Day 2: Mike Tate's TransWales Blog

Day 2 was more blue skies and buff trails, but will it last? Mike had a another cracking day on the GORE BIKE WEAR™ TransWales 2011 powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport, enjoying buff trails, including a couple of black runs, and another satisfying, hard day in the saddle. Here’s his second blog of the week.

I’m back now in the event village tent rehydrating with 7up and copious mugs of tea after another great day. We woke to blue skies but a very cold morning. I’d not had the best of sleep – note to self – stop drinking beer 2 hrs before going to bed. I was up three times in the night and due to the tiny nature of the tent, I couldn’t even manoeuvre myself to use my pee bottle, I couldn’t kneel up! At least it was a beautiful night with a full moon and an amazing star show. The sound of zips (tent!) in the middle of the night is increasing so its obvious people are taking their rehydrating seriously – or returning late from the pub after too many cold ones!

After a French toast and waffles breakfast the ride started after a few short words (very short!) by the town mayor. Again I was determined to take it easy and build into the ride warming up before the special stage at 20k. Little did I know that after less than a mile of riding the whole peleton came to an abrupt halt at a gate before an unbelievably steep hike a bike which lasted for about 20 minutes. Not the best way to start the day as my calves were now screaming, but it thankfully wasn’t an indication of what was to come. Immediately after this followed a grin-inducing descent which took us to the bottom of the first huge (riding) climb of the day. All the climbs today followed a similar pattern: start on the road (steep), then onto a stony double track with deep ruts, and finishing with steeper forestry roads. This wouldn’t have been too bad except my back pistons were rubbing on the rotor and producing a screeching noise reminiscent of running your nails down a blackboard. Needless to say I rode the first 20k on my own unable to find a friend to suffer it with me! After the first monster climb we reached the start of the second special stage. Bearing in mind I had a slow first special stage I wasn’t sure how best to approach this. In the end I just went for it but held back a little on the last third.

This special stage was roughly 2-3 km split into three parts – a downhill opening section, a smooth traverse on forest road and then a final uphill sprint on rocky doubletrack back to the finish. Steve Peat has little to worry about with my descending skills but the first downhill section was rocky, rooty and with tabletops and high speed berms. I gingerly made my way down not helped by the fact we were in dark forest and I had chosen my dark lenses as I thought it would be sunny (which it wasn’t quite enough by now). One root sent me at ninety degrees the wrong way and after evasive action and much swearing I regained my composure just in time to be snapped by the camera – thanks! Rolling out of this section I put the hammer down (well, my small nut cracking hammer) on the traverse. By the time I reached the uphill third I was creased and rolled in at least pleased not to have been passed by anyone. I was nineteenth yesterday and am not holding my breath to move higher!

Straight after the special stage it was downhill to the first aid station before the start of another lung-busting climb. I was really enjoying the pattern of the day so far. The top parts of the uphills required real concentration to stay on course and each uphill was rewarded with a sweet bit of downhill. There was more man made track before the lunch stop where we were rewarded with sandwiches, cake and tea. More importantly fellow racer, South African John performed miracles on my bike which meant I might have an opportunity in the afternoon to actually ride with people without annoying the hell out of them with the squealing – the bikes not mine. Immediately after the lunch stop we followed a short section of a local downhill track with large rooty exposed corners that I was glad we rode in the dry.

The next 10k flew past in a mixture of sharp uphills and quick, fast descents but finally we hit a section of road that took us the start of a private drive that rolled parallel to the river and a huge mansion. This was totally different to anything we had ridden so far, but actually allowed you to have conversations with your fellow racers. I rode the afternoon with the women’s leader and we both yo-yoed with a gnarly, grissled guy who must have been at least 70 years young. He was truly amazing and while I sweated and toiled up towards the final 10k he rode on with apparent ease!

The final aid station came really quickly probably due to the fact that average speed had increased after the morning’s monster climbs. After this the final sections rolled along forest singletrack with some short ascents thrown in for the unwary before a final mile or so on the road into Clun – a tiny village on the Welsh/English border.

Tents were already up and bags inside so as I crossed the line I went straight to bike wash and cleaned off the bike before stretching and grabbing a shower. This time they were thankfully hot so I spent probably too long in these before sorting the tent. Its curry night tonight so I’m looking forward to the portaloos tomorrow!

So three days done, around 180km ridden, around 18000ft of climbing ground out, and so far no real mechanicals – bodily or bike-wise! I felt slightly more tired today but really enjoyed the variety of the course – more so on an eventually quiet bike. Another long one tomorrow but no special stage, so it’s going to be a real steady spin to bring me in just before cut off. I was in today well under with almost two hours in the bag, so I was perhaps a bit quick today. Going to take a walk into the metropolis of Clun now to stretch legs and hopefully remember to stop drinking about 8.30pm! We’ll see.