Wheelers take on the 2021 wild Wales challenge

Bala was enveloped in mist when John J led the first group of steady rider’s including a few Wild Wales first timer’s off about 7:20 am on the Sunday morning of the August bank holiday weekend.

Shortly after 8 am another group of more experienced wheelers also headed into the mist and it wasn’t long before we were reminded what WW is all about when after 4 miles before we had barely woken are heads up and warmed our leg’s up at  a very sharp right hand turn up a narrow lane the first steep climb started. Back on the B road at the top of that leg bender the group split with Mick, Andy and Fred letting the youngster’s get away. The climbing continued albeit more steadily, eventually summiting at over 1500 feet.  A nice descent followed then as the day brightened up it was hard enough going, compensated for by lovely scenery, through the back lanes to the first control 25 miles in.

What was probably the steepest climb of the day, Church Hill started about 3 miles after the stop. Strava show’s a ramp as steep 44% and even plus or minus a few percent it’s not surprising there was plenty of unclipping going on and bikes being pushed up  to try and weave around whilst trying to keep the pedals just about turning over. After crossing the A5 up from Llangollen  it was more climb, climb, climb, finishing on the lung buster of the Old Horseshoe Pass. Then from the Ponderosa Cafe at the top a nice descent and thankfully fairly easy going to the lunch stop control.

After everyone had refuelled, guess what? yes more climbing !. This time nothing horrendous but plenty of out of the saddle efforts needed, eventually summiting at just under 1500 feet about 10 miles on. We then descended through a forest for about five minutes and probably about a thousand feet but after a sharp turn started another leg bending climb regaining almost all the altitude we had just lost. From there happily it was all downhill to the final control at Cerrigydrudion. 

The weather was very kind to us, even the breeze, what there was of it was favourable being a tailer in the afternoon as we headed back with tired legs towards Bala. After crossing the A5 again there was a fairly steep climb out of the valley then nice rolling back road’s. Nice until bang, just as we were daring to think it was a pleasant cruise to the finish it kicked up hard for a few hundred yards, the road sign said 17.5% but it seemed more like double that at the steepest. That was enough, all done and back at the Rugby Club and signing off at 4.30 pm. Thanks Merseyside CUK for an extremely well organised and enjoyable event.

The Vital Statistics

About 85 miles and 9,500 to 10,000 feet of climbing but it depends on how many u turns and backtracking you did.

19 Wheelers completed the full route

Fastest Wheeler: Club Captain Matt L, 4:43:35 moving time 👏

Senior Wheeler: Former Club Captain Mick O.

Sprockets/gears: Bigger than than a 28t needed on Church Hill  if your Ant L 😎