Eryri Cycling Group
Which bike club is favoured with some of the best cycling country in Wales, from the mountain roads of Eryri (Snowdonia) to the lanes of the Lleyn peninsula and Anglesey? Why, CTC Eryri, of course! A friendly group, more into chat than getting the miles in, we offer a warm welcome to new members or visiting cyclists. The rides list covers fortnightly Sunday rides starting from different locations in North West Wales, including Menai Bridge, Criccieth, Caernarfon and Trawsfynydd. For even more chat, on the first Thursday in the month we have a social evening at the Snowdonia Parc Pub in Waunfawr, near Caernarfon.
As well as the fortnightly Sunday ride, riders from the group took part in a number of events in 2009 including three Chester and North Wales CTC events - 50-mile Tourist Trial, the Veterans' 100-mile event and the President's Ride. In March, we and many other riders took part in the Snowdon Charity Bike Ride, while in April, we travelled to Tewksbury for the Cheltenham CTC Spring weekend event. In May, we joined members of the North Wales Tandem Club for our annual Geoff Russell memorial weekend. This year we stayed at Bridges YH - and enjoyed the lanes of Shropshire in much better weather than our stay at Clun in 2007. Our first lady, Doreen, plus helpers, also played their usual vital part in the Brian Chapman memorial 600km event from Chepstow Bridge to Menai Bridge, providing vital refreshments long into the night at the turn- round point at Menai Bridge.
The year draws to a close with the Christmas lunch ride on 13th December, when we will probably be without Doreen, who is waiting for a call from hospital, when one of those nice surgeons will fix her very troublesome ankle. Best wishes, Doreen, from all of us. Keeping to the health theme, it is good to see Jerry Rogers out on the bike again, after a painful few months dealing with a bout of Lymes Disease. Ticks used to be regarded as marks for doing well at something, now they are things that lurk in wait, ready to pounce on weary cyclists having a lie down on the grass!
Bike rides this year have taken us north to Anglesey, past a very quiet Sunday morning RAF Valley, west over the rolling hills to Abersoch on the Lleyn peninsula, and south to the lovely Mawddach estuary and the hills below Cadair Idris - with much in between, of course. The hard day over Cwmystradllyn and up to Croesor, followed by the ascent of the steep-gated roads leading to Tanybwlch was a big contrast to easier rides along the coast near Caernarfon, making use of the café at the newly refurbished Caernarfon Airport. Planes are perhaps just a little smaller than those seen at the Airbus base at Broughton, but the excellent bacon butties are a good compensation. Yes, plenty of choices for an enjoyable Sunday bike ride.