Llynne Brianne Reservoir (looking down from the Dam)

I always wished someday to return and ride it again. To get there you follow the tourist signs for Llynne Brianne Reservoir from the market town of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire. Travel along a very scenic road for approx 11 miles passing through a small village called Rhandir-mwrn which incidentally has great pub called “The Royal Oak”. The car park is next to the Dam of the reservoir from which the surrounding views are amazing.

The ride begins with crossing the top of the Dam with fantastic views both across the reservoir and back down the valley. Whats great about this route is the fact it is possible not to see another person for the entire ride. The route follows around the edge of the reservoir on forest track with a couple of easily negotiated climbs and fast descents. Part way round there was a cottage backing on to the reservoir. I often think it must be challenging living in such an area especially during the recent cold weather & snow we had. But equally rewarding from the point of peace and tranquility and especially in the warm sunshine as it was then I wouldn’t of minded living there.

Parts of the track were bordered by forestry plantation and on this occasion some harvesting had been in operation during the day. The large log stacks with their aroma was a pleasant compliment to the ride.

After a while the track begins to break out into open countryside with large forestry plantations covering the contours of the land, some of which are growing on the side of really steep-sided hills. It’s makes you think that must have taken some planting which is often done by hand, and how on earth do you get the machines in to clear the timber…

At track junction indicated on a map as a bridleway at Grid SN 789 525 there’s an option to bear left and head over the mountain cutting the Dothie valley in half, I remember seeing a track coming off the mountain into the Dothie valley that looked interesting (something to consider in the future). Following the valley basin the track snakes along one of many tributaries feeding the reservoir. This leads to the White Chapel building at Soar y Myndd.

Here the route takes you up a steep track covered in loose slate with a couple of rocky outcrops that take a little push to get over, expect to push the bike here as it can get a little tricky.

At the top - Dothie Valley in the near distance..

Passing through a couple of gates eventually the track brings you to the top of the mountain where the viewpoint is awesome, in all directions the eye is not obstructed by any man-made object – a real gem of a place, transporting you back in time with no sense of the hustle  and bustle of modern life.

After all the hard work of the long ascent the rider is rewarded with a level ride with some huge puddles to pass through, then comes a fantastic fast downhill stretch, beware of the loose slate and the cut aways across the track for water run off, some of these are like trenches and one point I was nearly caught by one. Like the climb up there are also a couple rocky outcrop steps on the track that are fun to negotiate.

Entering Dothie valley

Towards the bottom there is a gate with a bridleway sign set to one side, this is the start of 7 km’s of fantastic single track.  Heading through the gate and then  on to a sweeping track we cycled along the side of the valley, at points the track crossed small streams that head down into the valley and river below. There were a few rocks to deal with which could be a little technical so great to home in your Trials skills. The track passes through an array of different terrains, from solid rock with steep drops to one side, marsh and small woods. The further you go the more you drop into the base of the valley and it seems like the mountains rise up around you.

Rest stop...

At the bottom of  the valley there is another track junction near a farm, taking the left hand track we passed through the farm-yard, it’s so isolated it run off its own generator permanently. We then headed up the last hill back into the area of the reservoir once more. This hill is long with a couple of steep inclines that take a bit of effort. At the top the track levels and on passing through a gate heads into the forestry. We followed this track for a short while looking out for a small rabbit run track on the right which is a short cut down on to the main track back to the reservoir car park.

The ride took us just over 2 hours and was fantastic, especially for my riding partner who has never ridden it before – I don’t think I’ve seen him smile so much…

Garmin connect – Route

Not being deterred I set about knocking up a few bacon butty’s which went a long way to lifting my spirits even though I melted a hole in the rear of my van seat which I was using as a table (remember next time to place the fire-retardant mat down). The weather in the morning was great, dry if not a little cold but certainly looked like the day ahead was going to be good.

