With usual spring weather, the camp field became a little greasy, but this did little to spoil the enthusiasm or rider numbers, though a number of vehicles needed some assistance in the conditions.
The night-time event took place on moorland between Hundred House and Aberedw, and tested not only riders and bikes, but battery life of their lights! Escorted by the local police the pace cars and procession of cyclists made their over the Wye Bridge, through Llanelwedd, and onto Forest Fields, near Hundred House. From the hill, the lights bobbed and weaved as the riders made their way from the farm up the steep climb. As the hours elapsed, the lights lit the darkening hill, first white as they came towards us, then red flashes as they moved away, then repeated as they performed a figure of eight around the feed station. Two quads and little EEP escorted the last two riders back to the feed station for welcome refreshments before they left for the last segment of the hill course. On our return to Builth we were a little disappointed to pass a couple of riders with no rear illumination, hopefully that will not be repeated next year.
The day-time event, with some eight hundred riders, headed out of Builth Wells towards Cwm Owen on the Epynt then over the hill to Llaneglwys Forest, where the 50k and 75k competitors covered the first part of the course together, before separating at the feed station, and the 50k riders passing the still incoming mainstream at Fiveways (The Sheds). Here, despite the signing, there was some confusion, and marshals had to direct the two opposing streams of traffic. Some confusion also occurred where the riders entered the forestry, and the 50k riders left it for Pant-y-Llyn, but marshalling and a bit of shouting resolved that situation. The 75k riders headed out of the lower Llaneglwys forest, then onto Trericket Mill, a brief ride down the A470, before crossing the river Wye via the beautiful Llanstephan suspension bridge and onto the moorland above Aberedw, along tarmac back to Builth, and a welcome end to the event.
The riders encountered rain, hail and bitterly cold winds, but as you can see on the results pages, the times were still very quick, the event well organised and thoroughly enjoyable.
