C-2-C April 2023 - Neil's cycle ride.

 Left the Croft in a light drizzle which had a chilling effect. Dropped the bike in at the storage depot and took train back to Taunton.  I was impressed with the combination of Greater Anglian Rail, TFL's Elizabeth line and GWR, all the connections were on time and I arrived in Taunton only 3 minutes late. My total mileage on the Pegasus the bike was 361 miles on the Odometer or 349.1 miles as measured by the GPS.  If I had followed my original route I would have completed 392 miles, but I did make up some mileage and I can say that the bike and I did travel all the way from St.David's to Cromer.  If it was OK for a Scottish runner in an Ultra Marathon to have a lift in a car then I think I was justified in being driven the first day due to inclement weather.

 The  Ffolkes Hotel in Hillington was a new experiance. The bedroom was a motel style unit and a large bar offering Asian street food or pies, the saving grace was that there was a selection of ales. I managed to book Pegasus some stabling for a few weeks in Cromer until I could pick the bike up.  I also booked a ticket back to Taunton which surprisingly seemed good value although I had to travel on specific trains.  Then it was off on the final leg of my journey  Cycle Travel. Com and Garmin resulted in a somewhat circuitous route but it did keep me off the A148. It was pleasant cycling with easy gradients and the sun was out. The inevitable easterly got up but as there were more hedges which tended to break the wind.  I started keeping an eye out for a lunch stop but everything seemed shut on  a Thursday lunch time, they obviously need a good funeral for pubs to be open. Resorting to the local shops they got arsey about excepting cards it was like be...

 Another dry day which was good. The River Lodge B&B was basic but by far the best value of my trip. I did enjoy the Italian Restaurant around the corner which amazingly for a Tuesday night was crowded out andI had to wait an hour before I could get a table. As soon as I left Spalding I was again out on the fens but with cloud cover the wind had died down until about 11.30 when the clouds cleared the sun was outand the wind got up. It was a nice enough day to be out and about.  I did see a couple of large fields of daffodils but no tulips. I am not quite sure how you propagate bulbs but as they were actively tilling and planting I guess they would be planting corn or legumes, there was asparagus advertised for sale qt farm gates which I assume was grown under glass.  I stopped for lunch at yet another pub with a large funeral party the 3rd stop like this - perhaps I am the 2 wheeled version of the grim reaper?  My trusty garmin took me around the cycle paths of K...

 A Premier Inn breakfast all can eat continental not that healthy but it did include fruit. Blue skies and sun  and a light wind. Route took me out of Leicestershire into Rutland, does this still  exist as a county, one of the useless facts I learnt at Geography was that Rutland was the smallest county in England along with the fact I started off in the smallest city in the U.K - St David's. Having survived an education in Somerset this fact was never mentioned as Wells claimed to be the smallest city in England. Enough of pub quiz trivia I cycled along rhe side of Rutland water an onto Oakham.  The village on the way and afterwards were very picturesque,  built in a aoft yellow stone apparently an lias sandstone.  However at Baston I was down on the fens properly and had to cycle miles of straight level roads into a severe haed wind. This area is called South Holland and certainly reminiscent of our Dutch cycling holiday several years ago. I would say this...

I had breakfast in Morrisons across the road from the hotel.   As it was a dry start but clouds building so I cracked on for 30 miles before stopping for a break . Then the sun came out. My route avoided Derby, Leicester and Loughborough. Several pleasant villages on route.  I managed 4 counties - Stafford, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.  I met an equally mature Cyclist who had  an ordinary pushbike (Specialized) and said he had done over 20k miles on it and was now looking for  new one. He said he normally cycled 40 to 50 miles on a ride out. If he did that twice a week then he must have had the bike for around 4 years!  Arrived at another Premier Inn in Melton Mowbray around  16.00.  Melton is a nice up together Market Town and is thecentre meeting place for 3 upmarket hunts - The Belvoir, The Cottismore and The Quorn so plenty of filthy lucre around  Also the home to the Pork Pie whi h unfortunately not on the menu at Wetherspoons a...

 Another "soft day" and left Newport by the greenway to Stafford. Somewhat of a misnomer as today it was decidedly a brown way.  It did have the advantage of being a Beeching bequeathed cycle/pedestrian way so level and rapid except the world and his wife were out exercising their dog, dogs and ponies. The result being a rapid transit to Stafford but a muddy bike as well as a muddy me.  Stord then defeated my new found confidence in Cycle Travel.com and in the end I resorted to the DoT road signs until I found myself on our old friend the A38 at which point I reset the GPS to Burton by cycle.  I was then cycling through the "the shires countryside" much beloved by our current leaders. Several splendid nuvo houses as well as large manor house and big bourgeois farms. I rode along some of Cannock Chase seemed operated to me spoilt by the Southwest Moors and the over Blythsfield Reservoir.  Stopped for lunch in Abbots Bromley at the Antlers Coffee House. A couple o...