After breakfast I checked the bike and packed my gear for the day. For people who read this and haven’t done one of these events before it’s a case of take everything as chances are when things go wrong inevitably they will in the back of beyond (albeit other riders will help) – in my case I took the following – Backpack with hydration pack, Topeak tool (including chain breaker),First aid kit , Emergency Blanket, Innertube (even though I run with a Stan\’s Tubeless kit), repair patches, CO2 repair kit, small pump, 3 chain links, Brake Pads, a couple of Gels and Energy bars & a windproof/showerproof Lightweight jacket.

We were due to start at around 10:30. I decided to place myself in the latter 3rd of the approx 800 riders that took part. The format that followed was the same as the night before with the usual MC patter followed by the lead van getting into place before the off. Just before the start countdown I’m sure I saw Nick Craig (Scott rider) dart off ahead of the van – the race was on (For the Pro’s)!! The van pulled off and the mass of riders followed on behind through Builth Wells.

After a few miles the van turned off and the riders started to head into the countryside up the first long climb of many for that day. With all the riders there was a lot of dust being thrown up around us and was hard not to breath in a lung full. The course was fantastic and very fast due to the dry conditions. The route meandered through the Welsh countryside to vantage points that greeted us with some awesome views. There were a few lung busting climbs rewarded with some cracking single track technical descents.

I was making some good progress and after about 30Km my legs felt reasonably good again. At points I wished I had started a little further up the field as my progress was delayed with cyclists walking up the steep single track sections which made it difficult to pass. Sometimes a case of hopping the bike up on to the raised banks running  alongside to get through.

Eventually we arrived at the first feed station and as usual the riders were well catered for with offerings of various fluids, bananas, flapjacks, Gels, cakes etc. There was also a bike mechanic sorting out riders bike problems – Mechanically my bike was running really well and was surprised to see so many with mechanical issues. Some with punctures but surprisingly most suffered chain failures. There must have been at least 30 guys I passed with that problem.

By about 50Km  I was starting to get tired again and then comes the issue mentally will I go the course and will it be with the smallest amount of pain. Have a Gel, head down and crack on was the way of the game. I was especially grateful for some long downhill sections. As the day went on my body temperature increased with the combination of both the midday sun some relentless climbs – it was time to strip off the “Skins” long sleeve top. A little further we passed through a farmyard, the same one as the night before on the ELBNO where the children were shouting encouragement to us before we headed up the sweeping climb ahead of us. This time the farmer’s wife was coordinating the same children with offerings of cool water to the passing riders – very nice!!

Across the top of the mountain to the last feed station before passing again this time in daylight into the rooted wooded section which was fab. This was where I was to have my first and only fall of the day. Not due to the roots in the wood or through over cooking it on a downhill section. No, but at a top speed of probably 3 mph passing through a mobile flexible livestock gate. I passed through it only for my front wheel to lock into a support bar which was located on the other side of the gate near the ground and flip me other the handlebars – very amusing for the two guys behind me!! After a few more climbs and steady descents we came to the last and probably best single track descent of the day! It traversed the side of the hill with a gradient that was easily enough to push you to speeds in excess of 25mph if you dare! My brake discs were certainly cooking on the way down! Brilliant stuff.

Back on the road for the final push back to the finish at the Showground in a time of – 5 hours 16 mins. Then it wash up, pack up and head home. The end of a brilliant weekends MTB’ing with a bonus of receiving two fantastic T-shirts!!

Garmin route & stats

I arrived at Builth Wells Showground in Mid Wales on Saturday afternoon in glorious sunshine to a campsite full of enthusiastic mountain bikers, some with families & friends and others like myself on their own. I parked up and set about striking camp with the erection of my brand new awning for my van. In fact it was more a case of bundle it all up and sling the thing in the back of the van as there were no instructions and I did’nt fancy the idea of faffing about trying to work out how it went together – great start!!

