Ride leading 18 and 19 March 2017 - Wales weekend

Welsh Wales Weekend 2017

 

We set off on St Patrick's day to my welsh cottage for our annual TeamGlow Wales weekend. I had reserved my cottage and a neighbour's cottage to house 15 cyclists. And all the bikes....and food...and cakes...

 

I cooked dal for Friday evening and people started arriving from 4ish although traffic was bad on the rainbow road, the A55, due to roadworks, an accident and probably also the vile weather conditions. After a few days of gloriously sunny, mild weather, the rain and wind gods were set to join us for the weekend!

This has happened before on the Wales weekend and everyone had packed clothing for ALL possibilities.

 

I arrived at around 9 pm to find my cottage full of Glowing women with smiles on their faces. And I don't think it was the Guinness or red wine which was causing the smiles. The fire was lit. The room was cosy.

 

On Saturday morning we were going to ride at 9am but put the ride back by half an hour to assess the realistic options due to the wet wet weather. Off we went at 930 to cycle the Snowdon loop which was 36 miles with some good climbing. We went up the Llanberis Pass with a beautiful tail wind and regrouped at the top. All 15 of us did the same route. We dropped down into Nant Gwynant to Cafe Gwynant - wet and cold. It was a painful descent with rain driving into our faces. It's hard to wear glasses when it is like that because it's hard to see. But it hurts if you don't. The cafe owners were warm and patient as we caused localised flooding from our shoes/overshoes on to their floor. They had a wood burning stove and soon it was entirely surrounded by wet clothes and teeth chattering women.

 

And then off again. It was cold as we set off and I decided I needed home. I suffer from the cold and can soon feel vulnerable. A few turned off in Beddgelert to cycle to Criccieth but I went the most direct route back to Nantlle. And then through the shower, warm and clean before eating some food and having a lie down. All riders came home safely and were happy.

 

The pub was calling on Saturday night. I was glad we were going out because the cottage had a kind of wet clothes/wet shoes aroma.

I had booked a table at Cwellyn Arms at Rhyd Ddu and we had 3 drivers to get us there. I chose San Miguel instead of the steering wheel. There was another fire and it was cosy, warm. We ate well. Service was a bit slow despite pre ordering. But the food was good. The beer selection was also good.

 

Home and everyone tucked up by 1030!

 

Cooked breakfast on Sunday before setting off in dry weather to Betws and Penmachno. The day was deteriorating and when we reached Beddgelert the heavy skies were low and it started to rain. Mist was hanging on the hills. We carried on. I was after a challenge today. We climbed to the top of Snowdon, on to Capel Curig and down into Betws Y Coed. We had bumped into a group of young male cyclists at the top of Snowdon and had a lot of fun holding our own alongside their long legs and youthful lungs across the top and down to Betws. We stopped at the garden centre for a warm up coffee. And then on. The wind had increased. One rider was blown into a ditch and couldn't get up. She was lifted out by our Paralympic champion. On the top of Penmachno it was a brutal wind with low mist and rain. I got cold. We regrouped and set off again stopping at the first pub for lunch. By this time it was 3pm. I warmed myself next to a radiator, ate soup, drank hot water and became progressively colder. My teeth were chattering. It was another 22 miles home - that's over 2 hours in a strong wind with undulating roads. A slightly shorter route had a hill to climb. I wasn't feeling the love. I rang for a lift home and stayed in the pub whilst the others rode off. 3 of them made it home. We picked 2 others up on ththe way home.

 

Others did different routes on Sunday. Some saw blue sky and sun. One saw a basking shark. Here is my view in the main.....

 

The main challenges this weekend were ;-

pre event organisation for what started at 19 and became 15,

trying to have a training weekend but being divided because there were lots of riders just having fun and then of course,

the Welsh weather.

It was a great weekend overall. I've kept my organisation template for next time which includes 9 routes for all abilities and levels of interest and fitness.

 

What would I do differently?

