It's always difficult to gauge what to eat before a day's cycling. You're said to burn about 7000 calories and it's pretty hard to consume that amount of food, especially as you may not feel especially hungry or be fearful of feeling bloated. However, at our Chepstow hotel, the food was superb and no holes barred for breakfast.
As a group of five, we set out first of all. Weather overcast but dry and windless. Promise of sun in the afternoon and no rain; and especially, no Avonmouth. The cycle to Tintern Abbey was spectacular. I was more modest in the descent to the Wye Valley basin and abbey, though one cyclist hit 50mph!
Undulating terrain through Monmouth and Hereford and then posh coffee in Wormelow.
A local Post Office placed a strategic signpost to attracting an inevitable stop for yet another cyclist, cycle plus sign photo (you're spared the cheesy grin).
Our pre-lunch 28 mile hilly leg was speedy for my ability (15.7mph). Using peloton-style cycling to benefit from from drafting (save 25% of work by cycling close to the tyre of a lead cyclist - however, need to swap as they are working hard!).
After lunch I parted from my group to cycle the final 40 miles alone. The printed instructions were in conflict with my sat nav course (held on a Garmin cycle computer) and I elected to leave my group for a hilly ride on National Cycle Route 44.
Alone, I was free to mooch along, photograph feral piglets and have a beer in an old pub by a stream. The sun was casting a late afternoon glow. The Shropshire countryside was glorious. Fabulous to see such varied and changing landscape. Perhaps the best days cycling ever!
Statistics
Distance: 97 miles
Riding time: 6:38
Climbing: 1817m
Ave speed 14.6mph, ave heart rate 101bpm
Road kill: x2 badgers, x1 squirrel, x2 rabbits, pheasant (female), hedgehog
High points x2: Taking off to complete afternoon leg alone (fabulous views, ample stops and a Peroni in a medieval pub); plus fabulous massage in evening from Sue!
Low point: The memory of yesterday's route from Avonmouth to Severn Bridge (A403) during rush hour.
Burning question: Why was the printed map from our tour operator so different from Garmin sat nav course?
Looks like you hit the spot right there; a vision of perfect happiness with feral piglets gambolling in the background. Oink, oink - it doesn't get any better.
ReplyDeleteSpotted on the MTB Forums:
"My guitar gently weeps, but my bike just sits there and mocks me."