Battle On The Beach
Discussion
When did you enter? I was on the site at Midnight on New Years Eve, while the fireworks were still going! No way I'm going to miss this, as it's as close to a 'home fixture' as I'm going to get.
I grew up near there, and was riding a Carlton Continental up and down the beach long before this race was conceived. My brother is still local, and he's in this year too, along with a bunch of his clubmates.
I'm really looking forward to it, but a little concerned as to what changes they've made to the camping arrangements this year. It's pretty special to me because my Great Grandmother worked in the ammunition factory on the site during WWII. Last year the weather was pretty kind to the campsite, but i'm glad I've got a "chicken-out" option of stopping with my brother if the weather sucks!
The current plan is to wear PH kit too, so look out for me and say hello!
I grew up near there, and was riding a Carlton Continental up and down the beach long before this race was conceived. My brother is still local, and he's in this year too, along with a bunch of his clubmates.
I'm really looking forward to it, but a little concerned as to what changes they've made to the camping arrangements this year. It's pretty special to me because my Great Grandmother worked in the ammunition factory on the site during WWII. Last year the weather was pretty kind to the campsite, but i'm glad I've got a "chicken-out" option of stopping with my brother if the weather sucks!
The current plan is to wear PH kit too, so look out for me and say hello!
Yep - going. Did the first one, but hadn't since. Not too far away being in Pembrokeshire. Was a great crack the first year, and expect it to be the same again. I see the last lap has changed somewhat so the faster racer smurfs don't get bogged down when they catch up the slower ones like me 
Well it is just over a week to go, and I've prepared NOTHING.
So I'm going to have to rip the garage apart to find a tent (that'll probably leak) and some cooking gear, then hoover up anything that looks like a bike tool and lob it in the car. This'll probably happen in a frantic fashion on Wednesday or even Thursday.
One thing I have done is checked the weather forecast. And I don't want to be the one who "speaks too soon" but it looks OK for race weekend.
Heavy rain on Monday, but drying out for the rest of the week, and bright sunshine from Thursday. 10°c to 11°c all weekend, and the wind looks like it'll play nice too. Thursday 15mph NNE, so not ideal for the run up the beach. It's forecast to turn to 10mph SE for Friday (ideal direction to push you to the range tower up the beach), but then it moves again to come in off the land (ENE) at 9mph on Saturday, freshening to 11mph on Sunday. It'll be a side wind pushing out to sea for the race then. Not great, but far better than it being from the W, NW, or N directions. There'll be some swirling dry sand I reckon, so I'm planning on running with a dry chain lube. I might also take an old Racing Ralph tyre for the rear wheel, and swap it when I get there if conditions are dry enough.
I've got to decide whether or not to add my road bike to the packing list this time, as I've been told I owe my brother's club a ride out while I'm down there.
Anyone else racing? I'm not sure, but I might well head down earlier than the Friday this time. Possibly staying with family beforehand.
So I'm going to have to rip the garage apart to find a tent (that'll probably leak) and some cooking gear, then hoover up anything that looks like a bike tool and lob it in the car. This'll probably happen in a frantic fashion on Wednesday or even Thursday.
One thing I have done is checked the weather forecast. And I don't want to be the one who "speaks too soon" but it looks OK for race weekend.
Heavy rain on Monday, but drying out for the rest of the week, and bright sunshine from Thursday. 10°c to 11°c all weekend, and the wind looks like it'll play nice too. Thursday 15mph NNE, so not ideal for the run up the beach. It's forecast to turn to 10mph SE for Friday (ideal direction to push you to the range tower up the beach), but then it moves again to come in off the land (ENE) at 9mph on Saturday, freshening to 11mph on Sunday. It'll be a side wind pushing out to sea for the race then. Not great, but far better than it being from the W, NW, or N directions. There'll be some swirling dry sand I reckon, so I'm planning on running with a dry chain lube. I might also take an old Racing Ralph tyre for the rear wheel, and swap it when I get there if conditions are dry enough.
I've got to decide whether or not to add my road bike to the packing list this time, as I've been told I owe my brother's club a ride out while I'm down there.
