![]() And there’s really only one proper way to enter Bristol centre after a long trip away – under the Clifton Suspension Bridge on a lovely sunny afternoon. ![]() It means you can follow the River Avon into town, through the gorge. It’s not the way I’d normally choose to head into central Bristol – there are plenty more direct and more scenic options.īut there’s one big benefit of putting up with the industrial detritus out by the Severn. Marvelling at the industrial warehouses, incinerators and giant wind turbines. Stylish, huh? With possibly the least inspiring background of the whole trip, too…Ī gentle and flat drift along the floodplains on the Bristol side of the Severn. Dan from Bool’s Bicycles and a mate of his were (almost coincidentally) crossing the bridge in the other direction for a couple of days away, so it was a cuppa and a chat at a legendarily disappointing service station, just into England.Īnd a rare opportunity to get a picture of the bike, trailer and me all together. Or something like that.Īs it happened, it was smelling (and drinking) the coffee. I had to slow down and smell the roses, or wake up and smell the coffee. And actually enjoy the end of the trip, rather than just hammering towards it. I got to the middle of the mighty River Severn, suspended between Wales and England, before I decided I needed to slow down a little. Which, with castles and kites and spectacular coastlines, was actually pretty good, despite the Covid-related frustrations. An even higher-speed drop to Chepstow racecourse, and a gentle but quick run along the gently descending bypass to the original Severn Bridge. A nice view back into the Welsh countryside from the top of my last 15% ramp (above).īlown along the ridge above the Wye Valley through Devauden. Breakfast in the cold, some country lanes, one more proper hill before the drop to the River Severn. With worrying about the restrictions, re-planning my direction, and a slightly shorter line than the original coastal route, I’d barely noticed that the ride was basically done.Ī cold but sunny start yesterday (Sunday), with a northerly wind pushing me straight towards Bristol, and home. I was only a relatively short day’s ride from home, and within a couple of hours of the English border. Then it was a fast drop into the Usk valley, before a long, gently downhill (if slightly undulating) afternoon, including a nice stretch on the canal towpath out of Brecon, above.Īfter a bit over 100kms, my penultimate day on the road was over. ![]() The Brecons are also one of the UK strongholds of the once-extinct Red Kite, and I was lucky enough to watch a magnificent bird of prey riding the thermals over the tops for a few minutes. ![]() Instead, the biggest climb was over by Saturday lunchtime, and I was admiring the views that usually come from a little bit of altitude. Neither of those outcomes would be entirely satisfactory. If I’d stayed on the coast, I’d either still be firmly stuck there, or would be finishing the tour on a train instead of under my own steam. Partly because climbing a range of big hills isn’t really all that bad, at least when they look this good.Īnd partly because the few areas of South Wales which were still navigable when I started out were locked down by yesterday (Sunday), making ‘non-essential travel’ illegal as well as very difficult. All very irritating…īut, as the clunking fist of Welsh Covid restrictions tightened its grip across the region, it became clear that the detour away from the coast was a good move. And the apparently beautiful Gower Peninsular. I’d miss both the big cities of South Wales, and the southernmost point in Wales. It would make the end of my trip unnecessarily hard, and also shorter. Riding them would be lumpier than the coast. The Brecon Beacons were not on my initial plan at all.
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