Yesterday saw Mr`Mao Tse` (minus his RED book) knocking on my door at 8am sharp some 30mins earlier than agreed the previous night during training. `alright, not ready then` he says looking at me in my dressing gown in 
the middle of swapping over tyres on my Dolan.A hastily gulped down cuppa and few slices of toast and we hit the road just before 8.30am and are heading towards Llandeilo.
The roads are fairly quiet and the sun is out. The plan for today is a 60 mile there and back job up the Black Mountain near Llangadog, Llandovery. We make good time to Llandeilo and Llangaodg and then begins the long slow pull of the climb.I'd been over this mountain before, once during the Merlin Ride (Tour of Carmarthenshire) and once in a car but never this way around on a bike. Along side the Afon Swadde the gradient is not steep but is relentless. `There are a couple of short, sharp, deep burn f**ke*s later` Mao announces between breaths, `but after the cattle grid it's not too bad.`
45 mins or so of continual climbing and we're pushed for time. Mao is mumbling about turning back as we have to be back in Carmarthen before 12 noon as his VW passion bus is in for an MOT and the place closes at that time.
We get to the top (well he does) as I stop 200m short to fiddle with my speedo before the descent.
After speeding
back towards Llangadog Mao decides that we should take a detour and a back lane towards Ffairfach. We are immediately met with a climb and the 6 miles to Ffairfach is up and down all the way.After this its stiff breeze straight at us all the way back to Carmarthen. A slow puncture stops me a mile before the end and I am forced to hop off and get the pump out while the Lard mountain ploughs on to pick up the Love Mobile which has amazingly to everyone's surprise passed its annual inspection...For Mr & Mrs Mao Tse` - the mobile lovin' can continue.....at least for another 12 months.
Happy Hill Climbing & Van Lovin`
Phil J
www.thetwofatcyclists.co.uk
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