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Not doing Puy de Dome saves a tiny bit of climbing :-)

Shame as i'd have liked to go up PdeD as it looks good from around there.

I think I might have been to the col they've substituted for it. If so, it was nothing special - I just crossed over a main road about there and there was a col sign.

That would work, and save messing around with hotels (!).

I've ridden to Cardiff before and it's a pleasant ride. You'll probably find you do the bit from Malmesbury to Cardiff three times, though.

The BB uses a different route from the Severn Bridge to Malmesbury from the Dean and Severn Across. A bit more main roady but I didn't find it any faster.

I found Cardiff prettier than expected (although the BB doesn't go through the city).

I did it 5 years ago. It's flat and pretty quick, quite a lot of main roads. I enjoyed the A48 from Chepstow to Cardiff - smooth, nicely undulating and quick (everyone goes on that rather than following the route sheet).

Main problem if you live in London is that it starts at the wrong end so it needs 2 nights in a hotel in Cardiff.

I did the Shark, or the first half at least. Really enjoyed it - lots of new lanes and villages.

Made a silly error at the start as it was raining when I rode over but stopped when I got to Greenwich, so I took my waterproof off and got completely soaked.

Climbs felt pretty good, but my knee was starting to play up approaching half way, so I decided to obey my physio's instructions and call it a day at Seaford. Shame as I was going well and looking forward to the ride back. And as soon as I got on the train, the sun came out.

Have entered the Oasts & Coasts, which I did last year and really enjoyed. And may do the GYF as well.

Great pictures, and looks like a super day. It's a wonderful ride.
I signed a petition a few months ago to try to persuade BT not to take that phone box away. Glad to see it's still there.

On the flipside, I almost certainly AM riding TCR.

Cool.
Have you got your route planned yet ;-)

[posted twice due to fat finger on Blackberry]

The other thing to watch out for on the H25/2 is turning a roundabout too soon on the A4. There are two about a mile apart - you need to carry on to the second one.

The Highways Authority no longer allows anyone other than approved contractors to put signs up on the A404, so don't rely on a sign telling you where to come off (there most likely will be a Marshall though).

That puts into words what I was thinking of when I said I didn't think there would be many other TT bikes!

" Wait, what? What the hell have I done now?"

Not read the small print!

Not done any motorway riding in the UK but I did a short stretch in Albania. It was quite pleasant.

I did a bit of the A303 when I had had enough of the lanes while doing the KSW. It was the bit where it alternates between 2 lanes westbound / 1 eastbound and vice versa. When it went to two lanes, the traffic speed went up massively. It was a busy Sunday and I've never had such a tow from traffic. I did 25mph easily, which I don't normally manage on the flat, 450km into a hilly 600.

I thought about doing the HB for a change but I couldn't get my head round the middle-of-the-night start. I guess riding out makes 'sense', in an audax sort of way. I don't expect you'll see many other TT bikes on it (although Rimas is doing it and is meant to be training for the 24 so should be on his but probably won't be).
I'm just doing the 3 Down again, as long as I can get my knee past the physio on Friday, which is probably not very likely.

The Rebellion brewery is good. We did a club ride there a couple of years ago.

And good directions to the H25/2 start. Main thing is to make sure you take the right exit off the roundabout or you'll end up on the M40. One of our club members did it a few years ago and ended up getting a lift in a police car!

Not ridden all weekend: knee sore - back to physio next week.

Yes, I've entered

That's our one. I'll be marshalling, shouting out finishers' numbers, or pouring tea.

Yeah, that can happen. Stuff can go wrong.
Actually it looks like a decent morning right now!

It was last night wasn't it! I forgot to go...

It's great that Mike is trying to organise something different and I'm sure it will really appeal to some people, but it doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

If it's 400km, I would want to get round it in one day. I wouldn't want to sleep and spin it out into the Sunday. The after-ride parties could be great but the spread of times make it hard, and if you are back early, it won't have started (like the 8% beer after the Dean last Saturday - they hadn't got that unpacked when I got back!) I'm ok at navigating but I still like to know the route in advance so I can have it in my GPS and not have to worry about it. However, I do like the idea of some off-road options as that's a bit of fun for change.

I've not dared peer in to that particular TTF argument but I'd never really thought about later being faster until I did a 50 on the P885 (I think) course on the A3 last year.

It's two laps, and I only had enough power in my legs for one as I'd done the Newbury 12-hour 2 weeks before and then E2/100 the previous weekend (basically I did them in the wrong order). I was off early that day, maybe 6:20. From a power point of view, I died at the start of the second lap. But the traffic picked up, and I ended up doing that lap being quicker, despite being 20-25 watts down from the first lap.

100s are my favourite distance, too. Worth travelling for, but don't wipe you out for a couple of weeks like a 12 or 24.

I think I might stay in bed tomorrow morning - knee still just a bit twingy from the Dean last Saturday. Good luck everyone riding

I did a 25 on the E2 last year (Shaftesbury middle markers) and it was hell. Took me almost 40 minutes to get to the turn, into a gale. Fast coming back but too late by then

Nasty.
Maybe you need one of those little clear plastic discs...!

I enjoyed reading that - I'm none the wiser what kit I want for TCR but mighty impressed that you are garden-testing the options!

True, but less likely to get speeded up by traffic on the the bits between the roundabouts, though!