Ajax Sunday Ride - Up the Rhigos in the Sunshine!

On Sunday I went out with Ajax for another Sunday Social Ride.  The routes had been put out on Tuesday (they're always ranked 1-4, 1 being fastest and 4 being slowest) and group 4 was going to Chepstow and back - a flat ride I have done loads.  I was all excited for the flat ride but when I got to the start MTB Ben told me to go with the faster ride (group 3) which was going up a massive mountain.

I said no.

Then I joined the group

We made it up the Rhigos fine, I was the 2nd from slowest but mostly from fear of not knowing how long the mountain was going to be, by the top I was moving quick again.  Next time I will try harder and next time I will go faster!

At the top everyone was waiting for me and also enjoying the sun

I decided to practice posing like a poser!

So comfortable! so natural!

After the ascent was the decent - 3.5 miles down the other side of the mountain with and average speed of 29.4mph and a max speed of 37.5mph.  SWEET!

Then we stopped at a cafe to refuel, where I dined on the competitive snack of champions:

Dark chocolate kit kat and full fat coke - YUM!

Unfortunately I had a bit of a mechanical problem at the end of the ride - 12 miles outside of Cardiff my pedal fell off.  2 miles later it fell off for good.  Despite the best help of my group I had accidentally destroyed my crank, partially from the sheer power and strength of my legs and mostly from cross threading my pedal until it was destroyed

I tried to cycle 1 legged for a while (there was no pedal anymore for leftie!) but it was painful and uncomfortable and I got a lot of odd stares so eventually I waited for Brewer half to pick me up from a town about 6 miles outside of Cardiff.

Brewer half earned some major beer credit from me on that ride - a lift home from Tongwynlais (lol at welsh town names!) and this dinner when I got back!

Yes I ate the whole bowl, and then a bit more, and then some stir fry, and then some crackers and cheese.  55 mile cycles make Hungry Rachel hungry!

And in case you are interested... here is the Strava:

And the Strava of my 1 footed ride