The Pan Celtic Race Experience

28th November 2018

Event Entry

I used to ride my bike quite a lot when I was a kid. I’ve completed various charity rides with my dad, uncle and friends and I also used to do a lot of mountain biking with friends but as soon as I was old enough to drive my bike stayed in the garage. In 2010 I decided that I needed to do some exercise and lose some weight and by coincidence they had just introduced the cycle to work scheme where I worked. Bikes had changed a bit since the mid-90s so I had to learn about all of the new technology and terminology. I bought a Specialized FSR XC full suspension mountain bike and started riding it on local roads and trails. After a few months I went to Cannock Chase for the first time and had a great time riding the marked trails. After a year I wanted something new as I had got the bug so I bought an Ibis Mojo SL. I entered a fun race at Cannock and did some of the Evans Cycles events and I really enjoyed them. I started to commute more regularly by bike but as it was on the road I decided to buy a road bike just for commuting. The just for commuting idea didn’t last long as I started to do longer rides after work. I was now riding road and mtb and I started to get in to both disciplines more and more. I have competed in various organised events and organised some of my own with friends such as the Coast to Coast off road and JOGLE. So obviously I like riding my bike a lot. During this time I also discovered MicroAdventures after I did the Alistair Humphreys bivvy a month challenge in 2015. Then in 2016 I discovered the Transcontinental Race (TCR). Since then I have read every blog and race report that I could find and dot watched other racers. I also read all about Mike Hall the ultra-endurance racing legend and watched some of his videos on YouTube #BeMoreMike. I remember the first time that I watched Melons, Trucks & Angry Dogs on YouTube, which is a film about two riders competing in the TCR and the seed was well and truly planted. I needed to enter an event to test myself and in November 2018 I read about the inaugural Pan Celtic Race on Facebook and immediately knew that this was the event for me.

2nd March 2019

The Gathering – Day 1

84.66 miles / 8,632ft / 6 hr 34 mins

Betws-y-Coed to Machynlleth

Accommodation – Airbnb

I arrived at around 9pm to find the other Clan members that had made the journey to the Gathering sat in the bar at the Swallow Falls Hotel chatting as if everyone had known each other for years. I was immediately welcomed by Mally and Toby and invited to join everyone. I could already tell that this was the start of a special adventure. We all got to know each other and talked about the race and past adventures. Mally entertained us with the story of the legendary Sax Man. The following morning after quite a few beers the night before everyone had breakfast and then started to prepare their bikes for the ride to Machynlleth where we would stay overnight. We toured some of the best roads and hills in that area of Wales. We were joined along the way by other riders and the whole day was captured on film by Rupert and Jack from Albion Clothing. Unfortunately the weather decided to change as the day went on and we rode on in the rain. My rear wheel didn’t feel right on one of the long descents so I stopped at the bottom to check it. Quite a few of the spokes had come loose after a recent wheel rebuild so I tightened them up. Three of us got split up from the group after climbing an additional part of the route, so we made our own way for the last few miles to Machynlleth. We were soaking wet and freezing by the time we arrived so hung our kit out to dry and made a brew to warm up. We were all ready for some food and a couple of well-earned beers so we got ready to go out. With plastic bags for socks we walked in to town after raiding the chippy and the shop on the way to the pub.

You can read the official write up here – https://www.pancelticrace.com/news/the-gathering-march-2019-part-1/

3rd March 2019

The Gathering – Day 2

66.50 miles / 3,996ft / 4 hr 17 mins

Machynlleth to Betws-y-Coed

I tightened the spokes in my rear wheel again before setting off and we were away. Heading out in the rain and the cold we soon warmed up on the first climb of the day. It was going to be a shorter flatter route today, but the weather would still make it a tough ride. We arrived in Barmouth and quickly made our way in to a cafe. There was cycling kit hanging up everywhere with people trying to dry things before we had to head back out. On the final climb of the day we had to divert on to a gravel track which was great as I ride a gravel bike although I’m not sure that everyone enjoyed it quite as much as me. Despite the weather Wales still gave us endless views to be savoured. I think that the tough nature of the ride brought us all a bit closer together as a Clan. As I rolled into the car park at the hotel my rear tyre went flat. Perfect timing. I said my goodbyes and put my bike in the van ready for the long drive home.

You can read the offical write up here – https://www.pancelticrace.com/news/the-gathering-march-2019-part-2/

5th July 2019

Packing and travelling to Inverness

With my kit tried and tested over numerous training rides I packed everything in to my parent’s car ready for the 8 hour drive to Inverness.

Here is my kit list for the race.

