Amblers' - Sunday 31 May

[Mark Pope]

The proposed route for Sunday is:

Brackla -Coychurch -Pencoed -Hirwaun Common -Heol-Y-Cyw -Bryncethin -Brynmenyn -Bryngarw Country Park- Bettws- Shwt - -A4063 Maesteg -Bryn -Cwmafan -Pontrhydfen -Cimla -Briton Ferry -Baglan -Taibach -Margam A48 -Pen Bryn -Hafodheulog -Parc Slip Nature Reserve-Fountain -Bridgend -Brackla.

It's 50 miles from Brackla to Brackla and we should have the benefit of a brisk Westerly wind from Briton Ferry back to Bridgend.  It's a lumpy rather than hilly route although the road from Pontrhydfen to Cimla is a tad cheeky. We can stop off at Sarn Nature Reserve for a coffee on the way back, which can usually accommodate a decent sized group.

See you Sunday.

Mark

[Tom]

I'll be joining you if they've got the weather forecast as wrong this week as last-if not I'll wait till the rain stops!(as I did today)

[neilburns]

I'll ne there, hopefully the weather will be kind!, probably gonna regret going out this morning 😂

[craig m]

What time are you meeting mark?

[Tom]

9.00 outside Physique (car park at rear of Triangle,Brackla)

[Mark Pope]

An enjoyable if quite tough ride today despite the weather. Although there were no big hills on the route, the first half included a lot of short sharp climbs, including Bryn Garw, Bettws, the Bryn and Ponthydfren across to Cimla. We had the benefit of a fresh tailwind on the way back from Briton Ferry so we decided to practice our slightly ragged chain gang technique along the new carriageway between Baglan and Margam. Apologies are probably due to Haydn for the very audible collective groan that we all let out when he turned up at 9am on the dot, just as we were discussing having a pleasant mixed group amble around the route. For those who don't know Haydn is a stranger to 'Ambling'!😁

We had coffee and cake at Sarn on the way back and finished up having ridden 50 miles at around 16.3 mph. Coasting around South Wales today were:

Tom
Wayne
Terry
Tony
Neil B
Haydn
Mark P
Ross
Neville
Andy
Roy 1

Mark

[Tom]

Yes a good ride despite everything Mark and as I said to Haydn I didn't know he could ride with such discipline-maybe his bad press is undeserved as he maintained.
Sorry about my 2 punctures-the first was bad luck but the 2nd was down to bad cycling.An experienced rider would just have caught up with Roy and sat on his wheel rather than going on the front to help out.If so Roy would have pointed out the enormous pothole rather than me riding straight into it.
I'll be very disappointed if it isn't 27 degrees plus next weekend as you've promised us!

[harpo]

Very undeserved Tom! Thou I got to admit I did spice it up abit on afan way, that was practise for the 4up with terry and mark, we might not get chance to ride together again
Thanks all for a good ride

[neilburns]

Yes thanks all, good ride today despite the weather, cheers Haydn  for the good fun going down to margam although I will admit I was blowing a bit at the end so some work to do, great taster for what's to come in the 4 up, cheers guys 👍

[RoyH]

Thanks all, good ride today enjoyed that, even the weather wasn't as bad as I expected, looking forward to next week.

[Jason T]

Harpo... Discipline... What?