Just 3 Pacers out this morning. Nige, taking a leaf out of Angelo’s book and dressing for the weather he’d like to have. Paul, and I. Cold and gloomy, but dry at least as we headed off into a steady easterly wind towards Pontypridd. The temperature and breeze put pay to the usual social start and we were lined out early grinding along far too much dual carriageway (note to self, have a proper look at these Harries routes).
Just past Abercynon Wahoo and Garmin devices started bleeping to tell us we’d missed the turn to Whitehall Golf Club and Llanfabon. We turned round to include the worthwhile hairpins and high-walled lanes that looped us back to Treharris, and then the usual roads towards Bedlinog.
A few spots of rain had turned into light drizzle by the time we started the climb onto the common. Fortunately it didn’t last long, becoming driving snow as we gained height with Nige letting us know he didn’t pack a waterproof jacket because the forecast said rain was unlikely. In Bridgend. 25 miles away. Dropping back towards Ystrad Mynach the temperature mercifully rose to almost 2C and stinging snow was replaced with icy rain and regrets at having underplayed our overshoes.
Coffee, and decent sugary blobs of something at Esquires just outside Caerphilly did little to help us forget we had to go outside again. The small re-route for coffee did mean we had long descent to Taffs Well on NCR4, possibly. Hard to see any path through the fallen leaves. A closed road meant we had to cross the railway using the footbridge where, impressively, Nige managed to ship his chain by carrying his bike. It was cold enough by this stage that no one wanted to de-glove to take a photo of Nige trying to refit the chain using a piece of scrap cardboard to protect his delicate fingers from the oil.
Back home then up Pentyrch from the “wrong side”. And time for Paul to comment on how the roads were drying out before doing a very convincing impression of someone about to crash on a slippery roundabout.
