Our fifth day was also supposed to be a shorter day, but there’s no lie-in, and not just due to some of the snoring coming from the people sharing our dormitory… I meet Helen for breakfast, and we’re back at John’s Bikes in Bath for nine o’clock. They’re as good as their word, and by half past my wheel’s in one piece, and they’ve assured me that I was just unlucky, rather than the problem being symptomatic of something more serious.
Helen and Thomas have agreed to meet us again in St. Briavels – partly for practical reasons, in case the problem with my wheel should prove to be more than bad luck – but also because it’s been really cheering to see them. By 10.30 am we’re back on bikes, having agreed to see Helen and Thomas (now officially our support team…) in Yate for lunch.
Today the main issue will be navigation – we have to get round Bristol on quieter roads, and down to the Severn Bridge. We’re therefore being careful to make sure we get our turnings right, and I’m cycling gingerly on my newly-repaired wheel. I’ve kept my panniers, as I want to be sure the wheel holds up under load, but Al has given his rucksack to our support team, which makes things much easier for him.
With no problems on the way to Yate, we set off again after lunch feeling much happier. Cycling across the Severn Bridge has been one of the things I’ve particularly looking forward to on this ride, and as we catch our first glimpse of the towers above it, marking our passage into Wales, we start to feel more positive about 
things. It’s odd picking up the turning onto the Bridge, joining the M48 traffic briefly, before finding the cycle lane, and setting off over the Bridge, where I relish the familiar views that rush by as you cross it by car. The other people cycling across the bridge, and the workers on it seem to be that much friendlier to us too.
Reaching Wales has been a thought that’s preoccupied me, it comes as something of a surprise to realise how close we are to finishing for the day. We quickly pass back out of Wales, into Chepstow, and then pick up the turn to St. Briavels. The road takes us up into the hills again, and whether it’s the shorter day, not having his rucksack, or the thought of seeing Helen and Thomas at the end of it, Al tackles the climb strongly. For the first time I struggle to stay on his wheel, before finally having to drop off, and he flies into St. Briavels. We’ve both enjoyed the day’s riding, and all the anxiety of the previous day has dissipated away.
We’re also amazed by the Youth Hostel at St. Briavels – when we’d read it was St. Briavels Castle, we hadn’t realised that, well, it really was a castle. A proper one! We’re there ahead of Helen and Thomas, so park our bikes in the courtyard, where I check the gearing on Al’s bike which has been playing up, and Al finds out about our room – I’m going to be in the ‘Hanging Room’, while Al and his family are in ‘The Oubliette’.
We get our relaxing night, after all, this night. After dinner at the Youth Hostel, we play with Thomas in the grounds (who tells us there are five ghosts in the castle), and then later, as St. Briavels isn’t far from where he lives, I meet Chris Jones for a drink in the pub next door, and catch up.
We’ve now done 312 miles. My speedo no longer seems to be able to cope with the number of hours we’ve been cycling, so my last recorded average was 12.9mph.
Helen and Thomas have agreed to meet us again in St. Briavels – partly for practical reasons, in case the problem with my wheel should prove to be more than bad luck – but also because it’s been really cheering to see them. By 10.30 am we’re back on bikes, having agreed to see Helen and Thomas (now officially our support team…) in Yate for lunch.
Today the main issue will be navigation – we have to get round Bristol on quieter roads, and down to the Severn Bridge. We’re therefore being careful to make sure we get our turnings right, and I’m cycling gingerly on my newly-repaired wheel. I’ve kept my panniers, as I want to be sure the wheel holds up under load, but Al has given his rucksack to our support team, which makes things much easier for him.
With no problems on the way to Yate, we set off again after lunch feeling much happier. Cycling across the Severn Bridge has been one of the things I’ve particularly looking forward to on this ride, and as we catch our first glimpse of the towers above it, marking our passage into Wales, we start to feel more positive about 
things. It’s odd picking up the turning onto the Bridge, joining the M48 traffic briefly, before finding the cycle lane, and setting off over the Bridge, where I relish the familiar views that rush by as you cross it by car. The other people cycling across the bridge, and the workers on it seem to be that much friendlier to us too.
Reaching Wales has been a thought that’s preoccupied me, it comes as something of a surprise to realise how close we are to finishing for the day. We quickly pass back out of Wales, into Chepstow, and then pick up the turn to St. Briavels. The road takes us up into the hills again, and whether it’s the shorter day, not having his rucksack, or the thought of seeing Helen and Thomas at the end of it, Al tackles the climb strongly. For the first time I struggle to stay on his wheel, before finally having to drop off, and he flies into St. Briavels. We’ve both enjoyed the day’s riding, and all the anxiety of the previous day has dissipated away.
We’re also amazed by the Youth Hostel at St. Briavels – when we’d read it was St. Briavels Castle, we hadn’t realised that, well, it really was a castle. A proper one! We’re there ahead of Helen and Thomas, so park our bikes in the courtyard, where I check the gearing on Al’s bike which has been playing up, and Al finds out about our room – I’m going to be in the ‘Hanging Room’, while Al and his family are in ‘The Oubliette’.
We get our relaxing night, after all, this night. After dinner at the Youth Hostel, we play with Thomas in the grounds (who tells us there are five ghosts in the castle), and then later, as St. Briavels isn’t far from where he lives, I meet Chris Jones for a drink in the pub next door, and catch up.We’ve now done 312 miles. My speedo no longer seems to be able to cope with the number of hours we’ve been cycling, so my last recorded average was 12.9mph.
No comments:
Post a Comment