I again?

[Wotsits]

Have I missed anything?

yes I think you have missed the last 5 years

Be good to see you out again SBF

[Taylor]

Splendid. Who am I again?

santa

[Bearbonesnorm]

Santa you say ...

[sillybigfella]

That chimney was a bit of a bastard to get down mind.

[JohnClimber]

2 more weeks to the grid refs.
Looks like there are going to be 2 LHC groups this year.

Steve's shorter one and my longer one.
All will be announced on 2 new threads once the grid refs are out.

See you in under 6 weeks time
I'd better get some miles in ready

[TheBrownDog]

Any plans for a short, fat, slow LHC?

Bumping this now I understand the GRs are out. Can I put meself in for the slower moving LHC please?

First WRT and the past two years were scuppered by circumstance. Never ridden in Wales outside a trail centre. Not sure which shelter to bring. No idea how much water or food to carry ... will inevitably throw everything in the car and decide on Saturday morning once the weather picture is clear.

Just 4 weeks to go.

EDIT: GRs now in my inbox. Thanks Stuart

[JohnClimber]

Hi Thebrowndog,

Just to let you know that there will be 2 LHC rides this year.

Stevemorg is going to lead the shorter loop

I will try and herd others around a longer loop.

We will start 2 seperate threads, one LHC short and one LHC long shortly (maybe even tonight).

To give you an early heads up I plotted a loop last night taking in half the grid refs and it's 125 miles long.

125 miles sounds long, but over 3 days and 2 nights over the less mountainous hills in the direction that the grid refs are taking us this year it should be easy for most of us to do.
The trail I guess is 70% quiet lanes and 30% gravel roads/trails.
Plus also this year is less remote, so travelling light should be easier, there are enough pubs and shops along my route that I won't even bother taking any food or cooking gear.

I hope this help

[TheBrownDog]

Cheers John. 125 miles does sound long but perhaps not over 3 days. Will have a think. I have a 4-5hr drive to get home at the end of the last day, which wont be fun.

[JohnClimber]

Cheers John. 125 miles does sound long but perhaps not over 3 days. Will have a think. I have a 4-5hr drive to get home at the end of the last day, which wont be fun.

I would estimate that the LHC longer ride would've back at Bear Bones Towers at 1pm on the Bank Holiday Monday.

[JohnClimber]

I've just started the longer LHC ride thread over in the Anyone Playing Out section viewtopic.php?f=8&p=178688#p178688

[scott of the woods]

RIP,Steve Morg, Middleagemadness, what hostilery will you be frequenting on Sunday night? I may introduce a diversion if its close enough to my planned route