Big Gert Brevet 1600 2021
Populaire pace

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Event

You have effectively 10 days of cycling to complete the route to qualify for the AAA points, and if you’re audaciously audacious and have a crack on a fixed wheel bike the distance points will be valid for the fixed wheel challenge. The randonneur paced Bristol Glasgow Bristol RM event, internationally recognised by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux and run in accordance with their regulations gaining the 16 distance points, takes place over effectively 7 days of cycling. If you enter either the randonneur or the brevet populaire event you may swap to the other up to a week before the event.

DIY variations of the route/dates are not permitted.

Details

X-rated – in its purest form for this iteration; no sleep facilities, few dedicated controls, no bag drops!
Just you, a route, the open road, views galore and #wills_hills.
Self sufficiency is key!

Staggered start times and groups – depending on any restrictions in place either may be undertaken. If there is a group of you please add those you want to ride with when booking; this should also be editable through your profile link after booking. Start times and groups will not be tiered for this event.

Terrain – for those unfamiliar with British hills be warned, they are not long Alpine affairs. More than likely you will end up walking a few of those included in this route.

Geography – there are places in remote and exposed locations. Be prepared with food provisions and clothing.

Various surfaces involved but primarily road including minor lanes, B roads, urban areas, the odd A road. Surfaces include forest tracks, peak trails, cobbled moor roads, shared paths, old railway lines as well as the usual potholed British roads…

Off Road Sections

To route check I used 25mm Continental Gatorskins to show that it can be done on a road bike. I freely admit I walked parts of the off road sections. The following difficulty levels reflect my experience; if I was doing this route as an entrant I would have gone for larger tyres for comfort, even if there was no off road!

Chester Millenium Greenway, Runcorn & Preston shared paths – metalled.
Difficulty: V. Easy.

Cam High Road – total unmetalled 14km – up is easier than down – time wise it was equal as to if it was one long climb.
Difficulty: Easy to begin, Hard to finish.
Good grade gravel to begin on the climb. I needed to walk the 2 steeper sections as I was unable to maintain traction with the rear wheel.
The top is interrupted with some beautiful tarmac as you are given unbridled panoramic views.
The literal highpoint of the ride and the descent sees larger stones on the path and rockbed in places. I descended most on the bike but having to shuffle from side to side to get the right line, utilising the sheep tracks on the grass and one leg counterbalancing in places.

The Crackpot Descent – unmetalled 1km.
Difficulty: Hard.
Larger stones and rockbed on the steep upper and lower section which were walked. Mid section used grass edges.

Hexham shared path – metalled other than dismount for level crossing.
Difficulty: V. Easy.

Kielder Forest – North Haul Road – total unmetalled 10km.
Difficulty: Easy.
Easy transition predominantly on well consolidated forest track, few looser section. Broken tarmac towards end. Average speed with no walking.

Galloway Forest – Southern Uplands Way becoming NCN7 – unmetalled 16km.
Difficulty: Easy, Medium on steeper descents.
Good grade gravel and consolidated. Looser on the ups and downs. Average speed, only walked on the final steep ascent up to the car park.

Glasgow – Linn Park & Glasgow Green – metalled.
Difficulty: V. Easy.

Glasgow exit – various roadside shared paths – metalled – from ~897-907km.
Difficulty: V. Easy.
Depending on time of day/traffic levels these shared paths may be more favourable especially where long term road upgrades are being undertaken leaving East Kilbride.

NCN 74 – heading south adjacent to M74 – metalled from ~939-987km.
Difficulty: V. Easy to Hard.
In places new road side segregated shared paths are a gem. The old road surface however…. keep some super glue handy for your fillings; in places the main carriage way is a better choice or can be equally as bad, road traffic extremely low. Hard because the surface can be energy sapping even though predominantly descending. The route diverts briefly for some respite.

Carlisle – Kingmoor Nature Reserves – unmetalled 2km.
Difficulty: Easy.
Good consolidated surface.