Bike

J. Laverack custom Ti frame with Lefty fork

Deda Parabolica aerobars with riser kit

SRAM Force 38t x 10-42t

Schwalbe G-One Speed 650b tyres

Infinity L2 saddle

Luggage

Rapha bar pack

Rapha rear pack

Rapha small frame pack

Apidura Backcountry Food Pouch Plus

Clothing

Kask Mojito helmet

Oakley Flight Jacket glasses

Quoc Gran Tourer gravel shoes

x2 Rapha cargo bibs

Rapha brevet socks

Pan Celtic Quoc merino socks

Velotoze long overshoes

GripGrab merino gloves

Endura Adrenaline over gloves

Pan Celtic Race Albion Cycling cap

Gore Shake Dry jacket

Rapha reflective brevet wind jacket

DHB short sleeve jersey

Rapha brevet base layer

DHB merino hat

Rapha Explore down jacket

DHB long sleeve jersey

Sleeping

Alpkit Kloke bivvy

Thermarest Neoair mat

Inflatable pillow

OMM half sleeping bag

Earplugs

Hygiene

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Microfiber towel

Wet wipes

Paracetamol

Shampoo

Lypsil

Sun cream

Avon skin so soft

Spares & Tools

Abus lock

Fabric 600ml water bottle as a tool keg

Topeak Alien II multitool

x2 spare tubes

Bolts, cleats, split links, brake pads, gear cable & cable ties

Chain lube and chain wipes

Topeak pump wrapped with tape

Dynaplug

Stan’s tubeless sealant

Tyre levers

Mech hanger

Electronics

Wahoo Elemnt Roam

Exposure Axis Mk6

Exposure TraceR

x2 FWE rear lights

Madison flashing front light

iPhone cable

Micro USB cable

Exposure charging lead

Anker four way USB mains plug

Anker powerbank 20,100maH

Quadlock iPhone poncho

iPhone

Airpods

Miscellaneous

x2 Restrap mag bottles

Mosquito head net

Route card

x2 Voile straps

6th July 2019

Registration & Briefing

WTF am I doing here??? I can see lots of experienced racers collecting their PCR swag brevet cards and spot trackers. I have to keep reminding myself “it’s just riding a bike” and I know I can do that. I chat to some friends from the Gathering and some new Clan members I haven’t met before but would soon become friends. I collect my brevet card and spot tracker and we drove to the B&B we have booked on the outskirts of Inverness to check in. 5pm and I’m back in Inverness sat in the Spectrum Centre ready for the briefing. Over the next couple of hours Mally and Pete run through some important information about the race and then I’m on my way to get some food before trying to get a good night’s sleep back at the B&B.

https://www.pancelticrace.com/enter-race/entered-riders/

7th July 2019

The Start

173.28 miles / 10,600ft / 13hr 5 mins

Inverness to Drumbeg

Accommodation – Bivvy on a cliff behind a toilet block

I’m awake at 6am before the alarm so I pack the last few things in to my bag and head downstairs for an early breakfast. We drive to the start and find the other racers preparing their bikes. I unpack my bike and kit from the car and start to put it together. I can see how much and also how little kit some people have and I start to question if I have everything or can I leave anything behind to save some weight. I have to remind myself that this is the kit that I have been testing for months so it’s exactly what I need to take. The Welsh Embassy (Mally’s campervan) is parked at the start and they have arranged for a young lad to play the bagpipes while everyone is getting ready. It’s all of these thoughtful little touches that make the event special. We all line up for some photos before we roll out of the car park at 9.30am with a lead out from the Welsh Embassy.

Harry Roberts (One half of the winning pair for the short route)

I chatted to a few people briefly in the first few miles as everyone tried to find their rhythm. It was surreal riding with people whose dots and blogs I have been following for the past few years – Jack Peterson, Paul Buckley and Ryan Flinn to name a few. I rode with Aaron Hall for a short while, who I met at the Gathering in March and we chatted about how many Jaffa cakes and drumstick squashies it would take to fuel his race. It was a nice opportunity to catch up and pass a few miles together. I stopped at a petrol station where a few other riders had already stopped to buy some food. As I stood eating my selection of food a few riders came and went until it was time for me to go. I pushed North in to the wind all day, in second gear on the flat at some points as the wind was so strong! I thought the police were behind me at one point but as I moved over the Welsh Embassy came passed 🙂

There were a few close passes by hired motorhomes and cars on the singletrack road but it couldn’t distract me from the beauty of the vast landscape in front of me. The vastness made me realise just how exposed I was. I rode on to Durness where according to my research there was a 24hr petrol station that I could use to resupply. When I got there it was indeed a 24hr petrol station, but it only sold fuel. I knocked at the first B&B I found and asked them to refill both of my water bottles before I continued on my way. I rode over the bridge at Kylesku and noticed another rider setting up his bivvy for the night at the edge of a small car park but I wasn’t feeling tired yet, so I carried on to try and cover some more miles as the evening sun was setting. The sunset was stunning. I was hoping to reach the first Checkpoint on Day 1, but I had used a lot of time and energy riding in to the wind so I decided to bivvy behind some public toilets on a cliff in Drumbeg. I checked the Gents but the floor was wet so I decided to sleep outside. While I was setting up Bruno De Nayer came and setup his tent next to me. He asked me what time I would leave in the morning and I said 5am. Sleeping here was my first mistake of the race as I hardly slept due to the cold. The following day I spoke to Lee Grieves at Checkpoint 1 who had slept in the Ladies toilets, which he said were really clean, warm and even had flowers in there. Lesson learnt.

8th July 2019

Day 2 – Checkpoint 1

160.95 miles / 12,477ft / 13hr 27 mins

Drumbeg to Applecross

Accommodation – B&B

I was up at 2.30am to pack up as I was shivering so much. I used the hand dryer in the toilets to warm my hands up for 5 minutes before I could feel my fingers again so I could pack my stuff. I was back on the road at 3am to try and get to Checkpoint 1, 50 miles away to get my first stamp in my brevet and get some sleep. I felt a bit sleepy on the bike but hoped that the sunrise would wake me up. It didn’t work, so I had to stop on the side of the road for 5 minutes sleep before continuing. I made it to Checkpoint 1 just after 7am to get the first stamp in my Brevet card. I was greeted by Mally and offered a brew as soon as I walked through the door. I slept at the hostel for another hour or two and had a shower before leaving. I went to the shop just down the road from the Checkpoint to stock up on supplies before going to the cafe next door to order some bacon rolls. I sat outside the cafe in the morning sun talking to two Dutch guys on a motorbike tour of Scotland. A motorbike tour seemed like a much more sensible option after my freezing cold bivvy last night. I set off from Ullapool in the sunshine feeling refreshed and refuelled.

