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#26075
Sweaty Eds
Member

On a beautiful July evening, sixteen of us met at Bloomfield. Notable attendees included Ian ‘Working from Home’ Walton, pain in the arse Narberth GP, Roger, Andrew ‘Techno’ Smurphy, Flap-‘only on a Sunday’-jack and, making a rare club outing, the immense athletic form of Celia Pantani. Most of the regular midweek crew were there. Kim, Diddyman Mike, Stag, Heavy Legs Dan, Folly Farm Jane, Leights, Graham Dumbledore, Andrew Ajax, New Bike Tom, possibly a couple of others and my Sweaty self. Notable absentees once again included Beloved Chairman Rees, Routesetter Huw and Routechanger Maverick Matt.

Now without Chairman, Routesetter or Routechanger, I must confess a sense of inertia descended on the assembled group, it was well past Valley Road o’clock and even Graham had arrived before the first enquiry asking if anyone had looked at the route was murmured. Of course, all eyes fixed on Valleyman, he of the steely jaw and effortless seniority, no dice, he hadn’t been near a computer all day. In a panic I blurted that I had indeed memorised the route earlier that evening. A schoolboy error! In unison, what seemed like a thousand voices demanded to know how a figure of eight route could be either clockwise or anti-clockwise. I stammered something about Tanners Lane, trumped loudly and blindly set off for Princes Gate half hoping that no-one was following.

I think we did probably change the route a little bit. I enjoyed the blast between Templeton and Cross Hands, although I was a little disappointed that my tucking in behind Roger didn’t produce a PB on Strava. We took in the Cresswell Quay loop and it was fascinating to see Leights at work between Cross Hands and the Quay. It wasn’t willy-waving or anything as vulgar as that, this is Leighton we are talking about after all, he simply went around each member of the peloton checking their feelings towards a cheeky half at the Quay and also the financial situation. (Note for next AGM, I propose Leights for Treasurer, not that Dylan has done anything wrong but, really, priorities…). Unfortunately, Roger, after quite a spell off the bike, smelt the hill on the far side of the hostelry and could not resist. Kim, as last week showed, has no self-control when it comes to a medical man in full flight and promptly followed. Poor Ian, after the Indecent Proposalesque humiliation not seven days ago, had little choice but to chase his errant partner. Soon, like lemmings, the whole peloton was hunting for dangerous liaisons and Stava PB’s more or less the whole way home.

As a footnote, at the bottom of every climb Pantani seemed to be taunting Roger with her new tattoos before disappearing from view. It was only when she explained to me that they were a present to herself on a recent Barcelona trip that I made sense of the hieroglyphics…

Hoy no amigo

Thanks everyone, great fun, great ride