Sunday 17 Feb Ride

[Morganite]

We will try the same route as last week, i will not be there recovering from man flu hopefully see you on turbo training

Bloomfield for 9AM sharp Clunderwen, turn left,Maenclochog,New Inn turn right over the top of the Preseli mountain, turn left on the way down in to the Gwaun valley across the bottom, then Pontfean, back to New Inn, turn right head to Hwest, turn right at Poyston Cross, back to Clarbeston road, LLawhaden,Canaston bridge,Robeston, Cox Hill and back.

47miles

Route follow the link

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=352909

[ValleyMan]

Sadly nor will Mr and Mrs ValleyMan due to other commitments.

[Ants]

Me and bevs will tag along in Clunderwen when you pass my house and we will have jams meet us in maenclochog,so no changing the route.

[Sweaty Eds]

At 9am sharp on a clear but crisp February morning the six of us, Beloved Chairman Rees, Celia Pantani, Dan ‘Cadence’ Lewis, Jonathan ‘Marginal Gains’ Doig, Gary Hotpants and my Sweaty self set out from Bloomfield.

Unbeknownst to us, Narberth town centre was in a dreadful state with broken glass and faeces strewn everywhere. Apparently, it wasn’t the usual culprits i.e. Saundersfoot GP’s letting off steam, rather a gang of horse rustlers had broken into a local award winning butcher’s yard intending to ride away next week’s Nag Bol. Anyway, it seems that the steeds were more spirited than anticipated and rather than go quietly they stampeded up and down the High Street smashing windows and whinnying til the early hours. Unfortunately, Gary rode across the remains of one of these windows and punctured. Now, knowing that Gary is a fairly minimalist sort of guy, (shorts in sub-zero temperatures, very rarely seen in gloves, that sort of thing) it was always a long shot that he may have a spare tube, he didn’t but he did have a phone to call his wife to come and get him.

Miles 0.5 Punctures 1 Remaining Dynamos 5

It was at about mile 1.5 that we passed the tractor cutting the roadside hawthorn bushes and at about mile 1.6 that we stopped for our Beloved Chairman to repair his puncture. To speed things up I offered to assist. In hindsight, I suppose I really should have taken my Seal Skin gloves off, but it was cold and I didn’t think we would be that long. If I have learnt nothing else today at least now I understand why you don’t see many seals doing jobs that require any degree of manual dexterity, such as dentistry, eye surgery or, indeed, bicycle repair. I must be honest, I don’t think I was that much help, I think the low point may have been when I was pumping up the freshly repaired tyre and Dan was explaining to me how careful you have to be with these new micro-pumps. Certainly you have to be quite a lot more careful than I was with my flippers for hands. I’m sorry to say that when I handed our Beloved Chairman his wheel back, the valve, rather than sitting flush in it’s housing, was at an angle approaching 90 degrees. Luckily, Gary arriving in his wife’s car on his way home caused a slight distraction and meant that the potential for a nasty scene was avoided. However, I think I may be below even Ian ‘The Wrench’ Walton on the Dynamo list of top twenty helpers in a mechanical crisis.

Miles 1.6 Punctures 2 Red Faced Dynamos 1

Onwards and upwards we went with Celia and Andrew very kindly staying in sight, Jon showing off his new found fitness and Dan aiming for an average cadence in three figures. We were joined near Maenchochog by Nick G and friend who didn’t seem to notice that they were cycling uphill. As the mountains loomed into view I peeled off home to work on my Flat Earther’s newsletter.

Miles 12 Punctures 2 Recently Swelled Dynamos Group 6 Dynamos still to join group 3? (Ants, Bevs and Jams)

[ValleyMan]

and then what happened?

[butcherboy]

What happened then was we met up with Ants, Bevs, Jams, Leights, Andrew, and Mark. Not sure if i missed anyone out because it was one of those rides that people seemed to be dipping in and out of.

As soon as we started the climb of the bwlch Nick G and Daryl set off heading north, probably to Anglesea. Ants and Bev itching to get on their wheel, but sensably took the right choice to stay back with us. At the top of the mountain another 2 peeled off. Mark and Andrew.

Very pleasant ride through the Gwaun valley but as soon as we started the climb out we turned into a horrible head wind. And we had that all the way home.

Tough route in those conditions and by the time we got to Llawhaden we were all looking at the clock. I took off and decided to go back past Bluestone. Not the best idea in the world, it was horrendous with the head wind. I was glad to get home.

[celia]

aww I’d prepared a 100 word essay. 😥

www.ltrcoaching.co.uk
Love The Rain, Live Your Dream

[Sweaty Eds]

Celia, I have a strong urge to read your 100 words.

[celia]

Oh alright then 😉 First of all, I apologise for anyone who I forgot, or whose name I have forgotten, I don’t get out much!

We continued up to Maenclochog, where we met the rest of the bunch. They had taken an alternative route to meet us. The chairman decided that we had hung around for long enough and we head off with Dan rushing to scoff his snack that he had just opened. I chatted with Mark, who has entered ironman and was planning on getting some base miles in, and then Nick G who said that his friend (Darryl) had just been on a gruelling training camp doing hill reps, and that there would be a lot of testosterone flying about. Thankfully they were determined to do 100miles so with a muttering of “sorry, Strava” at the base of Mynydd Preseli they dissapeared up towards Cardigan http://app.strava.com/activities/41233657#686950801

We stopped to wait at the top of Mynydd Preseli (will we never learn?) where it was blowing a gale. So all decided to wait at the bottom. It was pretty scary coming down, and one of those moments when I wished that I was heavier. Jonathon shot past me in the tailwind of a small white car, who had to gesture at him to slow down with a hand waving out of the window. At least I think that was what they were gesturing 😯

We regrouped and found that we had lost one (or 2?) members going down the hill, we assumed that they had gone home, and not been blown away onto the moors. The Gwuan valley was beautiful (but cold out of the sun), and then we started the climb out. This is when the headwind hit us. Ants was ahead and the Chairman breezed past me to shelter behind, I could hear someone was behind me, but didn’t know who, then Leighton passed and we bridged up to Ants, and the chairman, we continued in this line to the top, and sensibly decided to wait at the bottom of Mynydd Preseli for the remainder of the broken peleton. (thanks, Ants for the shelter!)

We decided to cut the route short, as some of us were running out of brownie point time. We set a blistering pace down the lovely smooth B4329, (another moment when I wished I was heavier as everyone came zooming past downhill) and turned left back to Clarbeston rd. I abandoned the group at the T junction to Llawhaden (I think, from talking to other people that the group splintered off in different directions at this point) I arrived home an hour later than I should have done, to a surprisingly good humoured husband making lunch. I really enjoyed the ride but probably won’t be out again for a while, need to accumulate those points again!

Total time 4:29

Moving time 3:37

etc etc

www.ltrcoaching.co.uk
Love The Rain, Live Your Dream

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