An eventful day out it turned out to be too...
En route to Cornwall and Devon for a few days after a trip to ride the TET in Greece all fell through, I stopped off in Monmouth to meet a mate and go for a ride. The weather was mixed with sunshine in the morning and rain later which always adds spice to the day in this area! We caught up on the gossip side of things over breakfast at the Riverside Hotel on the edge of Monmouth, then unloaded the bikes and set off for a play in the local countryside.
Gareth had the route planned and so I followed, as always when Gareth plans a route, lots of good technical lanes followed with a fair few steep ascents and rock steps that I remembered from my last visit, there are also plenty of sunken lanes lost in the bushes and a little overgrown.
We stopped in a great little cafe near Tintern Abbey, loads of cyclists use the place, the cakes and tea were good but a little pricey, once I had the picture of the Abbey and what looked like a wedding filled with classic cars and other vehicles, we then set off on a rocky little hill climb through some woodland. Great lane, lovely area...
The day finished with Gareth trapping his bike under a bit of armco fencing on a farm exit lane, the concrete surface was covered in some very slimy slurry and his bike just tucked and slid under the fencing. We had to go find the farmer and lend some tools to unbolt the fence before we could free the bike!
That night ended up in a local pub, eating and drinking until late, leaving us both merry and inebriated before dossing in our vans after a long day!
Another great day out on a bike in a lovely part of the world!
That night ended up in a local pub, eating and drinking until late, leaving us both merry and inebriated before dossing in our vans after a long day!
