Wales north to south ride

A few pictures from a short ride across Wales we did last week, from the north coast (Bangor) to the south (Cardiff), mostly off road. The route came out around 250 miles, with a huge amount of climbing...literally huge...some days we were climbing for about a million hours...great fun though.

Starting off in Bangor, on the pier no less...


Riding past Lwyn Ogwyn


One of about a million forests we rode through..


Some bits were not entirely ridable...


Though bits of Sarn Helen we came across were mostly pretty tame like this..


There's a lot of twee countryside in Wales..


Waterfalls and that...not ridable.


Some of the bridleways were a little indistinct..


Some a little wet...


Pedal power and wind power in the same shot... All that's needed is an organic yoghurt weaving plant, and you'd have a hippy paradise..


The trip was of course powered by highly advance Polish carbohydrate replacement solutions..


A bit more 'challenging' climbing...just a few miles or so across boggy sodding tussock grass...A feature that is strangely lacking on most man-made trails..


All in all a top week. The weather was mostly hot til the last day (44 miles down the taff trail in the sodding rain...joy..). We travelled light with just a 32l sack each, and I can highly recommend the OMM sacks on the back of this trip too, very comfy even heavily loaded for a long day in the saddle..

A couple more piccies here if anyone is terminally bored at work or similar..

Two commutes and a Sunday

Surly
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

Well, I've been taking it steady after my recent off spell, but have managed two commutes to work with attendant Wednesday night rides, and we did a good ride on Sunday, from home up to Ton, then over to Machen Mountain via Caerphilly mountain and home..

Still not feeling 100%, but starting Sunday morning we are going to be riding from Bangor to Cardiff over the course of a week all off road...should be ace!

Bit of a break

Unhurt
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

Well, I've had 5 weeks off the bike. After a hectic week at work (including trip to Paris) I got off to a stag do in Devon and managed to break a rib and put my back out in a go-karting accident.. 4 weeks of physio later, I am finally able to get back on the bike. It's put my training schedule off a bit, but c'est la vie. Just trying to get in shape now in time for our north coast to south coast off road epic in mid May..