As no one else has done a write up here goes......Out on a beautiful and sunny Sunday, Richard L, Richard B (Part), Mark R, Tammy, Ben N, Mark J, Carl W, Vaughan R and Nige so a mixed group ride. Richard B announced he had to be home early so he followed us to Stormy then did a solo ride. The rest of us went on the set route of Aberdare clockwise. Dropping drown from llaleston just before Elprados Carl decided to check out his eject function on his garmin and it bounced along the road. I pointed this out and he went back and retrieved the garmin projectile. Bit of a head wind out to start and again after the cake stop. Even with the headwind the pacers in the group made sure the pace was spirited. I did hear a shout of I thought Rob was on a rest day!!!. Good speed maintained over harbour way then at the turn to Baglan Bay Ben forced a change of route for some of the group when he forgot to turn left and went straight on. We regrouped and then carried on without incident until we came to Neath town center. On the layby on our left a grey VW started to pull out slowly and the shout went out to warn everyone and the car stopped moving, but then started to come out on us again and as we past we looked on in horror as there was no one in the car. The car stopped as it came to rest against the kerb and we all passed by safely. It all happened so quick but we all had the did you see that conversation as no one could quite believe it. We carried on up Neath bank and Ben shot off trying for a PB and did so by some 30 seconds. We regrouped at the top and then headed down towards Aberdare but as we had pacers in the group it would not be a club ride without some gravel/bike path riding from Herwain back into Aberdare courtesy of Mark R. A busy cake stop at Bradleys when it did get slightly over cast but cleared up before we left. The usual its all down hill from here call went out but the headwind kept the speed down a little. All back home safely in time to enjoy some sun in the garden.
