Day 3

Day 3 was hard. I think that pretty much sums it up.

67.3km ridden/pushed/hike-a-biked up 1,940m of Welsh valleys.

Unfortunately it wasnt the best of starts as we has a late night dash to the local take aways at the last minute when we realised the restaurants were pretty much all closed. This meant energy levels were quite low.

We started as we meant to go on though, with a long arduous climb through a farm and onto a bit of road to take us towards Machynlleth.
Thats when we hit the 1st of our difficult climbs/hike-a-bikes as there was a lot of forestry work going on and they had destroyed the bridleway.
We eventually got to the top, took a few fire roads and did the final descent at mach.

After a quick bike shop and co-op refuel, we headed out again up and along road to get into the wilderness.
A few miles in, we realised we were behind schedule so had to take a "short cut".
This short cut can be recognised easily on the attached profle picture! It was a huuuge climb/push taking us from 20m to around 460m!
However the views were spectacular.

After some long undulating xc across mountsin, we then eventually joined the trails over at Nant Y Arian to do the final few sections before the final slog over to Devils Bridge which again took in some long pushes along steep inclines to get us on the right side of the hillside.

But, we made it.
Dinner has been devoured and its time for sleep.

On to day 4!

Day 1 + 2 done!

2 days down 4 to go!

Unfortunately I had no signal yesterday so was unable to give an update...

Day 1.
It was a hard slog, unfortunately most of the 1st few km were long and flat which meant that the climbs came in big chunks nearer the end of the day.
The 1st rocky climb out of Conwy was a bit of an eye opener and set the tone for the rest of the day.
It didnt however prepare us for one of the longest, steepest road climbs we've  ever seen.
Luckily the support vehicles were to hanf all day which meant we could refuel at the top of all the climbs.
We eventually got to the Marin at Gwydir forest for a run through part of the trail centre and into the bunkhouse at Bettws y Coed having covered 34miles.

Day 2.
We started off well with a climb from the bunkhouse up to Penmachno.
We had some long fire road climbs and eventually made it onto some superb singletrack.
After riding some of Penmachno, we had a few more road miles followed by what can only be described as a mental climb up through a quarry and eventually to the top of a huge mountain with a superb view.
The desent on the other side was possibly even more stunning, something we'll possibly never see again.
It was then another linking road ride and onto some fire road before eventually linking onto the Coed Y Brennin trail and again some brilliant singletrack.
We then had another long fire road then road slog before eventually getting to our next bunkhouse.
Currently trying to sort food as we're all STARVING!

First 2 photos are day 1, the rest are day 2.

It all begins now...

After a good journey by coach up to North Wales, a good social evening and birthday celebration for Stu (Stu wad 50 yesterday, happy birthday fella!) And a decent nights sleep, its time for the crudders to awake and prepare.

The day is 30.92 miles and will see us climb 4,661 feet.

So, just a short update for now, I need some breakfast!

Picture from yesterday while waiting for the bus.

The day gets nearer!!

With just a few days left to go before we embark on our epic challenge, we thought it would be a great idea to pull together our training and preparation efforts over the last few weeks and months and what the ride means to us. Doing any form of distance cycling is difficult, but doing long distances over several days, or even a full week, is even harder and is not something many can just walk into. We've pushed ourselves to get fitter, get used to the conditions and mileage we'll be riding and having fun along the way too! Along with the training there was always going to be the matter of the equipment we'd be using, and how best to adapt our steeds to the rough and challenging terrain we will be encountering. Above all else though we are all doing the ride in Aid of Cancer Research UK, but there are many reasons, differing between each member of the group, as to how and why our humble little group assembled to do this fantastic challenge. Here's a few of our stories from our training and how we came to be where we are now!

