Let sleeping pigs lie......

Saturday was booked for a special bike ride with the clubs oldest member, he's 86, and every year he has a birthday ride and the distance is one kilometer per year.  But the gods were against me this year.  We came back from a few days away in the van, and every time we go away I turn the water off, just as a precaution.  This time was no different and when we came home I turned the water back on as usual.  However after a few hours we noticed water dripping through the lounge ceiling, the toilet  above was leaking.  So after turning off the water, draining the toilet, phoning for a plumber to come out on Saturday, which meant no ride.

Were now waiting for the ceilings and walls to dry out to see if we can get away with just redecorating.

It could have been far worse if I hadn't turned the water off.

Anyway Sunday was a beautiful day so I went for a ride to Caerleon.   [see the route on the side panel]

This lovely lady was basking in the sun in her field by the cycle track, oblivious to all who passed.

The track runs alongside the Usk, which is always best seen when the tides in.

Cearleon is also famous for its Roman fort, Isca,  and its amphitheatre built around AD 90.

Web Picture.

Cardiff Velothon

Today was the the Cardiff Velothon 140K with 12000 plus riders taking part

 I just cycled from home to Caerphilly Mountain to watch the riders coming over the top of their final climb of the day.  All in all there was 1850 m of climbing on the ride.  

All the route roads were closed to traffic so it was a great opportunity to ride traffic free.

The riders came from all over, and judging by their jerseys many had traveled a way to participate.

I stood on the corner [see arrow] and the support for all was fantastic, with cow bells ringing, flags waving, and continuous shouts of encouragement.

Its a great money spinner for the city's hotels and restaurants. 

Even tandems.

The is the rear view of Claus, one of our club members.

For some this climb was just too much. 

For some the joy of making the climb was obvious.

Support vehicles were out in force.

Rhymney - solo ride.

No one available to come out and play today so it was a solo ride.

There are two memorials to the dead in Senghenydd.

The War Memorial

and the Memorial to the mining disasters.  Senghenhydd suffer two mining disasters, one in 1901 which killed 81 miners, and the other in 1913 which killed 439.  All the men in many families would have disappeared.

Senghenydd mountain has quiet lanes and  some stone walling, still in good condition.

This is Gelligaer Common and somewhere on the tops here there was a Roman camp , maybe its here.

These camps were just stopping off places where the soldiers could sleep and feed up, nothing elaborate. 

The Roman Road, straight as an arrow, not like our Anglo Saxon roads.

"Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,

The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.

A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the shire",

CK Chesterton

The views from the tops are expansive with a clear sight towards Mid Wales.  As I was cycling along the Skylarks were everywhere and the air was filled with their song.  Beautiful.  But while these pictures show the best of the scenery there is a huge downside in that the mountain is used for fly tipping.  It really is bad, with piles of builders rubble strewn on the roadsides.  These people have no respect for the countryside and as its rural and open, its almost impossible to police.  The cost to the Councils of clearing it up must be so high that it rarely gets done. The issue is that builders are charged for using the landfill sites so this is their answer.  Maybe the solution is to have free landfill tipping!

Web photo. below.

 

This is the village of Fochriw, its bleak up here in winter.

Its not all spoilt by fly tippers, here's part of the trail which is built on reclaimed land from the mining waste tips.

Here's the route