Reply To: Tour Of Pembs 2014

[Morganite]

Here was my day

Day started well, weather looking good, to the start for 7 no other Dynamos to be seen, so off I went. First Dynamo to be spotted was Flapjack 28 miles in going like a bat out of hell only to spotted on the next descent picking himself off the road on a bend. 31 miles in on a climb before the descent in to Newport, I could hear the tones Roger and Andrew pulling up by the side of me talking about a volcano up head must have been wishing we where still in Lanzarote, Flapjack was back in tow. We stayed together for about 10 miles and then the next big climb arrived and that was that back on my own it was good while it lasted.
First feed station came felt good so did not stop, next feed station 58 miles time to refuel, Welsh cakes very good, weather now starting to look grim, at 61 miles disaster strikes a puncture with a big bang in the rear tyre, on inspection a hole in the side wall of the tyre. So the question is what do i now, took it all apart and as someone showed before used a small plastic bag to cover the hole inside the tyre put the tube in and pumped up all holding 15 minutes later back on the road, now it is raining as well.
The next challenge is up the Bwlch and as we climbed the wetter and winder it became once i got to the cattle grid 1 mile from the top, it was getting worse and worse the water was running down the road to meet you, lots of people off their bikes pushing, the top in site I thought thank the Lord for that, once on the top the next challenge was to go down the other side as the wind was blowing everyone sideways and the rain feeling like hail stones. Next feed station in the Gwaun Valley this was a welcome site, a warm drink and off again and it rained all the way back. What an awful day.

Couple of positives my overall time was the same as last year, the course this year is 1.5miles further than last year. My moving average this year was 13.4 compared to 12.9mph last year.