Ritchey's Blog !

Good ride yesterday, enjoyed by myself Rob & Ceri even though the weather was crap at times. Good to see such a good turn out for the away day! For those who haven't ridden the Syfydrin trail your missing out on some of the best rugged natural riding with awesome sweet flowing & technical single track to keep even the most die hard park riders more than happy! The trail is graded "BLACK" with 670m of climbing and a total length of 35k, not as long as our "SKY LINE" but twice as much fun! The visitor centre there is spot on, but we did get some funny looks as we walked through to the showers "stinking" after our ride as there was an arts exhibition on at the time!! Within 500m or so of leaving the car park your onto single track & down hill after 100m along it, sweet! Then it opens up on to farm roads through the rugged & beautifully Cambrian Mountains with lots of water splashes & stream crossings. The descents on these farm roads are as fast as you have the balls for as they are mainly over sheets of layered rock, wipe out and its gonna hurt big fucking time. The first was a bit of a feeler for the conditions as the rocks looked like glass! No dramas on this one so the next one was gonna have it. Next up was a farm road climb which would lead to another fast farm road decent, this was kept interesting by having to negotiate the wash outs which littered the climb. On to the second of the farm road descents and the best of the day in my eye which was begging to have it. I had to oblige naturally but it caught me out a corker, big ring top gear cranking like a good un I rounded a bend to be greeted with a big grinning wash out looking to dish out pain! In the time I had to decide what to do I was on it to late to break now so decision made for me, lift the front and hope I can make it. Pick my landing spot then lift off, mid air everything looking good front wheel clears the washout then there's an almighty crack sound which is loud enough to suggest that I've caused major damage to the bike as the back wheel collected the shear face of the far side of the wash out. Looking down at the arse end the bike seemed OK, rear wheel still there and rear mech where it should be happy days! Head up looking at the drop off approaching me the arse end starts flapping about tire starting to go down, bollocks. Cost over the drop off & pull over to asses the damage, tyre leaking out milk as I pull up. The crack must of been the bike bottoming out as the telltale is off the shaft of the shock And I'd pinch flatted my tubeless tire on its wall in the impact, the second one in just over a month doing a similar thing! Wheel off tube in, I struggled to get the tyre over the rim as its was as tight as hell, thanks for the help Rob as Ceri just sat there draining his socks! Plus side is that I get to try my new lezyne co2 inflater, well impressed with it but I forgot to put my glove back on prior to using it and subsequently froze my left thumb to the nozzle of the fucker. We head onto "Paul's" puddle, every one through with no one taking the opportunity of a dip as its well to cold for any of that malarkey. The weather starts to turn really shit with the wind picking up and driving the light rain, so its jackets on time for Rob & Ceri but at least we've ridden the majority of the open wilderness stuff! On to the next decent where we catch and blow away a racing snake on a rather nice looking "Trek". I succumb to the weather and put a jacket on not so much to do with the rain but the wind was really starting to make things feel a Little too cold. We ride through the pretty village of "Bont goch" with the smell of log burners in the air and onto start the first climb of any real description, but even this has plenty of plateaus and the odd gate to negotiate so you can catch your breath not that you have to over exert yourself. The last part of the climb does steepen up though as all good climbs seem to do but it doesn't go on for too long before it levels off. Into the forestry and a short but sweet climb that leads onto a small section of single track which is really quick and flowing. There's some nice jumps on the section which brings a nice smile to your face just before the last bend which is off cambered and on nice polished rocks which want to take your face off let alone your smile given half the chance. Onto another section of single track which meanders along the side of one of the many lakes that you get to see, but you've got to work at it on this one as its a bit of a pedal but still enjoyable none the less. Back onto farm track and a bit of a climb but nothing too severe or taxing which leads you onto another fast decent with an adverse cambered section which is washed out on its lower side. Best to stay up high on the right if you want to stay out of trouble through here as the wash out tries its best to lure you down into it to meet the rocks and boulders waiting to greet you. All through safely and the trail levels off before a another fast but short decent with a small rock outcrop / drop off, nothing to shout about really. You can hit this at full tilt and catch a nice bit of air with a nice smooth landing area after it. the arse end starts to wander about right after landing of the tiny drop off, puncture number two. The tube is pinched flatted proper with two holes in it big enough to fit Jamie's belly through! Back into the forestry and your onto some really sweet single track which has four distinctive areas. The first part is technical with roots waiting to take your front away given the chance. The second is a flowing section with banked berms and trees a bit to close for my comfort with my wide bars but i didn't clip a tree all day! The third section is back out in the open and very reminiscent to the open section of the wall decent, fast and with a drop away to the side of you that spells hospital if you get it wrong! Your soon back into the trees for the fourth area which is still nice and flowing the only down side is that once your through it your in to the bottom of the valley and pretty much at the bottom of the biggest climb of the day! Its not steep but it does drag on as all forestry road climbs seem to do and not a Barby bike in sight Paul. Drop down into a dip and out of it and onto a climb of about 40m max not long bit its a steep little bugger that punishes the legs after the drawn out climb out of the valley. On catching my breath after this Ceri steamed past me with a cheesy grin on his face, but it was me who was laughing as he clipped something in the grass which flung him out of the saddle and unclipped both feet which were flailing about as if he was possessed. Aw some entertainment but well held that man, you should take up bull riding bro! Would of pissed myself if he had come off altogether as I missed his last off over Afan as he was miles behind me, maybe next time!! Onto the last section of single track which meanders its way back to the car park, this is flowing with some banked berms and technical bits, but mainly flowing and fast! Back at the centre I took advantage of the jet wash to wash my steed down before having a shower myself in the clean and modern centre, it uses rain water caught by the roof which is filtered then used to flush the toilets! The showers are a pound for five minutes and just right as in they don't try to peel your skin off as Glyncorrwg tries to do! Cup of coffee and a welsh cake and it was time to hit the road. This is the second time I've rode here and the weather couldn't of been any further apart, but still enjoyable even with the two punctures that tried to put a damper on things. If you haven't guessed it this is my favourite ride by far at the moment but don't take my word on it get up there and ride the "Syfydrin Trail" you wont be disappointed!!