Anyone else racing? I'm not sure, but I might well head down earlier than the Friday this time. Possibly staying with family beforehand.
Well then!
I'm back from Welsh Wales again now. Race done for another year.
Race number = 609 (team = PistonHeads)
Main race result...
Category = Veteran Male (40 to 49)
Category position = 208th/262 [2016 - 182nd/195]
Race distance = 3 laps (finished)
Lap 1 = 1:02:18.26 [2016 - 54:38:00]
Lap 2 = 47:01.84 [2016 - 01:08:34:00]
Lap 3 = 45:41.98 [2016 - 58:06:00]
Total race time = 2:35:02.07 (+72:10.4 over winner) [2016 - 3:01:20:00]
Overall position = 508th/648 [2016 - 484th/537]
https://www.strava.com/activities/918597087
Battle In The Dark (Time Trial) result...
Finishing time = 31:00 (+11:01 over winner) [2016 - 34:54]
Finishing position = 80th/125 (male category) [2016 - 89th/114]
https://www.strava.com/activities/918687599
Edit to add the "Relive" link... https://www.relive.cc/view/918597087
I'm back from Welsh Wales again now. Race done for another year.
Race number = 609 (team = PistonHeads)
Main race result...
Category = Veteran Male (40 to 49)
Category position = 208th/262 [2016 - 182nd/195]
Race distance = 3 laps (finished)
Lap 1 = 1:02:18.26 [2016 - 54:38:00]
Lap 2 = 47:01.84 [2016 - 01:08:34:00]
Lap 3 = 45:41.98 [2016 - 58:06:00]
Total race time = 2:35:02.07 (+72:10.4 over winner) [2016 - 3:01:20:00]
Overall position = 508th/648 [2016 - 484th/537]
https://www.strava.com/activities/918597087
Battle In The Dark (Time Trial) result...
Finishing time = 31:00 (+11:01 over winner) [2016 - 34:54]
Finishing position = 80th/125 (male category) [2016 - 89th/114]
https://www.strava.com/activities/918687599
Edit to add the "Relive" link... https://www.relive.cc/view/918597087
Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 30th March 20:29
Struggled to maintain pace on the beach, I'd geared up the single speed to a 36/17, but was still spinning out. Ended up having to pass loads of people once we were off the beach. Great fun though.
Vet 40, 110th.
Overall 261st.
Singlespeed 13th.
1st lap 38:54.37.
2nd lap 41:41.67.
3rd lap 39:31.17.
Overall 2:00:06.20.
A bit pissed off at missing under two hours by six seconds, I'll drop another tooth off the back sprocket for next year, or go the more sensible route and use a cyclocross bike...
Vet 40, 110th.
Overall 261st.
Singlespeed 13th.
1st lap 38:54.37.
2nd lap 41:41.67.
3rd lap 39:31.17.
Overall 2:00:06.20.
A bit pissed off at missing under two hours by six seconds, I'll drop another tooth off the back sprocket for next year, or go the more sensible route and use a cyclocross bike...
Anyone doing this race this year?
I held back on New Year's Eve when entries opened. I was put off by the camping situation. The organisers said we'd be able to buy a pitch for the event for £15, but the option wasn't available for me at 'checkout'. So I checked the in-park campsite and they had pitches for £63 for three nights. Not for me at that price, I'm afraid. Money is tight enough with the travelling, food, etc for the weekend.
So I missed out this year. Even tandem entries are sold out, although there is an option to join their wait list for a solo entry.
Anyone else lucky enough to be racing this?
I held back on New Year's Eve when entries opened. I was put off by the camping situation. The organisers said we'd be able to buy a pitch for the event for £15, but the option wasn't available for me at 'checkout'. So I checked the in-park campsite and they had pitches for £63 for three nights. Not for me at that price, I'm afraid. Money is tight enough with the travelling, food, etc for the weekend.
So I missed out this year. Even tandem entries are sold out, although there is an option to join their wait list for a solo entry.