I rode with Lee Grieves for a short time until he turned right off of the main road, which made me question my route as my GPS showed that the route went straight on. I stopped to double check that I have loaded the correct route which I was sure I had so I carried on. A short while later Lee caught me up after his route had turned in to some singletrack. We rode together for a bit longer until we stopped at a petrol station for some food and drink where another rider was already sat outside. We all sat and chatted for a while enjoying the blazing sunshine. Lee and the other rider set off 5 minutes before me as I was still loading food and drink on to my bike for the next section. I was starting to settle in to the ride now as the miles ticked by. Places came and went in the afternoon sun, but this wouldn’t last. The ride through Torridon was really nice although the road was quite busy with cars and logging trucks. I stopped in Shieldaig as I had some phone signal to try and book a place to stay as the weather was changing and after last night’s miserable bivvy I needed to get some proper sleep. I booked a B&B at Applecross so this was my target for the night. Two hours riding, or so I thought! The headwind and hills were still present which made it feel like I was never going to get there. I was counting down the last 10 miles to the B&B 0.1 of a mile at a time. I arrived at Applecross to find Toby Willis and Lee Grieves sat in the cafe. Thankfully they were still serving food at the cafe so I ordered a burger and chips. We sat chatting for a while, before Toby, Lee and another rider decided that they were going to climb Bealach na Ba and stay at a hostel 15 miles the other side. This was my second mistake of the race as they all rode the climb in the dry and got to see it in the moonlight. I finished my food and made my way to my B&B where I showered, hung all of my kit to air, put everything on charge and went to bed after having a brew.

Aerobars the perfect way to dry bib shorts (unless it rains)

9th July 2019

Day 3

124.61 miles / 8,241ft / 10hr 23 mins

Applecross to Duror (The day where things got a lot tougher!)

Accommodation – B&B

I woke up at 5.30am and sorted my stuff before grabbing some tea and toast at the B&B. The rain was pouring down and the ever present wind was also in attendance. I rolled through the campsite and after a 100m warm up I was climbing Bealach na Ba. As I started the climb I wondered what the hell I was doing. These definitely weren’t ideal conditions to tackle this climb. Eventually I could see another rider ahead and I managed to catch up. It was Jonathon Stainsby. We had a brief chat as we battled the elements. It was hard to hold the bike in a straight line at times due to the crosswind but we carried on. As the road started to steepen I got off to push on the hairpins. I took shelter for 30 seconds behind a wall just to give me a break from the wind. I wasn’t sure how much further it was to the top as I was now in the cloud so I couldn’t see more than 10 meters ahead. I went passed a car park where a few campervans were parked and unbelievably a small 2 man tent was pitched! As the road started to descend I stopped to put on another layer to try and keep warm. I was disappointed not to see the road snaking away beneath me as I had seen in photos prior to the race. I continued the descent with caution until I was out of the cloud and I could see further ahead. By the time I reached Dornie after 40 miles I was absolutely soaking wet and freezing cold. I started to ride off of the route in to the village to find a cafe but it went downhill so I turned around and rode back over the bridge to the bakery I had just passed. It was shut. I turned around and went back over the bridge to the castle and parked my bike outside and unclipped my seat pack that contained my down jacket. I ordered 2 panini’s and a pot of tea before sitting down and removing some of my soaking wet layers and hanging them on various chairs where they proceeded to drip all over the floor. I tried to drink my tea but I was shaking so much I kept spilling it. I put on my down jacket and ate the Panini’s. A group of American tourists arrived and sat at the table next to me, so I asked them to keep an eye on my stuff so I could try and dry some of my clothes under the hand dryer in the Gents. I ordered another pot of tea and went back to the table to sit and decide what to do. I rang my wife and said I was going to wait at the cafe for a few hours until the rain was predicted to stop. While I was sat there I met Jack Peterson who was just about to venture back out in to the rain. After 15 minutes I decided I couldn’t sit there all day so I put all of my damp clothes back on and went outside to my bike.

The rain didn’t stop as the forecast had suggested which made the next few miles cold and miserable. That was until the route turned up a small road with a sign saying that wasn’t suitable for motor vehicles. This could only mean one thing, an off road section 🙂 The road rolled along over some cattle grids before entering Clunes forest and a lovely gravel section. This put a smile back on to my face. It was as if my ride had just started for the day (great route planning Toby). I knew that there was a McDonalds in Fort William so this was my next target. The golden arches appeared as I came around the corner and I could see Jack’s bike outside. I ordered some food and joined Jack for a chat and to assess my accommodation options. Jack left to go to his accommodation so he could get an early night and start early tomorrow morning. I was 60 miles short of my original target for today, but it was getting late and I needed to try and dry my kit before tomorrow. I searched Google, Airbnb and Booking.com to try and find some accommodation a few miles up the road. During this time I was joined by Andres Navarro Rodrigo. I called a few places, but they were all full or no longer B&B’s, then finally I manged to find somewhere near Duror around 20 miles further on. I set off for my warm and dry B&B along the faster flatter roads. As I crossed the bridge after North Ballachulish I spotted someone on the bridge with a camera and then I saw the Welsh Embassy which lifted my spirits. I stopped for a quick chat and then set off under the bridge to have my photo taken. Just before the B&B I caught up with Rui Rodrigues for a brief chat. This would be the last time I would see him during the race. I arrived at the B&B and was told I could leave my bike in the summer house. I noticed a hose pipe at the side of the house which I asked if I could use to rinse my bike off as the brakes were full of grit from the earlier gravel section. I was asked what time I wanted breakfast in the morning, but as I wanted to leave early she offered to make me lunch to take with me instead. I hung all of my kit to dry, put everything on charge, shower and then spoke to my wife before going to sleep.

