Unlike some sportives, The Black Rat is evolving every year. When I first rode it in 2013 it started in Portishead, North Somerset and headed south over the Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge. Last year, from the same base it was billed as the "The Three Bridges" as the course headed north through Bristol, over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Severn Bridge and round the Wye Valley and a bridge in Monmouth.
The only downside of the 2014 course was that the final 10 miles from the Severn Bridge back to Portishead were on a busy A road, through Avonmouth industrial docks and into a constant headwind. For 2015 the Black Rat changed again, as a new base at Clifton rugby club next to the Mall shopping centre at junction 17 of the M5 cut out the end of the previous year's course and meant an improved route with no loss of facilities at event HQ.
The Black Rat was limited to 500 entrants and cost £25 prior to the end of November 2014 and £27 thereafter. The organisers also laid on two Rat "taster sessions" in March and April. These were free to join and covered a 45-mile route taking in part of the 100-mile course, and a sample of the 2173 metres of climbing on the full route.
The main event took place on Sunday 17th May and an email was sent out to riders a week before. Registration was also open the day before the event between 11:00am-3:00pm. As I live ten minutes drive away I attended and collected my pack of handlebar number and cable ties along with helmet sticker and timing chip, and a sticker that wrapped around the seatpost.
Registration reopened at 7:30am on event day with riders due off in groups from 8:30am. There was plenty of parking at the rugby club, along with access to the substantial clubhouse and changing rooms and free hot drinks. I paid a visit to the event mechanics and my minor brake issue was resolved in seconds.
I started in the first group of riders who were all on the longer Granfondo route. There were three courses, Granfondo (161km), Mediofondo (120km) and Piccolofondo (83km), all of which shared portions of the route with an initiial diet of fairly flat roads through South Gloucestershire villages before crossing the Severn Bridge. The riders on the two shorter courses started from 8:45am. The weather was dry although a little bit chilly, and I found myself in a large group of about 50 riders as we headed across the Severn.
After a short sojourn through Chepstow we were soon back in the country and heading past the amazing, derelict Tintern Abbey, the ruins of which famously inspired William Wordsworth. (Fact fans take note: Wordsworth's poem contains perhaps the earliest literary reference to sportives: "Once again I see these hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines of sportive wood run wild..." Confusingly, the bicycle had not yet been invented - Ed.)
This also marked the point where the longer route split from the other two. For some reason that the organisers also couldn't explain later one of the marshalls was directing riders on the shorter routes off the main road too early. I cycled on and saw the actual signs at the next junction. It wasn't a major diversion but did cause a bit of confusion. A couple of reasonable climbs on the main route preceded a descent into Parkend in the Forest of Dean. The briefing had warned of sheep in the road at this point and they duly obliged, although most were static.
The Black Rat could have been rebranded "The Three Pubs" as all three feeding stations on the Granfondo route were in pub car parks. The first, at just after 50km, was opposite a youth cricket match so there was also some entertainment. There was the usual bananas, pretzels, sweets, jaffa cakes and plenty of different cakes along with water and energy drinks.
Back in the saddle and it was soon onto another climb before a descent into Monmouth just before the halfway point of the ride. After leaving the town it was on to the main climb of the day. It seemed to go on for several kilometres at a constant nagging gradient. It was the length of the climb that was the biggest challenge, although it occasionally hit 9-10% gradient according to the GPS route.
The shorter routes seemed to have split off and rejoined at various points although I couldn't quite work out how or where. The second feed station at around the 80km mark appeared to be for all three routes with the shorter ones passing through first. The pickings on offer when I arrived were a bit sparse, mainly some jaffa cakes hardening in the sun and various others bits of cake.
I was now mainly on my own along the next part of the route through the towns of Raglan and Usk. It was wooded countryside, with little traffic and not too much climbing. The mobile mechanics who had helped me at the start formed an impromptu and welcome feeding station, handing out a couple of gels at the roadside along with words of encouragement.
The third and final feed station came around the 110km mark at the aptly named Rat Trap pub car park. There was a more varied choice and also waitress service to fill up the water bottles which was highly appreciated. One more long sustained climb was waiting after this feed station before a descent back into Chepstow and across the Severn Bridge. I managed to add a couple of extra miles on after some confusion with directions from a marshal, but I soon realised my mistake, retraced my steps and got back on track.
As my first century ride for a month the last few miles were a grind, but once back at that rugby club there was a free pasty, Black Rat tankard and a half of Black Rat cider to consume in it.
The route was a step up from last year. Although it was mainly well signed, including different colours for different events, there were a couple of occasions where the addition of human marshals seemed to be more hindrance than help and a case of too much information. It won't take much to bring this into line with the excellent standards of the rest of the event: long may the Rat prosper!
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