Yes big thank you for organising a great route. I completely underestimated how hard it would be as I looks like a ride up and down the North Wales coast which everyone knows if flat, right? I had rode all the sections before bar one before having lived in North Wales for many years. I didn't even know that Sychnant Pass existed, truly stunning!
Weather wasn't great,but could always have been a lot worse, we did have a lovely sunny spell just as we were climbing Halkyn Mountain over the Babell. The wind took it's toll on its way out especially on Anglesey (which is 20% of the whole ride!) and dropped through the night on the way back. We started out from the toll house cafe just as it started raining heavy.
I really started to struggle and lost the wheels of the group I was with just before getting back to Conwy and was really concerned about being able to get to Abergele without some food that wasn't a gel. I passed a kebab shop and pulled in for a coke and also ordered some chips. I had been in there 2 minutes when 8 big drunk local blokes walked in including a bloke that was tattooed head to toe, including the his hands and whole of his face and head. I thought to my self "here we go then, bound to be some trouble" but they were the nicest bunch of guys you could hope to meet, the tattooed guy insisted on paying for my meal and the other guys collected a couple of quid that they pressed on me even though I explained that it wasn't for charity and we were cycling 250 miles just for fun! Refueled I made Abergele after also stopping at the Black Cat garage for some chocolate using my recently acquired donation. I had a 10 minute snooze at Abergele and 10 minutes at Elton services and got back, 23 hours after I has started, absolutely shattered.