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My training started rather late on in the summer. Commitments to university assignments meant very little riding over the end spring as we headed into summer. Once the riding commenced, it turns out we actually had a decent summer and there were rides aplenty. Before University I rode at least twice a week and considered myself pretty fit; I could cover long distances without too much trouble or go for a quick blast and have fun. However the sheer workload and lifestyle that goes with University had a big impact on my fitness. Despite having incredible welsh trails such as Nant Y Arian and Coed Y Brenin on my doorstep, my riding plummeted and with it a lot of my confidence and fitness. After my dad was diagnosed with Cancer last summer, I strived to get fitter and follow his example; nothing should stop you from enjoying yourself or achieving your goals. I started to ride more again and with it came back my fitness and my confidence to push hard on the trails. Once I'd signed onto the challenge, this became even more important, as even at my fittest, this was not going to be a walk in the park. After a weekend in Betws Y Coed riding Coed Y Brenin and an uplift at Antor Stiniog with a few of the others on the challenge, I really started to pick up the pace with my riding and training.

My local trails are not the gnarliest by any stretch, or the steepest, but they are still demanding on fitness and technical skills. It's an almost ideal playground to get the miles in, and it's quite easy to cover 30 miles in a little over 3 hours. I recently did a week of pretty intense training, attempting to replicate the sort of mileage we'll be covering on the challenge. A weekends riding Cannock Chase's Monkey Trail and some of the off-piste trails with Mark was great, being a similar fitness and technical riding level we know when we can push each other and when to slow the pace if need be, but that's a rare occurrence! I spent the following week riding my local trails at a steady pace, with a few sections allowing myself  to let it rip, the lure of chasing a KoM on Strava is often to strong to ignore! Alas the week didn't turn out quite as planned, the mileage wasn't as high as I'd hoped over the week, but it was still a great workout and I now feel pretty comfortable. Whether I feel this way on the challenge is another story all together!

One thing I can feel comfortable on is my bike. I've had my Ibis Mojo HD for just over 2 years, and it's without doubt a brilliant bit of kit, that is equally happy slogging up steep climbs as it shredding it down the trails. The only modifications I've made for the challenge are adding a double chainset and the associated parts. I'm an avid single ring, 1x10 rider, preferring to stick with a rear shifter and leave the front alone, having no bailout gear leaves you no alternative but to push it harder! In view of the literal mountain of climbing we'll be doing, a smaller gear will allow to spin the legs and cruise to the top (well in theory!!).  Now the start of the ride is so close I cannot wait to get started!

Tom

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Being more of a gravity rider (read: lazy), I initially found it difficult to get out and find some hills to climb.
I can usually be found pushing my 38lb freeride bike up a hill or riding uplift bus, so it was always going to be a bit of a challenge for me to get into the cross-country groove.However, with this being for such a great cause and with all the support and donations we've had, it’s been really easy to get focused.

I had started out on a lovely 853 steel Merlin Rock Lobster hardtail, but as I was racking up the miles it was soon clear that the frame was slightly too small and it would be murder on my sensitive bits over such a long distance. I had a lucky break on a forum and picked up a hardly used 2008 Specialized Epic full suspension frame for a bargain price. Since swapping out the frames, training has been much easier and more enjoyable. I've been riding trail centres, but also found some good long routes from home that take I some pretty decent climbs so hopefully I've done enough to prepare myself.

Climbs are going to be the most difficult thing for me and I’m probably the slowest climber out of the group, but hopefully I can just keep the cranks spinning and the speed constant. Either that or I’ll be hanging on to the back of Stu’s trail pack! Day 4 has around 2200ft of climbing, so I’m for some amazing views to keep me occupied.

I’ve suffered with slow recovery after long rides, but recently I’ve changed my diet and added a recovery supplement and it definitely seems to have helped. I’ve packed a huge tube of deep heat so I’ll be stinking out the hostel every night doing my best to keep feeling fresh.

I think we have a great group of people involved in the ride, so I’m sure we’ll spur each other on when the going gets tough.

Ben

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Every time one of those charity fundraisers tries to stop me in the street, I smile and mutter a ‘No thanks,’ as I keep on walking. I can’t help but ponder what goes through people’s minds as they happily hand over their bank details and send their £3 a month to support a good cause and have nothing to show for it apart from a mention on the bank statement.

