I saw the sea

... but that wasn't quite what I expected. Let me explain ...

At some point over the weekend, TP asked if I'd be interested in going out for ride on the Bank Holiday Monday.  I thought that was a great idea and agreed, with the proviso that he would need to help me split and shift some logs, so I could actually get one of the bikes out of the garage.

So, yesterday, we made a slight dent in the huge pile of timber, and a few more details came to light about the ride.  It seems that we will be joined by Dan and Charlie, and mid Wales was mentioned as a destination.

Now I am on record as not being a huge fan of Charlie's group riding etiquette.  TP's isn't perfect, but he is far better to ride with, if Charlie is elsewhere. So, today, I would be riding in a group with Charlie taking the lead ... kill me now, and Dan somewhere in the middle of the group.

At this point I should mention that Dan only passed his test a few weeks ago and has less than a thousand miles of riding experience.  I am of the opinion that the pace of the ride should be set to align with the skill level of the least experienced rider.  This avoids the situation where they are encouraged to ride beyond the limit of their abilities, potentially leading to a mishap.

I recall mentioning this to Charlie and TP, and they took no fucking notice at all!

So off we headed along the A44 towards Rhayader.  The weather was fantastic* and the roads were great, but it wasn't long before Charlie overtook a car and split our little group.  These were not great overtaking roads and, after a few miles, Dan took a risky manoeuvre at a junction, in an attempt to catch up with Charlie. Both TP and I winced and commented, over our intercom, that he really shouldn't have attempted that move.

That basically set the mood for the day. Charlie took the lead and rode like he was out on his own, with no thought for the rest of the group.  Fortunately the roads weren't too bad and he did occasionally pull in to the side for the group to reassemble. 

As lunchtime approached I saw a sign for Aberystwyth and realised that this had become a trip to the seaside.  We parked up and had a very pleasant al fresco lunch in a shady spot.

Over lunch, Charlie chuntered on about our return route. I took little notice for two reasons. One, I didn't have satellite navigation on the Guzzi, and two, I was already prepared to use my phone and place-name navigation** to find my own way home.  I have ridden with Charles enough times to know that he simply cannot be relied upon as a group leader.*** 

This became apparent within a few miles of leaving Aberystwyth.  Charlie and TP were riding in front of me. They overtook a car and pulled away in to the distance.  The road and traffic conditions didn't allow for me to pass the car and I soon lost sight.  I pushed on, hoping to catch up, but was now riding alone.  My intercom chirped to show that I had an incoming call. It was TP calling to let me know that he and Charlie had turned off, and I had sailed past them.

I retraced my steps and found them, using a place marker provided by TP. I was somewhat frustrated by yet another Charlie riding experience, but I did my best to not let it spoil my day. ****

Our return route took us down the A487 as far as Llanrhystud, where we turned off and went cross-country to Llandovery. there we joined the A40 and headed towards Brecon. TP left us in the region of Sennybridge, to head home to Cardiff.

We took an ice cream break, just before TP left us and I used this break to review our homeward route. I decided that I would follow the A40 through Abergavenny, Raglan and Monmouth and on to Ross-on-Wye, where I would take the M50 and M5 home.

I let Charlie and Dan know, and Charlie seemed surprised that a sixty two year old man might pick an efficient route home after more than six hours in the saddle riding twisty roads. We parted at Abergavenny and I gave them a friendly wave before riding the last sixty miles on my own.

I definitely prefer riding that way, and may do much of our France tour solo, linking up with the group in the evening.

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* A UK meteorological record was broken today; the hottest May Day, since records began

** In the old days, donkeys years before satellite navigation, I would simply make a sequential list of towns and road numbers and use that to navigate when riding.

*** I have already mentioned to TP that, during this year's tour of France, we will need to share the destination address and any stops at the start of each day. This is an absolute must, if we stand any chance of avoiding rider attrition.

***  I know that Charlie will never change, and that I need to manage both Charlie, and the situations that arise. Hence the need to demand destination details before we start, and to be happy to find my own way to wherever we're going!