Sunday 18 September, Mamma's Mountain Views

Audax time again, and this time some Welsh hills, and boy(o) do they know how to do hills, Old Horseshoe Pass was a best, but more of that later...

GPS Stats

I arrived at the start in plenty of time, and next time I do so remind to switch my GPS on as it took 15 mins to get a fix, by which time I was 2k's from the start!  It was a bright start but chilly so of I went with leg and arm warmers fitted.  The roads however were wet and quite dirty.  About 15 of us formed a nice group which lasted all the way to the first control which came after 44 mostly flat k's.  Flat been the operative word as just before said stop I picked a bloody great hawthorn up in my front tyre.  So after a quick flapjack and tube change I headed away from Chirk, past the castles rather elaborate gates and into the hills.

Short and steep was the order at first gradually getting longer as I rode further into Wales and eventually descended into Llangollen, then there was a big kick up to Old Horse Shoe Pass which was an even huger kick up, one like which I have not encountered before, it was evil, long and evil.  The stop at the Penderosa Cafe at the top was most welcome.

From there it was a good steady ride bar one short steep climb after the last control point, I had to bail out on this one as a car was blocking the road.

After that last climb at was a nice wind assisted 30k's back to base, most of which the old diesel engine opened up and I was away.

Another lovely ride from the Audax folk, 130km around Wrexham and the surrounding mountains.  And a good taste of what the Welsh mountains have to offer in two weeks time.




Distance = 130 km
Time = 6 hrs 3 mins
Ave Speed = 21.4 kph
Top Speed = 62.8 kph
Hillometer = 20.4
Weather = Sunny Spells, Showers 12c

2011
Road Bike = 2874.4 km
Single Speed = 102.2 km
Fixed = 26 km
Indoor = 71.5 km
Total = 3074.1 km