Author Topic: n'idiots ride report  (Read 3072 times)

n'idiots ride report
« on: 09 January, 2017, 01:54:56 pm »
‘n’idiots Ride Report

An enforced rest gives me the time and mental energy to write about my adventure yesterday attempting the ‘Clwydian Horseshoe’ Audax ride.  This was our second attempt at the ride after mechanical issues stopped us very early on in November.
After an early start from Chirk we made slow progress to the first control at the Ponderosa Café on the Horseshoe pass. This wasn’t my finest hour climbing-wise. Whilst the landscape was breathtaking, I felt a bit panicky, as though I had a lump of emotions stuck in my throat which would have to come out at some time. Weird I know but I do often get a bit tearful on a long ride and feel pretty good for it afterwards. Paul made some helpful comments about cats and furrballs – interesting visualisation idea!

Coffee and scones at the Ponderosa set us up for the rolling ride over the Clwydian hills to Prestatyn. John Hamilton has put together a stunning route, almost entirely on quiet ‘b’ roads and lanes and the traffic we did meet was all very polite. At many points in this section, neither of us had much of a clue where we were or which direction we were travelling in, a great, liberating feeling akin to being on a much bigger adventure. Soon however, the coastline became apparent through the drizzly clouds, and we regained our orientation. Choosing the ‘traffic free’ option, we rode along a former railway for the last few kms into Prestatyn and the very friendly Lido stores.

http://www.dyserth.com/railway.html - Local history fascinates me and I was inspired to find out about the former railway we had travelled along. The temperature was mild enough for us to comfortably eat outside and admire the view before riding along the prom and through the golf course, where we were dicing with the danger of airborne golf balls! NCR5 was our guide for the next hour or so with a mixture of wide lanes and narrower, filthy ones. All was going well and we were suitably hungry for our arrival at Loggerheads Country Park for lunch. The food and drink arrived exceedingly quickly and was VERY hot! With excellent quality and portion size, this meal set us up well for more undulations on the ride back to Chirk. Small chunks of this section were quite familiar from travelling to visit family. However, it was striking to visit towns and villages previously unheard of let alone visited and yet pretty close to home. This is one of the joys of long distance riding, the exoticness of the ordinary!

Our break at Chirk was quick, with just a sugary snack and bank receipt for ‘evidence’ before what we envisaged as the flat section to Shrewsbury. I was looking forward to food at Wetherspoons and had my heart set on Halloumi wraps. Chirk Bank, with it’s hair-raising junction and immediate climb, put paid to any idea of flatness. The terrain did become much gentler however and we were soon pedalling quite meditatively through a series of villages. Whittington was particularly memorable with it’s curious castle and moat. We were clearly following the course of the A5 but fortunately didn’t have to venture onto it at any point. A road entitled ‘Holyhead Road’ seemed to be a former part of the original Thomas Telford super highway, now diverted slightly away from the village, resulting in an awkward junction but hopefully a more peaceful life for the inhabitants.

Shrewsbury was within easy reach now and the final road sign I recall was ‘Montfort Bridge’. On entering said village, and before the street lit part (excuses, excuses) I happened upon a surprise bit of pavement, rearing up from the previously unencumbered road. I remember doing a double take – surely this was just part of the road. Well, reader, I soon found out that it was a real pavement but too late, I was airbourne! The verge was apparently soft and this prevented any serious injury but Paul and later some kind passersby, were concerned at my lack of memory of the incident and my distress “Could someone tell me what happened?” “I am not ready to die just yet” etc (embarrassment will be second only to immense gratitude for their assistance) They proceeded to drive Paul and myself to A and E where I gradually came round and Paul worked on the logistics of retrieving car and bikes (the former in Chirk, the latter in a kind woman’s garden in Montfort Bridge) I passed the head-injury test and a chest x-ray revealed nothing unwelcome so I was free to go after only a couple of hours. The emotions I felt emerging up on the Horseshoe Pass finally exited in the triage room where I sobbed at the trainee nurse about the plight of our wonderful NHS (more embarrassment – can I ever return to Shropshire?!) Further kindness in the form of Paul’s brother and partner who came all the way to take us back to Chirk from where we returned for the bikes and made a bee-line for home where my kind son had a roaring fire lit for us.

When we embark on these journeys, we never quite know what lies ahead and that is the essence of adventure! Whether we attempt the ride a third time remains to be seen, yet one hundred miles on the bike in January isn’t really ‘failure’ (I keep telling myself) and my faith in human nature is on an all time high ;D  :thumbsup:


Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #1 on: 09 January, 2017, 01:59:58 pm »
Break this up a bit (white space/paragraphs) otherwise the will to read it disappears after about 3 lines. ;)

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #2 on: 09 January, 2017, 02:06:04 pm »
It's a great report though.

I like to read of a bit of pathos and drama. Sobbing at a student nurse is magnificent. Makes a change from "we rode a long way, it rained a bit, then we rode some more"

We must have all done the 'where did that kerb come from' performance at some stage; I certainly have, and in company.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #3 on: 09 January, 2017, 02:11:33 pm »
Glad to hear that you are ok. Personally I feel the undertaking of long distance riding in mid winter is especially brave, particularly in them there hills.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #4 on: 09 January, 2017, 02:17:04 pm »
I like 'exoticness of the ordinary'. Thanks for sharing.

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #5 on: 09 January, 2017, 04:48:33 pm »
Great stuff, Ali - get well soon.  I had a much more mundane "where did that kerb come from" experience before Christmas.  I was pushing a trolley in Morrisons car park, in the dark.  I had a sudden stop - the trolley had hit a kerb and I laughed off the immediate sharp pain in my side as the price you pay for a truly slapstick moment.  As it turned out, I had probably broken a rib and it's still uncomfortable but it's also still pretty funny.  Not so your case - good luck and thanks.  Will you be well enough to do Mere, or are you missing that anyway?

Best wishes

peter

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #6 on: 09 January, 2017, 05:27:51 pm »
Oh no Peter! Rib pain is the worst - at least you get a bit of a sleep with a head bump! Ribs were the aftermath of our tandem crash (the van's fault) last October - 6 weeks of bother and painful laughing! I seem to be getting accident prone. I will decide about the Mere nearer the time - my policy of not telling my parents about my tumbles may pay off as I am staying with them for a few days. My sons are starting to fuss now so I could get away without telling them - oh the web of lies!!  ???

Re: n'idiots ride report
« Reply #7 on: 10 January, 2017, 10:28:33 am »
 ;D