Distance travelled: 95.13 miles
Climb: 2,471 feet
Average speed: 13.57 mph
Pain ratings-
Adam 5 (dodgy back, aching legs....chamois cream still working)
Alan 5 (very sore bottom, apparently)
Neil morning 7, afternoon 3 ("stiff as a broom")
Started with a tyre and inner tube change for Alan before we left the hotel. "Naaah, that tyre is good for a thousand miles Guv..." said the guy at the bike shop before the trip....
Adam wore his new Bob-supplied charity cycle shirt.....for 30 minutes before being flagged down en route by the (excellent) trip organiser to have the (predominantly black) shirt declared lethal. He was issued with an official high vis donkey jacket for the rest of the day and will be wearing brighter shirts in future. The other noteworthy event in the morning was Neil's failure to arrive at the water stop. Search parties were organised and the the air ambulance was revved up.....before he called in, parched, having failed to notice the vehicles, cyclists, 2 large flags and signs at the side of the road.
This was a day of contrasts: Somerset Levels on to Cheddar Gorge and then up the "cheeky" Shipham Hill before lunch. After that began the long search for the Severn Bridge. The directions were open to a number of interpretations, the map was tricky, we asked a lot of locals. In the end we saw the Bridge shimmering in the distance and headed in that direction. A great spin over the bridge (to Wales- who would have guessed it ?) and up the Wye Valley to the glorious Tintern Abbey and an excellent pint of Wye bitter in warm sunshine looking towards the ruins.
Finally a warm Welsh welcome ("...you're not bringing those bikes in here...") and an (enforced) cold shower. Shrewsbury tomorrow...
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