GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
It's all relative.1924989 said:
FNRttC Cardiff to Swansea - 6th July 2012
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
I think it's just your role in life. And you are designed for it. There's very rarely a tall evil baddy is there?1924989 said:
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
I'll give you Jaws but DV is a short-a***. Goldfinger, short. The Penguin, short. And thats before we start on real life short people. They are more dangerous than koalas which you'll notice are also shortDarth Vader? Jaws (the guy with the dentistry, not the shark)?
well, that was very fine!
we took the train to Cardiff, and wondered at the water lying on upland fields, and whether any hay had been brought in. I wondered how many would turn up, and whether we'd find ourselves getting the same kind of thumbs down from Franklins that we got from the Pottery Barn. I was still wondering when I left the Pizza Express and rolled over to the Millennium Centre. And then I wondered no longer, because there were twenty five eager happy souls who had, for whatever reason, decided to follow Claudine and me around their home turf.
So, we set off, and, just as she had said it would, Claudine's southeasterly breeze, dry and strengthening by the minute, pushed us along the road from Bute Town, over the Taff and the Ely and on to the Cowbridge Road and up the hill to Tesco's superstore where we 'freshened up' and hoped that the Martin, Grahame and Adrian, making their way from England would catch us up.....which we now know they almost did, because, as we, with empty bladders and pockets full of choccy bars, left and went on up the A48, they came around the roundabout and made their stop, Martin being all but exhausted.
By the time the Three Mouseketeers rejoined the main road, we were off it, swooping down narrow lanes to Llantryddid, relieved that last year's broken surface had been replaced by smooth tarmac. Past a duck pond, past a ruin, all barely visible on a dark night, up to the Llanmaes crossroads, the wind now coming round, helpfully, from the east to guide us in to Llantwit Major where, our brave boys caught us, just in time to watch the front of the ride zoom off at warp speed, intent on stretching the ride over the ten miles to sandwiches, tea, coffee and welshcakes at Ogmore-by-Sea, and thus staggering our arrival at Franklin's Cafe. Which we did, cattlegrids and sheep in the road notwithstanding, arriving at a quarter to three to find some very fine ham sandwiches and strong coffee served with a smile, while the surf crashed on to the beach outside.
We left, and went northeast to Ewenny, big raindrops bashing our right sides, and then turned west, gaining the wind, daylight and about three hundred feet of height to Cefn Cribwr, then returning to the coastal strip and forging through Port Talbot to Neath.
Ten miles to go, and the best lay ahead of us. A brief sharp ascent to Sgiwen and then the ride down to Swansea on Bog Road, the kind of little adventure denied to those of us in the southeast. How skilfully we picked our way between potholes and slews of gravel, the water running across the road and through our spokes a testament to nature's economy!
Entering Swansea we did a tour of 'SA1', a kind of Sustrans paradise with added fake tan, before joining the cycle path that almost redeems the species as it glides around the marvellous Swansea Bay.
The last half mile in to the wind was instructive, but fun in an odd way, teeing up our appetites for breakfast at the excellent Mumbles Pier Cafe, and the apres-petit dejeuner beers at Castelamare, which is a sort of road/house cum viewpoint on top of the cliffs overlooking those very breasts that give the Mwmbwls their identity.
Susie and I stayed on for the day, Claudine plying us with food, drink and conversation, although the drink proved a little too much for me and I was asleep by half past seven.
Swansea was bathed in sunshine this morning. The bay was as calm as calm could be, and we tootled to the station for the ride home wearing one layer too many.
It's all good, this Welsh ride thing, but don't let the joy blind you to Claudine's hard work and resourcefulness. As one halfway stop folded another was found to take its place. As one route was deemed too tepid, (or too full of 12 metre deep excavations) another, more exhilarating road was conjured up to bring the best that Glamorgan can offer to the FNRttC. This is a great little number, and I'm already looking forward to the 2013 edition. Thanks, TeeCee........our very own National Gallery, Garbo's Salary and Cellophane all at the same time!
we took the train to Cardiff, and wondered at the water lying on upland fields, and whether any hay had been brought in. I wondered how many would turn up, and whether we'd find ourselves getting the same kind of thumbs down from Franklins that we got from the Pottery Barn. I was still wondering when I left the Pizza Express and rolled over to the Millennium Centre. And then I wondered no longer, because there were twenty five eager happy souls who had, for whatever reason, decided to follow Claudine and me around their home turf.
