If there were a UK 'gravel race' ...

[Ian]

Is it really 200miles?

Yes.


But there'll be a 100 mile option if you need to be back for tea

[Ben98]

Is it really 200miles?

Yes.


But there'll be a 100 mile option if you need to be back for tea

I'd best start training :?

[slowupslowdown-under]

will be very interested in the 100 depending on training.

[adjustablewench]

Would be very interested too

[Ben98]

How will the route be given to us? Cue sheets or gpx?

[barney]

100 mile might tempt me (I'd be on a 26" mtb)

[composite]

Sounds like there might almost be 2 races going on. The CXers and the MTBers.

I guess 200 miles of fireroad will be considerably faster average speeds than the BB200.

[zigrat]

Crap !!
If it's going to be 200 miles then I'll have to carry a bivi bag :D

[Ian]

Crap !!
If it's going to be 200 miles then I'll have to carry a bivi bag :D

Not if you're going to get under 24 hours

Here's the route profile for the 200 mile loop:



And the 100 miler:


The 200 mile loop will break off from the 100 at about 55 miles and rejoin at the same point.
And for those requiring some shut-eye part way round, there's bothies available at mile 83, 131, 141 & 165.

[ianfitz]

If anyone wants me, I'll be fitting gears to the Kite...

Barrington. Fitting gears. S**T the bed. the route must be a beast

[Ben98]

+ I reckon 200 miles of Welsh gravel would have something like 8000m of climbing...

so we do.. (mild panic sets in, thinks about tyres and gearing)

I was wrong. It's not 8,000m at all...

...current route draft indicates 9,200m (30,000 ft)


If anyone wants me, I'll be fitting gears to the Kite...

HOLY S**T!
Just looked at the elevation on the DK200, 7000feet!
Stuart, what have you created?!?!?

[Ian]

If anyone wants me, I'll be fitting gears to the Kite...

Barrington. Fitting gears. S**T the bed. the route must be a beast

Ha, well, if you think you can pedal 36:18 around Mid-Wales' finest gravel tracks, be my guest.
I've tried. It's hard

By gears, I am limiting myself to only 8 though, so there

[nostoc]

When is the route out then?
(If I was not sat here trying to learn something about bioinformatics in relation to next generation sequencing by tomorrow, I would be trying to work it out from the profile and the bothy positions)

[Ian]

Route out at some point in November, once I've ridden it.

[slowupslowdown-under]

holy smokes - looks great!

[numplumz]

Route out at some point in November, once I've ridden it.

Go on give us a clue, where does it start :(

[nostoc]

I'm on the case now Jack, I`ll have it sussed soon.

[Ian]

Kev, I'd be mightily impressed if you could suss it out from the scant information provided!

The 100 mile route is in the public domain already, if you know where to look
The 200 mile route was only conceived the other night, and as I said above, will need to be ridden a test before route details are released.

[slarge]

So, to enjoy or endure?

Decisions decisions! Getting a cross bike sorted this winter, so should have the right bike, then just need to think about a carbon 29er hardtail so I can have lots of choice in the 2 days before such an event.

Can we have a tiny weeny amount of hike a bike please (by tiny weeny, I mean 1 stile, or fence)?

Should be fun in a different sort of way!

[numplumz]

loving the two ton O gravel name, and the fact that's its proper beautifull British ton(s) :D looks like that's my recovery target set then.
hopefully see you in Lan' wells

[Ian]

Can we have a tiny weeny amount of hike a bike please (by tiny weeny, I mean 1 stile, or fence)?

Approximately 0.001% of the route requires pushing: a rough gravel track that would be known to many folk who've ridden the BB200. Other than that, I can't think of anything that can't be ridden, even on a crosser :)

[ianfitz]

If anyone wants me, I'll be fitting gears to the Kite...

Barrington. Fitting gears. S**T the bed. the route must be a beast

Ha, well, if you think you can pedal 36:18 around Mid-Wales' finest gravel tracks, be my guest.
I've tried. It's hard

By gears, I am limiting myself to only 8 though, so there

Ian, I know there is no way I could pedal 36:18 round mid Wales :)

The fact that you don't want to is testament to the characteristics of the route.

I'm off to see if I can source a 20 tooth granny ring to go with the xx1 42 tooth cassette

[composite]

Can we have a tiny weeny amount of hike a bike please (by tiny weeny, I mean 1 stile, or fence)?

Approximately 0.001% of the route requires pushing: a rough gravel track that would be known to many folk who've ridden the BB200. Other than that, I can't think of anything that can't be ridden, even on a crosser :)

If its the track I think your describing and there is much of the route as rough as that, 200 miles is going to be a REALLY long way.

[Ian]

It'll be fine. The section I refer to is the only bit remotely rough. Everything else is straight forward forest road or good dirt track.

[nostoc]

0.001% of 200 miles is only 3.21 meters