Anyone else lucky enough to be racing this?
gazza285 said:
I'm in again, thinking about riding a hardtail this year, with gears. No camping though, as it is in the Easter break I am thinking about a cottage for the week.
Good luck! It was just too much for me this year, financially and logistically. I love the event but this year was just one to step back from in the end. A shame, too, as I've crept into the Grand Vet class now. I'd be just about the youngest in class, so an outside chance of a more flattering position on the results table... 
I'm in it again this year. 3rd time for me. Not really racing, not fit or young enough, just do the full course because it is so addictive and quite local to me. I normally take my hardtail or full susp MTB because I am old and like comfort, but this year I will go for a bigger front chain ring as I just didn't have the gears on the sand.
It's race registration time again! Battle On The Beach returns to Pembrey Country Park on the weekend of the 2nd/3rd April 2022.
https://www.battleonthebeach.co.uk/2022-entry-deta...
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-on-the-beach...
After a two year break I have been persuaded (by my wife) to take a punt on this actually happening in Drippy Drakeford's DystopianFuture Present. Somewhat comforted by a 'Covid Guarantee' of a refund if it goes belly-up again, I filled in the order form for a race entry and a camping pitch, along with my inside leg measurement and debit card details.
I'm not going to lie, it's more with a sense of trepidation at the moment, than excited anticipation. I hadn't entered the 2020 event (can't remember exactly why right now) but that got postponed to October 2020 initially, then that eventually became the 2021 event, running in October 21. Obviously, with entries carried over, not having a 2020 entry meant missing out on the 2021 event too.
So there it is. I've registered for my fifth Battle On The Beach, and now I've got to start the process of getting a bike together that is fit to be raced, and a tent with enough gear to keep myself warm, dry, and fed for three days. It'll be a choice between my trusty Giant Anthem 3.0 full suspension XC MTB, or my eBay bargain Cannondale Backroads "gravel" bike. Or perhaps I'll take both bikes this time, space in the car permitting? I've done two previous events on each of the bikes, and each has it's pros and cons so some thinking to be done between now and next April, but a good excuse to ride both bikes on some comparison rides on terrain as similar to the race venue as I can find.
Anyone else up for a bit of a giggle? I mean, it might not be quite as much of a giggle as previous events, if Drakeford is being a d
head still, but it's always been an event with a great atmosphere, and a properly "hands-on" organiser who will be there on-site with his shoulder to the wheel, doing his best to ensure things go smoothly...
https://www.battleonthebeach.co.uk/2022-entry-deta...
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-on-the-beach...
After a two year break I have been persuaded (by my wife) to take a punt on this actually happening in Drippy Drakeford's Dystopian
I'm not going to lie, it's more with a sense of trepidation at the moment, than excited anticipation. I hadn't entered the 2020 event (can't remember exactly why right now) but that got postponed to October 2020 initially, then that eventually became the 2021 event, running in October 21. Obviously, with entries carried over, not having a 2020 entry meant missing out on the 2021 event too.
So there it is. I've registered for my fifth Battle On The Beach, and now I've got to start the process of getting a bike together that is fit to be raced, and a tent with enough gear to keep myself warm, dry, and fed for three days. It'll be a choice between my trusty Giant Anthem 3.0 full suspension XC MTB, or my eBay bargain Cannondale Backroads "gravel" bike. Or perhaps I'll take both bikes this time, space in the car permitting? I've done two previous events on each of the bikes, and each has it's pros and cons so some thinking to be done between now and next April, but a good excuse to ride both bikes on some comparison rides on terrain as similar to the race venue as I can find.
Anyone else up for a bit of a giggle? I mean, it might not be quite as much of a giggle as previous events, if Drakeford is being a d
head still, but it's always been an event with a great atmosphere, and a properly "hands-on" organiser who will be there on-site with his shoulder to the wheel, doing his best to ensure things go smoothly...Very spectator friendly, I did it for the first time last year (October 2021). The singletrack is a bit more XC MTB oriented, but the beach and fireroad sections are better for a drop bar bike. Makes it a difficult one to decide which bike to use. I'd do it on my gravel bike again, but can't make the date this year.