Forest of Bowland – Hornby Road/Salter Fell Road – unmetalled 12km – beginning easier than end – time wise it was equal as to if it was one long climb.
Difficulty: Easy to begin, Medium to end with the odd Hard spot.
Good grade gravel and consolidated to begin on the climb and top, walked a couple of short steeper parts where traction lost.
Surface changes to larger looser stones with rockbed, tricky and required walking in places.
Finally surface becomes a course sand in the ruts so the right line was needed making use of grass edges where possible.
Finally becomes patchy concrete/tarmac before rejoining the road.

Rooley Moor – Cotton Famine Road – unmetalled 6km – large proportion Victorian cobbles/sett stones.
Difficulty: Easy on the cobbles, Medium on the sett stones/gravel, Hard on the ascent.
The beginning of the ascent is ok with large loose stones and sett stones.
There is then a definite hundred metres or so of hike a bike at the final steepest part with exposed rockbed.
Cobbles are easier at speed, planing over the bumps.
Sett stones can be bumpier than the gravel.
Grass sheep tracks to the side are easy.
Occasionally had to shuffle from one side to the other where looser stone present.
Walked a couple of short descent sections where rockbed again exposed.

Luzley Road – 1km unmetalled – ~1317km.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium.
Cobbles are easy as is the final bit of gravel.
Short 20m descent with exposed rockbed needed walking.

Stratford-upon-Avon Greenway – unmetalled 8km.
Difficulty: Easy.
Good consolidated surface.

Cotswolds Byway – unmetalled 2.5km – ~1552km.
Difficulty: Easy.
Good grade gravel and consolidated to begin becoming grass track on descent. Good pace maintained. Bit rock by final gate.

Cotswold Bridleway – unmetalled 1km – ~1563km.
Difficulty: Easy.
Wooded path to begin followed by field edge. Other than removing some wheat from the wheel a good pace maintained.

Bristol to Bath Railway Path + Yate Extension – total unmetalled 2km.
Difficulty: Easy then V. Easy.
Good consolidated surface for first 2km becoming metalled.

Description

Depart Bristol via The Downs to the Severn Bridge and into Wales. Take the path less travelled over the tops of hills all the way to the edge of Snowdonia, Clocaenog Forest and the Clwydian Hills. Back into England and pass through Chester. Cross the Mersey via the Silver Jubilee Bridge. Into Preston and out to the heart of the Forest of Bowland where the routes makes its first cross of the return. Traverse the Yorkshire Dales crossing the glorious but brutal Pennines to Barnard Castle; some old Roman Roads and tracks are involved, Ribblehead Viaduct viewed (if you want you can make a slight detour to pass under). North Pennines ensue, cross Hadrian’s Wall after Hexham before into Kielder Forest. Go the other side of Kielder Water to the Castle. Scotland! Cut west through Dumfries to Clatteringshaws Loch, Loch Dee & Troon in Galloway Forest. Turn north once again through Ayrshire and into Glasgow.

Now back south you go. Over the Southern Uplands to Gretna and back into England. To the west of the Lake District then straight (up) over Harknott (to walk) and Wrynose Pass. Back to the Forest of Bowland for a bit of Roman. Steal up the Nick of Pendle. Moor tops; some cobbled with turbines sweeping. Slither round the north eastern edge of Manchester and up Snake Pass into the Peaks for a bit of Hope. It is just out of reach but channel it as you descend the valley, for a bit before jumping back into the Peaks for a tart taste? Then Derby and a respite to Stratford on Avon exiting on a peaceful old railway path. The Cotswolds are ahead. Yep, you guessed it, up and over, with a few more downs and ups before finally dropping back to Bristol on another old railway path.

Other Stuff

I intend to get some caps and a jersey made, these will probably be available post event as I’m run off my feet at the mo. If I do get jerseys they will be numbered, the order in which anyone finishes will be your number, for life, and will go on the Wall of ShFame; regardless of randonneur, brevet populaire pace or out of time, or the allotted start time Don’t bother racing for #1, #2 or #3 though; #1 is me, #2 Vilas Silverton and #3 is held for a good friend who has made 2 attempts so far so I hope one day there is a 3rd time lucky.

Any bags/kit to remain in Bristol can be left at mine the evening before the event or 8-9am the morning of the event.

I will be doing a write up of the route check (randonneur pace) shortly so watch the blog or check back here. My 1st attempt is a review below.