Sunday 30th September 2012 Ride Carmarthen Challenge

[Morganite]

I am doing Carmarthen Challenge this Sunday, it would be good to see a number of Dynamos supporting this event.

Information can be found here http://www.narberthdynamos.co.uk/event/carmarthen-challenge/

[Roger]

Sorry..can’t make it…on university delivery duty

[Morganite]

anyone going up

[ValleyMan]

Kim and I (despite the weather…)

[Morganite]

its going to be dry

[Ants]

I should be there

[Legaleagle]

Well, it wasn’t dry but it was windy and a bit hilly. Thank you to those that came along and supported the event; it was a ride after which there is no guilt at all having a lazy Sunday afternoon!

[ValleyMan]

Whilst the Chairman and his new friend were struggling under the Cypriot sun, a posse of Dynamos headed for Carmarthen and the Hains and Lewis Charity Bike Ride.

We met up with Huw and Mr and Mrs XXXXX in the car park before heading for registration where we found Legaleagle pacing around telling anyone who would listen that he was not responsible for the route.

At 9.45am, following a comprehensive Health and Safety briefing befitting of a ride organised by a firm of solicitors, around 30 of us headed out into the early morning gloom. Huw’s prediction of a dry morning was soon blown out of the water as the drizzle started conveyed horizontally on a south westerly gale.

It was soon clear that the ride was exactly what it said on the tin – a challenge. We climbed and climbed and climbed. After an hour, Huw helpfully pointed out that we had gone just over 10 miles. Any thoughts of a quick ride then home in time for lunch were fading fast.

Huw was trying desperately to stick to his 200w maximum power output, reducing to a snail’s pace up the endless hills. At one regroup point, Mrs XXXXX decided just to carry on without stopping and by the time we had got going she had disappeared into the distance. Sat at the back of our little group chatting to Huw we swept down a hill and turned left at a bridge when his Garmin went berserk advising we had gone off course. We had missed a right turn at what looked like a drive at the bottom of the hill. By now the others had gone up the hill the other side of the valley so Huw kindly suggested I should go and chase them down.

After a regroup, there was no sign of Mrs XXXXX; had she gone on alone into the depths of the Carmarthenshire countryside, or had she taken the turn we missed. Mr XXXXX, having checked that he had the car keys and the money, appeared somewhat disinterested in our predicament. We decided to carry on.

Checking at the feed station, they had not seen anyone matching the detailed description we gave. So Kim tried to phone Mrs XXXXX, but it went to answerphone.

When we finally reached the high point of the ride we were on familiar roads, but whereas on the Daffodil Ride we were doing 20 to 30mph, we were struggling to do 10 to 12mph into the teeth of the gale.

Ahead in the distance we saw a lone rider who looked very similar to the description left with the marshals…

Reunited at last, we thought surely it must be downhill all the way back, but no, a cheeky little 20% hill had been thrown in as a sting in the tail.

The final few miles were along the A48 cycle path. The risk of punctures seemed a lesser evil that being mown down by a tanker. I am not sure if this was a view shared by Mr XXXXX who got a flat with only a mile to go.

We took advantage of the cafe at the finish to warm up and discuss the finer points of the ride before heading home. The ride was ‘only’ 34 miles, but included over 3,500ft of climbing. This must be one of the steepest rides we have done, good warm-up for the Autumn Epic next Sunday. A post event photo is available on Narberth Dynamos Facebook site.

Lets hope the Chairman has been as diligent in his pre-event warm up.

Thanks to all at Hains and Lewis for organising the ride.

[Morganite]

It was a good ride, good company,that is what a group ride is all about, despite the weather all the hills, it was good fun.

The comment about me trying to stick to 200 watts on the hills is incorrect, the fact of the matter was that is as fast as legs would carry me. 😆

[xxxxx]

Excellent ride out in the wild Carmarthen countryside in me and Mrs xxxxx’s second ride out with the Darkside. I should have realised that ” it’s only 35 miles” meant that 30 of them were up hill. I thought I had gone deaf at one point and then realised that Mrs xxxxx had gone missing. I was very worried for a while but as Ian pointed out I had the car keys and money, so that was a big relief. Still haven’t worked out how we all had different altitudes but Carmarthenshire can be like The Twilight Zone. I know this because Mrs xxxxx’s relatives are natives of this county.

xxxxx

[Author]

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