[ValleyMan]

Evolution of a Club Ride

1) Assemble at Bloomfield
2) Wait for person who suggested the route to turn up
3) Come to conclusion they are not coming
4) See if anyone bothered to look at the route in detail and knows were we are going
5) Establish they didn’t
6) Decide to have a go anyway
7) See how many place names we know starting with or including ‘LLan’
8) Put our trust in Gary and head off
9) Stop every 10 miles or so to re-evaluate options

Result – a cracking route filled with excitement and surprise.

[ValleyMan]

Having selected one of the three options on offer (no sign of Mr Field to lobby for his chosen route; as likely to be adopted as a Liberal Democrat in Rochester…) it was a surprisingly successful trip to Angle with all six of us sticking largely together.

However, things took a turn for the worse when we reached Angle as the Cafe did not open until 12.00. It was 11.00. Concious that my already flagging popularity could be dealt a moral blow I pressed an anguished face to the window and persuaded them to do a couple of takeaways as there were only five of us (Huw and Gary left us at Pembroke but we came across one of Dan’s mates on route).

Little did they know that we had sprinted past a group of young ladies just outside Angle headed in the same direction to bag the best tables. Who said chivalry is dead. The Cafe therefore ended up serving a bit more coffee than anticipated.

The route out as usual proved to be my finest hour (well two) as I realised heading up the hill out of Angle that chasing Simon and John along the lumpy route from Monkton had taken its toll. I soon found myself enjoying the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside bathed in autumnal sunshine on my own.

Pete eventually dropped back to try and raise my sagging spirits as Kim carried on up front in disgust. ‘How many times do I have to tell you not to go off too fast and eat something?’

A couple of GeoBars (other brands are available) and an emergency gel did eventually reduce the burning in my legs but did not appreciably increase the pace. Simon, concerned that he would be late for work on Monday, understandably went on ahead.

Thankfully over coffee, and without the influence of Messrs Greener and Field, we collectively had decided that the ‘flat earth’ route back would be preferable (missing out Stackpole and Fresh East) and Dan’s mate, a local of the Angle peninsular, obliged with a route that got us back to Pembroke without too much (vertical) drama where he bade us a fond farewell.

Once in Pembroke, it was back the way we came with Dan leaving us at Carew and Pete at Templeton International Airport leaving Kim and I to make our way home.

Penance for yet another embarrassing display was to wash both bikes….

Lets see what ‘Learnings’ I can take forward to next week.

[ValleyMan]

Sounds like my sort of ride with stops every 5 to 10 miles….

[ValleyMan]

Close Huw! This is more what I had in mind….

http://www.strava.com/routes/1177193

However, lets face it the chances of following either route are pretty remote….

[ValleyMan]

Main menu gets our vote.

[ValleyMan]

To avoid a repeat of last Sunday’s unseemly ‘debate’ over the route and using Mat’s Law of he who posts first sets the route, here is a suggested route for tomorrow.

Coffee stop at Tavernspite and if you want to do a few more miles you can from there.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/copy/577674670/

[ValleyMan]

Maybe this would suit me more than the hills of Pembrokeshire. Put us down for 2.

[ValleyMan]

2 4 us please.

[ValleyMan]

Proverbs 42

He who wed an Osteopath need’eth not his tire levers;
He who follows the true path does’t get the coffee;
He who dawdles up hills is destined to queue behind a mighty horde of Aces.

[ValleyMan]

… by the coffee not cycling to St Dogmaels.

[ValleyMan]

Could be tempted…

[ValleyMan]

Back in the Saddle – A ride to Feel Good Inc. – concept by Sweaty and execution by Mrs ValleyMan.

Imagine the disappointment having struggled up Narberth Hill to find that Sweaty was ‘indisposed’, however, this was soon forgotten by the excellent turnout (not that I would know what a good turnout looks like) of vaguely familiar faces with numbers boosted by Mr and Mrs [redacted].

As night follows day Mat had a go at changing the route but a resolute Mrs ValleyMan backed up by the peloton was not for turning (towards Tavernspite) and a more or less straight run (including a section of footpath) took us to the Feel Good Inc. Café. Even the Chairman seemed to enjoy his coffee once a slightly startled Rhys had sprung into action.

Oh s**t its the Aces exclaimed Mrs [redected] as her and Mr [redacted] quickly disappeared behind copy of the Western Telegraph. But it was to no avail as they has been spotted. After a bit of friendly banter we were off again on the return leg via Tenby (Matt decided that we were all a bunch of wooseys and struck off west on his own) meeting wave after wave (after wave – yes there were lots of them) of the Milford Haven Club.

It was at this point the lack of miles in my legs (zero) started to show crawling slowly up every slight (and not so slight incline) but eventually got home having covered a respectable 39 miles at an average of 13.1 miles per hour.

Thanks to Roger, Graham, Leighton, Pete, Jonathon and Legal Eagle plus those name checked above for their company on my ‘comeback’ ride.

[ValleyMan]

Good grief….

[ValleyMan]

Sweaty sounds like a plan. See you at 0900.

[ValleyMan]

Mr and Mrs ValleyMan either weekend.

[Author]

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