Wednesday 31st January twelve riders set off to Cross Hands – one of our regular destinations on a Wednesday but this time along a route that I was unfamiliar with. The Audax event, the ‘Carmarthenshire Stopper’, takes place on Sunday 11th February and the second part of the course was being researched (albeit in reverse). This made for an interesting but challenging ride.

Sadly the great man himself, John Cardy, was not with us on this trip. He was giving assistance to Mike Blundell who, together with John Bastion, is in training for the Super Randoneur award for 2007. John Cardy was an ideal choice for this, after all here is a man who thinks nothing of cycling from Baglan to Birmingham in one day.

I just hope he let Mike catch up with him every now and then!

We did miss him!

Anyway, enough of that (he just needs a mention that’s all, then he’s happy).

Crossing the Loughor Bridge we turned right through Bynea then right again after the railway bridge. A few odd turns here and there and we were on Penprys Lane, across the roundabout, past the Crem where we caught up with Kevin then we progressed perspiringly into the middle of some no man’s land full of challenges and mishaps.

As per usual form there were many stops so that we could regroup, we all ride at a different pace you see and nobody gets left behind. At the one T junction where we were to turn right up a hill I had changed into a low gear before stopping so that I would be ready for the restart. When we were all gathered and rested we were off again and just as my bike turned to face the hill my chain quietly and politely removed itself from the chainring. That was soon back in place and I was off after the others. There had been a few hills that morning and one time when I overtook Trevor I just mentioned this and for a short while I was comforted by his nonchalant reply.

“Yes, there are a couple more I think, not too bad though.”

I must mention that one of the characteristics of a ride that includes ‘Dynamo Dai Harris’ is that as you are about three quarters of the way up a hill you hear a gentle humming getting nearer and louder behind you. That’s when you know that Dynamo Dai is in pursuit. Sure enough past he comes, standing on the pedals of his fixed wheel, two geared bike with the dynamo resting on the tyre rim for added cruelty.

How does he do it? Search me!

It’s just wonderful when you get to the top of a hill because you know that the only muscles you have to use for a while will be those in your hands as you operate the brakes. This particular hill had a bridge and a bend at the bottom and I had come across it before. The bridge and the bend are not really a problem at all, but the wall of a hill immediately after the bend certainly is.

Twelve of us valiantly tackled it, some with less determination than others (myself, that is). I was at the back of the group and saw it all, slower and slower we went and then Mike Brewer’s front wheel lifted and he dropped over into a heap on the road. Thinking about it actually, to say that he dropped onto the road is not quite accurate – that sounds a bit too instantaneous. No, what he did was he drooped onto the road. It was just that bit of perfect slow motion that succeeded in making the whole event elegant and graceful.

The definitive Brewer’s droop.

He behaved like a James Bond Martini throughout and was soon up.

For a while there were more bikes being pushed than ridden. Soon we were on the top of the hill above Cross Hands and it was just the ride down the hill past the converted chapel and then a welcome lunch.

Opinions are always split at Cross Hands as to where we should go for lunch so we tend to split into two groups and go our separate ways. Trevor and I met Bob Smith and Mike Wood from Carmarthen and had a good sustaining lunch before meeting the others at the cycle shop as usual.

Back home along the cycle track. The first section was a first time for me – I really had no idea that the cycle track went all the way from Cross Hands to Llanelli.

The boost given to Sustrans from millennium funds must surely be regarded as one of the few value for money projects to have come from that rather irrational time in our history.

For me a total of 50 miles were travelled on a challenging but rewarding ride.

Next Wednesday 7th February its Pontyberem

See you there!

Lou Spokes