Setting off from Pembroke Dock on the 7am train to Carmarthen, it was a dark morning, bitterly cold. The train arrived in Carmarthen on time around 8:30am, but did some last minute shopping in Tesco before setting off, which delayed my by about an hour, so at 9:30am I set out along NCN Route 47, a familiar route I have taken a number of times before; quite level most of the way as it follows the course of the river. Sun was shining, but despite having 4 good layers on my feet (tights, sealskinz, shoes and overshoes) my toes were still painfully cold. No photos as my camera decided to tell me there was a "card error".
At Llandovery I stopped for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea before pressing on up the A40 to Brecon, where I phoned ahead to arrange a rendezvous place with Steve, and pressed straight on for Abergavenny.
We met up without problems and had a cup of tea. Steve's van was parked at Monmouth, so we were to cycle there, a further 20 miles or so.
As we started the first hill out of Abergavenny, there was a crunching of gears, my chain came apart and closer inspection showed my front mech to be mangled and twisted beyond repair. I took it off, repaired the chain, and we were soon moving again, with my chain on the smallest ring to accomodate the hills.
It was dark well before we made it to Monmouth, then we (thankfully) drove the last 20 miles through the Forest of Dean.
I was struggling on the hills by the end, and my knees, particularly the left, were quite sore and painful, which I put down to the extreme cold and an accident I'd had a couple of weeks previously.
Dinner of macaroni cheese and mashed potato washed down with a bottle of Weston's Cider. Mmm.
Bed at 11, to be up at 5 the following morning.
(TBC)
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