Pacers Club Run ~ Sunday 30th July

[Jason T]

I think that we'll have to keep an eye on the weather for Sunday, for the last day or so it looks like rain from mid morning with fairly strong wind gusts.

One option is to hit some climbs first thing and then maybe a flatter route home to keep the pace high so that no one starts to get cold, at the moment I would suggest;

Coity -> Heol-y-Cyw -> Brynna -> Smilog -> Tonyrefail -> Ferndale -> Llanwonno -> Aberdare (Possible Coffee Stop).... then if it's wet we can keep the pace high coming back via
Glyneath -> Neath -> Port Talbot -> Margam -> Home

https://www.strava.com/routes/9859422

If the weather turns we can always make a decision after climbing Llanwonno as we could come back via a shorter route;
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcjkyxurb#?date=2017-07-30

[Dave W]

Looks good to me

[Mark B]

I'll be there come rain or shine 

[Dylan]

Unless there's a golf club climb involved count me in

[Greg B]

I'll be there, Cheers Jason

[Reece0]

Factory shutdown so working the next 3 weekends 

[ron b]

Nice coffee in Bradley's in Aberdare, at the bottom of the Maerdy decent.

[Mark B]

Yep, I'd vote for Bradley's good coffee & good cake! Probably only room outside though, so if the rain has arrived, might want to look elsewhere...

[Dave W]

Baguette express every time in aberdare

[Jason T]

I believe I counted eight pacers out this morning;

Jason T,
Mark R,
Mark B,
Dave W,
Paul,
Greg,
Steve C,
Dylan

We started to follow the advertised route where we quickly picked up John Edwards as we were climbing through Coity, a good pace was then set out to the first proper climb of the day ~ Smilog.

I would like to say how the next couple of climbs went for everyone but I was pretty much last over the top every time, the last real kicker of the morning was a climb out of Llanwonno where Mark B picked up a puncture....  I thought this was a welcome rest but my legs really didn't want to get going after that.

After dropping down to Mountain Ash there was a brisk pace to Aberdare for a welcome coffee stop, as we didn't have the riffraff with us (read that as Harpo  ) we decided to stop at the more upmarket coffee shop of Bradleys (slower service than our usual stop but nicer coffee in my opinion).

A good pace was then set with John getting a pace line together, this worked really well until we got to Neath which saw one or two people suffering from the days efforts so a quick stop in the petrol station saw a refuel of fluids and sugars for a couple of us.

Things started to fracture around Margam, I believe Mark B headed home via Stormy but the rest of us headed back via the lanes where we lost Steve & Greg.

Mark R really upped the pace the second time over Heol-Y-Cyw where Dave W wanting more miles joing Paul and myself out to Talbot Green, this saw me have a solo slog home up the Church Village bypass.

The usual suspects looking very strong with Paul mentioning that he had actually put in a threshold (?) ride on the way to the club run this morning 

Greg also had a very nice looking rain jacket, perhaps he can give a review of it one day but he actually took it off for when the rain started to come down (to be fair the rain wasn't too bad today).

Good ride today everyone, thanks 

[Steve Chapman]

Well done Jason! With that write up I think you've got the job permanently 

[Dave W]

Good ride today well done captain Turvey

[Greg B]

Cheers Jason good ride. I didnt realise we were doing more miles i turned off down by the fountain😄

[Paul Nicholas]

Good ride today haven't had a chance to get out much this year. Nice route, good riding. Thanks for
the tow through Heol y Cyw Mark and Dave, and the final stretch to Talbot from Jason!

[Jacamo John]

Top ride today, well led by Jason !
Until next time
👍