It’s always the quiet ones
The warning signs are there from the very beginning. The first appears less than 200m from our ride’s starting point in the little village of Dinas Mawddwy on the southern edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Framed in a vivid red triangle is a message that will come to haunt us during today’s outing: 20%.
If we had any sense we’d take some time to ponder the sign’s ominous meaning, register its import and adjust our expectations for the day accordingly, but right now we’re high on sunshine and caffeine, the prospect of a hilly 128km ride giving rise only to a giddy excitement.
The sky is a brilliant blue and the sun is warm even at this early hour – a rare occurrence in this part of north Wales – so we attack the first climb of the day with gusto. And the several further climbs that follow shortly after. We’ve barely started and already we’re burning matches like it’s bonfire night in a hurricane. But we don’t care – we’re just happy to be riding in glorious weather in one of the
