Set off - pretty impromptu - to Wales with a mate.
Nice campsite in Brecon, close to the town, but quiet and scenic, right by the river. Fairly eclectic mix of people - elderly walkers, hardcore cyclists, young lads having a weekend of it, but everyone seemed to get on and it was quiet in the evenings.
Elan Valley:
Greedy fat pig by the seaside in Aberystwyth:
Lots of stunning views and reservoirs and coastal landscapes:
Set out in drizzle from Essex, but that cleared up by the time I got past Reading ish. The first night in Brecon we headed out to the Brecon Tap for some local real ales and then onwards for some Thai food; the heavens opened at that point and there were quite a few showers, and when we woke on our first morning in Wales it looked as if it was going to be a typically Welsh day..... ie....grim. The path of the righteous men was beset on all sides by the tyranny of evil drizzle. But the weather forecast for further north promising and as a result, we persevered through and were rewarded by glorious sunshine just as we got to Aberystwyth - and even more sunshine as we headed towards Llandudno. A long day's riding, 327 Welsh miles, rinsed it proper
On day two we awoke to cold weather, and I do mean cold - I was contemplating wearing absolutely everything I had to keep warm. But by the time we set off and headed north again, the temperature came up and the roads were dry and fun. Headed to West End Cafe in Llandovery for breakfast which was winning :up: and then set off to Devil's bridge via Lampeter and Tregaron - we had that section of road pretty much to ourselves and we made quick use of it. Then onwards from Devil's bridge to Bala where and around a loop to the north of the lake, before heading back to Brecon to complete 260 miles round trip.
In the evening we went back for a second bite of Chang's special sauce I ate a metric shittonne of food whilst my mate stuck to his customary one dish wonder chow mein
Set off to blast home via the M4 as the weather was grim. Deconstructed camp in the drizzle, all wet and soggy, and rode out some very wet Welsh roads onto the A40 to pick up the motorway. At points the spray was so bad, and my pinlock had failed so completely, that I could barely see a thing - but my water proofs were not holding up so well and I just wanted to get home so I kept it pinned in the fast lane and went for it. A proper slog of 225 miles, but the juice of the long weekend was well and truly worth the squeeze