Rapha obviously didn’t test their waterproof frame bag in Scotland

10th July 2019

Day 4

186.72 miles / 10,531ft / 14hr 26 mins

Duror to Glentrool Village

Accommodation – Bivvy at a campsite

I woke to the alarm in the morning and I was tempted to hit snooze, but knew I had to resist. I sat up in bed and gave myself a talking to about this being a race and not a cycle touring holiday. I needed to focus and try and get things back on track after the short day yesterday. I got ready and collected my lunch from the dining room before going outside to pack my bike and lube the chain for the first time. I tried to clean it with some chain wipes but it was a waste of time so I just added more Kingud wet lube to the filthy chain. There was another bike there when I left which I recognised as Ali Hutton’s. She must have arrived late last night. I set off in the rain on the quiet road which rolled along nicely, especially compared to the hills of the previous days. I met Jack and Jonathon on the road and we all stopped after around 50 miles at a small shop. We ordered tea, coffee, sausages baps, bought chocolate bars and various other foods before sitting and chatting at the table outside under the umbrella to shelter from the rain. We all set off and after a few miles we had all split up as we were riding at different speeds. As I arrived in Inveraray I noticed that Jonathon had stopped at the petrol station, but I carried on as I still had plenty of food and water from the previous stop. I turned on to the road next to Upper Loch Fyne and immediately wished I had the time to stop and explore Inverary as it looked idyllic. Instead I carried on along the road taking photos as I was rolling along. This was one of my favourite places on the race and somewhere that I will return to for a holiday.

The main road to the top of the Rest & Be Thankful climb dragged on as the road surface wasn’t ideal for cycling. I arrived at the top to the smell of bacon which was too good to resist even though it wasn’t the best idea to stop and get cold at the top of the long descent ahead. A local workman was ahead of me in the queue and asked for a double cheeseburger only to be told that they had run out of burgers. He asked if they had haggis instead, which they had, so he ordered a double haggis and cheese roll. The guy serving said that nobody had ever ordered this before at which point I told him to make that another one for me. I stood chatting to the workman about the rock fall works that were going on down the road, which he told me had been going on for the past 15 years. On the main road just before Loch Lommond I noticed Jack’s bike outside a cafe which he tells me was a shame to miss. As I started this section I received a text from the Race Team reminding us to use the cycle path where available on this section as the main road was extremely busy with lorries. By now the sun had come out which lifted my spirits as I rolled along the flat cycle path around the Loch and through a golf course. Next up was Paisley which was a shock to the system due to the busy city roads, which were a world away from the past few days. I stopped at a Chip Shop near the airport and stood staring at the menu in a daze for a minute or two. I ordered a large pizza only to be told that they don’t cook them fresh, they are deep fried! I knew I was definitely still in Scotland. I order 2 fish cakes, chips and a can of Irn Bru instead. As I sat outside Jamie Robison rolled past. I finished my food and carried on through the busy streets until they turned in to a really nice path alongside the river. Some of the areas didn’t look like a nice place to stop so I upped the pace slightly until I reached Magic Cycles where Jamie was sat outside. We had a quick chat and refilled bottles until Nick Underhill-Day arrived followed by Andres who needed to get his right shifter fixed. I carried on keen to claw back some miles after yesterday and get back on track. The next few miles were a mix of cycle paths, bridges and steps through housing estates which took a little while to negotiate.

After I came out of Glasgow I could see three riders up ahead, but only two were showing on the tracker. I caught up with Nick and Jamie and it turned out the other rider was a dot watcher who had come out to join us for a few miles. He told us that there was a village hall at Straiton that had a porch on the front of it where we could shelter from the rain for the night. That could be the ideal bivvy spot, but after not climbing Belach na Ba until first thing in the morning on day 3 I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. I had already phoned a campsite near the bottom of the descent from the Glentrool Forest. As I got closer to the forest climb it started to rain, then it rained some more before it became torrential all of the way to the campsite. Packing sun cream now seemed like some unnecessary weight! The climb felt featureless and never-ending in the rain, dark and cloud. I couldn’t wait to get to the campsite. The descent was worse than the climb as I couldn’t see more that 10 meters ahead of me. I nearly missed the turning for the campsite as I thought it was another mile on. I did a U-turn and headed straight for the laundry room which I had seen listed on the website. This would be the perfect place to dry my kit and sleep. Laundry room? It was a cupboard! To make matters worse the tumble drier only took 50p’s and I didn’t have any. I took my bike in to the shower block, unpacked my towel and washing stuff and got in to the shower to try and warm up. As I was debating where I was going to sleep another resident came in to the shower block and told me that there was a hut around the back that was used as a communal meeting place. Perfect. I took my bike in and hung my kit to try and dry it before setting up my bivvy. I was tempted to use the microwave to try and dry my kit but I didn’t think the other campers would appreciate this.

11th July 2019

Day 5 – Part 1

31.13 miles / 1,237ft / 2hr 13 mins

Glentrool Village – Cairnryan

I got up early in the morning before anyone else was around at the campsite. I’d had a good night’s sleep which left me feeling ready for the day ahead. I went to the shower block to do my teeth and noticed a bike with luggage propped up outside. It had to be another Clan member. I walked in to the shower block to find Jonathon slumped asleep in a plastic chair. He had set off at 2.30am after hardly any sleep and had climbed through the forest in the pouring rain. We both got ready to ride the 30 miles to Cairnryan to catch the 11.30am ferry. We had plenty of time which made it feel like a leisurely cafe ride. We rode along chatting and laughing about previous events and experiences. We caught up with Nick, Jamie and Jack for the last few miles to the ferry port. We told the woman at the terminal we were booked on to the 11.30am ferry only to be told that there wasn’t a ferry at this time. Doh! It was the wrong ferry terminal; ours was another mile up the road. We should have followed the route on the GPS. We all either checked in, begged to be let on to an earlier ferry than we had booked or apologised for missing our original booking. I walked straight through security before dumping my bike to go and search for food. Tea, large cookie and two packets of crisps would have to do for breakfast until I got on the ferry. The terminal was a sea of orange with people on their way to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland. We were told to store our bikes in the office on the ferry. With bags, gps and lights removed we all made our way upstairs on the ferry to find a seat and some food. With all of my devices plugged in to charge I ordered some food before joining Jack, Jamie and Nick for a chat. We all sat talking about other events and experiences before coming in to the port in Belfast ready to conquer the next country – Northern Ireland.

