| I’m not sure
if I ought to be telling you this but I write this whilst
wallowing in a hot bath, a glass of whiskey within easy reach,
biro poised above notepad. Don’t worry it’s a
foamy bubble bath which my mother found somewhere and wrapped
up as a sort of special Christmas present for me so no matter
how you strive to peer between the lines my modesty is intact.
The whiskey is a Bushmills Original described as smooth and
mellow – so not all that unlike myself then. There is
therefore a time limit for completion of this story because
as soon as these bubbles start to disappear I’m grabbing
that towel and I’m out of here. So I had better get
started then.
2008 starts off with predictions of imminent arctic temperatures
and snow and it must be accurate because I read it in the
Times. I tune into every weather forecast I can find on Tuesday
evening, each one confirms this but the snow is not due until
Thursday so that’s ok. Just before Christmas I had developed
a problem with my usual bike but had no chance of getting
it repaired so I decide to use my standby, trouble is that
does not have lights so I set about transferring the lights
from the other. A simple enough job under normal circumstances
but things did not go well, my problem started with the realisation
that there was not enough bare handlebar showing so the position
of the light holder was a bit restricted. So restricted in
fact that it was impossible to fit. I am not very keen on
being out with no lights when darkness sets in so there seems
nothing for it but to put the lights back on my regular bike
but by now I can’t do that either because I have stripped
the thread at the top of the tightening screw. The ride was
one I had not done before as it was the first of our new supercharged
programme and I had no idea how long it was. Maybe I didn’t
need a light. I ‘phone Colin who explained to me the
route and as he was explaining to me I began to realise that
my mind was fixed on a starting point at MacDonalds in Briton
Ferry whereas in truth the start point was ASDA Llansamlet.
Thank goodness I had ‘phoned him. Colin tells me that
my bike only needs an adjustment and promises to bring a hammer
and a large bolster which indicated that the adjustment could
be classed as a little fine tuning.
I feel better.
Morning comes and having slept on the problem the answer
is obvious. I shall take the car to Llansamlet and go to the
cycle shop, buy a T bar extension, buy a new light and mount
the light on the extension. Simple. I put the roof bars on
the car, fit the cycle carrier and mount the bike on top of
the car – it was a cold morning. I leave early, buy
what I need and head for the ASDA car park and fit them. This
was to the replacement bike, by the way. It is a bike which
I have had for about 30 years and have recently had it upgraded
to be the same configuration as the other, a bit daft to spend
that much money on it but there is a bit of sentimental value
attached to it. Today’s ride tells me that the money
was well spent.
Hang on while I get my big toe on this tap to let some more
hot water in. Ooh that’s better, and its livened up
the bubbles too!
Everybody starts to arrive – things look promising,
you see this is a bit of a departure for us because we usually
have just the one meeting place for our normal rides and we
were a bit worried that we may lose some riders by this departure
from the norm. We end up with 12 and the promise of another
who will join us further up the track.
We head on up the cycle track following the river Tawe northwards,
we go through towns which I vaguely know but cannot name because
we enter them from a different direction, we follow canals
and former railway lines, we cross strange bridges possibly
built by Thomas Telford in his Heath Robinson period.
We are now on the main road heading for Ystradgynlais and
we stop at a layby which by some happy coincidence has a food
van. The owner becomes suddenly very pleased. We consume hot
drinks until the road calls again and we remount our bikes
but Val has just become the proud owner of a beefburger so
we just have to compromise and wait till he is half way through
it before heading off. That’s the closest he will get
to meals on wheels for quite a while!
A couple of little side roads later and we are cycling up
a long drag of a hill towards Onllwyn, not a steep hill by
any means, just one of those hills that shows complete determination
to wear you down with a cold head breeze that grows stronger
as you near the top. There were dark clouds overhead and I
just hoped they were not about to give up their struggle to
contain all that moisture just yet! The leading group had
long since reached the right turn at the top and were there
waiting for us, being entertained, incidentally by a lady
in carpet slippers standing in a doorway. It was the lady
that was standing in the doorway and not the carpet slippers,
mind you I suppose they both were really. This whiskey really
is rather good you know.
My fingers have gone all wrinkly. More hot water please!
We pass the coal washing site and I am beginning to feel
rather peckish and also rather concerned that we should be
passing so many pubs. Can’t be far now and actually,
here we are at Seven Sisters and right on cue here indeed
are the seven sisters! Considerably older now of course but
what the heck – aren’t we all! No time for introductions,
we shoot past the seven old maids – we are on a mission,
we need to be fed. We seem to be travelling at great speed,
how will we ever stop at this café? Then we are out
the other side – so what happened, are we to be cheated
out of food? This is certainly not cricket! Then some way
out of the town we turn into an industrial estate (“just
like that” – Tommy Cooper) and there in front
of us is the Pit Stop Café. I walk in and suddenly
I cannot see - is this the effect of hunger? No, its just
my glasses steaming up. Twelve hungry cyclists form an orderly
queue, the chef panics and says he is running out of food,
I settle for burger and chips which turned out to be a large
burger and a goodly portion of chips. I learn that Ken has
a bet with Chris that I won’t be able to finish my chips.
I do and Chris wins. What’s more I enjoy the burger
so much that I decide to have another – and I still
have change from £5!!
The ride back was mostly downhill and we set a cracking pace
for Aberdulais, we go through Skewen, cross the motorway and
are soon at the far end of the Enterprise Park. ASDA is now
no distance away and I reach the car well before any signs
of darkness.
Waste of time buying that front light!
My hands are wrinkly, the water is getting cold, the whiskey
glass is empty, this ink is getting blotchy and the bubbles
are fast disappearing. Now look away because I must reach
that towel!
A great ride and many thanks to Colin.
Happy New Year and happy pedalling
Lew Spokes (powered by Radox)
PS. Next week we have our Away Day from Ferryside
to Llansteffan. We will be able to see the lunch stop from
the start point and anyone wishing to row across are welcome
to do so. The rest of us landlubbers can enjoy a ride through
beautiful Carmarthen and down the other side of the river.
The lunch stop will be fun!
For the complete Wednesday and Sunday rides
programme click on the link at the top of this page, or if
that is too much trouble then click
here.
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Ken and Chris |
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Colin, Jan and Val |
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| David, Martin, Ursula
and John |
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So we did |
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