Re: Sunday 19 Feb 2012

[ValleyMan]

No Sweaty, no acronyms this week…

Despite the prior warning, a healthy (in terms of number, not in other respects as I don’t think a {insert collective noun for large collection} of slugs would have left quite as much slime on the road)turned out as the compass pointed north.

Andrews (R and M), Huw, Mark B and Father-in-Law, Diccon, Anthony, Richard and myself set off at just after 0900 and were joined by Mark D just before Clunderwyn. No need to describe the route in detail, just follow the link above.

First minor incident occurred on the hill down to Gelli. I had brakes on full bouncing from pot hole to pot hole when there was an audible crack and it felt like the front of the bike dropped. I skidded to a halt wondering if the frame had finally give out but could find nothing wrong. It was only later I notice the handlebars had rotated in the stem.

Shortly after, with the Preselli looming, Dave B decided to shed some weight by removing a spoke.

Andrew M was a bit off colour and decided to turn back before Maenclochog leaving the rest of us to the climb up to Mynyyd-du. Incident No.2 occurred on the decent. The combination of a strong headwind, high speed and a poor road surface (plus crap bike handling skills) resulted in an increasingly alarming front wheel wobble affecting both my antique Bianchi and Andrew’s Kuota. We both pulled up and, following a change of underwear, completed the decent at a more modest pace.

The soundtrack of the day was the constant whining; not at the hills, but of Huw’s new Di2 System. Close your eyes and image that Wallace and Grommet had invented a bike and you would get the idea.

Newport came and went and it was on up the Angel before plunging down in to the Gwuan Valley. Huw had confidently said that the worst was over at the top of the Angle, but to pull up out of the valley went on for miles. It was then a time-trial back towards Haverfordwest before turning off at Wiston.

The preceding three hours of climbing were now taking their toll and the slightest rise on the way back to Narberth had me in the bottom gear with legs burning. Climbing up to Robeston Wathen from Caneston Bridge was agony at only 3mph with Cox Hill to come…

I think it is time for Sweaty to step into the breach and plan next weeks ride; Can we really trust Huw?