 Saturday morning and sunshine, great to be out on the bike today.  Quite fresh weather wise as I started off and through lanes towards Shrewsbury I must of crossed the border into England but not sure where.  With the Shropshire Hills and The Wrekin in sight most of the way I was expecting some severe climbs but in fact t all relative gentle inclines. The Welsh Marches I always thought to be cattle country but only sheep to be seen in any numbers  Onearea of recently planted potatoes and acres of rape just coming into flower.  Is growing rape for bio diesel carbon neutral?  I stopped for lunch at The Haughmond Village Shop and Velo Cafe in Upton Magna lots of cyclists and the posh locals in the adjacent gastro pub.  I arrived in Newport an old market town with no obvious market and what would have been an attractive high street, now looking down at the mouth with charity shops and lots of estate agents.  The later probably catering for the afflue...

 Started off in drizzle which became more relentless rain.  A lot of climbing up to 17% and long inclines which necessitated some walking. Stunning scenery  marred by poor visibility. Took a hour over lunch hoping weather would ease but the rain just became more persistent. Cycle travel.comwas a bit of a disaster at least in my hands going through Newtown and in the end I used A roads to get me going in the right direction. Arrived in Montgomery around 17.30. An interesting and historic little town in an important strategic position on a River Severn crossing on the Anglo Welsh Border.

 A better day and some actual cycling. Left the shepherd's hut and on my way in a light to moderate wind and sunshine most of the time. Getting the hang of cycle travel.com which I can download onto my Garmin GPS. This generally keep you off busy roads but did take me through lanes with some challenging hills both up and down.  I had lunch at a pub in Talybont where there was a big funeral party but I wS able to sit outside in the sun! The bike gears needed adjusting again I am not sure why this is. I arrived in Machynlleth the ancient capital of Wales - who knew. I am staying at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in all its faded glory. Total today was 35 miles and ascents of 716 metres.

 After a wild night weather wise and as there was still torrential rain showers and high winds I decided discreation was better than valor and reduce my trip by 2 days of cycling. Liz and Penny my support team kindly drove me to Tregaron where I had booked a shepherd's hut for Thursday night but they were able to let me have it for today. Tregaron is 80 miles on from St David's,  the rain was fairly relentless and there were strong gusts of wind.  We had coffee in the hotel in Tregaron a busy little town .  I was lucky to be able to unload the bike in a lull of storm Noah as the met office have named it and get into the hut where I spent the rest of the day.  Liz and Penny then made their way back to Taunton.  Weather permitting and if I can book somewhere to stay I will cycle to Machynlleth  and then on Friday make it to Montgomery which will get me back on track.  Fingers crossed 🤞. 

A rather tedious drive out to Pembrokeshire in driving rain. Stopped at the Railway Inn just on the Gower side of Swansea carefully selected by Liz. A real gem of a traditional pub with 4 locals and a dogwood had to move up to make room for the three of us in the bar. Much chat about the merits of Wales the local microbrewary and the antics of the ladies knitting group in the other. A fine lunch of peanuts and crisps washed down with ale/white wine. Arrived in St David's and found RNLI Station but I decided that in view of weather and terrain it being 5 miles outside the city my start point would be St David's itself. We had a look around the cathedral had a coffee before checking in at the hotel.

St. Davids to Crommer April 2023 Date Destination Miles Accommodation Phone 11-Apr-23 St. Davids 0 City Inn, New Street, St. Davids, SA62 6SU 01437 720829 12-Apr-23 Abercych 40 The Nag’s Head Inn Abercych, Pembrokeshire SA37 0JH 01239 841200 13-Apr-23 Tregaron 42 Pyllauduon Farm Tynreithyn, Tregaron, SY25 6LN, 07969 910844 14-Apr-23 Montgomery 56 The Dragon Hotel Market Square, Montgomery, SY15 6PA 01686 668359 15-Apr-23 Newport 46 The Swan Inn, 4 Lower Bar, Newport, TF10 7BQ 07837 502976 16-Apr-23 Burton on Trent 41 Premier Inn, Wellington Road, Burton on Trent, DE14 2DQ 0333 321 9217 17-Apr-23 Melton Mowbray 45 Premier Inn, 5 Norman Way, Melton Mowbray, LE13 1JE 0333 003 3402 18-Apr-23 Spalding 41 5-6 London Road Spalding lincolnshire, Spalding, PE11 2TA,  01775 719075 19-Apr-23 Hillington 41 The Ffolkes Hotel, Lynn Road, Hillington. Kings Lynn PE31 6BJ 01485 600210 20-Apr-23 Cromer 40 The Grove,95 Overstrand Road, Cromer, NR27 0DJ. 01263 512412

Some how I managed to delete the only post I had published a week ago. I have cleaned the bike and did a small circuit, wind was making progress quite arduous. Packing is proving challenging as weather for the next 10 days is forecasted as quite variable. Can't change that but does mean I am carrying a lot of stuff. Bike all loaded onto the car ready for the trip down to St. Davids in the morning.