I remember that day the topic appeared on Bikeradar. I instantly wanted to reply but had to think about it, was this something I could really do? It didn't take long for me to decide. Which leads us to the here and now.

I knew that for me to do this and come out the other side it would take a change in lifestyle. I couldn't do it just on the brief time I escaped work each week to get out for a ride. I joined a gym. I commuted the brief six mile round trip to work (until I apparently broke a rib or two playing rounders at a work sports day.)

Do I feel ready? No, I'm bricking it. That is what makes it so exciting. Do I think I can complete the challenge that lays before us? Hopefully. That’s what makes this so important. We are just ordinary people, with ordinary lives. We have things that get in the way, not enough time in the day. As I always say, nothing’s ever fun if it’s easy.

Stephen

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After agreeing to take part in the CC2CC, I realised that I didn’t have the correct bike to undertake this mammoth ride. Yes, I own three mountain bikes, but neither of them, in their current build would have been suitable.

First there is my 2004 Coiler Dee-Lux. This was my first full suspension bike. Very sturdy, but also quite heavy. No matter what I’d adjusted, changed or moved, I’m yet to find a riding position that’s comfortable to ride all day on this bike. I’d rebuilt it as a sort of race bike last year, but it would still be too heavy to ride for 40 miles each day.

Then there’s my 2004 Giant XTC. My original XC race bike. Rebuilt from ‘spare’ parts a couple of years ago, it now acts as my 2^nd commuter bike, shod with slick tyres. Not sure if my “gentleman’s area” would cope with riding a hard tail MTB for 40 miles of off-road each day. Also, not sure the very old skool RockShox Sid forks would take that sort of abuse.

And finally there’s my 2000 Giant NRS/XTC. This was a ‘no expense spared’ to make as light as possible build. Every nut/bolt/screw has been replaced by either alloy (for non load bearing) or titanium (for load bearing). Most of the parts were sourced from KCNC with weight saving being the main focus. In its final build, it weighed 20.1LBS. Which, for a 27spd, disk braked, full suspension bike was quite impressive. However, this bike was not built for the rigours of the CCC2CC. Light? Yes, very. Robust? Not really.

So, what to do? I had 3 mountain bikes, but neither was suitable. My good lady wife would have buried me under the patio if I’d purchased yet another bike (My N+1 currently equals 8 me also having a road bike a TT bike a CX bike and a BMX). So, I decided to build just the one bike, using the most appropriate parts off all three:

From the Coiler – I took the wheels. Mavic X319’s on Hope Pro II Hubs. Built to be strong and reliable.

From the XTC – I took the drive-train - crankset, front and rear mechs, all Shimano XT. Very reliable, spares readily available and easy to service.

From the NRS – I took basically everything else – the frame, brakes and cockpit.

In June, I started to put the bike together and everything was completed for the first training ride at Afan in July (see earlier blog “Did I say it was hot…”). The bike weighed in at a shade over 24 LBS. Not too heavy, but also not too light and more importantly, not too fragile.

Although the NRS coped reasonably well with the Afan trails, I’ve had to change a few of things:

The KCNC seat-post, whilst extraordinarily light, didn’t hold my saddle in place, which is sort of what it’s supposed to do (note the angle in the picture above).  Granted, its okay for lighter XC type riding – which is what it’s designed for, just not hard-core trail bashing. This has now been replaced with a much sturdier one from Superstar Components.

I’ve also replaced the uber-lightweight KCNC seat-post clamp with a Hope quick release one. You never know, I may need to lower my saddle at some stage.

I had installed the Alligator I-Link gear cables onto the NRS. Again, very light, but in an effort to reduce weight, I’d made the joint between the frame triangle and rear stay too short. This created a fair amount of “ghost shifting” when the suspension moved. So, I ordered a new liner and cable (they are specific to this set-up) and made the joining piece about an inch longer. This has alleviated the problem. I’ll ensure that I’m carrying a couple of spare cables in my back-pack during the ride as ‘normal’ cables don’t fit.

