OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Important stuff first, cycling afterwards....
Wales : Powys Let's get together.... Hay-on-Wye cycle camp 12-16th Sept 2019
- Thread starter I like Skol
- Start date
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nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
You really are living the dream Skol
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Peashooters them.. you need a big bertha.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Everything in the back of the Truck. Hacksaw, kitchen sink, cooker, and a posh bottle of 'drench'. Well jealous. Enjoy, weather is looking good.
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
The drench bottle contains my cooking oil 
I used the axe to chop up some firewood I brought with me.
This was the BBQ before it became a fire pit...
I am kind of thinking I jumped the gun lighting the fire once the burgers were cooked. Should have done a few sausages 1st
I used the axe to chop up some firewood I brought with me.
This was the BBQ before it became a fire pit...
I am kind of thinking I jumped the gun lighting the fire once the burgers were cooked. Should have done a few sausages 1st
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
Is the beast ILS or the Land Rover? If he's in Hay then he's already in Wales.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Skolly thinks the Beast is him...
I can get away with that, he's a right softie TBH. 
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
FOUR burgers... just for you ??? 
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Got to feed the beast!FOUR burgers... just for you ???
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
It's a hard life! At the White Lion Inn, Ross on Wye for lunch.
Apparently a 45 minute wait for food, don't know what I will do to pass the time.....
50 miles done and only another 30 to do. Good job really
It's a glorious day and getting warmer by the minute. Wish I could pick weather like this everytime I go camping....
Apparently a 45 minute wait for food, don't know what I will do to pass the time.....
50 miles done and only another 30 to do. Good job really
It's a glorious day and getting warmer by the minute. Wish I could pick weather like this everytime I go camping....
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Food arrived quicker than expected. Sun cream topped up, off for the final stretch....
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
What a weekend!!!!!
I don't know where to start, so will start at the end.
Now sat in one of the recommended local pubs eating dinner after showering and a welcome change of clothes.
Feeling ok but can tell it has been an EPIC weekend. 100 miles on Friday, 80 miles on Saturday and another 100 today, and don't get me started on the climbing! My Strava says I have done more than 22,000ft of climbing over the 3 days. I'm just going to demolish a plate of lamb rump then will come back to post more....
I don't know where to start, so will start at the end.
Now sat in one of the recommended local pubs eating dinner after showering and a welcome change of clothes.
Feeling ok but can tell it has been an EPIC weekend. 100 miles on Friday, 80 miles on Saturday and another 100 today, and don't get me started on the climbing! My Strava says I have done more than 22,000ft of climbing over the 3 days. I'm just going to demolish a plate of lamb rump then will come back to post more....
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
Top ride bro. Keep it in the bank.
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Day 1, Llandovery.
Right from the beginning out of Hay/Clyro the climbing started. The huge lump between camp and Builth Wells stuck out on the route profile like a..... huge lump. Climbing through the aptly named Paincastle was rewarded by a number of motorists heading the other way giving me the thumbs up. Obviously, as I discovered for myself, they knew what was in store and were trying to give me encouragement lest I should give up. They needn't have worried and the effort was rewarded with spectacular scenery and remote, quiet moorland.
The downhill that followed was equally as amazing as the climb and I really flew down the flowing but twisty descent. I have to say at this point, SPYRE DISC BRAKES ROCK! At the end of this enthusiastic descent the discs were blue hot but showed no sign of fading. In fact, the workout had improved their performance and I suspect burning off all the commuting crap is the reason for this and they continued to inspyre (see what I did there
) absolute confidence all weekend, even on the most torturous, twisty, blind bend descents.
I passed through Builth and pushed on to Llandovery for lunch.
My rather slapdash approach to navigation did throw up the odd surprise here and there along the way, including this unexpected short stretch of Byway (i.e, 4x4 track) with ford, but most of the chosen lanes were just perfect. Relentless miles of quiet, single track roads in perfect settings and endless blue skies.....
After lunch I pushed on towards Brecon on the return leg of the loop. I was sure I was well past halfway, but who am I to argue with the signs?
After getting back to Hay on Wye I stocked up on supplies at the local Co-op (including some much needed suncream that I had forgotten to pack
) and then decided to push on along the valley to add the 10+ miles needed to make it the imperial century. 100 miles achieved I could then return to camp for my BBQ dinner, a few beers and a small campfire before hitting the sack.
Right from the beginning out of Hay/Clyro the climbing started. The huge lump between camp and Builth Wells stuck out on the route profile like a..... huge lump
. Climbing through the aptly named Paincastle was rewarded by a number of motorists heading the other way giving me the thumbs up. Obviously, as I discovered for myself, they knew what was in store and were trying to give me encouragement lest I should give up. They needn't have worried and the effort was rewarded with spectacular scenery and remote, quiet moorland.The downhill that followed was equally as amazing as the climb and I really flew down the flowing but twisty descent. I have to say at this point, SPYRE DISC BRAKES ROCK! At the end of this enthusiastic descent the discs were blue hot but showed no sign of fading. In fact, the workout had improved their performance and I suspect burning off all the commuting crap is the reason for this and they continued to inspyre (see what I did there
) absolute confidence all weekend, even on the most torturous, twisty, blind bend descents.I passed through Builth and pushed on to Llandovery for lunch.
