Solo Rural Riding in North Pembrokeshire.

Our trip to Spain was scuppered. We still decided to have a week away - renting a cottage in Newport, Pembrokeshire, a family favourite over the years. And, having often ridden on familiar roads, little ride-planning was needed. (Handy, as my Garmin was playing-up!). I took my Airnimal; it packs easily, is low-geared for the hills, and is comfortable with rough country lanes.

The weekend lockdown kicked-in a few days after arriving. I was used to solo riding here, so being ‘Billy-no-mates’ wasn’t unusual. Newport is on the coast, with Carnigli and the Presili Hills a formidable backdrop. The O.S. is peppered with single chevrons - with doubles not uncommon. It makes for challenging riding, no matter which direction. (SUSTRANS 82, Bangor to Fishguard, features the climb out of Newport).

My first, shortish ride, was the climb up to Carnigli, a fast descent to the steep-sided Gwaun Valley to the tiny hamlet of Cilgwyn, then back through New England to Newport. Lambs bleating in the fields was the  recurring cycling soundtrack.

My next ride was longer - a hilly circuit of 32 miles, with 3,600ft of ascent. It was a chilly early start in brilliant sunshine and blue skies. The lanes were empty. I was the lone solo-cyclist. The landscape here contains many Neolithic and Bronze Age standing stones and stone circles - to stop and explore next time. Daffodils lined the verges alongside cottages.

My third ride took me north across the iron bridge spanning the River

 Nevern, overlooking Newport Sands, past the oddly named Gethsemane, and eventually back clockwise along the Gwaun Valley. I left the valley floor with the initial 20% climb up to Bedd Morris. (My Strava segment indicated 1.8 miles of ascent, 672ft., taking 18 minutes, at an average speed of 6.3mph. Not too bad for someone now in the ‘vulnerable age group’, considering the fastest on the Leader Board this year was 18 minutes).

I finished my solo riding with a mid-afternoon spin along the ridge between Newport and Moylgrove, skirting Carnigli. A week of dry, sunny weather seemed to have greatly increased farming activity.

Descent on the first ride, ascent later.

A return to urban solo cycling for me next week.

Author: Ged Lawrenson

1 Comment:

Tim C 27 March 2020 at 19:07 GMT

Lovely ride but you're probably banned from going so far from home now. What is it with Garmins? Janice reported funny goings on with hers too. They seem to have independent opinions about where you want to go. Although Memory-Map has no navigational intelligence that I have ever bothered to use, it leaves me in full control to follow or deviate from the routes I've devised.

Quiet Surrey ride

Ranmore from route N22

Lake at Friday Street

Waterfall near Broadmoor

Boxhill viewed from Cotmandene

Protecting the cockerel

Having decided to head westish from Dorking initially I chose route N22 rather than the A25 and UP Coast Hill. This took me past Milton Court farm, now run by knowledgable, friendly, helpful farmer Hugh 'Bertie' Broom. His great grandfather came up by train from Devon in 1897 with his stock and they were milked in Westcott the same evening.

I rejoined the road just south of the railway bridge at the foot of Whitedown. Fifty or so years ago the 'road' over the bridge was old wooden railway sleepers. One wet Sunday afternoon Sally was in charge of my 500cc Triumph motorcycle and I was back seat person. Wet wooden sleepers don't offer much grip, we slowly, gracefully (?) slid to ground with no harm done to bike. (Nor to us).

I crossed the quiet A25, passed the Abinger Hatch where the Bs had a good lunch recently, then wound my way eastish passing near the Stephan Langton. Turning off Sheephouse Lane then down a 1 in 8 led to the unsignposted waterfall (must be approached on foot - not a problem). It is not a through road so you have to return UP the short 1 in 8. There were a few cars parked near Leith Hill in the few open car parks but I had a very pleasant, quiet ride to Coldharbour and Dorking. The view from the Dene (Cotmandene) was good, my final photograph shows how Dorking folk care !

A very pleasant, quiet, almost traffic-free morning ride in ideal weather.

Terry

Author: Terry

1 Comment:

Tim C 27 March 2020 at 18:59 GMT

Great ride and great photos. That really is quite a rooster, and a very responsible one too!

Solo Rides ...

Mark

Author: Mark G

1 Comment:

Dave F 27 March 2020 at 13:28 GMT

...and I am struggling to keep the wolves out of my garden. Unfortunately, I heard that poor Greta had been furloughed for the time being...

Lynda's solo rides

Tuesday, I thought I would go for my first solo ride since the virus, as it was a sunny day. I chose well. A short ride to Ewell Court Park. I passed few people and very few cars. When I got into the park I was the only person going round the pond. I sat on a bench in the sunshine watching the ducks and relaxing. It was very pleasant. Just me and the ducks.

Wednesday, as my usual cycling day I went further. I went Stoneleigh, Longmead, Manor Green Road over to Ashtead Common, up to the Loop. Pleasure Pit, the Ashtead Park and round to Active Coffee. (How I would have enjoyed a latte). Up to the High Street, right turn and back. After Longmead I decided to go to Ewell Court and enjoy sitting and visiting the ducks again.

Thursday, after reading Sue's ride, I wanted to experience Bushy Park without cars and few people. I made my way to Kingston. Through a pretty empty market place, pass the empty restaurants by the river. I took the back way round Ham and found a nice spot by the river. I had my sandwich and saw two swans flying chasing each other, making quite a din. I carried on to Teddington, over the bridge and through the high street and into Bushy Park. It was a pleasure cycling one end to the other. I made my way to Ace of Spades and was the only one going round the roundabout. Then, my favourite, Ewell Court for my snack.

Hope the sunny days continue.

~ Lynda.

