I decided to ride the Brevet Cymru 400k audax as an attempt to tackle a properly hilly long ride ride on fixed rather than deliberately selecting flatter rides for the ‘pignon fixe’ as I usually do. I’ve ridden it 3 times before, last time being 2003 I think, and always found it tough going even on gears. The route – from Chepstow to the Welsh seaside at New Quay and back – is pretty, often stunning, and includes a double crossing of the Cambrian mountains.

In an attempt to minimise my pre-ride sleep debt I arranged to camp 3 miles from the start at Upper Sedbury House which proved to be a good move though not 100% effective as I was later to learn. There were several other cyclists camping and I reckon I managed 5 hours kip before waking at 4:45am in time for a veggie pasty and banana breakfast then off to the 6:00am start at Bulwark allowing enough time for getting lost on the way as almost expected.

Brevet Cymru start (photo nicked off ChrisS from YACF - thanks)

Riders at Grosmont

Off to a good start I enjoyed the 100m climb out of Chepstow, chating briefly with GY Jon from the veganfitness forum, and was happy to let all the faster freewheelers whizz past on the descent into the lovely Wye valley where I took turns into the wind with a bunch till Monmouth. We hit the lanes here and a series of noticeable climbs, the steepest being the short haul up to Grosmont where I stopped for a mid-stage nibble. My eating strategy consisted of cramming the savoury content of Holland and Barrett’s fridge into my rack-pack along with a load of energy gels and some other bits – a lot to lug around a hilly course.

The route flattened out a bit as we rode through the Golden Valley to Hay on Wye enjoying the sunshine and quiet roads. I’d made sure I drunk both my bottles of water and had an energy gel a few kilometres before. A chat with the organiser, Mark Rigby, refill my bidons and a veggie sausage roll from the rack-pack, then I was on my way to Llandovery. A couple of riders had packed at Hay due to the onset of injuries and I was thankful that so far nothing hurt.

Soon we swung north towards Builth Wells and the wind was really starting to make it’s presence felt. Riding with Barry now we noted the answer to the info and, instead of the usual 4WD and horse-box festival I was amused to find Builth had been invaded by not-so-young mods having some sort of scooter gathering. Riding south west now we were fortunate to have the wind behind again for the long, long haul over Sugar Loaf. I was on my own and on the brakes for most of the descent that followed to the control.

Chips and beans in the West End cafe we were 7hr 30m and 150k into the ride and, I was pleased to see, slightly ahead of the rather ambitious ride schedule I’d scribbled out. The first part of the next stage included a couple of steady 200m climbs which were just fine for 67″ fixed, the gradient being suitable for my 50 turns of the cranks in the saddle 50 turns honking then repeat strategy. After the info at Lampeter though we turned direct into the wind and think we all struggled that 10 miles to the Tregaron control where I drunk lots and ate a porkless pie from my stash. This was halfway though – feeling good and only slightly behind schedule.

A strong tailwind for the next section didn’t help me much as I walked up several unreasonably steep hills, I’d been warned this was a tough section on fixed. Most of the rest of the ride was on well graded old coach and drove roads now evolved to wide Welsh A roads – this bit was more a series of short steep corrugations, one even had a ‘16% Low Gear Now’ sign which wasn’t useful advice for me considering my mount.

Aware that the next control at New Quay was followed immediately by a long, double-header, climb of about 300m which had been known to leave over-stuffed riders retching by the roadside I played clever and ate moderately a couple of k early. I was in need of a sit down though and was most chuffed when the vegan girl on the cafe checkout let me have some of her soya milk for my cup of tea, very unexpected in a not very right-on fish cafe called the Mariners!

Veggie sausage roll at New Quay

I walked the first, very steep, bit out of town then gently rode the climb away from the sea and back into the mountains. I passed a couple of small groups of riders at junctions, possibly making sure they’d got the route right or maybe shedding layers as it was shorts and sunglasses by now. We were to head back east for the next 100 miles and the wind was now strong and mostly in our faces. I was a good half hour behind schedule but no where near the time limits. As the evening went on though I started feeling tired, sleepy tired, and was distressed to find a full blown dose of the sleepies upon me!

