Threshold CEO Nick Tuppen recently completed a recce of the RideCymru route. Over the course of three days, he and two friends rode from Llandudno to Cardiff, to get a sense of what awaits our Pioneer riders this September.
After spending years scanning the world for a suitable sister event to the iconic Ride Across Britain, it was a special moment to arrive on the North Coast of Wales last Thursday.
3 days and 250 miles of riding lay ahead of us, as we set out to recce the full route of Threshold Sports’ latest event; RideCymru.
I don’t have the skill to bring to life the sensory overload of the experience. The landscapes were too varied, the roads too wild, and the emotional highs and lows too personal.
It is only after long chats on the train back from Cardiff on Sunday night and being back home for 36-hours, that the moments are starting to crystallise into memories.
For those who are joining us in September for the RideCymru Pioneer ride, or looking for their next adventure, here are a few lessons from the road.
1. Wales’ Untamed Beauty
The range of scenery in Wales is breathtaking. After the first day, it felt like we had travelled through a week’s worth of landscapes.
The start wound us around the headland of the Great Orme as it juts into the Irish Sea, and a few miles after we were leaving the coast behind as we passed under the imposing 13th century ramparts of of Conwy castle.
We were soon climbing through a glacial valley into the brooding heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. From there it was weaving between stone-walled roads to Coed-y-Brenin, on past abandoned slate mines in the heart of the Cambrian mountains, before weaving down beside the banks of the Afon Dulas to our first overnight stay in Machynlleth, the ancient capital of Wales.
For those of you who feel you know Wales, think again. This route will take you places where very few travel.
Top tip: Bring a handlebar bag. You’ll want easy access to a phone or camera to capture the views that unfurl in front of you.
2. The Hills and Valleys
We always knew the route would be ‘grippy’. 23,000ft over 250 miles allows us to take riders to some truly remote places. However, it is always gritty when you are faced with an 18% incline with 220 miles already in the legs. The question we asked each time was whether the pay-off was worth the pain.
Although all of us had moments where we were scouring the OS Maps for flatter options along main roads, each time we summited a climb to find a hidden lake, mountain peak or a deserted road snaking off to the horizon, the climb was kept in.
Top tip: Get your gearing right. If you can, then go for a larger cog on your rear cassette e.g 34+. This will allow you to spin the legs for as long as possible when the road inevitably rises in front of you.
3. The Importance of Mechanics
We rode the recce self-supported, and on Day 3, disaster struck. My rear gear cable snapped and I was unable to shift from my hardest gear.
We weren’t carrying a spare, and with no bike shops open on a Sunday, it looked like the end of the road. It was my lowest ebb when I waved off two mates to complete the ride, leaving me in a remote farmyard with a few sheep and even fewer options.
It immediately made me realise why we deliver events at Threshold how we do. On Ride Across Britain our mechanics keep roughly a third of the riders going with fixes on the road and in basecamps. When all the training, planning and preparation can hang by one frayed cable, you appreciate the service more than ever.
As it was, I walked the hills to the nearest station before a short train got me to Halfords where they gave me a slightly easier gear to muscle along the final 30 miles and the dreamed of finish line in the heart of Cardiff.
Top tip: Ride with the Threshold team in support. Failing that, wear Welsh flag socks, as I was told it was the main reason the mechanic was happy to try and help.
4. It’s Not About the Bike: Gravel vs. Adventure vs. Aero vs. Endurance
The cycling industry, like any industry, spends lots of time telling you why you need the next iteration of their product and why your old one is suddenly not up to scratch.
Rewind a few years and it was all about skinny tyres, super-rigid racing frames and shaved legs. Now wide tyres, frame-mounted bikepacking bags, and looser clothing are leading the way with the growth of gravel biking (which is somewhat inevitably having an existential crisis as grass-roots is becoming mainstream).
However, we had three styles of bikes on the recce, ranging from a classic steel racing bike that could only fit 25mm tyres and a small cassette on the back, a carbon endurance road bike and a modern gravel bike. All three of these made it to the finish line.
Admittedly, the wider tyres and gear ratios helped on the climbs, and rim brakes and skinnier tyres required more caution on the steeper descents, but the route is suitable for a range of bike as long as the rider is comfortable and experienced on it.
Top tip: Speak to your bike shop and see if it is possible to put on a bigger cassette and wider tyres. Either way, go out and practice on rougher roads and steep ascents and descents to prepare for what you will face on RideCymru.
5. Explore on Your Doorstep
Riders in the UK are increasingly looking further afield for adventure. They complain of busy roads and bland riding in the UK, so pack bags for the Alps, Mallorca and beyond. However, the complexity and cost can make this prohibitive, even without considering the environmental impact.
The three of us riding all had limited time to get away from family and work commitments. We set off from the South Coast on Thursday to drive to Llandudno. We rode Friday, Saturday and Sunday and were home on the train by 10.15 pm and back in work on Monday.
A quick look at Strava data shows how unexplored the heart of Wales remains. Having ridden the length of this beautiful and welcoming country, sometimes going for hours meeting only one car or tractor, I would encourage anyone to look closer to home before defaulting to searching for a flight on Easyjet.
Top tip: Plan your travel early and book a bike spot on the trains to and from Wales. They are limited on some services, but it is the perfect way of making it an eco-friendly micro-adventure.
I have returned more excited than ever to invite the 50 riders to the Pioneer ride this September and lead them through the wild heart of Wales.
It is set to be an extraordinary experience and a worthy addition to the Threshold portfolio.
More Is In You / Mae Mwy Yn Chi
