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05/10/2003: "Weekend break in Wales"

Have just returned from a weekend of riding in South Wales. Four of us stayed in a cottage in a little village called Pantygelli just North of Abervagenny. Being very unfit at the moment I didn't expect to be able to do much riding but what I did do was excellent.

On Friday we headed to Afan Argoed and rode The Wall. It took me a while to remember how to ride again (riding in South Wales is a tad harder than the flat bridleways of Essex!) but once I stopped using my brakes almost constantly I started riding a lot better. Of the section names I remember, I really enjoyed 'the graveyard' as by then I was riding a lot better and the trail flowed really nicely. After beans on toast in the cafe, Craig and Andrew set of to ride another trail and Karl and I went to the supermarket to buy loads of food for a roast dinner that evening :^)
On Saturday we decided to go and ride the trail at Cwmcarn. I was riding a lot better by now and really enjoyed the whole trail. The climbs were really tough in my poor state of fitness but I made it up all of them without pushing which was nice. I was really flying down the last descent before the carpark until I pinch flatted the rear which led to some interesting handling before I managed to stop. It's my first ever pinch flat so I must be riding harder now! Craig and Andrew again headed off for some more riding, Karl and I were knackered again so called it a day. I probably could have ridden more but I'd rather stop after having a really good ride than go out again and end up really struggling up the hills and spoiling the day.
I've finally got to ride my Blur on some decent trails and it was fantastic and got me out of a few situations where my lack of handling skills would probably have thrown me off the side of the mountain on my P7!
I took a few pics as well, see them here.
Cheers to Craig for organising it all, I think we all had a top weekend.

Replies: 7 Comments

Looks like you had a great time. We did something similar a few weeks back, but spent the week cycling most of the trail north to south. You have taken a lot of your pics in exactly the same place as I did :o)

Now go back and do it all again on a hardtail!

MPH said @ 10/05/2003 05:33 PM UK

Hardtail? No thanks, mine's only got one gear and I'd have had to walk up almost all the hills!

Simon said @ 10/05/2003 05:38 PM UK

'king 'ell Simon - you've lost a bit of weight in that shot above :-)

Robin Fisk said @ 10/05/2003 06:44 PM UK

LOL Rob :^)

Simon said @ 10/05/2003 07:07 PM UK

When shall we do the next one?
I'm up for a day ride somewhere, leave v early ride all day, come home. Any suggestions?

Craigy said @ 10/13/2003 10:53 AM UK

Will have a think about what to do for another ride.

My next away ride will probably be Singletrack Reloaded on 8/9th November.

Simon said @ 10/13/2003 12:34 PM UK

And I have the misfortune to Live in the North of the country and be stuck riding these trails all the time. Darn :hehe:

John said @ 10/15/2003 05:59 AM UK