So, we set off, and, just as she had said it would, Claudine's southeasterly breeze, dry and strengthening by the minute, pushed us along the road from Bute Town, over the Taff and the Ely and on to the Cowbridge Road and up the hill to Tesco's superstore where we 'freshened up' and hoped that the Martin, Grahame and Adrian, making their way from England would catch us up.....which we now know they almost did, because, as we, with empty bladders and pockets full of choccy bars, left and went on up the A48, they came around the roundabout and made their stop, Martin being all but exhausted.
By the time the Three Mouseketeers rejoined the main road, we were off it, swooping down narrow lanes to Llantryddid, relieved that last year's broken surface had been replaced by smooth tarmac. Past a duck pond, past a ruin, all barely visible on a dark night, up to the Llanmaes crossroads, the wind now coming round, helpfully, from the east to guide us in to Llantwit Major where, our brave boys caught us, just in time to watch the front of the ride zoom off at warp speed, intent on stretching the ride over the ten miles to sandwiches, tea, coffee and welshcakes at Ogmore-by-Sea, and thus staggering our arrival at Franklin's Cafe. Which we did, cattlegrids and sheep in the road notwithstanding, arriving at a quarter to three to find some very fine ham sandwiches and strong coffee served with a smile, while the surf crashed on to the beach outside.
We left, and went northeast to Ewenny, big raindrops bashing our right sides, and then turned west, gaining the wind, daylight and about three hundred feet of height to Cefn Cribwr, then returning to the coastal strip and forging through Port Talbot to Neath.
Ten miles to go, and the best lay ahead of us. A brief sharp ascent to Sgiwen and then the ride down to Swansea on Bog Road, the kind of little adventure denied to those of us in the southeast. How skilfully we picked our way between potholes and slews of gravel, the water running across the road and through our spokes a testament to nature's economy!
Entering Swansea we did a tour of 'SA1', a kind of Sustrans paradise with added fake tan, before joining the cycle path that almost redeems the species as it glides around the marvellous Swansea Bay.
The last half mile in to the wind was instructive, but fun in an odd way, teeing up our appetites for breakfast at the excellent Mumbles Pier Cafe, and the apres-petit dejeuner beers at Castelamare, which is a sort of road/house cum viewpoint on top of the cliffs overlooking those very breasts that give the Mwmbwls their identity.
Susie and I stayed on for the day, Claudine plying us with food, drink and conversation, although the drink proved a little too much for me and I was asleep by half past seven.
Swansea was bathed in sunshine this morning. The bay was as calm as calm could be, and we tootled to the station for the ride home wearing one layer too many.
It's all good, this Welsh ride thing, but don't let the joy blind you to Claudine's hard work and resourcefulness. As one halfway stop folded another was found to take its place. As one route was deemed too tepid, (or too full of 12 metre deep excavations) another, more exhilarating road was conjured up to bring the best that Glamorgan can offer to the FNRttC. This is a great little number, and I'm already looking forward to the 2013 edition. Thanks, TeeCee........our very own National Gallery, Garbo's Salary and Cellophane all at the same time!
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
I don't know why as you're a very likeable person but the following extract from Benidorm springs to mind:
The Oracle: You wouldn't like me when I'm angry
Mateo: I don't like you now.
The Oracle: No you really wouldn't like me when I'm angry
Mateo: I really don't like you now.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
I'm nearly always angry. Maybe that's why so few people like me?
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
As we might say 'Eff me. He effing went effing pale'
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
I beg to differ. As does my dictionary. About the flinching bit.It's like a mixture of blanched and flinched (and it is in the dictionary so I didn't make it up!)
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
How come you're koalified to judge ?1924000 said:
kimble
Veteran
I, for one, enjoyed Bog Road. But I'm weird like that, and had brought the holy trinity of reasonably wide tyres, disc brakes and mudguards.
Oh yes - this is the only ride I've ever done where the mayor has shaken my hand afterwards. Make of that what you will (I reckon it's because he was a bit confused, and I have a really cool bike (see above)).
Oh yes - this is the only ride I've ever done where the mayor has shaken my hand afterwards. Make of that what you will (I reckon it's because he was a bit confused, and I have a really cool bike (see above)).
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Is the Devil's Staircase fun then? I do fancy a go at that.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Then you can't have going pale. and did I say my dictionary isn't very good?
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
There are several fun climbs between Abergwesyn and Tregaron. Does depends on your definition of fun though. Personally I don't think the Devil's Staircase is all that, if you've the right gears.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Actually we are all wrong. Blench means extremely large, as in even bigger than tonk. Funny thing meaning, mutable.