 Check out the attached file.

 They have also got shorter trails so Jamie and Adam wont feel left out!! Heard that there was a bit of a scene over the weekend down in Ten by in the chocolate factory. Apparently a good day was had by all the family but on telling him it was time to go he proper kicked off big time, what a tantrum. They had to drag him to the car kicking, screaming, lashing out and trying to bite who ever he could. This is totally unacceptable and no way to set an example to your kids Jamie "Rolo" Roland.

Sorry about the late posting of this short story lol, but my twating lap top crashed and I've only just found it! so here goes dudes.....

 Good "CLUB RIDE" on Sunday, me Ceri, Paul & Phil cutting the Mustard. We started at the shop & headed to Watstown (is that banjo's I can hear) With the climb out of the town under our belt we headed to the decent into Aberdare which was fast & slick on the upper grass section & as fast as you like on the lower section. Through the town centre of Aberdare & onto the climb out of the town we came across a sight that could only happen in the Valleys. There before us on the side of the road waiting for a bus was a dude in shell suit, work boots & jacket wearing the proper job "DARTH VADER" helmet, fu***ng awesome! Things must of taken a downturn for the dark side master since they stopped filming "STAR WARS" for him to be slumming it in the valleys! Even better was the fact that he greeted us with a "good morning" as if this was the norm, he was probably thinking under his helmet "who are these fu***ng nutters". We finally made it up the climb which was a bit of a slog with a smile still on our faces after meeting Mr Vader. Onto the Gethin event downhill whereon meeting some downhill lads pushing up at the first drop off, Phil decided to bail out in front of them. Priceless! I summoned the balls and had a go at the first drop off and nailed it, what a buzz but there we no other takers.

 On to the Taff trail where a tasty pace was set by all big ring top cog most of the time. Bonesy would of loved it as there was loads of opportunity to draft.On that note, much appreciation to Ceri for pulling me along at times after having a go flat out & leaving the old bugger only to be swallowed back up by him with a big cheesy grin on his chops as he motored by! We happened to meet a rather LARGE chap & his family in a "BLUE BMW" estate in Ponty he looked very familiar but it was not until he said that he was on his way to have food that the penny dropped!! (answers on a postcard folks, winner gets a well thumbed 2009 edition of "where to eat in Wales guide" supplied by said gentleman as he has no further use for it as he's done them all twice). In no time at all we were riding up Pontypridd road and nearly back at the shop where the pace increased until the sprint commenced...... Who won the sprint Paul?????