1. Be more decisive earlier about my personal aims and stick with it

2. Stay on course......

Ride leading 19/2/17 Cat and Fiddle - 50 miles. 2400 ft. 3 hours 29 minutes

After the ride briefing at 10am we set off in the drizzle with big smiles. It has been 4 months since I did a hill ride and one of my ride buddies thought it was too early in the year yet. But I wanted to lay down a marker at this early point in the season. And I wanted to offer a D ride for TeamGlow. TeamGlow offer 4 classes of rides from A through to D where D is the hilliest, fastest paced or longest.

Therre were no incidents between home and the turn around point at the top of the hill. We were soon at the Cat and Fiddle pub which is on the road between Macclesfield and Buxton.  It was a good ride up the hill. The group split as is common on hills but we always regroup at the top waiting with smiles and encouragement for each other.  No sprint finish from me but the first hill this year now has a TICK.

We ate some flies and we descended through a cloud of smoke from a garden fire. We hit some very rough patches of road and were stuck in some long traffic jams. Filtering effectively isn't always possible on narrow roads - not when you need to pass a Cheshire Range Rover- but we managed on and off to move forwards by filtering and we moved together as a group.

I captured a couple of images from the top...the best view in the Peaks. On a good day that is.

Successful ride and even bigger smiles heading home in time for (a late) lunch.  No punctures and no mechanicals. And lots of thanks for another lovely ride out.

Ride leading 4/2/17 Mobberley Winter Warmer series - 32 miles

I offered my Winter Warmer ride today for TeamGlow. This ride is designed to be a high tempo, fast paced 30ish mile loop to encourage women to get out over the winter months. No stops are built in to the ride because it can get so cold to stop whilst out riding at this time of year. Socialising is possible  providing you can still breathe and speak as you pump away. This is a training ride and it is advertised as such.

 

I came downstairs to find a rear puncture on my winter bike. At least I could change the tube in the warmth and comfort of home.


Bike on saddle - warm, at home

 

Moments later one of the riders signed up for the ride messaged me to say she was also punctured at home but she had further to ride to the start and wasn't going to make it.

 

Good start? 2 punctures and no mileage!

 

The rest of the group met at 10 to set off on the ride. Before we left our meeting place there was a collision between two riders but no apparent harm done to either. The riders became acquainted perhaps quicker than they expected after their bikes became entwined. One bike came down on its derailleur side but superficially all seemed well. (You can guess where this is going....)

 

And then we were off. I wanted to test the pace and see whether the aims of the ride as advertised could be retained without amendment. TeamGlow do not 'drop' women on rides. It is a very safe and supportive environment to introduce and develop women to achieve what they want to achieve with their cycling aims. My training ride however needs to be a training ride and there are a few reasons for this - it is advertised as a training ride and everyone knows from reading the ride description that the tempo is high and the pace is at the fast end of rides we offer at Glow. Also, I am in training for an event in July and need to keep the pace up as part of my training programme. Glow offer other rides for different paces. The Winter Warmer series caters for a particular type of ride.

 

In the conversation thread on MeetUp (where we organise all our rides) there had been a discussion about the pace and an agreement was reached that one of our other ride leaders would lead a slower pace if there was a split in the group. There was a split and we continued as two groups.

 

At around 3 miles into the ride, the rear derailleur hanger on the bike involved in the entwinement mentioned above sheared and the derailleur block went into the wheel, becoming attached to a spoke. Ride over for that rider. The group stopped to assess the damage and take the compulsory pictures and I called a taxi to collect her and her bike. I  helped her to a spot in the sun to keep warm whilst she waited for her lift home.

Interesting chain position

Erm - I'm sure that shouldn't look like that

 

The rest of the group went on. It was a beautiful day. Blue sky. Some wind. Some frost and some ice to keep everyone on their toes. We reached and maintained a good pace with no other issues. We bumped into other Glows out on the road which is always lovely.

 

The real tests for today were:-

 

• a late arrival which delayed the group
• an early faller
• a catastrophic bike damage issue
• and finally helping making arrangements for a return home when there is only one working wheel on your bike

 

I finished the ride with a very expensive box of macaroons swinging from my handlebars as I navigated the bumps and defects of the Didsbury to Chorlton road.

 

A great day out and home with the afternoon still available for all sorts of other good stuff - like washing!

Nadia Kerr