Summer time!

---

Its incredible how time just flies. The days are getting longer and longer, offering more and more time to explore some of beautiful wales. This past month has been a whirlwind of mini adventures, particularly on my mountain bike. One day while riding home, I noticed a young lady pushing a mountain bike up the hill. Always being on the lookout for fellow mountain bikers, I stopped to see if she had a technical problem. Fortunately though she was just eating her cheese sandwich! However, we got chatting and when it came to going our separate ways, we swopped numbers and agreed to get together again to explore some of the forest rides just outside of Cardiff. And that brought Kate into the picture: a lovely girl from the Isle of Man, working at anouther hospital in Cardiff as an anaesthetist. See photo's.

On the first may bank holiday, Terry Yoell, from South Africa, came to wales to check out the "great riding" that he'd been hearing about in Afan Forest. Thumbs up to Terry for calling a "bed and breakfast" rather then a camping weekend, as on sunday the weather turned foul, and bucketed with rain. At this point we were most grateful to be tucked up in a clean, warm dry home, with a hot shower to welcome us back from a very wet, cold and muddy ride! But all great fun! Felt very sorry for the soggy wet campers. We also discovered that there's not an aweful lot - ok, there's nothing - to be done in Port Talbort. So if ever planning a visit, take a pack of cards for the evenings! See Photo's.

So sticking with the moutain biking, I met anouther friend, Mike, at ceroq dancing in Cardiff Bay. This has been great fun, and lovely to have someone just down the road to go riding with. Between him and his connections, Afan forest came into the riding itinery! Woohoo! Brilliant single track, long technical climbs, and fast swooping descents - with a couple of black runs to raise the adrenalin even more!

Not too much extravangant travelling this month - just enjoying South Wales, and the serious improvement in the weather.....

---

Photos

The girls
This little team seems to have many of the lads confused... What are 2 girls doing out here on their own?? And what a blow when they catch us on the hills! he he

Top of the world
OK, just top of the hill - a great relief after an hour climb through technical forest single track.. Lovely view down to Newport

DOWNHILL
Yay for the downhill! Little track disappears into the trees, and then the fun begins!

THE TUP
Who would've thought that a little pub in Colliers Wood, london, would be names that! Found while walking from Terry's to Deb's..

And even entertainment
The board outside THE TUP

White's levels
One of the most epic single track climbs, to thrilling downhills..

Weekend in Afan Forest
Having a bit of a rest...

London with Terry
Enjoying the sunset in Richmond, after watching some drunk lads making a busker very rich!

Balmy summer evening
Enjoyng the last of the sun along the Thames..

Birthday boy
Mike the mountain biker posing in Cardiff Bay - on our way to a lovely cantonese resturant to meet up with other ceroq-ers and to celebrate his birthday!

Comments

[Brad]

There's a grrovy new MTB place in Marionhill (Giba Gorge) which means we don't have to go far to have some fun. We'll hit with some guys from church when you return. Along with Salsa this something you'll have to re-energise in Durban. Can't wait!