I have entered this ride and after the White Horses yesterday I am quite looking forward to it.
Hopefully there will be less wind.
Can anyone tell me how many feet of ascent is on the route?
I find it helps me get the pacing right if I have some idea of what is to come.
LeFlic
This ride will stick in my memory forever. T'was then known as "Cysylltiadau Cambriaidd – Un" (Cambrian Connection - one, for the unaware), and rode it on 19th November 2005.
Temperature at start was qute a few degrees below freezing. The first fallers occured in the dip along the ‘St Mellons Rd’.
The A48 to Newport was largley uneventful, as was the rest of the ride to the first control at USK. I was so cold I couldn't hold my hot cup of coffee.
Not to worry, the next stage to Cwmdu would warm me up, (or so I thought). In truth this was the best part of the ride, the sky was clear and the sun bright - and just a little warmth on the face. I will never forget the scene in the Cwmdu control ‘Mynydd Ddu Tea Room’ (Williams Garage). We were all huddled around a gas fire. Our water bottles weren't water but slush - they were well on the way to freezing solid. I'm sure M.V. can recall it.
Resect at this point went to Justin Sykes, he only had summer kit on, so he went to find some gloves - and found some. Only problem was the were polythene freebies for protecting hands from smelly petrol fillers.
The climb before the drop to Talgarth was still sunny and almost approaching freezing. This all changed as we dropped to Talgarth, the mist was thick and the air very chill - I brushed the frost off my top in Talgarth.
The lane to H-o-W seemed forever down hill.
At Hay I again tried a cup of coffee, lady luck was on my side this time. So I set-off a much happier bunny. That is until I started the climb out of Hay. From then on I kept thinking to myself "this is much easier the other way 'round" a la Brevet Cymru.
Tony Pember punctured just before Monmouth, Amazingly I managed to re-fit his tyre (when the tyre levers failed). MY FINGERS WERE STILL FROZEN.
In the control at Mitchell Troy, we were all a little reluctant to leave - but the lack of light in the sky was the deciding factor.
By my standards I climbed Pen-y-Clawdd "at a gallop", but the descent the other side was taken very carefully - the sun had not reached some of the lanes all day.
The return to Newport was amusing for Mrs Blacksheep, she just passed under a low hanging branch, I however didn't, and was chewing on dead leaves for a fair while.
Dave Lewis found a "useful" PH at the end of the end of teh lane just before Caerleon, so a group of us stocked-up on a pint or two of "carbs" for the last bit home.
I've ridden it couple of times since when it was much warmer - The ride is great, and you'll have a memorable day.
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