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Hazards - please read carefully.

Please remember that you are entirely responsible for your own safety whilst taking part in the Cambrian Coast Sportive and Wales Cycling Events and Snowdonia Cycling Limited accept no responsibility for any injury that you may sustain as part of your participation in this event.

The following potential hazards have been identified as a guideline to help you stay safe along the way.

The roads.
This part of Wales is sparsely populated and there is very little heavy traffic. However on the main road parts of the route cars will inevitably pass and can occasionally pass close if they overtake you on a narrower stretch with cars coming the other way. B vigilant at all times and avoid riding side by side on the main roads. Once on the smaller roads that occupy a large part of the route, cars are a lot less and there will be times when you will not see a car for several miles. However, beware of becoming complacent at this point. Cars can still drive these roads and if they appear round a corner coming the other way, there is little room to get around them, so be vigilant at all times.

Descending.
There are some long sweeping descents which, whilst there are fun and a good opportunity to rest the legs, should always be approached with caution. Often the roads are narrow and should you meet an on coming car or a sheep round a corner, you need to be able to stop at short notice. Always take the utmost care when descending.

Riding in a group.
The normal rules of the road and highway code apply at all times when taking part in this event and cyclists should avoid riding in groups and certainly not more than two abreast. There will be times when you are sat on the wheel of the rider in front, but it is important to keep vigilant as to what the rider(s) ahead are seeing and to be able to anticipate their moves. Try and cycle with your wheel slightly to one side of theirs so that braking does not mean an instant touch of wheels which can easily result in a crash. If you are the rider ahead, be mindful that you may well have a slip-streaming passenger and try and avoid any sudden changes of speed. Beware that when you rise out of the saddle, your bike drops back temporarily and could interfere with the rider behind, so try and do it smoothly.

Cattle grids
On  some of the minor roads there are a few cattle grids. These are not a major hazard but here are some tips on how to ride over them.

  • Keep at right angles to them and do not try and turn the bike whilst crossing them
  • Rise slightly off the saddle to aid suspension and keep both feet level.
  • Do not try and pedal whilst crossing, the grids are very smooth and provide little traction. There is a good chance your wheel will slip which can be off-putting.

Gates.
There will be a marshal on each gate so you will not need to dismount to open the gate.

Sheep.
This is sheep county! There are good reasons for having the cattle grids and the gates and on the smaller, higher roads there are lots of sheep. In many areas the sheep are free to roam across the road and whilst they generally prefer grass to tarmac, you will occasionally see sheep on the road. Make sure you give them a wide berth and make it obvious to the sheep which side you are going to pass. Sheep are not particularly bright and do not always do the sensible thing so be vigilant right up until you pass in case the sheep panics at your presence and makes a last second change of direction.

The sun and heat.
If it is a hot day, the sun will beat down on you over a long period of time. Ensure you take plenty of fluids on the bike and stop at the marked feed stations to restock if you run low. On a hot day you should be drinking between 500ml and 1 litre an hour, so keep drinking steadily even if you don’t feel thirsty.

The cold and wet.
This is an equally likely prospect and some parts of the route are exposed and will get cold on a wet day, particularly the descents off the high heath lands. It is important to have sufficient layers on and advisable to carry a packable rain jacket in your jersey pocket.

Hazards

The Routes

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Standard Route

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Long Route

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