Now I expect to have to stop for little power naps on any overnight ride, it’s not uncommon and the dark early hours of the second day of a long ride curses many riders with the need for 40 winks in a bus shelter. But it was only 9:45pm! Still, remembering that I took a brief nap around midnight last time I rode this, foolishly forgetting to get off the bike first but fortunately landing safely on the soft A40 verge, I know not to ignore those little micro-sleeps when the bike suddenly lurches and you are aware your eyes have shut for a moment.

I walked some hills I’d usually have ridden as a short walk would wake me up a bit. I slowed to a crawl – later analysis showed a 13.4mph riding speed for the first 150 miles followed by 11mph for the rest. Darkness descended, in my mind my schedule was revised to just making sure I left controls before they closed, then to making sure I just reached controls before they closed. A stop for a 5 minute nap on a nice grassy bit which I later noticed was the entrance to a rest home, very appropriate. Everybody passed me.

Somewhere around here a large polecat slunk out of the bushes onto the road just a few metres in front of me, spotting me he turned and slunk back into the undergrowth with belly close to the ground – I think he was hoping I hadn’t spotted him.

The sleepy 200m descent back to the Llandovery was not a good experience but the large coffee was very welcome and I nibbled some chips and chatted with fixed rider Paul who arrived just after me. Paul’s approach to the ride seemed to be more casual than mine, he’s finished it before on fixed, and I took on board his point that we had till 9am which was ages yet.

I had a brief chat with the long suffering proprietor who has been serving as a control on this ride for the last 20 years, it seemed there were a couple of outstanding names on the check list he’d been given but his approach was that they’d be there cleaning up for a while yet. Leaving shortly before the control was due to close – Paul, John and a couple of others still eating – I set out up the next climb on the seemingly endless 46k to Bwlch where basic sleep facilities were offered.

Before leaving Llandovery, still on the A40, I was aware of a rider with no lights on my right saying something. I hit pause on the iPod and turned to see a lad of about 12 on a BMX, unsual after 1am even in Wales. ‘I beat you’ he repeated. ‘Ah but I’m going to beat you to Chepstow’ I replied. ‘Yebbut you can’t do this’ – he did that trick where they stand on the saddle while still holding the handlebars and freewheeling along. Then he dropped behind. This did happen I think, it was just too complicated to be a sleep-deprivation hallucination.

The coffee kept me going for half an hour, then a powernap and later a caffeinated energy gel. I was surprised to find Peter Holden, organiser of last weeks 300, controlling at Bwlch Village Hall. The volunteers behind audax put in many, many hours to make these events work. I found a vacant sleeping mat behind the stage curtain and laid down in the dark for 30 minutes shuteye. 5am and I ate my last porkless pie then, 15 minutes after the control closed and with only 2 more riders still there, I set off for the last 60k back to Chepstow.

Only half an hour but that sleep really did the trick, instead of a continuation of my stop, start, crawl of the night before I was happy and strong again and enjoyed the early morning ride along the A40 through Crickhowell and Abergavenny. The remaining 2 riders passed but I seemed to be OK for time so long as I didn’t puncture or anything.

I knew about the sting in the tale, the 200m climb between the Usk and Wye valleys, which awaited in the final few miles of the ride. I climbed it no problem though, a brief walk halfway up to relieve my back as it was too steep to ride seated. As is proper on a Welsh ride the rain came down and I honked through the woods and the downpour traumatising the world with a rendering of Pink Floyd’s Shine on You Crazy Diamond, which I was fortunate enough not to have to hear as I had the iPod earphones in, accompanied by the grunts and creaks I was no doubt also emitting.

I finished with 50 minutes to spare and was awarded the Lantern Rouge which I shouldn’t go on about too much as audax events are not supposed to be competitive. A couple of hours kip in the tent before it got unbearably hot in the morning sunshine and then an easy drive home to laze away the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend. All in all a great rides with many extremes of experience – I’m not planning to take the fixie back to Wales in the near future though. That was tough!