And finally, I’ve added the carbon bottle cage I won in a competition from Matrix Cycles. This is one seriously light piece of kit (I’ve done sneezes that weighted more…). Having run out of energy drink during the Afan training ride, I realised that I may have to have a back-up. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I need to keep my sugar levels topped up during any riding that I do. This is done through the energy drink I consume. For the CC2CC I’ll have a drinks bottle with a very high sugar content drink in this cage as my emergency back-up.

As for lights, (just in case we’re delayed out on the trails) I’ll be using my Lezyne Micro Drives. These are my commuter lights. They’re reasonably light, very bright and can be recharged from a USB socket.

I’m still undecided as to which tyres to fit for the actual ride. I’m currently using Maxxis High Rollers. These are okay on the current dry and dusty trails, but I’m considering switching back to Panracer XC Fire Pros. I’ve ridden and raced these over the years and they’re quite predictable in all conditions except gloopy mud. I think this decision will be made closer to the ride, when we have an idea of what the weather will be doing. I’m sure there will be a few other changes prior to the Challenge. Again, depending on what the weather has been doing prior to setting off from Llandudno, I may fit mud-guards. I’m considering changing the bar-ends for the ones of the XTC, which are a bit more comfortable. The more I ride the bike, the more I have an idea as to which components will work better for the Challenge. 

Stuart

A Big Thanks and A Mobile Test!

I just wanted to say how grateful all of the crudders are with all the support and encouragement we have been getting from everyone, including all the Facebook and Twitter shares and retweets.

At the time of posting this blog, we are £55 away from £1000 online and that excludes all of the generous donations we have been recieving in person from friends, family and co-workers.

Being a small group and arranging this mammoth event (in distance terms anyway!) has been difficult at times.
I'm writing as though I know what I'm talking about, but the credit has to go to Gaz who has arranged pretty much all of the route and accomodation.

As our event has also been fully accredited by Cancer Research UK, we met with Kelly at the South Wales branch last week.
She has been brilliant in supporting us and advising us, providing CRUK t-shirts, banners and tonnes of ideas.

With only 18 days to go, we're all training hard, planning and preparing. I'm confident that the ride will go with out a hitch and we are all really looking forward to it.

Which brings me on to my "mobile test".

In order to keep all of you, our supporters, informed of our progress, I plan to write some short blog posts on the way and hopefully post a few pictures too.
This is the 1st attempt at a blog post from my mobile so hopefully it uploads as planned and there isn't too many spelling mistakes!

We'll also be tweeting from our Twitter accout - @CrudcatcherC2CC - so if you can follow and re-tweet as much as possible it would be greatly appreciated!

Finally, as always, if you can spare some money to support our ride for Cancer Research, please follow the links on this blog.

- Ben

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another" - Albert Einstein

Having studied Sports Nutrition at University and completing a dissertation on energy drinks, I know all too well the importance of staying hydrated and fuelled in order to keep the legs turning on the bike.

This is why from the start, I've been concerned about how we are going to keep the CCC2CC team of riders topped up and as fresh as possible.
I'm not too sure how many calories we will be burning each day, but we will need to consume lots and lots of carbs and fluid to keep going. As soon as you hit the wall, its difficult to get back on the bike and up to the required average speed of approximately 6kph.
We may all have trail packs, but it was always going to be a challenging trade off to keep these as light as possible while carrying enough fluid and fuel - not to mention the spares and first aid equipment we will have to carry.

We are very grateful to have our support team, who will be tracking our progress and meeting us every 10-15 miles so that we can top up on supplies (and will also be on hand if there are any injuries!!). Without them, there is no way that this would be possible.
However, we then came across another dilemma... stocking the support team!

Thats where Mitchells and Butlers Brewery and UES Energy stepped in.

Firstly, Mitchells and Butlers Brewery, who run many of the UK’s most famous restaurant and pub brands, donated 720 500ml bottles of water.

