COLD RIDE TO WHITECASTLE

14/11/04

The morning after our night ride, we decided to ride to one of our favourite places Whitecastle. I met Nick in Croesyceiliog at 07:30, the sun had just risen and there was a thick layer of frost on the ground. We warmed up with a climb up to New Inn, my new Ultegra STI levers were working well. We had a fast ride to Usk along the main road. We then took our usual route through Llandenny and Raglan. We stopped here to buy provisions so that we carry on our cold ride up into the outback of the Gwent countryside. We rode along the narrow lanes to Llantilio Croesenny, we took in the aroma of fallen apples from the vast orchards here and then we made our way to a short section of the Offa’s dyke path. I have written before about this rough road and it was now rougher than ever, the rain had turned it into a boggy path in a few sections but it made good riding to reach the end which brought us out by Whitecastle. We ate our food in the middle of the castle and before long we cycled back in the cold. We were now truly winter cycling after the falseness of the weeks previous, the winter smells were in all their glory as we past the villages of Llanarth Goytre and Glascoed to arrive home around 13:00 after an excellent morning ride!

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