Ron was right the weather was good.
Id never done one of the sportive (Cartens not a Sportive) type events before, I can honestly say I don't know what the attraction is paying to ride roads that you can do anytime you want for free? At least Carten sells itself as a charity event.
So after waiting for my work colleagues to join me, we then spent 30 minutes queueing to depart CCFC stadium (see my point above).
We then got herded off in groups of 50ish queue lots of red light hopping. On the whole course we probably passed through 20 traffic lights so why people felt compelled to ignore those in Cardiff I had no idea.
After being very good and soft pedalling through Ely with my work colleagues I was off up the Culver hill and that was the last I saw of them.
Come Margam things had spread out enough to make the ride a bit more enjoyable, the headwind was epic and really showed its teeth on the way into Swansea coupled with the heavens opening in an apolyptic manner it was a real spirit breaking moment.
Add the millenium coastal path into the mix and it was real battle up to Pembrey.
From Pembrey to Tenby was a real grindathon especially as the designated route took us off the A40 through some really horrible lanes, lumpy, porr road surface and full of mud.
Tried to put a spurt on for the last leg into Tenby as I knew there was a 15:40 train home, which Ijust managed to catch.
Got off the train in Bridgend looking forward to a tail wind spin home, only to suffer a cataclysmic tyre split blow out less than 1/2 mile from the station. Thankfully the good lady wife agreed to come and pick me up.
http://www.strava.com/activities/139512490/overviewYou can still donate here:
http://www.justgiving.com/Shawn-Murtough
