Tell us about your 2011 riding

To continue from the last page, sorry for continued waffling, but in answer to the responses:

@Spybot, excellent, if anyone is inspired to go there from my ramblings thats great. Do it you won't regret it, but maybe not at this time of year unless you really like cycling in the wet and cold, it looks like you guys have had enough of that recently, at least there was no sand on the sections I did :)

@ Fox, haha yes definately, not only did I have gears but I was very glad I had a compact as at one point I looked down wondering how many more gears I had left and realised I had none, I think my next cassette will have a 27 or 28 rather than my current 25-12. I did cycle it all but stopped to take some pics and to re-insert a lung.

Wiki says it was regarded as the hardest climb included in the Milk race in the 70's and 80's and maximum respect to those guys who road it on a traditional double chainset, I am in awe of anyone that could do that. I would hazard a guess a few cyclists have invented some new swear words on that climb. It is the first hill on the first GPS below, and as you can see its a bit of a wall but in truth the last climb of the day was the worst as it just seemed to go on for ever and there was lots of corners so I never knew where the summit was, and I guess as I'd already done the other climbs already.

For anyone bored enough I had put the descent from the top of the Berwyns on Youtube, a lovely easy descent at the end of the day, check out the outrageous traffic on this main road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyP094EYgLw

Sorry for shit sound, one day I'll figure out how to add music. I have got a film of the whole 20 minute bwylch y groes descent too and tried to upload it to youtube but at over 2gb and over 20 minutes its too long.

@TTM, I use my phone for GPS rather than a dedicated unit and as a result I did'nt use it for all the sections of my trip for fear of draining battery and having a incident. The epic Bwylch y groes and Horseshoe Pass ride I did use it as it was is this one:

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/436736

But I have since mapped the other routes:

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/709899[/ame
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Connah's Quay to Llandudno, mostly cycle routes all the way, at the top of the climb at about the 10 mile mark there is a great pub at the top of the hill that has good food and some amazing caves out back if you have time to visit. It was supposedly in the Guiness Book of Records at one point for having been in the same family for over 400 years, the pub that is, the caves have been there much longer. CSB.

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/710125[/ame
[/ame]

Llandudno to Portmadog, including round Snowden, mostly cycle routes to Camarthan then I got lost and had a horrible section on the main road but this was round Bank Holiday in August so was busier than usual .I came down the A487 and turned off at Penygroes just before Llanllyfni for the mountain section and then up and descended back into Camarthan, according to the interwebs this was the best way to do it. As its a mountain it often has its own Pink Panther style cloud and rain when the surrounding area is fine so take a decent rain jacket even if its nice.

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/710154[/ame
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[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/710169[/ame
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This is in 2 sections as I walked across a toll bridge which ridewithgps cant comprehend. (can't remember think the toll was about 1 pound, extortion!) The second section includes the wonderously named Happy Valley. It ends at round my mums so you may not want to go there haha. The A470 is a busy road that I'd normally avoid but the section where it turns off the A470 is another little gem of a backroad, it has a short brutish 20% climb to start but if you keep on that road and dont turn off like I did then is about 10 miles nearly all down hill losing about 1000ft to Llanfair Caereinion with no traffic.

[ame]http://ridewithgps.com/routes/695773[/ame
[/ame]

Adfa to Cardiff, don't trust the last section as coming down into the valleys I again went off route and ended up on main roads I'd have preferred to avoid, but the first sections and the bits over the Beacons are awesome.

If you are in Mid Wales I'd also highly recommmend some cycling in the Elan Valley and around Devils Bridge, its bite the back of the hand beautiful there.I did'nt have time on this trip but am definately going to go there in 2012.

And also in the Mid Wales area, home of ex tour legend Barry Hoban, there is one of his rides, it goes up Staylittle and round Clywedog damn, more details here.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/routes/wales/345650/mid-wales-with-barry-hoban.html

Those are just some I know but to be honest the whole country is a cycling paradise when its not raining and you can turn off nearly any main road and have amazing riding. Enjoy.

Anyway hope all those links work as I'm a bit of a techy luddite fingers crossed
I'll shut up now so back to your stories please.