Remaining positive I thought it best to register. Registration took place in one of the large showground buildings which was surrounded by the usual sponsor flags, large inflatable start and finish arches. To the rear of the shed the catering unit was busily preparing the evenings pasta for the pasta party. There were stands selling lights, bike parts, clothes, energy gels and bars. There was even a large area with massage tables, behind which the sports therapists were being briefed ready for the tired bodies they would be dealing with later that night. Even the kids were catered for with a large TV playing kids DVD’s. I signed in, received my pasta meal ticket along with a bag containing my entry No’s and other freebies. Checked the map display boards of the routes and headed back to the van to prep the bike for the night ride.

After the delights of the Pasta with its variuos shades of colour and tastes, the bike prepped, entry No fitted, chain lubed, tyre pressures checked, Lights checked etc it was time to make my way to the start. All the riders gathered waiting patiently for the 2 min countdown, chatting among themselves, checking out each other bikes and comparing their latest riding gear. Discussing the amount of  Lumens they had. I’m sure one riders said he had 2000 Lumens at his disposal! The banter was then interrupted for a short period with the arrival a coach that had to stop short of its destination due to not fitting under the large inflatable start arch, the passengers were all dressed up for a wedding reception and having to huddle their way through a mass of burly mountain bikers – not what they expected!!.  This followed by the usual prize giving and two lucky riders each received brand new Exposure lights. The MC filled the time with chatting to the pro’s at the front of the group and members of the crowd. Two minutes to go, followed later by the 10 second countdown then off we went. A mass of riders following the organisers van through the town of Builth Wells towards the mountains. I tend to take it easy at the beginning, riding at a speed where I could comfortably speak to other riders alongside.

Eventually, we break away from the van and pull off the road onto the first track. It’s still very light and due to the recent dry spell the dust starts to pick up considerably. John Lloyd the course designer tends to put a large steep climb early on – and he did’nt disapoint!! this works well to spread out the riders, problem is it can get a little congested in places  and if someone up front misses a gear or has to stop – which happened on a couple of occasions it can get a bit messy – patience being the key here!

After a short time it became dark enough to turn the lights on – this for me is the best part as the riding experience becomes more direct & challenging. In places the images seen back down the track and up ahead are fantastic – a string of lights weaving their way through the countryside like a large luminous snake. The trouble is this also serves well at giving the rider a heads up on what lies ahead – BIG climbs!!! I used two lamps by Light & Motion, 650 Lumen HID single lamps. One mounted on my Helmet and the other on the Handlebars. One thing I did find however was that during the later part of the ride I had to turn the handlebar lamp off as I found it was affecting my balance on some of the technical parts, probably due to the way the light beams were crossing each other – was a strange experience.

After approx 80mins  of swooping open countryside and trails hugging the sides of small gullies the course headed into a wood which was on the side of a steep  hill. The single-track through this section was fantastic and certainly made up for some of the road work leading up to it. The route traversed the hill with a lattice of tree root fingers crossing the track, route selection was paramount as some of the roots were well polished and I saw a couple of riders struggling to deal with them. The last downhill section was a mixture of flowing single-track then on to large loose stone double track which eventually led back to the road for the last road leg back to the Showground.  I reached the finish line in a tiring 2hrs 36mins. Then back to the sign in area for a well deserved cup of tea and some cake and chat with others riders about our rides – some of which had the misfortune of getting lost and missing the brilliant wooded section…

After giving the bike a wash down and me a shower I then set about the most uncomfortable nights sleep in the back of my van. With the thought that within only a few hours I would be back up and at it with a 70Km ride to crack…All good fun!!

Route Trace – here

Photos of event – Right Place Right Time

There were a few options available, one to renew it at great cost or to send it off for professional repair (very few about) which could have been time-consuming and expensive or attempt to repair it yourself.

As an Engineer by trade and a keen hobbiest as a kid I thought I would give it a go attempting the repair for myself. The kit I sourced would be ideal for the DIY enthusiast as the instructions provided were simple to follow resulting in a satisfactory serviceable repair being achievable. Clearly the level of finish will depend greatly on the skill of the person carrying out the repair.

