Pembs charity ride - report by Peter Munn

Myself and Karen decided to leave it until the morning of the ride to decide if we were going to participate in this ever popular bike ride. The deciding factors were a.) The weather and b.) If we were well enough after going to our friends house party the night before. Well the weather was fine and with Karen not drinking the night before the pressure was on. I contained myself to just the 6 cans of Stella with a rather large glass of port chaser and a very sensible midnight retreat.

Miraculously I awoke feeling a tad dehydrated but the tum felt decided ok and I was on solid’s, 3 weetabix to be exact. That feeling stayed ok until we were cycling uphill to rugby club when said tum felt decidedly iffy!!

Still we were here now and with Val, Richard, Julia and Phil we decided to ride as a group. We left in the 3rd wave. There were shedfuls of people participating and It was nice pedalling down Freeman’s Way with loads of others in a large group. We headed out up Crow Hill and 10 mins into ride a young lass of 11 screamed past us with her dad hot on her heels on a mountain bike with her tristar hoody wrapped around him. It was Beth Moephan and dad going hell for leather. I liked his tactics of draughting although on the hill up to Hayscastle she had the cheek to drop him and off she zoomed.

At this point Phil and I had pulled ahead, so I told Phil I was waiting for group at which point he screamed off and we never saw Phil again. I guess Phil, being in early stages of courtship had dinner to get home to. It must have been a tough choice, dinner or cycling with us. No contest eh Phil.

Nearing Croesgoch we caught Beth on her own and she pedalled with us. Karen asked her if she was ok and she said she was fine and only doing the 29 miler. It was then Karen panicked as 29 mile turn off was at Hayscastle and we had currently biked 25 miles. With no phone Beth remembered her mum’s number and in a roundabout way agreed to meet Beth’s dad at St. David’s rugby club. We were waiting when this van stopped and out jumped Beth’s dad to much cheer. Beth jumped in the back and off they sped. Crisis over.

The sun was out now and it was a very pleasant spin to Newgale and then of course the hill out. At top there was a drink station and I spotted a banana which I needed as I was a bit peckish. You should have seen Richard’s face when I told him there were flap jack’s, Mike Tyson would not have stopped him getting to the table. It really did the trick and a fantastic touch.

It was a pleasant ride back taking us past our house. Karen wanted to go straight home but I told her in no uncertain manner that we had to get back to rugby club, I had a medal to pick up! it’s ok for her picking up prizes ding dong. And so one was hung around my neck as I crossed the line. Brilliant!!

There was a good atmosphere back at the rugby club and it really was a superb event. Well organised and a champion bunch of marshalls. There were loads of other tri people there with Dave Langford, Alice, Jack and dad Richards. An excellent route all round with the event going from strength to strength and all going towards a worthy cause.