11th July 2019

Day 5 – Part 2

80.83 miles / 4,869ft / 6hr 47 mins

Belfast – Bushmills

Accommodation – Bivvy in a bus shelter

The first 15 miles from the port were on a busy coast road so I got into the aerobars to try and get them over and done with as quickly as possible. I turned off of the main road just after Carrickfergus and relaxed into the ride. The next 25 miles passed by quickly along the flat coast road. I stopped at a shop to buy a sandwich and some drinks and sat at the bench in the window talking to a local cyclist as the rain started to fall and the temperature plummeted. I could have sat there for an hour, but seeing Jack riding passed reminded me that I was meant to be racing so I wished him a good ride and set off. I rode down the steps outside the shop rather than turning my bike around to go down the ramp as it was quicker. I waved at Jack on the way past, as he had stopped a few miles down the road to get some food. My target for today was Bushmills as I wanted to be heading south tomorrow as a psychological boost to feel like I was riding in the direction of the ferry. I was riding along the coast road when a white BMW coming the other way slowed down and the guy lent out of the window – “Tony, keep going, keep going”. More support from another dot watcher reminded me that I was never alone on this adventure. The ride from Cushendall was tough due to the steep hills that seemed to be never ending, the heavy rain that had started again and the flies that swarmed around me every time I slowed down or stopped. I knew I was getting tired when I started swearing at a packet of peanuts as they wouldn’t come out of the packet quick enough as I tried to tip them in to my mouth. I tried to book some accommodation using my intermittent phone signal on the way to Bushmills. I tried five B&Bs and two hostels but everything was full. That was until I came around a corner and saw a sign saying vacancies. I called the number and apologised for calling so late before asking for a room. The guy apologised for not taking the sign in from outside. They were FULL!!! I could have thrown the sign through the window. I wasn’t having a good day. I checked Airbnb and found one just the other side of Bushmills but check in closed at 9pm and it was already 9.30pm. I sent a message, but didn’t get a response, or so I thought (when I checked my emails after the race she had confirmed the booking and taken payment before waiting up until midnight for me to arrive). I checked the map again and found a campsite just off of the route. This would have to do. I arrived at 10.30pm and found that all of the doors had keypads on them, which obviously I didn’t have the code for and the Reception wasn’t open for me to ask. I rode around looking for some shelter and found a turning circle with a bus shelter. This would have to do. It had a light on a sensor so I had to setup my bivvy as quickly as possible so I didn’t attract any attention. I had felt like there was something stuck in the bottom of my sock for last 15 miles but when I took my socks off I realised that as I had been wearing overshoes for the last 3 days my feet hadn’t been able to breath and I had what looked like trench foot. I hung my kit off of my bike and charged my gps and rear light from my powerbank. As I lay down to go to sleep a couple of people walked passed the bus stop with their dogs so close that it set the light off. Then 20 minutes later someone else did the same. I don’t know if they didn’t see me or they just didn’t want to disturb the lunatic sleeping in the bus stop but there was no way I was moving anyway.

12th July 2019

Day 6

151.45 miles / 5,433ft / 10hr 58 mins

Bushmills to Tallanstown

Accommodation – B&B

I was on the road before 6am to make sure that nobody saw me leaving the campsite. It was dry this morning so no overshoes required and with fresh socks on my feet would have a chance to breathe and start to heal. The first few miles of the day passed by quickly with the help of a gentle tailwind. I turned a corner and saw a sign for Dark Hedges the famous road with the twisted trees either side that arch over the road. This road was used in the Game of Thrones and was one of the places that I had seen on the Pan Celtic Instagram account prior to the race. I had to stop a take some photos of my own. Shortly after this I met Jason (Badger) Hayles on the road who I had been talking with on Instagram before the race. We stopped at the first petrol station we came across for breakfast and a chat. He told me about all of the pieces of equipment that he had broken so far. Enough to make a lot of people consider scratching from the race, but he was just laughing about it all. We set off together from the petrol station forecourt and passed an Orange march in Randalstown and then further on there were some burning tyres on the road. I didn’t feel comfortable around this area so we carried on without too many stops other than to re-attach Jason’s front bag after it either came loose or fell off. I knew that there was a McDonalds at Craigavon so this was the next target. A massive tray of food ordered and other diners ejected from their table due to the smell from Jason leaning over them to plug his stuff in to charge. As we pedalled in to Portadown we raced to the European Supermarket against two local kids. It wasn’t much of a race as the 9 year olds could beat us easily thanks to the fatigue from the previous days riding. I went in to the shop and picked up some things that looked vaguely familiar. I bought a large bottle of milk as there weren’t any 1 pint cartons. When I took the top off of the milk it was more like cottage cheese!! I’m not sure what it was I had bought. We left the shop with an escort from the two kids who followed us for a mile or two. Climbing the hill at Omeath Jason decided it would be a good idea to put the yoghurt that he had bought in to one of his drinks bottles so he could drink it on the move. It turns out that this isn’t recommended when the yoghurt has bits in it. I had booked a B&B in Tallanstown before I left the campsite this morning after yesterday’s disaster when trying to find a room so this was my target for the day at 150 miles. I stopped in Louth at a shop just a few miles before the B&B to get a few bits ready for the early start in the morning. The guy behind the counter was asking about the race before showing me the cap that he had been given by the organisers when they had stopped there. He wished me luck and I set off to do the last few miles to the B&B. I bid Jason farewell as I turned in to the B&B and he continued to find a bivvy spot just up the road, or so I thought. I checked in and told them that I would be leaving at 4.30am. They left some things out for breakfast in the morning and showed me where to store my bike before showing me to the room. I washed all of my kit in the shower and hung it to dry. I tried using the hair dryer to dry stuff but I would just have to wear it still damp in the morning.