Author: Simon L

A mystery tour

I looked through my old rides on the App, Garmin Connect, on my phone and decided which one I’d like to do again. All I needed to do was to press a button on my mobile to send the route to the Garmin and I’d be ready to go. Well the idea was good but as most people with a Garmin will know, for no apparent reason it will fail to live up to the promise of what it can do and what it has successfully done a hundred times before. 

After nearly an hour of googling the problem, reading advice on forums (yes lots of people have had the same problem after updating their device as I had done), pressing buttons to disable then re-enable functions I decided to forget it and just follow a route that was already loaded on it.

So I selected a route, but having pressed so many buttons at that point, didn’t take sufficient notice of which one I’d chosen and certainly hadn’t looked at the map. So a mystery tour it was. 

Early on, cycling past the RAC in Epsom I saw Brian travelling in the opposite direction so we stopped for a socially distanced chat. After we said goodbye the Garmin directed me up towards Headley Road and I had my first doubts about following a mystery route. Would I be able to cycle through Headley Road? Fortunately, the answer was yes as the closed section of road has moved along and cyclists can get through (indeed are encouraged) by using the parallel bridleway.

I was soon going down Pebble Hill and out into wonderfully almost traffic free lanes on a beautiful sunny Spring Day. I stopped in Leigh to watch the world go by, mainly solo cyclists, and to take a photo. 

Back on the bike and the Garmin took me through Lambs Green and Faygate and I was beginning to wonder if this was a longer and harder ride than I’d anticipated. Sure enough I was taken over the A264 and up the climb to Colgate. The roads became familiar, but not until I was actually cycling them. A left turn, bend in the road and steep drop at Hammerponds left me in no doubt I was on a hilly ride. 

Slaugham was looking glorious in the sunshine and I stopped on the grass in front of the church to eat the first half of my sandwich. Several people were about, all socially distanced, walking dogs, sitting in the sunshine or in their gardens. I noticed how much friendlier people seemed to be in this crisis as I had several hellos or friendly waves. 

Back on the bike and by now I was sure I was heading towards the gardens at Handcross where coffee and cake would have been the order of the day in different times. The route skirted round Handcross and took me past the Cowdray Arms and up Paddockhurst Rd. The Garmin, of its own volition, decided to tell me just before each climb started that I had a big climb ahead. By now I was wishing I could turn this function off!

Feeling like I was heading towards home at last I passed Worth School, gently uphill and into a headwind as always seems to be the case on that stretch. With views of the South Downs to my right I  arrived at Turners Hill and stopped on the green to eat the other half of my sandwich. There were a few cars, solo cyclists and one or two customers for the local shop. Having just seen the views of the South Downs, I could now see the North Downs ahead. 

Feeling the wind against me which was chilly despite the sunshine, I dropped down Turners Hill which has a new layout and traffic lights near the top due to a new housing estate. From there a left turn to Rowfant and then Copthorne, Smallfield, Outwood and heartily fed of climbing, Bletchingley.  By now I was counting the hills still to come before I arrived home. 

I stopped a couple of times to refuel with my snack bar and emergency pack of Haribo (thanks Wiggle). A final couple of drags up past the old Fanny’s Farm and Holly Lane towards Banstead and finally I felt as if the wind was behind me for the final few miles. Maybe it was just that it was mostly downhill.

61 miles and 3,688ft. Further and hillier than I’d hoped it was a lesson in making sure I know where I’m going next time! Hopefully I’ll have time to sort out my issues with the Garmin whilst in social isolation for the next few weeks. 

Author: Janice

3 Comments:

Ged Lawrenson 26 March 2020 at 11:01 GMT

This sounds like an ideal hillier / faster ride once normalcy returns. Well done!

Simon L 26 March 2020 at 20:00 GMT

Thanks for sharing your ride with us Janice. I enjoyed reading about it, and enjoyed your extra hill possibly a bit too much, since I wasn't on the ride with you :-)

Tim C 28 March 2020 at 17:57 GMT

What a heck of a ride. Very 'A Group', but a good read and virtual ride for the rest of us.

Social Distancing Measure

I went for a walk yesterday and picked up a Social Distancing Measure, which was lying un-loved beside the A3. 
High visibility, hollow foam (so light to carry), and exactly two metres long.

Here it is next to my bike for scale.

People were giving me a wide berth as I walked back home, but I've yet to work out how to fix it on the bike.

Author: Neil C

1 Comment:

Janice 26 March 2020 at 07:28 GMT

I can’t believe you cycled home with it!

Ride to the hills

Shut

Very poor turnout at Cobham today, despite the gorgeous weather.   I wondered if I'd got the wrong day.   Then I remembered.  Oh yes, Coronavirus.

A solo ride was planned.  Originally I was thinking of doing the Leith Hill Traverse again, but this was vetoed by my legs.  So instead I just opted for Leith hill itself, all the way up to the tower with wonderful views all around, and only a handful of other people to share it with.   Got a bit lost around Peaslake while exploring some lanes I'd never been down before, but they were delightful.   It is nice sometimes to be able to go at your own pace, and stop and take photos whenever you want.  I passed a few walkers and cyclists, good to see, and coming back towards home, lots of parents out with their kids on bikes, which was lovely.

Thank you to Simon for back-marking.  Well done, you didn't lose anyone.

Daffodils

Dabbling

Recumbent (trike and dog)

Burchets Hollow

Tower

Picnic

View

Celandines

Primroses

Ashtead

Author: Simon L

1 Comment:

Geoff Gregory 25 March 2020 at 21:22 GMT

Hi Simon, NOT Coronavirus WRONG week it's next week the 1st April, see you there next week with the rest of the group, be early or you will miss the start and you will be riding on your own again.
Geoff