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Wall to wall sunshine forecast again this week for a 60 mile jaunt over to Pontardawe/Clydach

https://www.strava.com/routes/3464749404861587616

This Sunday's route - might be sunny, but probably not
https://www.strava.com/routes/3460194935180217204

 Ruffty Tuffties 1 - Garage Softies 0
There will be times in months to come, when it's 30 degrees in the shade, when wearing one thin layer of clothing is seemingly one too much, when your factor 50 on your forehead has already after 30 minutes of riding run into your eyes - we will look back on today's ride and think - why can't we ride in sunshine every week 😎
For alas today was not one of those days of fierce heat, in fact there was no heat and other than Mark R's feet, very little dryness.
5 stoic warriors out on the road today - Scott, Paul N, Mark R, Richard D and myself for a ride over to Port Talbot and Neath with a coffee stop in Skewen and some Type 2 fun.
See you all again next week 😊

Despite the previous reassurances from Big Pharma that supplies of man up pills would return to normal, issues within the ordinarily highly efficient supply chain prevented shops across South Wales from restocking this vital cycling supplement. A spokesperson for Big Pharma stated that "despite production capacity being increased in the preceding days, logistical partners had decided to prioritise the delivery of more profitable lines such as garage heaters and soft padded seats, at the expense of essential commodities such as man up pills"
Undaunted by the disappointment of Big Pharma's ability to build sufficient resilience into its transportation processes, 4 riders made it to  Brackla, for the final 9.30 start of the winter. Having dug deep into our wardrobes to find some big boy pants 3 Dicks - Bowmer, Davies and Lewis turned up accompanied by Mark R for a 45 mile trundle out to the airport and back, for a ride in conditions that whilst seemingly treacherous to your timid Sunday morning Zwifter / Rouvy Rider were water off a ducks back for the boys in big boy pants.
A coffee stop at Cafe Velo was a step too far for Richard D, whose pants had split at the back, necessitating a swifter ride home. Cafe Velo also provided evidence that the scarcity of man up pills was having an effect in the suburbs of Llantwit Major - for it was there that we found 2 hapless members of the cycling community stuck down by the unavailability of man up pills - Mark Pope and Roy Richards. Such was their dependency on the essential pills that they had travelled in civilian clothing to Cafe Velo, in the ultimately fruitless hope of finding some pills. Indeed the frustrated Roy started smashing Cafe Velo crockery, forcing him into an embarrassing situation of having to purchase a second coffee for him and Mark as a way of apology.
Next week we revert to the usual time of 9.00 am where any garage grunting, screen watching, watt munching, rain phobic, can't let my bike get dirty Zwifters/Rouveyers/ Peleton are more than welcome to come and join us all in the land of eternal internal sunshine 🌞

Hopefully the weather will be kind to us this week and there will be no need to cycle indoors!

https://www.strava.com/routes/3447326046041251516

9.30 start at Brackla

12 riders, consisting of 10 ordinary mortals and 2 superheroes started out from Brackla this morning, accompanied by Jack Frostdoing his best to freeze us to the bones. The ordinary mortals today were Tony M, Mark B, Lewis, Henry, Andy, Richard B, Scott, Nigel, Paul and myself whilst in the superheroes category were Mark R and Karl W who ( bless their cotton socks) both turned up despite having severe mild colds.
The route took us first through the sub zero territories of Aberkenfig and Parc Slip before emerging into the eternal sunshine of Port Talbot. A sensible speed along Harbour Way where despite Nigel's prompting to get a chain gang going, the boys at the back of the peloton were having none of it, suffering a surfeit of Guinness from the previous day/ night. Through into Neath, where Andy peeled off, having been up all night riding as part of a Big Moose 24 charity ride. https://bigmoose.enthuse.com/pf/bigmoose-4ba3c and then onto Skewen we thence took the road up towards Clydach and Pontardawe before heading back towards Neath for a coffee in Costa in Neath. Scott decided we did not merit his company and passed on the offer of a coffee, taking us down to 10, but still 2 Superheroes 🦸
Out of Neath we then took the much avoided road up through Cimla before heading downhill to Pontrhydyfen and a minor altercation with a BMW driver and a split in the group into roughty tufties and softy Walters. The roughties went up over the Bwlch and the Softies headed back down the Afan Valley and home.
Once again great group riding in staying together and good preparation for Bethlehem next week.

You forgot to add that with Karl on the floor it was only right and proper that you should then take the opportunity to ride over him and use his body as a crash mat 😄

Early start this week 8am at Brackla