Then, UES Energy, a specialist independent energy consultancy based in South Wales , donated 240 High 5 Zero tabs and 150 High 5 Iso Gel 60ml sachets.

Not only are we grateful that these companies have stepped up to support the CCC2CC, we are also relieved as it is one less thing for us to worry about.... we can concentrate on watching the ground roll by.

I genuinely can't wait for the 23rd September now as everything seems to be falling into place nicely. We've all been training hard and getting the miles in, our accommodation is booked, the transport to North Wales has been arranged and our bikes are being lovingly prepped and tweaked and fettled (we are mountain bikers after all!).

All we really need is your support and donations as these will really motivate us to get moving when the going is tough and get up early in the morning when our bodies are tired...

If you can spare a bit of change, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc

- Ben

Never Underestimate the Kindness of Strangers

As the day of the ride looms ever closer, one thing has stood out so far in everything we have had to do regarding the ride, the willingness of people to help us in our aim to help Cancer Research UK.

I was reminded of just how much people have volunteered their time, resources and even their hard earned cash, whilst watching an episode of D.I.Y. S.O.S. this evening. It was a moving tale of a community helping to rebuild a terminally ill man's home to leave a legacy and a safe future for his family after his passing. They were struck at how people that didn't know him but came to hear of his story all came together to help, because they wanted to. Over this past week I have been overwhelmed with the support we have been shown by people, just because they want to help.

I'm not going to name any names in this blog, but I'm sure those reading it will either recognise themselves in it, or will think "yeah, I can help in that way too" but in no way am I listing these things in any order of gratitude or merit, we have been touched by every offer of help we have received.

Putting on a ride of this magnitude doesn't come cheap, especially given the numbers of us riding, but it does give us a platform to not only raise money for Cancer Research UK but also to spread awareness so every penny is a penny well spent. We have been helped enormously by the willingness to assist us by some of the companies and organisations we have either approached, or have approached us and offered vital equipment and resources, contacts and advice. This week alone has seen us go from having no energy food and water to having to plan out how we are going to distribute it to fit it all in the support vehicle.  I also had a good conversation with a guy from one particular organisation who almost every time we have had a problem to sort, has offered us a solution or a contact. We even had one of our sponsors so desperate to show his support that he drove half the length of the country and broke his body riding with us on a training day. Some of these guys are people that we may work for, or with, or know through the mountain biking community, but some are not, they are just people who have seen what we are trying to achieve and offered their help, and for that we are most grateful.

Some of this sponsorship has come as a direct result of people finding out about the challenge through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and indeed this blog. We have been blown away that our Twitter followers have risen from being in the 20's a couple of weeks ago, to well over ten times that today, and growing at a rate of knots. We have had new followers who have never met us, tirelessly retweeting us and campaigning to spread our challenge to other potential new followers day in day out. This has helped us to reach an audience we never would have thought of to seek, bringing in sponsorship and help we would never have had otherwise.Thank you so much for your efforts to promote the Crudcatcher Challenge

There is no denying that one of our key aims has been to raise money to help fund the vital work that the guys at Cancer Research do, we are so grateful to everyone who has dug deep and sponsored or will sponsor our ride. The money raised is going to a wonderful cause and will help fund lifesaving research and treatment that will help so many people.

My final thank you is to every single member of Team Crud. In January I posted a simple idea on a forum to help support another member leave a legacy for her late mother, a week later we had a team of 16 booked up and ready for whatever the challenge threw at them. Since then they haven't stopped rising to the challenge and have worked tirelessly to promote what we are doing, train, help organise, raise money and advise one another. None of us know what we have let ourselves in for, but what I know is that whatever it is, as a team we will tackle it with pride and determination. If you haven't already supported these guys, then please show your appreciation for their efforts by giving a few quid to the challenge and Cancer Research. Its easy to do to, you are in the right place, you just need to click on the donate link at the top of the page or visit www.justgiving.com/cc2cc. I may be riding with these guys, but I will be sponsoring them, because I am proud of every one of them, so please, let them know you are proud too

Thank you, thank you, thank you.