Ultracycling

Good to hear.

I know a really good bike fitter btw.. :)

You racing it, cankles?

You won't see any of it, you'll be too busy wiping the rain from your eyes or staring at the road trying to get out of the wind :)

@hippy not sure what I'm racing yet but it's an option.

Get your dancin' shoes on! :)

She just quit.
Off to see Mr Knoesen in the near future

You not get my message reply? Shame.

Yeah thanks. It was really nice of you to reply.
We tried exactly what you said and it worked for a while, she made another 50 Km's but it was clear she was never going to make the time cut so she called the whole thing off

Shame. Glad it worked though. Gutting for her. Send my best wishes.

http://www.transatlanticway.com/

So this has gone live. Check out page for all race details. Another option for the self supported endurance rider which is close to home.

Did the price come down?

@skinny yeah I told him you weren't happy. Your effort on TCR carries a lot of weight.

Don't mind about my opinions! I just didn't want him to miss out on entrants because people thought oh I'll enter TCR that's cheaper or the same price. TCR will be more money than this now for 2016 I think.

Still shame about the date, for me.

TAW looks fun actually. I think I might try some long and multi day rides over the winter and see whether I think I'm up to something of that ilk. Might even get some audaxing done too.

@5awyr it will be fun. It will have so much to offer everyone. A tough one for the racers and the scenery for the tourers. Also a great stepping stone for anyone wanting to try their hand and unsupported racing before stepping up to TCR or TransAM.

@andy_k You're doing BB200 right?

Yep!

Probably posted elsewhere, but a short guide on how to have no life for 6 months...
https://bikmoplus.com/blog/how-do-you-train-for-something-like-the-transcontinental

Not really ultra... but possibly good prep for those interested in TCR etc.

https://www.facebook.com/valleycatcc
https://twitter.com/Valleycatcc

Brevet meets Alleycat, this particular cat is quite the cross-breed: 4 controls will take you from rolling hills to cities, to the Valleys of South Wales

More...

The Welsh Valleys give you some of the more challenging UK climbs and beautiful natural scenery in contrast with post industrial decline and a maze of former industrial mining towns.
Heading North from Cardiff and Newport - the relatively large port cities which became the destination for much of the industrialisation of the 18th century - gentler slopes will take you up the railway routes towards the heads of the valleys and the fringes of Brecon Beacons National Park. Try heading East and West however and its a different story - vicious slopes divide the valley systems and navigation can be tricky indeed. Missing a turn can be costly and heading up and over can be a gamble that pays time dividends or costs a lot of effort.
Naturally we'll be starting you at the Eastern-most edge in the pleasant rolling hills of the Vale of Usk and giving you the whole of the Valleys to negotiate, leaving the choices up to you.
Starts Llangybi Village Hall. From 7am.
The ride will begin and end at the Village Hall, Ton Road, Llangybi where in the evening, beginning at 5pm and ending at 11pm, there will be a charity social evening with food and beverages available for riders and friends and family alike.
Controls will be revealed at 7am and will all be in play from the start. Expect a minimum of 200km riding, more if you get lost and do factor in plenty of extra time for navigation. Start control will shut down at 9am and re-open for the return of the first rider.
Note that the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road and the A470 between the M4 and the A465 are out of bounds to bikes (as well as the M4 of course itself and the A449). Non-tarmac'ed roads are available and all legitimate rights of way for bicycles are in play, but the ride is also completable by road alone.
Solos, pairs and groups are all welcome, this is a non-competitive event which taken solo can give you a real good navigational challenge simulation for building experience for events like the Transcontinental, or it can be enjoyed socially with friends for fun.

Saw that. Navigation. Out. :)

Pairs option... Start looking for a tandem pilot with good map-reading skills...

I've entered this, just happen to be touring in Wales at the time so will be there. Never done anything like it before. Going to try and ride a 300km day the day before to make it feel like something big.

I've been trying to get the missus onto a tandem to have a crack at some records but she's said she's too fast for me.

For anyone who's done any ultracycling (I guess for this I mean Transcontinental esque things. 300+km per day for 7+ days) how far in advanced do you start training? I wanna do something big next summer, organised or off my own back. I try and keep a base of 200km a week on top of commuting (commute usually works out to approx 100km or so), but just not sure when I should start increasing this if I am aiming towards something July ish 2016. Any advice much appreciated and I hope to see some of you at valleycat.

Just do what you can and don't worry about it.

Just make sure you have a small enough gear for steep long hills with tired legs. And a big stomach to fit food in.

It's more about the preparation of other things, route, equipment, bike that's important. If you ride as much as you can you'll be fine.

Do some 600k audax rides though so you know what it's like.