It felt really odd, putting on loads of factor 30 sunscreen when it was dark outside and drizzling, but the forecast said hot sunshine later so on it went.
A very reduced peloton of two made its way south along the A38. The rain had blown over but the roads were wet and I was initially regretting my optimism in choosing short sleeves, arm-warmers, and summer bike, but as the sun slowly crept up over the Cotswold escarpment the road began to dry and I was just about warm enough.
We left the A38 to pass through Thornbury, then over the bridge and a stop for second breakfast in the Greggs at Chepstow. It was warming up a bit now but the arm-warmers stayed on.
From Chepstow we followed the scenic B roads to Usk, gently undulating and winding by the river, good surface and not much traffic. From Usk to Abergavenny it was more of the same; delightful countryside, no climbing to speak of, glimpses of the river through the hedges from time to time.
In Abergavenny we stopped for third breakfast in the excellent Y Bwyty cafe where we sat outside in partial sunshine. So far so good, I even took the arm-warmers off.
After Abergavenny the climbing starts and the road snakes up through the valley to the Gospel Pass, the road getting narrower and quieter the farther you go. As Isaac Newton astutely observed we are anchored to the ground by gravity, and getting up hills requires extra work. In this case the work really isn’t that bad, the road inching up in little steps with nothing too steep until you get to a shortish section of 16% just before the cattle grid at the top. Here the scenery changes from the trees, fields and hedges of the climb, to open moorland with grazing sheep and a handful of motorists enjoying the view from the top.
It was overcast by the time we got to the top and there were even a few spots of rain. I thought my lovingly applied sunscreen was going to get washed off before it did any work. We put rain jackets on for the descent but the rain came to nothing and we thoroughly enjoyed the amazing views as we flowed down to Hay-on-Wye, offering encouragement to cyclists on their way up.
Lunch in Hay was an overpriced jacket potato, but we needed the carbohydrates. At least my green tea was made with proper loose leaves and came with extra hot water.
The route home through Ross-on-Wye was unexceptional save for an unwelcome rear tyre problem which necessitated a tube change, but the sun was out by now, the scenery pleasant, and we were well ahead of schedule.
A couple of petrol station raids for chocolate bars fuelled us home along the A40, and we easily skipped the traffic queues at Over by using the ‘closed’ bus lane. I was home at 6:40, well ahead of the plan despite the mechanical.
A fantastic ride through some spectacular countryside. If you’ve not ridden the Gospel Pass then I strongly recommend you give it a go on one of the club rides next year.
127.3 miles, 7,178 ft, 13.3 mph.
SP