After lunch I pushed on towards Brecon on the return leg of the loop. I was sure I was well past halfway, but who am I to argue with the signs?
After getting back to Hay on Wye I stocked up on supplies at the local Co-op (including some much needed suncream that I had forgotten to pack
) and then decided to push on along the valley to add the 10+ miles needed to make it the imperial century. 100 miles achieved I could then return to camp for my BBQ dinner, a few beers and a small campfire before hitting the sack.
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OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Day 2, Gospel Pass.
There is a theme emerging here, the day started with a humongous climb! The Gospel Pass is a pass in the true meaning of the name, winding it's way ever upwards before cresting the mountains at the lowpoint between two peaks. As it was still early in the day the high altitude meant it was quite chilly while I tried to capture this panaramic snapshot of the summit.
It doesn't really do it justice. The best views were photographed on the approach and there was absolutely no time for pictures when whizzing down the other side!
I obviously pulled over to view the old monastery that presumably gives the pass its name and was suitably humbled and impressed by the location.
Not a bad life being a monk with views like this....
Rest of the ride was relatively mundane in comparison (I say mundane, but this is against a very high bar, so actually still a spectacular ride). Monmouth was gridlocked with cars waiting to cross the narrow bridge over the Wye and then followed a longish climb before skirting the edge of The Forest of Dean and a busy but atmospheric descent at Symonds Yat. I stopped just outside Ross on Wye for lunch and all the time I sat at the riverside beer garden there were canoe/kayakers arriving & departing, having visited the establishment for lunch & drinks.
A little slice of heaven and I could easily have whiled away the afternoon watching the river action and drinking the beers if I hadn't had to continue back to base camp....
It was a fairly easy ride back to Hay, but along the way I encountered the finishing throes of the Hoarwithy ploughing competition. This ticked all my boxes, Landrovers, classic tractors and rural social activities. Heaven
I rolled along towards camp, my passage only spoilt by 1 enormous spike in the height profile that came along just 10 miles from the ride end. After two big mile days in the saddle this was the last thing I needed but I gritted my teeth, dug deep and crawled up the seemingly endless climb blubbing like a baby, but I didn't stop!
Once back in Hay I called into the Co-op for more supplies (a pack of 2 large Choux buns and some Eccles cakes, I felt like I deserved these!) and decided the 80+ miles was enough and it was time to head straight back to camp for showers, food, beer and campfire. I woke up in my camp chair to find a dieing fire at about 10pm so decided it was well past time to call it a night
There is a theme emerging here, the day started with a humongous climb! The Gospel Pass is a pass in the true meaning of the name, winding it's way ever upwards before cresting the mountains at the lowpoint between two peaks. As it was still early in the day the high altitude meant it was quite chilly while I tried to capture this panaramic snapshot of the summit.
It doesn't really do it justice. The best views were photographed on the approach and there was absolutely no time for pictures when whizzing down the other side!
I obviously pulled over to view the old monastery that presumably gives the pass its name and was suitably humbled and impressed by the location.
Not a bad life being a monk with views like this....
Rest of the ride was relatively mundane in comparison (I say mundane, but this is against a very high bar, so actually still a spectacular ride). Monmouth was gridlocked with cars waiting to cross the narrow bridge over the Wye and then followed a longish climb before skirting the edge of The Forest of Dean and a busy but atmospheric descent at Symonds Yat. I stopped just outside Ross on Wye for lunch and all the time I sat at the riverside beer garden there were canoe/kayakers arriving & departing, having visited the establishment for lunch & drinks.
A little slice of heaven and I could easily have whiled away the afternoon watching the river action and drinking the beers if I hadn't had to continue back to base camp....
It was a fairly easy ride back to Hay, but along the way I encountered the finishing throes of the Hoarwithy ploughing competition. This ticked all my boxes, Landrovers, classic tractors and rural social activities. Heaven
I rolled along towards camp, my passage only spoilt by 1 enormous spike in the height profile that came along just 10 miles from the ride end. After two big mile days in the saddle this was the last thing I needed but I gritted my teeth, dug deep and crawled up the seemingly endless climb blubbing like a baby, but I didn't stop!
Once back in Hay I called into the Co-op for more supplies (a pack of 2 large Choux buns and some Eccles cakes, I felt like I deserved these!) and decided the 80+ miles was enough and it was time to head straight back to camp for showers, food, beer and campfire. I woke up in my camp chair to find a dieing fire at about 10pm so decided it was well past time to call it a night
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