13th July 2019

Day 7 – Checkpoint 2

212.95 miles / 12,999ft / 17hr 47 mins

Tallanstown to Rosslare

Accommodation – Bivvy on the ferry terminal doorstep

I was up just before the alarm went off as I was determined to make it to the ferry tonight so that I could catch the 8.30am ferry tomorrow to give me a chance to make the finishers party on Tuesday. I had breakfast as quietly as possible so as not to wake the other guests and then went to the garage to pack my stuff on the bike and lube the chain. I checked the tracking site before I left and Jason had done another 70 miles when he left me yesterday so I probably wouldn’t see him again until the Finishers Party. Great ride Badger. It was another nice morning which would turn in to a great day on the bike. I met Jon on the road before the Wicklow Mountains so we rode together for a while. The weather and the roads were outstanding. The only way it could be more perfect would be an ice cream stop. Jon “there’s an ice cream van”. Me “are you hallucinating”. It couldn’t have been in a better spot. Two 99s with sauce 🙂

Just as I went to lick my ice cream it all fell off and went right down the front of my bike! Another 99 ordered and with a free flake from the girl at the ice cream van to stop me from bursting into tears. We sat enjoying the view for a while before continuing the climb. Hold on, the road goes straight on, but the route says it’s left up this track past the mountain bikers that were getting kitted up with pads and helmets. The next few gravel filled miles were as if I’d just come out for a short ride. Jumping off of little ramps on the descent we were like a couple of 8 year olds that had escaped on our bikes for the day.

Miles of gravel smiles in the Wicklow Mountains

Back on the road a cyclist coming the other way said hello and then did a U-turn to join us for the climb. It was another dot watcher that rode the Transatlantic Way this year with Jack and Jamie. He rode with us for a few miles before a left hand turning where our route split away from his. The next target was the second checkpoint at Glendalough to get another stamp in my brevet card. I arrived at the checkpoint had a rest and a chat for 15 minutes with some of the Pan Celtic Race team. It was nice to sit outside in the sun on the bench and find out how other riders had been finding the race so far. There was a short bit of gravel after the Checkpoint which was really busy with people out walking in the late afternoon sun. We looped back in to Laragh to get some food at the pub. We soon realised that it would take ages to get any food as it was so busy so the shop across the road would have to do. Drinks, crisps, chocolate, baguette, meat and cheese it was. We sat eating and talking to a couple of walkers about their travels before setting off for the ferry terminal at Rosslare around 70 miles away.

After looking at the route profile it looked like there was one big climb just after the Checkpoint and then it wouldn’t be too bad with the last part to the ferry being quite flat. Wrong! We arrived in Courtown at around 10pm and saw a sign at a campsite that said pizza and burgers. One last stop for some calories before the ferry terminal. I ordered and was told that I would have to sit outside to eat my pizza as they were about to close. No problem. Hawaiian pizza and a coke ordered and a chance for Jon to charge his powerbank. That was a mistake. The woman behind the counter wasn’t happy with him putting a foot behind the counter to reach the plug even though her son had said it was ok!!!! This was definitely not her dream job as she wasn’t happy. We sat on the wall outside to eat the tasteless pizza. I think that the box would have had more nutritional value and taste. Still it would have to do to keep me going for the final section to the ferry. Somewhere around Blackwater a Nissan passed us and flashed the hazard lights to thank us for moving over to let them past. As we rolled down the hill we saw that the Nissan had stopped and the driver opened their door. Someone in a white sequined suit got out. WTF its Elvis? Jon tell me that you saw that as well. Yes I did. Thank god for that LOL.

The last few miles into Wexford seemed to drag and I needed some caffeine and sugar to keep me awake so I went into a bar and ordered a couple of cokes. I drank at the bar and got on my way as quickly as possible to cover the last 12 miles to the ferry terminal. I checked the tracker and I could see that Simon Bloye was already there. We arrived at the ferry terminal at around 1am and looked for somewhere to bivvy for a few hours. There weren’t any obvious spots but I needed some sleep so I setup my bivvy right by the front door to the terminal so they would have to wake me up when they opened the doors. After around 30 minutes sleep on the doorstep they opened the doors so I packed up my bivvy and went inside to find somewhere else to sleep for a while.

14th July 2019

Day 8

98.25 miles / 9,747ft / 9hr 42 mins

Fishguard to Abergwesyn

Accommodation – Bivvy in a bus shelter

After a short sleep the announcement for passengers to board the ferry woke everyone so we all wearily packed our kit and got ready. There were bikes, bodies and kit everywhere in the terminal. Me, Jon, Jack, Simon, Jamie, Nick and Ali. We all rode to board the ferry with the exception of Ali who had a flat rear tyre so had to push the bike to the ferry and remove the back wheel so she could fix it during the crossing. The area that we took over on the ferry looked like an image from a refugee camp that I’d seen on TV. There were bodies and clothes everywhere. And the smell!!!! I got some food and drink before managing to sleep for 30 minutes during the crossing. The ferry docked at lunchtime so we all disembarked into the blazing hot Welsh sunshine. Who said it always rains in Wales??? After a quick restock at Tesco just outside the terminal we were all on the road.

