Chaplog tries hard

Brecon Beacons

The drive down was without incident even though we dared to get within a few miles of Birmingham.

Lynne suggested that this was a poor bit of route finding and became more and more apprehensive as we got closer to her personal nightmare - becoming gridlocked on the M6. She has had unpleasant previous experiences. It was busy but we averaged 50 miles per hour, so no complaints. I resisted the temptation to say I told you so, well, I probably did give the impression even if I did not say those very words.

The house is quaint but a problem. Only the toilet and one bedroom have four walls, a ceiling and floor. The rest of the rooms have one or more of these essential features missing. It therefore acts as a single room, as far as sound is concerned. so how does a person who sleeps six and a half hours share a house with the rest of the family who sleep eight? I have no idea, it will lead to tears. I am parked away from the house listening to the Who Quadraphinia disk two, it is loud, very loud, not a problem for me but it is to everyone else. Mind you a larger house would not solve this particular problem, headphones would but we did not bring any. This is a touch typing test as it is pitch dark and the screen is the only light. I pass but the words are effected by the wine.

Lynne is 50. It is not a milestone, she has got a silver ring and other things that I do not understand the purpose of like coffee smelling soap. I have bought myself at vast expense a new Mountain Bike! I have to be very careful not to scratch it, so before starting the first ride of the trip I place all four bikes on the cycle rack, drive off slowly across the cobbled farmyard in the bright early morning sunlight. As I have not attached them to the rack my new bike and the rest of them slide off - approximately £2500 pounds of cycles. I should have tightened up the mechanism.... Suprisingly nobody tells me that I am an idiot, to my face. I think it is taken for granted. Luckily there was no damage.

We go for a ride around the Talybont Resevoir.

There are highlights, a buzzard that takes off from a tree and flies a couple of metres above Judy's head, the long climb that reveals the stupendous view,

the clever photograph shown below.

I pressed the button to view the new bike in preview as my ears inform me that Judy has not caught it and it crashes to the ground. The trees that look like cauliflowers and a six mile descent; me falling off the bike because I have not adjusted the pedals correctly The Taff trail is what we were aiming for described as a six mile descent, the highlight of the ride. They - the forestry commission - let us get half the way around the circuit and then a notice attached to a gate tells us that we should turn around and go back the way we came because they were harvesting trees. Bollocks. We continue and so presumably does everybody else as we meet a number of people who are also ignoring the instructions. Why can't people tell it like it is! They were harvesting and it might be difficult in the week but they do not work at the weekend.

Autumn in Wales: clear blue skys; trees with autumn colours; half empty reservoirs; buzzards and chocolate and where do you want to be? OK it might be alright tomorrow but it will rain on Wednesday!

Monday

The weather was even better today. Look at that dawn sky!

I started today as effectively as yesterday - forgot to attach bikes to rack. I started by cutting the handlebars down to a reasonable size on the new bike. Judy then checked that I had attached my bike properly to the car, I had not!.

I was riding on my own today as Lynne and Judy did not fancy riding two days running. I went to do the "dream descent" the descent from Heaven - Crug Mawr form Crickhowell. Right from the start the route was steep and on the road and, guess what? I got lost. I decided that rather than backtrack to get on route I would go over the top of this hill/mountain thing that had a bridle way, great riding, grassy single track until I tried to get back down to the road on the other side. There was a stream wide enough to make carrying a bike across potentially hazardous, as you know that does not usually prevent me but I did not fancy it. An Alice in Wonderland type garden lay on the other side. I needed to cross it to get to the road. I was thinking lots of money and men with dogs, and anyway their was a big stone wall. I really struggled to get around it, at least a quarter of a mile of garden. As I tramped through the woods on the other side I could see, folleys, tree houses and statues - Craig - y Bwta it was called. I eventually reached the road by cycling through three fields, my luck was holding no one saw me.

What followed was some of the steepest bits of road that I have cycled on. It was warm, shorts and shirt, I had no one to compete with so I went as fast as I possibly could to make up for lost time! Then I went off road, I got tired, and the bike came into its own braking was easy, the suspension forgiving of mistakes.

Then there was a hill that I had to carry my bike to the topof to start the descent. There was a grave at the top marked "Dinas" I ought to know what the word means, it appears so frequently. The evening sun made the views special, slightly hazy so you cannot see the valley floor and one set of hills seem to melt into the next. Warm sun, an evening in late October. Follow the instructions in the guide book " follow this glorious grassy track for three mles. I relaxed. Sun in eyes on the dream descent, green path with sheep running out the way, I was able to look quite far ahead and plan those sweeping turns. I was tired but disc breaks and good suspension made things easier. Getting close to the finish I took it easy, stopping to look at the view and plan my path. I went fast along a sheep track. Then something strange occurred I was on the ground in some pain. I do not know how I got there. I sort of woke up. I obviously crashed but why? Did I pass out? Probably. After I hit the ground? I assume so but the helmet shows no signs. A reality check was required. One bruised rib, a bruised thigh, broken extension bars and a bent front changer. I limped home in the evening light. Great day shame about the crash. I have not collapsed yet so it is looking like damaged pride, ribs and thigh. I hope to go cycling tomorrow on the road!

Posted by mikec at October 28, 2003 11:09 AM