Spectators can easily move between watching different sections or hanging out in the race village.
Hope the wind blows in a more favourable direction in April.
Spectators can easily move between watching different sections or hanging out in the race village.
Hope the wind blows in a more favourable direction in April.
gazza285 said:
Not bothering this year, after being told I could not have a refund last year and writing off two entry fees.
That's disappointing to hear. I'm pretty certain they mentioned a refund on this year's pages, if the event had to be cancelled.Maybe in your case it's because the event insurance was taken out pre-Covid? I knew they'd rolled entries over from 2020 to 2021 after it was postponed a few times to new dates. I was grumpy about that to be honest, because it meant they didn't sell entries for the 2021 event in anywhere near the usual numbers, if they sold any at all.
Fingers crossed that things settle down before April now. My brother has already promised me dinner after the race, and is loaning me my niece and nephew as a cheerleading squad...
yellowjack said:
gazza285 said:
Not bothering this year, after being told I could not have a refund last year and writing off two entry fees.
That's disappointing to hear. I'm pretty certain they mentioned a refund on this year's pages, if the event had to be cancelled.Maybe in your case it's because the event insurance was taken out pre-Covid? I knew they'd rolled entries over from 2020 to 2021 after it was postponed a few times to new dates. I was grumpy about that to be honest, because it meant they didn't sell entries for the 2021 event in anywhere near the usual numbers, if they sold any at all.
Fingers crossed that things settle down before April now. My brother has already promised me dinner after the race, and is loaning me my niece and nephew as a cheerleading squad...
gazza285 said:
The window for a refund finished about eight months before the event, not really ideal.
Ah. In that case I think it's harsh. If an event gets postponed as far from the original date as that, then I think it's entirely reasonable to expect the organiser to open another refund window closer to the new date. I've got to say I wasn't as keen to pay up front this year, but my wife persuaded me to push the 'go' button at checkout. Fingers crossed now...Bumping the thread because it was that time of year again.
Entries are full for this year now, but as usual I stayed sober enough to read the numbers on my debit card at midnight and bought an entry plus camping for the 2023 event which happens on the 25th/26th March 2023. Good news for folk unable to get a refund in the past is that for a little extra (£7.18 in my case) it's possible to get a refundable entry.
I'm feeling pretty stupid for entering mind you. My MTB needs the suspension sorting (TF Tuned unless there are any other recommendations?) and I've not ridden a bike at all since mid September 2022. "Training" is going to have to "be a thing" for me this year as I haven't got a "base" to build from at all this time. Plus it's camping. In South Wales. In March. So that could turn into a bloomin' nightmare too.
Fingers crossed I can motivate myself to ride bikes a bit beforehand and admin myself and my bike so that we at least turn up at the start line in some fit state to make it to the finish line...
...also, how utterly useless is the PistonHeads "search" feature? I literally typed the thread title into the search bar exactly as it's written in the thread, but it didn't come up as a search result. In the end I scrolled back through 'My Topics' until I found my last contribution for the 2022 race...
Entries are full for this year now, but as usual I stayed sober enough to read the numbers on my debit card at midnight and bought an entry plus camping for the 2023 event which happens on the 25th/26th March 2023. Good news for folk unable to get a refund in the past is that for a little extra (£7.18 in my case) it's possible to get a refundable entry.
I'm feeling pretty stupid for entering mind you. My MTB needs the suspension sorting (TF Tuned unless there are any other recommendations?) and I've not ridden a bike at all since mid September 2022. "Training" is going to have to "be a thing" for me this year as I haven't got a "base" to build from at all this time. Plus it's camping. In South Wales. In March. So that could turn into a bloomin' nightmare too.
Fingers crossed I can motivate myself to ride bikes a bit beforehand and admin myself and my bike so that we at least turn up at the start line in some fit state to make it to the finish line...
...also, how utterly useless is the PistonHeads "search" feature? I literally typed the thread title into the search bar exactly as it's written in the thread, but it didn't come up as a search result. In the end I scrolled back through 'My Topics' until I found my last contribution for the 2022 race...
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