well i'd rather ride!

Things got a bit - out of hand, no, that's a bit over the top, interesting is perhaps a better description, the last few days. It all started on Wednesday when Aunty Bev suggested i join her doing a taxi run for a friend up to Llandrindod Wells, maybe i could ride back to Brizzle? Look at a map and the straight line distance is @ 100km but the shortest road route is @ 135km, timing would be everything. I sorted out a route, times were agreed, setting off from Llandrindod at 10.30/11.00am, i'd be back at the house @ six.

The day dawned bright, we set off in plenty of time for the pick up, everything was looking good. Of course, the Law of Sod decided to come into play at that point, the 'fare' wasn't ready, 25 minute delay, two side excursions added at least twenty more and a toilet stop the same again. It was 11.45 when we reached our destination, an hour and more behind where i 'needed' to be to complete the ride in daylight. But i was committed, it was do it or not and having made the journey, i decided to just go for it.

With my feeding strategy now just so much whimsy, my first stop was a handy chippy, it wasn't ideal but my planned stop was a couple of hours away and i was too far from breakfast to risk it. And so i started the ride proper @ 12.15, the forecast was for a mostly tail wind but i felt no benefit as i tackled the first climb of the day, barely 5km in. The first 'pass' topped out at @ 300m, the second 400m and then it was down to Hay, my intended lunch stop at @ 40km, for my first crossing of the River Wye.

But i wasn't stopping, i found the right lane and started the 8km climb of the Gospel Pass. Sounds impressive, indeed you climb @ 450m to the 550m summit, all on single track road with grades reaching @ 18%, for the UK, it's a significant climb. The wind must've helped a bit, i made pretty good time on the ascent before starting the 20km+ roll out to Abergavenny. There was only one more climb of note, a 200m summit between Usk and Chepstow, it was after 18.00 when i reached the latter and the crossing of the Wye and Severn back into England.

I was starting to lose the light but i was getting a bit cold and hungry so i made a pit stop at the Severn Bridge services. Fed and warmed i set off on the final 20km, hour long leg of the journey, stopping the clock at 19.55, the last thirty minutes needing lights as the street lighting turned on. Seven hours in the saddle, 137km ridden, 2070m climbed - yep, that's not an error just a hard day's ride.

Friday, after a full 12 hours sleep, was a recovery day, well i did do a 6km walk for todays lamb but i was too shot to do very much else. I had intended writing but my head was still reeling from Thursday.

Bev was doing the reverse Taxi run on Saturday, i most certainly wasn't going to repeat Thursday but i did like the idea of another ride in the Welsh mountains. And so a plan was set, travel @ half way to the pickup, do a loop over the Heads of the Valleys (a road across the hills from Abergavenny to Merthyr Tydfil, meeting Aunty B after she made the drop off in Cwmbran. The weather looked a bit more changeable ahead of Storm Dave but at a mere 80km and half the climbing, the route looked quite reasonable on paper.

And so Bev dropped me at Crickhowell and i set off towards Brecon, a bit of headwind suggested i might get some assistance once i turned south. This time i had best part of an hour's riding under my belt before my planned lunch stop at Llangynidr overlooking the Usk, egg on toast with a big pot of tea!. Then it was time to get the miles in, along to Talybont to start the big climb of the day, 300m+ to the 440m Torpentau Pass summit.

After the initial drop it was then ten rolling kilometres to the Heads' road where i followed the bike paths across to Tredegar, just over half distance. The drop to Blackwood seemed to take forever then a draggy climb to reach Crumlin and the last climb of the day before dropping to Pontypool. It wasn't far to the rendezvous point now, most of the distance i followed the Brecon & Monmouthshire canal towpath, completing the ride at 17.00. 82km, 1100m of climbing, four hours thirty riding time - nowhere near as knackered as Thursday!

Which brings us to today. Out walking for a couple of hours, then it was full on cooking a traditional Easter lunch of Lamb. As promised i've posted the Balancing Trick Epilogue, it's short but it finishes off the book.

This week is looking a lot quieter, i have a new wheel to sort out for my daily ride tomorrow and the weeks riding will be less intense - i think! I will be finishing off the next few chapters of the latest bit of the Gaby Saga, Patreons look out for a mega week!

That's it for today, hope you had a good Easter, i'll be back here midweek,
Tschussie!
Madeline Anafrid