Drying my race socks in the Welsh sunshine

My left knee was really painful today and a little bit swollen so I took some paracetamol to ease the pain. I needed to get as far as possible today despite the late start due to the ferry crossing. We all split up on the road quite quickly but we were never too far apart according to the tracking site. We all met up at a corner shop for an ice cream in the 32 degree heat. The lady at the shop very kindly offered to stay open until everyone had passed through. I met Simon just before Tregaron where we both stopped at the shop to refuel for the next section – the desert of Wales. This was a tough but beautiful section. The hills just seemed to keep coming and then the route turned right towards a gravel track 🙂 A five bar gate had to be negotiated before I could start the climb. It was a steady gradient in the evening sun with great views all around. Then another gate! This time with a cattle grid right in front of it. I had to balance on the cattle grid and lift my bike over the gate. Then a short while later another cattle grid and gate. Then another. The last one was a large box section gate which I lifted my bike over and then climbed up onto it. The metal of the gate was cold through my bib shorts so I sat on it for a minute to sooth my arse. Ahhh. Next came the descent through the forest and around the dam. I kept going quicker and quicker before I reminded myself that I probably should be a bit more cautious this late in the day. I occasionally caught a glimpse of Jack ahead of me and Simon behind me but there was always a gap between us that was too big to bridge. It wasn’t until the final 25% climb up the Devil’s Staircase that Simon caught me so we rode the hairpin descent together. It was at this point I realised where I was as I’ve ridden the side that we were descending, but in the other direction when I came from Builth Wells.

I should have stopped and got my helmet light out of my frame bag for the descent, as it was getting quite dark now but carried on riding with my small back up light instead, and followed the line of the trees to make me concentrate and keep me awake. It had been a long day. When we reached the main road we found a bus stop where we could setup our bivvy bags for a few hours rest. Jamie arrived shortly after we had setup and decided to sleep at the side of the bus shelter. It was around 11.30pm by the time I went to sleep after having something to eat. Simon gave me some more valuable advice about which food doesn’t travel well when he unpacked the sausage rolls he had been carrying since Tregaron to find that all of the pastry had been shaken off the sausage meat LOL. They didn’t look very appetising but they’d have to do.

15th July

Day 9

179.72 miles / 12,707ft / 16hr 2 mins

Abergwesyn to Betws-y-Coed

Accommodation – Bivvy outside a shop

I woke up at 5 am when my alarm went off and was on the road just before 5.30am. Simon had already gone and I hadn’t even heard him pack up or leave. Jamie was getting ready and rolled passed the front of the bus stop as I was finishing packing. I checked the tracker and noticed that Jon and Jack weren’t far away, but Nick was already some way ahead. I had some catching up to do. I planned to do as many miles as possible today to try and leave myself a short day tomorrow. I didn’t cover as many miles as I had originally planned yesterday due to the later start. I set off and immediately passed Jamie as he went straight on towards a bench by the first junction. I later found out that his GPS has reset itself and lost the remaining routes which he needed to sort out. I was feeling tired this morning so it was a slow start and a couple of hours before I started to get into the ride. I ate all of the food I was carrying – pasty, crisps, 4 Wispa’s, large bag of jelly beans, drumstick squashies and a can of energy drink to try and get some sugar in to my system to wake me up. It didn’t work. I saw a sign for Rhyader 3 miles away. Great I’ve been here before so I was going to head straight for Ty Morgan’s for breakfast. Wait a minute, turn right? That’s away from Rhyader. It’s the Pan Celtic Race obviously we’re going the long way around. I had to stop on the side of the road after about 25 miles. I stood over my bike with my arms on the aerobars and my eyes shut. A 30 second sleep was enough to keep me going to the cafe. I rolled in to Rhyader and went straight to the cafe. First thing to do was find a plug socket to charge everything and then order beans on toast, tea and coke. After 30 minutes of charging my electronics I went to the shop to restock my supplies for the next section through the Elan Valley. I love this place. I caught up with Simon near the beginning of the dams. He was talking to a farmer and his 10 unruly dogs. We rode the next section together which was really quiet compared to the previous occasions I have ridden here as they have all been on weekends. We caught up with Jon a few miles before Borth where we all decided to stop at a cafe. Bikes outside we all went in and split up in search of plug sockets to get everything on charge. Tuna baguette, chips and 5 cokes ordered we sat and chatted as if we weren’t even in a race. Then back to reality, this was no ordinary cafe ride when Simon started brushing his teeth outside the cafe LOL.

We set off along the sea front where Jack joined us. After a mile or two we all drifted apart. I passed through Machynlleth and spotted 4 mountain bikers ahead. The chase was on. Wait a minute; it’s not the Dyfi Enduro which is what I’m usually doing when I’m here. Thankfully we went over the bridge and turned left and not right towards the long gravel climb at the start of that race. The road along the coast through Aberdovey was great with rolling roads in the sunshine and views out to sea. Then the long main road climb towards Dolgellau, another place I know well from various trips there with friends. I found the Spar and got some food to eat there and then, and some bits to take with me. I remembered the next gravel section to Barmouth from the Gathering back in March. Thankfully the weather was much better this time. I could see someone in front of me so the chase was on. Hang on a minute, he’s not even pedalling! Bloody eBikes! I passed him and a few miles later stopped on Barmouth Bridge to get a couple of photos. I passed through Barmouth and continued along the same route as the Gathering towards Harlech. I had already decided not to do the optional 35% climb despite the promise of beer for anyone who climbed it. The route turned left and dropped down into Harlech. I’ve still got to go back up. Oh good it’s not the 35% climb it’s only 25%!!

