The Monster

Rated Event: 85.556%

MathewProcter wrote:

Even though the weather was awful, I gave this route a10 out of 10. Simply beautiful! Great descents, purposefully punishing ascents; the toughest sportive in the UK surely.

Rated Event: 98.889%

Bill Dobson wrote:

Great event, well organised, friendly and above all a fantastic route which is every bit as hard as advertised.

Rated Event: 98.889%

CliveV wrote:

A very hard scenic ride, well organised, The helpers and riders were all smiles, thanks see you next year.

Rated Event: 95.556%

TimStrang wrote:

Definitely back next year...stunning ride through beatiful Wales.

Rated Event: 100.000%

AledWilliams2 wrote:

Beautiful route in a stunning part of Wales. Up and down all day. Well organised. Good communication. I'll definitely be entering again.

Rated Event: 100.000%

PhilThomas wrote:

Best sportive I've done and I've done a few. Will be back next year! Very quiet roads selected for this and stunning views!

Rated Event: 97.778%

AlanFarmer wrote:

Brilliant event, every bit as tough as the website says but thoroughly enjoyable if you enjoy torturing yourself up every climb the organiser is able to find in the area. The descents coming off the climbs make the suffering worthwhile. Finishing this event gives a greater sense of achievement than any other sportive in the UK

Rated Event: 98.889%

AndyWebb1 wrote:

Absolutely fantastic event. Everyone was super friendly and the views from the top were awasome plus the weather was spot on. Definately up for this in 2015

Rated Event: 100.000%

MTBHuw wrote:

Excellent event and highly recommended. The course will take you along roads to parts of the country that you wouldn't normally choose to ride. Very scenic ride and a great way of seeing a large part of mid-Wales.

The course is hard with very little rest between hills, but it lives up to its name - The Monster. Unlike some events, the statistics on this route are correct. There really is 4,000+m of ascent, and total distance is also correct, so be prepared for this.

The organisers and marshals were great, very friendly and helpful. All signs were clear along the route. The venue at Llangadog has everything you need, easy parking, clean toilets, coffee, tea, cake etc.

Rated Event: 100.000%

wrote:

Really well organised event the small friendly vibe was a bonus, the course superb in its variety and difficulty and signage.
A relentless course, it really is a monster.
Great idea to have this on a Saturday too, as you deserve a night of recovery with the local ales.

Rated Event: 100.000%

eLBee! wrote:

Superb route with a great variety of different cycling challenges to get your teeth into: A couple of steep climbs; more long, leg sapping climbs, some technical descents and some fabulous fast sweeping descents; some nice undulating sections to either get your breath back, or hammer on and try and make up time; virtually no traffic anywhere on the route; stunning location.
Briefing covered ALL of the potential difficulties and that was backed up by spot on signage. Having the GPS track on a device was a bonus, because it really wasn't needed as long as you kept your head up ;o)
The drop box system was excellent especially if you know exactly what you will need and don't want to faff at the feed station/checkpoints.
I didn't use the first one because at around 50km it was too soon for me, but plenty did, and chatting with the organisers later, I can understand why they put it there, and it the greater scheme of things it made perfect sense.
Considering that it was the first time that this event had been run, the organisation was slick and assured, and clearly had a 'run by cyclists for cyclists' feel to it.
It has the feel of an event that could become a bit of a classic in the sportive calendar, and for those of us who also rode the Grimpée Mynydd Ddu the next day (proper actual race with a neutralised start as a peloton) it makes for a superb weekend experience.
Enjoyed that! Can you tell?

Rated Event: 95.556%

JamesDavenport wrote:

Very good event and well organised. The drop boxes worked well as I prefer a brand of gels due otherwise I get stomach cramps so this was advantageous for me.

Rated Event: 97.778%

TimStrang wrote:

The Monster was an extremely challenging ride; but through stunning countryside, and organisation could not be faulted. I am proud to have been part of this event, and hope for more of the same!

Rated Event: 93.333%

geoffbeetham wrote:

Great event. Liked the friendly vibe and restricted field. Scenery was nice even in the drizzle! Hardly any traffic and only one set of (temporary) traffic lights on the whole course - which were on green for me! Some of the descents were as challenging as the climbs, so quite difficult - but in a good way!

Rated Event: 87.778%

NickMansley wrote:

Great really tough cycle sportive on incredibly quiet roads. Climbs are brutal and some of descents a bit treacherous (gravel and grass in road) but with a small field and a friendly atmosphere seemed much safer than other sportives I've done with less technical routes.