The repair kit used was from a company called carbonology and cost approx £40. The specific kit was kit size B. The kit included all carbon crossply sheets, resins and instructions etc. I did however modify the repair process specific to the job I was to carry out.

Making good the damage -

First of all the crack and surrounding area had to be sanded to remove all the frame lacquer from the carbon fibre beneath, making sure not to sand deeply into original carbon fibre. From the photo you can see that I sanded into the area of the seat post. The reason for this was to add extra strength to the repair by taking the new layers into the that area, this would also minimise the visual impact of the repair – avoiding an obvious bulge had I not done this.

Next, was to make sure the crack would not get any larger, to do this two 5mm stop holes were drilled into the frame at either end of the cracked carbon. Then I drilled a 13mm hole into the frame to allow the injection of expanding foam, this would support and strengthen the repair from inside the frame tube. Once the foam had set I then I carried out the filling repair to the excessively damaged area of the tube. This would need the use of Epoxy Resin, Hardener  and a high density compound mix. Sanding and refilling would be carried out to ensure the profile of the tube matched that of the surrounding area.

Preparing the carbon sheet -

Once complete then the first stage of the carbon to be layed up could be carried out. This part is a little tricky and some patience is required (measure twice, cut once!!) as a stencil needs to be cut out of paper ensuring there is an overlap on the underside of the frame top tube, also two tongues that lay into the seat tube had to taken into account ensuring they matched from both sides. Using the stencil the first layer of carbon could be cut ensuring the it lays >40mm beyond the crack towards the Headtube. Be very careful when cutting the carbon sheets as the lattice can easily break away. Finally, cut an area of Peel Wrap that will cover the carbon sheet when layed up.

Laying up the carbon sheet -

Using the supplied safety kit, mix enough of the Epoxy Resin and hardener to cover the area that the carbon sheet will be layed on. Lay the sheet on the area to be repaired and carefully move into place. Once happy, re-apply some more resin over the entire area then lay the peel wrap around the tube. Next, apply the shrink-wrap tape then using a heat gun apply heat to the tape ensuring the tape contracts around the tube. Allow to harden. Remove the shrink-wrap tape and peel wrap and sand to the profile of the frame, also refill any pot holes with resin and re-sand where necessary. Repeat the process with a further two layers of carbon fibre making sure each layer is cut back by approx 10mm from the layer before at the end near the head tube, thus maintaining a good profile from the original tube to the repair layers. The last layer I avoided using the heatshrink tape as I found this would disfigure the layer of carbon. So with the last layer I used only a Peel wrap and made sure that every hole was filled and lump sanded resulting in a perfectly profiled tube before finishing.

Lacquering -

The final process was to lacquer the repair. This was completed with two layers of car body clear lacquer sanding lightly between coats. Also ensuring a good overspray was carried out into the existing frame and any unwanted overspray polished out. This resulted in a job that surprised me and my friend whom I repaired it for. The frame is still going strong after many hard rides and shows no signs of fatigue.

If you would like any more advice on how I repaired this frame or have a frame that requires repairing then contact me by email – greatb2@hotmail.co.uk

Photo screenshow of the repair using Flickr can be seen – here

The winners of the Short pairs Trail quest

Andy, is no stranger to charity events and successfully completed a Trans Scotland MTB mountain bike marathon back in 2007. The challenge was to complete 7 days of 100km + a day of off road extreme mountain biking.

I met Andy shortly after this event and we have ridden together on various mountain biking events and we still cycle regularly around our local trails. Andy has since broken his allegiance with mountain biking events (well he has completed most of them) and moved on to Duathlons and triathlons. He is a member of Celtic Tri and trains and competes in events with them. So, brings us on to the big one Ironman UK.

Andy intends to add to this post diary notes on how his training etc is going on the lead up to the event itself. If you wish to support Andy then please click on his Justgiving Page.

Andy Edwards - Amateur Triathlete

Good Luck Andy…

Garminconnect Route

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Biologic waterproof handlebar mount -