I knew that I still had the climb to Stwlan Dam near Ffestiniog to do and I wanted to climb it tonight rather than first thing tomorrow morning with cold muscles, so I carried on tapping out the miles. I reached the bottom of the climb to find Nick there having already been to the top and back. We didn’t stop and chat for long as the midges were out in force tonight. I started the climb in the last bit of evening sun, but by the time I reached the top it was dark. I removed the light from my bars and clipped it on to my helmet so I could see around the switchbacks on the descent. Hundreds of green eyes greeted me on the way down as sheep ran backwards and forwards across the road in front of me. I got back to the gate near the bottom and lifted my bike over. I now needed to find a bivvy spot as it was around 11pm. I had a quick look around but couldn’t see anywhere obvious. Then I could see bike lights coming towards me. It was Jon, Jack and Simon. We had a brief chat and then I set off to find somewhere to sleep. It was a main road all of the way to Betws-y-Coed and I couldn’t see anywhere to bivvy along it. It was only 12 miles on the wide open road without much traffic around this time of night except the occasional car or lorry. I arrived in Betws-y-Coed just after midnight and spotted some astro turf outside a shop on the main road. That’ll do. I quickly setup my bivvy and went to sleep ready for the last day and the loop around Snowdonia.

I couldn’t resist the astro turf bivvy spot outside a shop

16th July

Day 10

82.25 miles / 6,106ft / 7hr 27 mins

Betws-y-Coed to Llandudno

Accommodation – Sofa at Ryan Towers

My alarm went off at 4.30am. As I was packing my stuff I saw Simon go by so the chase was on. I started the long climb to Capel Curig which went on as far as the eye could see. I saw Nick and Jack coming towards me. They had already completed the 40 mile loop so there was no way I was going to catch them before the end. They must have started early. I caught up with Simon near Beddgelert and we rode together in to Llanberis where we stopped for some breakfast and to buy enough food to keep us going until the end. As we sat chatting outside the shop Bryn Williams came to say hello as he had finished the day before. Great riding Bryn.

We set off to climb Pen-y-pass in the blazing sun. Simon dropped me on the climb but I thought I would catch him on the descent. As I rode in to Llanrwst I spotted the bright yellow peak of a Pan Celtic Race cap on the bridge. It was Harry Roberts who already finished after winning the pairs category for the short route. Great ride Harry & Ken. He had come out to cheer us on and get some photos. Thanks for the support Harry it was a great morale boost to see you on the bridge. Just Nebo climb to conquer and then I’m on the home stretch. I checked the tracker to see how far ahead Simon was. He’d gone in to stealth mode and his dot was missing. I got in to the aerobars and set off towards Llandudno. As I dropped down in to Colwyn Bay I felt like a cycle courier racing through the traffic, that was until I turned onto the seafront and the headwind hit me. A slow few miles passed as I neared the Great Orme. As I started the climb I put on some music to accompany me to the finish. I reached the top of the climb and caught up with a minibus that was driving really slowly in front of me. Didn’t he know I was in a race? I overtook him and started the descent where I quickly caught up with a car, but couldn’t get passed. Eventually they moved over so I could overtake. I could almost taste the beer at the finish line. I turned in to St. David’s road and I could see a small crowd at the finish. I didn’t have enough energy to wheelie so a skid would have to do. Such a child 🙂 Toby took my bike and Jon Hicken handed me a beer. The perfect way to end to an epic adventure. I sat in the garden chatting to the other finishers until Jon arrived. I had shared a lot of this journey with Jon so I wanted to make sure I was there to cheer him in to the finish and hand him a beer. I went and sat in the kitchen for a while and spoke to Pat Hall about Mike and how much of an inspiration he had been to me. He was the reason that this whole journey began for me.

#BeMoreMike

The final level completed after slaying the Welsh Dragon

16th July

Finishers Party

0 miles / lots of beers

After my first shower for four days I put on the kit I had that smelt the cleanest ready for the finisher’s party. My original goal had always been to make it in time for this. The Pan Celtic Race Team had put so much work in to the rest of the event and this was no exception. They had decorated the hall, laid on food and drink and organised music for us. It was great to see everyone and talk to other racers about their experiences from the road.

During the party a few racers arrived including Ali Hutton who was the first female finisher from the long route. A perfect time to finish as everyone waited outside the hall for her to arrive and cheer her in.

There were speeches, a slideshow of images from the race, awards supplied by PrintMyRoute a performance by a Welsh wordsmith and then the Pièce de résistance the legendary Sax Man.

After maybe one too many beers (I was rehydrating) we made our way back to Ryan Towers. I slept on one of the sofas and despite someone else having already removed the cushions to sleep on it was pure luxury compared to some of my previous sleeping spots.

I would like to thank the whole Pan Celtic Team for their outstanding effort and dedication organising this event. Mally, Rebecca, Pete, Toby and all of the volunteers you have done a wonderful job and given all other events a lot to live up to. I’m honoured to have been part of your first event and part of the Clan.

An té a bhíónn siúlach, bíonn scéalach

~ He who travels has stories to tell ~

The following days

When I woke up in the morning I could hardly move my left knee as it was so swollen. I had some tablets and it started to ease the pain. I had a leisurely start to the day and eventually said my goodbyes to everyone before heading off towards Betws-y-Coed for some food with Jon. I maybe should have checked my route planning as we quickly ended up with a section of hike-a-bike along the beach! It’s a good job I didn’t have to plan the whole route. We eventually arrived and found a cafe where we could sit and watch the world go by. It was a strange feeling not having to rush to eat my food and get back on my bike. After a while Jon carried on to his friend’s house where he was going to stay for the night before continuing his journey home. I made my way to meet my wife before journeying home.

It’s a good job I didn’t plan the whole route!

In the few days since getting home I have cleaned my bike and kit so it’s ready for the next adventure, been on a few rides with friends, eaten (a lot!!!!) and caught up on some sleep. I’ve had lots of really nice cards and presents from family and congratulations from friends. My bike and kit all performed well over the event. I used everything that I took with me with the exception of my spares and tools which is definitely a good thing.

I’ve learned a lot from my first event which will hopefully make me more efficient and faster in future events.

When do entries open for next year???