After a Premier
Inn breakfast at the Brewers Fayre next door, I spent a few minutes checking
the bike. I pumped the tyres back up to
60psi and lubricated the chain to keep everything running smoothly. After loading the GPS and unloading the
camera, I helped Fiona load the car with the bike rack so she could collect her
brother, Matt, and his bike from Bristol train station. I was ready to ride at 9.45am.
In contrast
to the previous three days, the weather was clear and it was a pleasure to
cycle out of Glastonbury with the Tor lit by the morning sunshine. After the usual stop to adjust the mudguards
(both were rubbing within about two miles!), I enjoyed cycling a long straight
road with drainage ditches on either side and Wells Cathedral appearing in the
distance. I stopped to take a photo at
one point and noticed what I had initially assumed were sheep were actually
Llamas! Hey Ho, Fiona had seen wizards
and fairies at the Premier Inn in Glastonbury (she claims there were no illegal
substances used!), so why would I expect normal farm animals?!
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| The un-rideable bridleway above Wells |
On the steep
climb out of Wells I was concentrating on pedalling and missed a left turn. I only noticed I was off track half way up
the climb and decided to take to a bridleway to rejoin the route. The bridleway soon turned into a rocky path
like a dry stream bed that I could not ride but was still heading in the
correct direction so I decided to push the bike. It was a beautiful wood, but unfortunately at
the top of the hill the bridleway turned away from the direction I needed and I
nearly decided I would have to retrace my steps. I pushed on as I was able to ride on the
rough path at the top and overtook a pair of rather surprised walkers. Eventually I reached a tarmac road and was
pleased to turn towards my intended track.
I cycled through a Grouse farm with lots of birds pecking at feed bins in
the fields and flying away squawking as I passed. Unfortunately, the road
petered out and became a dry mud track and then finished in a field! I noticed that I could still see Glastonbury
Tor in the distance and it felt like I was going round in circles. I rode along the side of the field, up the
side of the next and found a link out onto a green lane. I descended the bumpy and muddy green lane
for several hundred meters and eventually re-joined the route back down near
the bottom of the hill! It was my
biggest diversion to date and I was faced with a steep climb on the road back
to the top. Still pleased to have got
out of the woods (!) I zig zagged all the way back up without a breather and
pedalled on towards Bristol.
It was a
smooth and sunny ride across the top of the Mendip hills with great views. After a happy couple of hours making good
progress I was pleasantly surprised by my sister and her family coming the
other way in their car. We stopped at
the Prince of Wellington pub in Winford where we met up with Fiona who had
collected here brother, Matt, from Bristol Temple Meads station in amongst road
closures and traffic jams caused by the Bristol marathon. We all enjoyed the Sunday carvery, complete
with home-made nut roast while watching easyJet flights departing from Bristol
Airport and flying directly overhead.
After a great lunch in hot sunshine, I was off and heading for
Bristol. Reaching the edge of the city,
the traffic was queuing through road works and I leapfrogged my sister in her
car several times.
 |
| Clifton Suspension Bridge |
I found my
way through Ashton Court, which was a pleasant green oasis after the busy
traffic. I then wriggled through Bristol’s
cycle paths to reach the north side of the Avon and cycled out of town under the
Clifton suspension bridge. After a few
miles I was in Avonmouth and a much more industrial area around the dock with
massive windmills all facing the same way as me. Fortunately on a Sunday I didn’t have to
dodge too many HGVs, but the headwind made it slow going. At one point I realised I could cross the road
and climb the verge to get on a cycle path.
As I did so I heard a suspicious ping from the front tyre but it seemed
fine as I cycled on and eventually out to a coastal path with great views of
both Severn bridges.
 |
| The Severn Crossing into Wales |
When I
stopped for a photo at the start of the bridge I noticed the front tyre was
rather soft – it had been punctured! It
was clearly only a small hole, so I thought I would pump it up and see how I
got on. All too predictably, when I
connected my mini pump, I succeeded only in letting out all of the rest of the
air! After a few minutes of trial and
error I got the connection working and managed to pump up the tyre to full
pressure. It stayed sufficiently fully
inflated for the rest of the day.
I crossed the
bridge into Wales with great views of the other bridge in the sunshine and then
climbed up to Chepstow and up again to the racecourse. I enjoyed a long smooth descent to Tintern to
see the magnificent ancient abbey lit by the late afternoon sunshine. I then had the final 10 miles of gentle climbing
following the river Wye to reach Monmouth at 6.30pm and find Fo and Matt ready with
a pint!
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| Tintern Abbey |
In total the
day was 70.3 miles in 8¾ hours elapsed and 6 hours moving at an average of
11.6mph and a maximum speed of 36.8mph.
Wish I could have joined you for some of today. Think we saw you cycling along that long straight road you mentioned leaving Glastonbury as we headed off to Wells for our treasure hunt (which we won!). Noticed the missed turn out of Wells. To go back down and start again was admirable, especially as it meant you having to do a worse ascent than the one you had almost completed already! Well done old chap :-)
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